For Kurt and Sandy

---

Flash sighed, a happy sigh, and smiled as he looked out on the cosmic view from his ship. Lem was always by his side. She didn’t say much, but seemed to enjoy just being there.

Flash picked up the Ololian book. It was like a magic book, because it had the unique ability to write itself… as though information was being downloaded… but from where?

There was always something new for Flash to read, and that helped pass the time, which he had plenty of.

Leafing through the book one day (I use the word day, even though that’s not really what it was), a picture jumped out at Flash, and he looked closer. A grinning, green-skinned alien face looked back at him from the page. The expression was jarring. The color gave the face a ghoulish look. As off-putting as the image was, there was also something familiar about it. Flash couldn’t place it. He had seen the countenance before somewhere.

He began reading the text, and the hairs stood up on his neck.
The narrative described his own visit to the blue planet. The lifeless (but for plants) world that he had considered making his permanent home.

He read about the path leading from the rock down to the beach, his dream of the TNI2 crashing down the cliff, and his swim in the sea.

In this version, however, Flash did not return to the mother ship, but had made the lonely place his final home.

The shocking image depicted what he would have looked like in time if he had stayed. He recalled the dream of sinking his own roots into the soil. It had turned from a dream into a nightmare. More horrifying still, he read that some of the trees on that planet were once people like him, who decided to stay.

He closed the book, and Lem noticed that he had gone pale.

What is it? she asked, concerned.

Nothing.

It was a near miss for Flash. How he could have ever, for one second, considered staying in that place?

Well, now he was home, and had no thought of ever leaving it again.

Flash studied the data that he had been collecting since leaving Earth. Between that, the archive in the computer’s memory banks and the Ololian book, he had more than enough to keep his mind occupied, and entertained.

An alarm sounded. Something was out there.

The radar screen showed an object heading for the mother ship.

What is it? Lem asked, concerned.

I’m not sure. It looks like A sputnik sized sphere.

A what?

Possibly a rogue satellite, Flash guessed.

Lem looked closer at the screen. That is not metal, she announced, wide eyed. It is organic matter.

Flash strained to see what was out there, and Lem looked on nervously, hoping it was not going to collide with their ship.

Soon the object came into view.

Flash and Lem stared at it, trying to identify what it could possibly be. Spherical, as Flash had said. It was orange in color, with some sort of tail that trailed behind it.

Lem wondered if it was a comet. Flash thought it looked like a basketball.

It followed the mothership’s trajectory, gaining on it slowly, until it arrived at the hatch on the TNI 2 which was docked to the mother ship.

Please don’t open the airlock, Lem begged.

Flash was intrigued. Lem’s anxiety turned to terror when an appendage reached around the sphere and unlocked the hatch like a key.

The portal opened, and the strange orb swam, tendrils curling behind it, into the pod like an octopus entering its undersea den.

Lem gasped. They could hear it just below them, manipulating the mechanism of the door to the main cabin.

Their worst fears were realized as the hatch slid open.

This was not the first time Flash had had a surprise guest come aboard his ship. These visits shot through his mind in a fraction of a second. Galaxy Girl from the Procyon, Geronimo, the Shepherdess of the Stars, Peck, and even Lem herself had arrived in just this way. And then, of course, there was his daughter.

Flash derived some comfort from this, but Lem cowered, her eyes wide. She did not like surprises.

There it was, now in plain view. An enchanted Jack-O-Lantern floated into the cockpit.

I heard you were having a celebration! it said through it’s enormous hollow grin. Flash could only laugh. He knew he must surely be dreaming.

It was as though Mr. Pumpkinhead could read his thoughts, because he said, as his vines unfurled, taking the form of arms and hands, I am not a dream.

I don’t think you understand the power of your imagination.

You spoke me into existence a long time ago, planting my seeds in the fertile minds of children.

You said it yourself. If the universe is infinite, then everything is not only possible, but everything IS. You thought I might show up again someday, somewhere. Well, here I am.

