Old Friends and Hidden Agendas

This episode shares a letter from Hum about a council meeting that has been called to discuss Clara, and some insights into who Astra really is. How much will Astra let Hum share, and will his account of things be reliable?

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Transcript

The Star Jelly Files
Episode Four
Old Friends and Hidden Agendas

Hello Everyone, and welcome back to The Star Jelly Files. A lot has happened between the last few broadcasts. The most important being that Vi, after seeing Clara on the Mantis world, decided to call a meeting of the council. She wanted everyone to discuss Clara’s involvement in further issues that have arisen since the veil was removed. Further issues that are very similar to those that caused the veil to be put in place originally. Not everyone agreed that we needed to meet. A portion of us know that Clara isn’t involved, but not everyone is as well informed about certain historical decision. So, we had to move forward with the meeting to stall other conversations that we aren’t ready to have. 

Before we begin though I wanted to answer a question that I have been asked since last weeks broadcast. A few beings have been asking why I did not describe the jar that Bert’s letter arrived in for last weeks broadcast. Well, it is because the letter was hand delivered by a friend. Not all letters are sent over great distances of space. Some are brought to my home with bundles of other supplies and oddities. Bert’s letters are usually hand delivered. 

Now on to the letter for this week. This week’s letter is from Hum and is about what happened before the council meeting to discuss Clara. Hum wrote me to inform me of certain things that came up before I was able to get there. So that I could make some decisions that I have been putting off. Yes, I am being vague. I am being vague because there are other parts of the story that need to be told before I tell my part. Or most of it won’t make sense. Although I admit that it might be fun to mix things up more than they are now. I think we should take things slow. Hum’s letter arrived in a jelly jar made of a blue stone that glows under starlight and his message was contained within a data disc made of glass.  It was sent to me by Hum while he was checking in on the M101 galaxy as earth calls it. A few days after the council meeting took place. 

Letter from Hum about the council meeting, or about the meeting before the meeting anyway.

Astra,

I am writing to give you a few updates. The first is that a few of the worlds in the M101 galaxy are not happy. Furious is too big of a word but they are close to that range of anger. As you already know a few of the worlds there requested that we delay the removal of their veils until they had some time to prepare for reentering the universe. Even though they once enjoyed traveling and exploring they had grown used to their quiet lives and wanted time to slowly enter the water again.  Yet, when I went to visit them and check in to hear any additional concerns, I found that their anchors had been ripped from three of the five worlds there by someone other than us. This removal was quickly followed by the arrival of several unexpected visitors to their worlds. They say they do not know which beacons removed them. Some said they believe the dragons might be involved. I believe some of them are lying. I will be staying here longer than expected to gain more information in preparation for the next council meeting. If nothing else, I am hoping to at least clear Clara’s name from her accuser’s minds. The one bright side here is that these worlds already know about the greater universe, and the visitors were not a total surprise. They were just very very early to the party. 

The second reason I am writing is that I thought you should know what happened before the last council meeting. There have been some shifts in perspectives that you were not able to witness that will probably become relevant as things continue to change. I am sure some other council members will write you with their own versions of what happened, so take my perspective as you will. We both know I am not always a reliable narrator with these things. 

When I first arrived home Linc was waiting for me at the edge of town. Wandering amongst the trees with those welding goggles he used to wear all the time on top of his head. It is interesting to me that he has reverted to the old ways of displaying himself to others. I had gotten so used to his current life that he was living on andromeda, his choice to reference one of his older lives is still surprising to me. He was never one to dwell on the past. I don’t think I interrupted him pondering or wandering. I think he was waiting for me on purpose. So, I think his choice of accessories was a signal to me that we would be discussing some old business.  I didn’t greet him or start a conversation. I figured if he had walked all the way out to the edge of town to find me, he could talk first. We walked in silence for a long while until we came to the meadow of sea grass right before we entered the town proper.  I was surprised to find that Walter had replaced the palm like trees that used to surround the meadow with towering red trees made of some kind of soft wood. It matches well with the sandy ground and ocean water that surrounds us. A little more exotic than our old design, I think. I don’t know if you had any time to walk around before you left again, but he has made quite a few renovations in our absence. 