Once Lem understood that he was not a threat, the three sat and talked together about their adventures.

Flash ordered up a hot, steaming meal of macaroni and cheese, and Mr. Pumpkinhead said it was the best he had ever tasted.

They talked for hours, and then Mr. Pumpkinhead unlocked the hatch and left, the way he had come. Lem and Flash were a little sad to see him go, and very happy that he had come.

---

Twelve years ago, I posted this to my blog, about something that had happened about twelve years before that:

I used to make up stories called “The Adventures of Mr. Pumpkinhead.” They were silly, fantastic stories about an enchanted jack-o-lantern who loved Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese Dinner. He had a friend named Rocky, who was an enchanted Lake Superior beach stone, and another friend named Sylvia, who was an enchanted spaghetti squash. I’ve lost my one copy of the book I made, and maybe it will show up again somewhere, someday. One day as I was recounting the time Mr. Pumpkin head used his magic finger to open and start a car at a car dealership, drive it away, get arrested for grand theft auto, and then be put in jail (he used his magic finger to unlock the jail cell and walk out), my friend’s son looked at me and said “You’re Mr. Pumpkinhead, aren’t you?” I don’t know that I’d thought of it that way before, but the question resulted in this oil pastel that I call “Self Portrait as Mr. Pumpkinhead.”

Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. -Carl Jung

---

The eyes are useless when the mind is blind.

---

The outside is never as much as the inside.

---

Flash sank into a deep slumber and woke in a dream. It was as though sleep were just a portal to another world… another realm. He had learned, long ago, to differentiate between big dreams and small dreams. The small dreams merely recalled details of his life in the waking world. Big dreams were an inroad into something not new, but something outside of his experience. Some aspect of the universe of which he was a part, so nothing could truly be alien to him.

Somehow, Flash knew he was dreaming, and yet… the ground on which he stood felt solid. It gave just a bit beneath his feet. The soil, while dark brown (almost black), shimmered with the iridescence of crystal dust. The crystal layer was invisible but for the way it reflected light.

The sky was dusky blue, illuminated only by distant stars. It might have been night. This place, wherever it was (or wasn’t) may not have had a nearby star, like Earth’s sun, to give it day and night. Or perhaps it showed only one face to its sun, as the moon did to Earth.

Flash took these things in within seconds of opening his eyes, his brain orienting him to his surroundings.

He knew he was safe.

This was travel. Without making plans. Without packing bags. Just instant teleportation from one place to another.

There was a sound. At first, Flash thought it was the sound of running water. But that did not quite fit. It was intermittent. He glanced around, taking in dark rocks that protruded from the dirt. They were stark, unadorned by any vegetation, and their severe shapes were silhouetted against the gentle, starlit sky.

He walked, in search of the source of the sound. He rounded a promontory, and there he saw a tall figure. It was licking the rock wall, oblivious to Flash’s presence.

Not wanting to startle it, he cleared his throat.

The person turned its head quickly, and met Flash’s gaze with one eye. The other eyelid drooped, almost obliterating the orbit.

Flash stood very still as the alien being sized him up. That eye felt like a spotlight, focusing a beam on him that could reveal all of his secrets. All the while, he also studied the creature.

It was tall, like I said, and its skin was red. Magenta. It had a long, thin neck with a raised spiral encircling it several times from top to bottom.

Two appendages rose from its elongated cranium, looking like antennae or horns. Or pigtails.

That eye. It was so round. So white. So intense. It looked startled, of course. Was it unfriendly? Aggressive? Flash couldn’t be sure, so he remained still and reminded himself that this was a dream. Or was it? Now he couldn’t be sure.

It sniffed the air in Flash’s direction, and then, apparently satisfied with its investigation, turned back and resumed licking the rock face.

Flash walked closer and sat on a rock near the alien.

What are you doing?, he asked between the loud slurping sounds.

Have you tasted these rocks? They are delicious.

Nothing shocked Flash. Where I come from, we eat mostly plants.

Disgusting! I went to a place once where they ate plants. I couldn’t wait to come back here. I hope I never see another plant. No, I’m never leaving home again.

Flash could relate, as much as he loved eating plants. Once you find a place that truly feels like home, nothing else will do.

The scene faded, and Flash caught a glimpse of the cockpit of the mother ship through his half closed eyes before another vista came into view.

Rocks again, but not the black silhouettes that the pink alien had been licking.

These were brown boulders. Raw sienna that looked yellow in the bright light of day. Burnt umber flecks and streaks punctuated the surface of the stone, and the landscape fell away on every side. Flash found himself on the top of a large hill or small mountain.

A cool, relentless breeze buffeted him, and was balanced by the heat of sunlight on his skin. A pale blue dome of sky arched over everything, flooding the place with an even light. It was refreshing. Flash filled his lungs, breathing deeply of the untamed air.

Flash felt a presence. He knew he was not alone here, but glancing about, he saw no one else.

He walked around, avoiding the small rocks that were hidden in the grass. The grass up here was dry and sharp, pale green in color. It’s edges were like saw blades that could cut your skin if you weren’t careful.

Something moved, catching Flash’s attention. But when he looked, it was just grass, flowing like liquid in the wind, lapping against the base of a large boulder.

But no. The boulder itself was moving. It was not rolling, the way a rounded rock might move, but changing position and shape like a living thing.

It raised its head and looked around. When it turned, it saw Flash Meridian, who felt small compared to this giant.

Hello, Flash said aloud. Silently, he reminded himself that this was only a dream, and he did not need to be afraid. Still, it looked grumpy.

Sorry if I woke you.

It yawned and shrugged. I came up here to be alone. I guess it’s not as remote as I thought.

How long have you been asleep? Flash asked.

I don’t know. A thousand years? A hundred thousand years? What do you want? I’m tired.

Flash noticed that the giant also had one drooping eye. The upper lid sagged, almost completely obliterating an opaque eye with no visible pupil.

What happened to your eye? Flash asked.

My eye? The rocklike alien retorted. I have one good eye, he continued, and then there’s this one. He pointed to the other eye. The clear, wide eye that stared at Flash. It’s useless.

I think that’s your good eye.

No. It’s no good. All it can see is the world around me, the giant explained. This one, pointing to the milky eye with the drooping lid, sees inside. That’s what really matters.

A moment later, Flash realized that he was in his chair aboard his ship. The rough mountain grass had been replaced by his thick black rug, and he was thinking about dreams and eyes. Small dreams were like the eye that can only see the world around you. Big dreams were like the inner eye that sees what you are really made of.

He felt at home like the red alien and its delicious rocks, and he never wanted to leave again.

As Flash ventured away from Olo, he began picking up signals from somewhere. He had nearly forgotten about the music he had heard earlier through his radio.

It began faintly like before. So much so that, for quite a while, he couldn’t be sure whether he was only imagining it.

He was heading in another direction now, perpendicular to the course he took the first time he left Olo.

As he sped on into uncharted space, the signals grew stronger, the sounds grew louder. Soon, it was undeniable that someone was out there. But where? And who?

Flash was beginning to think he didn’t need anyone else in his life. He certainly didn’t need anyone to complete him.

Yes, he sometimes felt lonely on his journey through space, but he could be just as lonely in a crowded room. Of course he had Lem and the K. D. Head to keep him company.

He was comfortable in the mothership. His surroundings were so familiar. The ship felt almost like an extension of his body.

Every time he left it and returned again, he needed time to regroup. In solitude, he charged his batteries.

Excursions always seemed like such a good idea after being alone for a long period. The best part of any trip, no matter how interesting or beautiful, was settling back in his chair, burying his feet in the furry hide, sipping a hot beverage from his earthenware cup and leafing through the Ololian book. He was comforted by these familiar objects.