Linc didn’t start speaking until we started to walk through the meadow, and the golden lights of cabin windows twinkled in the darkness before us from beyond the trees. Some of us were already home for the night, and I wondered if Linc wanted to talk before everyone could hear us, or if he wanted someone specific to hear us as we walked closer to the cabins. I had intended to stop at my home before heading to the meeting but Linc started steering us in the other direction. Towards the main road and to the council hall. I didn’t say anything. Just raised my eyebrows in question of our new direction. Even though we could see the town center it would still be a few minutes until we actually made it there. If he wanted to stay silent the whole time that was fine by me. 

He finally gave up on waiting out my silence and said he had met me to ask me a question. He avoided my gaze as he talked. He asked me if I really thought Bert had retired to Earth and what other explanations there might be for her behavior that I might be aware of. Stating that he would like to learn more before we were faced with the task of proving to the rest of the council that she isn’t horrible at her job. He wasn’t angry, but he did seem frustrated. Linc loves to know everything about anything, especially when it comes to his past apprentices and protecting them. I couldn’t give him the answer he wanted, so I stopped walking for a moment and looked at him. It was so easy to allow the joy that he radiated to take you in and calm you down, so you would tell him anything. That is unless you were on your guard when you were talking to him. I didn’t know how much you or Bert had told him about her real assignment, so I simply said that as far as I knew Bert had retired to earth. He stared at me for a long while before he began to smile, then all he said was he was glad we were both on the same page. 

I glanced at him curiously. I didn’t know if he knew what was actually going on or not. How could he possibly know that you had told Bert to quit and become both a guard and bait for the past 700 plus years? There were only three of us in the room that day. I decided to let the moment pass, because as we worked our way across the small square, passing the bakery and small shops that to me had seemed to grow more vibrant with time, we quickly approached the door of the main cabin. The square is still a simple place that is really just the point where all of the winding paths of the island meet. Still the place where we all meet be it for food, or company, or that day for questioning. I could feel myself settling in to being at home again even if I knew I wouldn’t be staying for long. I could hear muffled voices and could smell the food that someone was preparing. As much as I didn’t want to step into that room, I could not help but get a little excited at being able to see everyone else again. At being able to sit around the table and enjoy time with them as we talk through the problems and successes of the day. Even if many of the problems would be blamed on Bert and me. I missed them no matter how much I tried to deny it. Our mission was important, and I made the right choice all those years ago, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.  

Linc stepped in front of me and pushed the main door of the cabin open. I think he may have been trying to protect me against any sneak attacks by an angry beacon, but he could have just as easily been trying to give someone else time to step away before I entered. I paused on the threshold for a moment, took a deep breath, and followed him in. The room hadn’t changed at all. The wood paneled walls, worn squishy chairs, large stone fireplace, and long dinner table all greeted me as I walked through the door. As did three sets of staring eyes. I wondered briefly if my welcoming committee had been forced to be there, or if they actually wanted to be the ones to greet me. The room itself seemed happy to welcome me home. The firelight that danced across the walls, and the warm smells of food called to me. The beings in the room were less enthused. 

I greeted everyone in the room as I closed the door behind me and moved towards the table. Really there wasn’t anything else I could think to say. I tried to sound casual, as if I had been there yesterday instead of hundreds of years ago. I know that remote correspondence is more convenient for us, but meeting in person is missed by a lot of us I think.  Linc had escaped to the kitchen as soon as he walked in the door and abandoned me to the tension in the room. If he wasn’t going to make a big deal of me being there neither was I. I wasn’t sure if I was in trouble or not. Everyone knows I check in with Bert often. So, they also know that I am in some way involved in Clara being on earth. 

The first one to greet me in return was Walter. He provided me with a quick hello and complained that I was late. Not for the meeting but in general. Walter was sitting directly in front of me with the table in between us and was shifting from his light blue form with deep brown eyes into something more solid. As I watched he took on the shape that I last knew him in. A tall man with lavender colored skin, bright white hair, and wearing a baggy sweater that fell beyond his hands. Walter always put out an energy of comfort and trust, and I was surprised that he still did. Like his sweater, he gave off an energy and feeling that made you want to curl up and take a nap. I resisted giving into his smile and answered that I wasn’t late. He disagreed. 