From this detached viewpoint, he listened to sounds of life picked up by his radio.

From what alien forms did these sounds emanate? He could only imagine.

Whoever, or whatever they were, they were a long way off, and Flash wasn’t sure he would be able to find them if he tried.

Flash Meridian felt at home aboard the mother ship. Sometimes it felt lonely and claustrophobic. He had Lem to keep him company, and he had the pod to take him on adventures. On a few occasions, he entertained the thought of making a permanent home elsewhere, but he always returned to his ship, where he could relax and think.

Even when faced with the sadness of leaving his family behind, he chose to return to the one place where he felt at home.

Flash looked out upon the immensity of space, knowing that what he could see was a tiny fraction of the whole. It was mind boggling to think of infinity, but the mother ship was manageable. He could comprehend this space, which was filled with familiar objects.

He was happy to be back, but tired from his ordeal. He reclined his chair, listening to the strange sounds, and with Lem by his side, fell into a deep sleep.

91 Arriving At Destination

Olo was beautiful. The air was warm. The people were friendly and gracious. He had learned so much by coming here, but this was not his home yet.

He longed for something familiar, and so he thanked the Ololians for their gift. It didn’t take long for Flash to say goodbye to those who had gathered. They had been so kind and welcoming, and had become like family.

They would have loved for him to stay with them on Olo, but they understood that this was not his home yet.

Perhaps he would return one day.

Flash looked again at the shining yellow craft, and for the first time, noticed that Lem was in the copilot‘s seat.

The instruction manual is in the book, Skip said.

Flash looked around the crystal plain one last time, and breathed deeply of the delicious Ololian air. He hugged the king and queen, and wihout regret, he boarded the yellow pod.

Goodbye, he said as he closed the hatch. The engine made no sound as he lifted off. The crowd below grew smaller and smaller, while the kaleidoscopic terrain spread out below him.

The colorful mountain peaks glowed, and Flash was filled with feelings of sadness and hope, knowing that among them were his daughter and grandson.

He questioned whether he was doing the right thing. Lem looked at him with a knowing expression.

What am I doing? he asked.

Going home.

Flash turned the ship once again and took one last look at the cobalt plateau. He could barely make out the castle on the mountain, and could no longer see the structures, the whale, the TNI2 or the Ololians on the plain.

He wiped a tear from his eye, and they soon reached the edge of the atmosphere.

The intense hues looked like a painting from this altitude, riddled with hidden figures and cryptic messages that could only be seen from high above.

The new ship had all of the features of the TNI2, plus many more, and so it was drawn to the mother ship, which recognized it and welcomed it by illuminating the docking bay lights. A message appeared on the computer screen, accompanied by a digital voice that said, Arriving at destination.

The Ololian pod nestled perfectly in the bay, and was secured to the mother ship. Finally. Flash was home. After a series of tones and vibrations, he was given the OK to open the hatch. He floated through it. The ship came to life after being dormant during his absence. It felt familiar, yet strangely quiet without his daughter.

Lights glowed and flickered on the control panel, but the cabin was mostly dark. He hovered there for a while, taking in the familiar environment. It was small, but cozy, and it offered Flash everything he needed. Sometimes, it felt a little too small, causing him to feel cramped and discontented. On more than one occasion, he had considered finding a new home.

Now, he felt strongly that this is where he belonged. Here, he was Flash Meridian! Not just some house guest, or stranger trying to fit in. Here, he could be himself again.

90 Journey

Flash was on a journey. Everything was changing. He couldn’t know what the future would hold, but he knew he would be near family. More than anything, he wanted to connect with his people. He looked at the cave-riddled towers and wondered if he could make his home in one of them.

It had been so long since he left the Earth, and made his way over great distances. At times, he had felt at home cruising amongst the stars. At other times, he had felt lonely and out of place. He was grateful for the unique experiences he had enjoyed, yet at the same time, he felt nostalgic for the home he had left behind.

Now he searched for a new place to live along with Lem.

Suddenly it occurred to Flash that this was, once again, his birthday. The years seemed to go by so fast.

The whale silently rose, following the contours of the glassy surface, with Flash on its back.

He thought he had been on a quest to find his daughter, but now he was having second thoughts. She was a grown woman who had left his care to make her way in the world, much as Flash had done decades earlier when he left his own parents to be autonomous in his adult life. He still loved her, and always would, but he could not see himself living amongst these peaks, beautiful as they were.

As difficult as it was to come to terms with, Flash had to let go of his child and love her from a distance.

Still he rode on, thinking of the mother ship, orbiting somewhere above him. He thought of Lem back at the castle, and Peck, who ran off into the crowd. He thought of his daughter and of his grandchildren who lived here.

Just when he thought he knew what he was doing, things changed, and he began to formulate a new plan.

Flash felt encumbered, not so much by things, but by his own expectations.

Riding on the back of the white whale, it occurred to Flash that he didn’t know where he was going. He had no control over anything. He trusted that the whale had some instructions, and would take him where he needed to be.

As he was thinking this, he heard a familiar voice.

DADDY! The voice rang out through the still air. It echoed off the mountains, so that he couldn’t tell where it was coming from. He recognized his daughter’s voice, and scanned the surrounding area. It was hard to see. The brilliant peaks shone in the full light of day.

Where are you? He called back, his heart filled with love.

We are up here! she called again.

The bow of the whale tipped up, and the animal rose. Flash could see her now, on a bridge between the spires, waving one arm above her head. She held something in her other arm. She was backlit against the pale blue sky, and giggled as Flash grew near.

The bundle she cradled on her hip was a baby.

DADDY! she called again loudly, even though he was almost within reach.

Flash was overjoyed to see his daughter and her son. When he finally stepped across to the bridge, they hugged and cried. She told him about her adventures in the mountains, and the other family members she had met there. I feel at home here, she told him, and he was happy for her. Flash told her about his adventures, too, and that he was looking for a place where he felt at home.

Olo was a beautiful place, and the people were friendly. He loved the colorful little planet. He felt more connected to it than ever because his family was here. So why did he feel such a strong urge to leave?

As though she had read his thoughts, Mad looked deeply into his eyes and said, Enjoy your trip.

Suddenly, Flash knew what he had to do. Or had he known it all along? He had spent so much time and energy searching for home, and now it was clear.

They embraced again, and simultaneously said I love you.

He turned, climbed up onto the back of the white whale, and waved.

The baby waved, too, and called out to Flash. His voice echoed throughout the peaks. GRAMPA!

As the whale began to move, Flash heard the reverberating word. GRAMPA! RAMPA! AMPA! MPA! PA! A!

Flash Meridian and the whale circled back between different spires, and he saw different features in the landscape below. The Ololians waved up to him as he passed. Soon the dazzling plain came into view, and there, a surprise awaited him.

A crowd of people stood near the TNI2, and for the first time, Flash noticed how worn the pod appeared. It had been pelleted with space dust and corroded here and there by salt water. The underside was scorched by the furnace of entering atmospheres. Still, he loved the ship. It was merely a passing thought. The wear and tear was something he was used to.

We made something for you, a spokesman for the group said.

With that, the crowd parted, revealing a brand new pod. Its yellow fuselage shone bright, so that at first, Flash had to cover his eyes.

It’s yours if you want it.

89 Careful!

for Everett and Xavier

The whale neared the pale blue surface of the tower, and Flash was hypnotized by the light dancing along its wall. Facets on the crystal obscured the view inside, though Flash thought at times that he could see something moving within it. Dark shapes seemed to follow the whale as it floated by.