I turned to face the second pair of eyes that were staring at me. Vi was standing at the end of the table closest to the kitchen. A platter of fish sat in her hand as if she had stopped midway between placing it on the table and carrying it into the room. She wasn’t in her nonsolid form but stood there dressed in the way she was the last day I saw her. Still wearing the lace bracelet with blue buttons, same dark gray eyes, same silver spots running up and down her arms, and the same orange feather like hair. I didn’t know if she chose the same appearance out of habit, preference, or if she simply wanted to remind me of the day, I left refusing to give her information about Bert. 

Linc was someone I could trust even if he was acting weird. Walter was someone I thought I could trust. He never took sides, and always did his best to play mediator. Vi was something different all together. Where Walter radiated comfort, and Linc radiated joy, Vi radiated an energy that was all sarcasm and amusement. As if she was perpetually raising her eyebrows at you. That hasn’t changed in all the years apart. She looked at me with her appraising gray eyes, and silently insisted that I answer her challenge. I had worked with Vi for thousands of years before I left. Often working on the same worlds together. She would not allow me to not answer her. I told her I wasn’t late. I refused to feel guilty. I made the right decision years ago, and I would not be told otherwise. She would understand soon enough. She would just have to be patient and wait for her answers like everyone else. She then accused me of being discarded. She said they had expected Bert and I back home the day after we discarded them. That they didn’t think we were actually cruel enough to simply leave them behind. I didn’t know what to say to that. I don’t agree that we discarded them. So, I stayed silent.

Vi pulled out the chair closest to her and motioned for me to sit down and walked back towards the kitchen leaving no more room for an argument. Walter told me to give her a few minutes to cool down. I thought he was a little too optimistic. He was still sitting in his chair and gazing at me as if I was an interesting puzzle to solve. As if he was waiting for me to surprise him. 

I turned to face the last set of eyes that had been staring at me. Chester was sitting on the stones of the fireplace. Although the only reason I recognized him was that I could feel that he was there. The waves of curiosity and sincerity that radiated from him filled the room, and almost masked the energies of everyone else that was there. He shifted to a standing position as I looked at him. Which further highlighted the changes he had taken on in appearance. His skin now crisscrossed this way and that as if it was made of copper wires that reflected and shined in the firelight, his hair was now a bright blue that hung to his shoulders. His energy and soft green eyes were the only familiar parts of him that remained. He must have started working on a new world for the changes to be so dramatic. I remember the day he was born, and know all the worlds from his past, and nothing from his past matched his current appearance.  I wasn’t sure if he was showcasing the changes to throw me off, to force me to see how much he had changed since I left, or if he simply didn’t feel like shifting yet. But, like Vi, I was confident that the choice was deliberate, and was about me. I greeted him and told him I liked his new outfit. He told me I should sit down before the others arrived, so I didn’t look defensive and walked out of the room after Vi. Abandoned by all but Walter, I decided to give in and sit. Not in the chair Vi pulled out for me, but on the edge of the fireplace where Chester had just been. At least from there I could watch everyone else arrive, and I could keep myself separated from those who may be less happy to see me. Vi and Chester may have been upset, but they didn’t seem outright angry. I thought that would likely come later when Bert actually arrived. 

I spent the next hour waiting for the rest of the council to arrive and staring at the fire. Ignoring the random comments Walter kept tossing at me to try and get me talking. I tried to respond as shortly as possible, but that didn’t seem to deter him. No, I wasn’t hungry. No, I hadn’t brought him any apple crisp. Yes, I was still a night owl. The only thing that seemed to stop him was the occasional scowls tossed his way by Vi every time she brought a new dish of food out to the table. You trained Walter well Astra. As the record keeper of the council, he is now most interested in collecting new data about any and all worlds. He had never been to Earth, so he was especially excited to ask me all about it. I don’t think anything but Vi could have stopped him from pestering me. 