Soon, they met up with one of the spiraling staircases, and they followed it up. The dark forms also ascended on the inside of the mountain. Was it their shadow piercing the translucent mineral? No, the light source was wrong for that.

It reminded Flash of peering into water, trying to glimpse fish in a lake, but always having the sun glint right where he wanted to see. They weren’t always visible, and Flash could not be sure they were actually there at all. Until they reached a landing with a cavelike opening, and two people bounded out of the tunnel, waving their arms above their heads. They jumped up and down without regard for the height. No railing protected them from the sheer drop that dwarfed the height of the castle balcony.

At first, it looked like a distress signal, but as they got closer, he could see this was a dance of joy. Flash waved back and called out to them.

Careful!

They only laughed, and continued to jump, mere inches from the precipice.

Flash Meridian! It’s Flash Meridian! they sang.

And who are you? he asked.

Don’t you remember us? asked one.

How could he remember us? the other retorted. He is our ancestor!

88 Ok Let’s Go

When Flash looked at the hologram, he didn’t ask “How can fish swim in the tops of trees?” Instead, he just reminded himself that “Anything is possible.”

And it was.

As he gazed at the forest scene that rose up from the bed linens, night fell over the display. The shadows deepened into violet and black. The sky faded to gray with a few bright slivers of illuminated cloud. Details softened until only the shapes of the trees were silhouetted against the far wall of the room. The faceted wall of transparent color behind him had gone dark, so Flash stepped out onto the balcony. The whale had returned. It hung, motionless in the air high above the castle courtyard, casting its shadow across the wall.

It looks like our ride is here, he called back to Lem..

The whale just floated there while Flash dressed.

When he was ready to leave the apartment, he turned to Lem and said OK, let’s go.

I’m not going anywhere, she said.

Flash headed back out onto the balcony, and without hesitation, stepped across a narrow gap and onto the white whale’s back as though it were only inches above the ground.

Rather than descending to pass through the gate, they glided out over the castle wall. The whale maintained its altitude, and the ground fell away below them as they crossed above the mountain cliffs. Skirting the crystal plain, the creature knew exactly where Flash wanted to go.

From his perch high in the air, Flash looked down upon the Ololian landscape. He marveled at the vivid, rolling terrain, and could make out the features in great detail. Valleys with winding rivers, caves in rocky cliffs and shimmering meadows begged him to come down and explore. Flash longed to hike the foothills below him as the ground rose up toward him. Nothing was going to deter him from reaching his destination. The glassy reeflike skyscrapers were more compelling than ever, because his daughter was somewhere among them.

She had come into his life so suddenly. So unexpectedly. She grew quickly, and left before he was ready. She was a piece of him. What did he do before she came into his world? What did he think about? He couldn’t remember. She had fundamentally changed him. Friends come and go. You miss them at times. Flash had wished for love. It came, but it took a different form than he had envisioned.

Flash told himself that this was natural. Children are supposed to grow up and find their own life in the universe. He told himself often.

Maybe if he told himself enough, he could accept it.

The columns loomed. They were much bigger than he thought they would be. They captured and intensified the light in a dazzling display. The whale was just a speck against a tower’s base, and Flash felt smaller still.

The scale of the spires was daunting, but this did not intimidate Flash. The whale seemed to know where it was going, and Flash had remembered to bring the Ololian book, which was one of his few possessions.

They approached a tower of pale blue. He could see into it, but not through it, and it reminded Flash of ice or pure aquamarine crystal. At its base, the mountain range was impenetrable, but the structures tapered as they rose leaving gaps between them. Transparent bridges linked the towers here and there, and as Flash had observed from the TNI2, staircases spiraled up the exterior leading to tunnels or caves, accessible to those with a particular head for heights.

The whale rose silently, and though Flash had never ridden in a hot air ballon, he imagined it would feel something like this.

87 Rest

The whale and its riders were dwarfed by the towering castle walls as they sailed through the open gate. Seeing the beauty of the architecture, Flash forgot how tired he was. Embedded within the walls, were intricate mosaics depicting not only life on Olo, but images from his own journey as well. The mosaics were not cemented onto the surface of the walls, but the crystals that formed the images were the walls themselves. Light shown through them like stained glass, only massive in depth.

The air within the castle’s courtyard danced with projected images that interacted with each other. Olo’s history was told in holograms that seemed to come to life as the whale moved. It went right through a 3-D image of Olo, and Flash was reminded of the whales he had seen from the mother ship crashing through Olo’s crust.

Buffy and Skip said “You go rest,” and they slid down the whale’s pectoral flipper to the ground. They waved as Flash was taken high above to a tower balcony which opened onto a suite of rooms. That flipper became a ramp and Flash stepped across the dizzying height to the solid veranda and into the apartment. He found a room hung in tapestries that blocked the light, and it contained a large bed. On the foot of the bed, partially covered by a blanket, lay his friend Lem.

Knowing she was safe, Flash collapsed into the bedding and fell into a deep sleep.

Sleep was a portal to other worlds. Other possibilities. And so the travel continued. The journey of self discovery never stopped. Not even by physical exhaustion.

Flash returned, in his dream, to his childhood, where he was able to observe the times that had caused him pain. Those people who had offended the young Flash, had been fighting their own battles that he had not seen, or not cared to notice. They were not bad people, and meant no harm. He himself had been inconsiderate and self centered. It is easy to forgive ourselves, and difficult to give others the same consideration.

Unconditional love means love without any conditions. Not “I love you, but I wish you could see this from my perspective.” Not “I love you, but you owe me an apology.” Just “I love you.”

In his dream , a long line of people formed, and they waited their turns to greet Flash. Old friends and acquaintances shook his hand or hugged him. Even as they met, more people joined the line. Crowds funneled into the queue, and a roar of voices grew up from the throng. Everyone Flash had ever known or encountered was here. Everyone he knew, as well as everyone he had seen was here. Everyone who had attended every concert, every church service, everyone that had waited on him in a restaurant or store, as well as everyone else who had dined or shopped at the same time as him.

Some embraced him, some shook his hand. Some glanced and nodded, and some just looked away. Some made unkind gestures or slapped him.

It didn’t matter. Their responses to him were not about him any more than his grudges based on perceived wrongs were about them. No one had to make amends. The slate was clean.

When Flash eventually woke, Lem was still by his side. He didn’t get up right away, but continued to lay still in the low light of the room. Rainbow colors crept in around the drapes. The undulating hues danced silently along the floor and in the corners of the room, and it reminded him of when he plunged into the sea on the ocean planet. The bed was soft, and the blankets were fluffy. At last he moved, just to stretch his arm. Lem looked at him and asked, “Are you awake?”

“I can never be sure.”

When Flash finally arose from the bed, he drew the curtains back. Light shot through the crystals that composed the exterior wall of the room, and the focused beams shot through the air like lasers. A hologram of a forest appeared to be growing up from the bed. Rumpled blankets gave way to shaded thickets, and sprinkled throughout the scene, there rose tall, ancient looking pines, which towered above the canopy of undergrowth. The three-dimensional projection looked real, and yet Flash could still make out the room through it. He could see the shape of the bed, and Lem, who appeared to be laying in the cool shadows of the boreal forest.

He looked back at the wall to make out the pattern of the gems which refracted the light to form the image. The wall, while glorious, was pieced together with such complexity that he could not comprehend it in relation to the display it created. Light passed through rubies, garnets and emeralds, blending their shades to create umber and sienna for the highlights and shadows of tree trunks. Hints of ultramarine gleamed in the dark recesses, and the whole forest shimmered in every conceivable hue.

As the light gently shifted, the scene came to life. Branches swayed, streams gurgled, and birds flew from tree to tree, drawing Flash’s eyes up. This is when he noticed something that took him by surprise. A long slender branch took on the shape of a fish. He looked closer and realized that what he had a first taken for tree limbs were definitely fish. Had they been there all along, camouflaged in the foliage? He couldn’t be sure. One fish branch hung with its mouth wide open, reminding him of earth’s basking sharks.

“Look up!” He called to Lem.

She stretched and yawned, comfortable in her forest glade.

Time was a construct that held no meaning for Flash Meridian. He had no schedule to keep, but just the present moment, and anything it might hold.

86 Where The Skies Turn Blue

Flash’s mind wandered off, as it had a habit of doing. He’d seen marvelous visions of the universe that had never been seen by human eyes before. He’d traveled back in time to meet with a president, and traveled even further back to meet beasts that were long extinct on earth. He had encountered unexpected life forms and witnessed kindness in unlikely places.

He never could have guessed that he would be swimming in the air with whales. The sun felt hot on his face, but the breeze was cool. Up here, the beams of colored light faded and blended into the pale blueness of the sky.

While he observed these facts, he felt detached from the physical world around him. Rather, his mind was filled with a sense of gratitude. He had no agenda, no plans or responsibilities. He was neither nervous nor bored, aloft in the air over Olo. Somewhere above him, the mother ship waited. The heavens end where the skies turn blue. As unlikely as it was , this is where Flash found himself.

Eventually, his thoughts turned back to his daughter, who had gone on her own to the mountains, and Lem, who stayed inside the TNI2. He smiled. His smile became a chuckle as he reflected on how joyous and absurd his life was. Flash began to laugh. Up high above the people on the ground, even higher than the friendly whales, Flash’s body erupted into a full belly laugh which no one but he could hear. He laughed until he cried. Hot tears bubbled up from a well of sadness and hurt, then ran down his face. Flash felt a release, as his body heaved with emotion.

He felt empty. Drained, yet full. He felt inspired and empowered.

Minutes passed, or was it hours? And Flash could feel that he was descending. It was slow at first, but he gained momentum until eventually he was in a free fall. The ground rushed up at him, but still, he was unafraid.

He came down on the tail fluke of a whale and slid smoothly down the ridge of its back. He landed on his feet where the colors came together on the crystal plain.

Buffy turned toward Flash, whose heart was racing from the free fall and whale slide which deposited him next to her, and asked “will you accompany us to the castle?”

Flash could hardly speak, with so much adrenaline coursing through his body. The king and queen were so calm, had they not noticed his ascent into the sky and subsequent drop?

“Please,” the king added matter-of-factly, and motioned toward the white whale upon which they had arrived. They seemed oblivious to Flash’s thrill ride.

He climbed up onto the back of the giant, and the royal couple took their places with him. It sailed smoothly and slowly above the ground, and the people cheered and waved as they passed. Following the lay of the land, the whale rose up the mountainside, casting its shadow across the iridescent cliffs.

Flash was exhausted. He just wanted a quiet place where he could be alone to rest and recharge.

They crested the cliffs, and passed above a spiny ridge that encircled a rolling meadow. In the middle, stood the castle that Flash had seen as he departed from Olo on his last visit.

The whale sailed on silently and smoothly. It’s back was rubbery and the purest white. The light reflected off of it so that Flash had to squint. He felt comfortable and secure. An amethyst runway led to the main gate. The walls appeared more impressive as they approached.

---

For whatever harm I have caused others, may they forgive me.

For whatever harm others have caused me, may I forgive them.

For whatever harm I have caused myself, I forgive myself.

Click here: The Story Behind Flash Meridian – part 2

Will Moore- Mon, 04/17/2017 – 2:43pm

In 2000, Tim Young began the adventures of Flash Meridian – an ongoing episodic sci-fi story accompanied by comic book style artwork and local music. It’s been 17 years, but Flash is still around, and Young feels more connected with his character than ever. WTIP’s Will Moore brings us a look into the story’s origins and Young’s creative process.