Walter was in the middle of asking me what I did for fun when I visited earth, going bowling I was about to answer, when he was interrupted by the front door swinging open and the rest of the council walking in. Well, the rest of the council except for you Astra. I can never decide if you arrive late to give us time to talk without you or if you are just always late. I think it was wise to be late this time either way. The first to walk in the door was Bert who promptly interrupted Walter and told him to come visit her on earth sometime if he was that interested in the planet. I was relieved to find that Bert had not actually brought Opal to this particular council meeting. I found out later, like you, that Opal was in my cabin waiting to be introduced. That is why Linc had brought me right to the council meeting. Bert sat next to Walter at the table and motioned for me to join them. I decided to give in and sit at the dinner table too. It was probably better to stay out of the way while everyone settled in, and if both Vi and Bert though it best that I sit at the table it was probably better to yield to their judgement. I after all was not the one who would be answering most of the questions. Bert would be. As I settled into the overstuffed chair, that would make it impossible for me to get up quickly if I needed to, the rest of the council began to pour in through the front door. It took only a moment for the remaining six council members to make their way through the door. Each taking it in turn to stare at Bert, to decide if they would glare at me or ignore me, and then settle into their seats around the table. I did get a few smiles and nods from the few friends from my past lives. Bert was getting most of the glares in the room. She didn’t seem to care. Her body was relaxed, and she gave everyone a smile and a welcome as they entered the room. 

Silence fell upon the room, and everyone waited for the meeting to begin. Things had obviously changed since the last time I was there. Usually everyone spent the beginning of our meetings catching up, laughing, eating food, and roaming about the space. Now everyone was sitting as if they were waiting for someone to break the tension, to give them permission to do something other than stare at Bert. Maybe even permission to start yelling at us. I was trying to ignore the growing pressure that was surrounding me when the front door opened again, and the last member of our party entered the room. You Astra. You walked through the door and everyone turned to face you. 

Now Astra I know it may be a little weird to hear me talk about you, but I think it is important for you to understand how everyone perceived you that day. How your presence impacted their behavior. Also, if you really are going to broadcast everything out to other worlds. They should probably hear a little bit about you don’t you think? So don’t leave this part out. They need to understand how your energy impacts us. So, they can understand what happens when you are not there. 

I hadn’t thought you would be attending the meeting. I thought you were out at the edge of a universe helping a world or two transition through change. It is rare for you to abandon your post in the middle of a project. You were more likely to have one of the other Beacons fill you in once the meeting was over. So, when you walked in, I knew Bert and I were in bigger trouble than I thought if you felt we needed you in the room. I knew we took a risk when we allowed Clara to live a different life. Allowed her to find a new path. I was also pretty sure we were about to find out how big of a risk we had actually taken. The first thing you did when walking into the room was ask why none of us were eating. As you sat down at the head of the table the tension that the rest of us had been holding, as if holding our breath, dropped knowingly. I think they recognized that the purpose of the meeting had changed. They were no longer there just to yell at us or question us. So that they could report back to you about how horrible we were and how much we deserved to be punished for our actions. They were there to come up with an action plan for how to move forward with the head beacon. With you.

As you settled into your seat, I could see this realization wash over the other beacons. Their physical forms flickered and shifted to match their current emotions. Different faces, clothing, and accessories flashed before my eyes as some reacted with relief, some with quickly concealed dismay, and a few others with curiosity. Each pulling on their past lives to showcase how they currently felt, or in some instances in a rush to hide how they were really feeling. You were an unexpected guest, and all of us had to quickly adjust to the idea that we were no longer in charge of the situation. Their likely plan to push Bert into a confession would no longer be possible, and my plan to escape from the room without giving away too many details was a no go as well. You would demand answers in your own way, and we were now along for the ride. I loved it. The chaos of the moment gave me hope that I hadn’t misinterpreted my situation after all, and that Bert and I saving Clara had been the right decision. I straightened a little in my chair and allowed the tension to release from my energy. You attending our meeting was an unexpected gift. 

Now before I continue, I think we should say something a little more about you Astra. Please leave it in your broadcast. I think it is important. I know you like to hide behind the scenes of things.

For everyone listening to Astra’s broadcast, being the head beacon was never something that Astra thought she would do. It was not a lack of interest so much as it never really crossed her mind. She had always been absorbed in the development of new worlds and the evolution of others. The majority of the time she has spent as a beacon has been filled with travel, exploration, and collaboration with other beacons and beings. Yet, there was no way for her to avoid the ever-growing support of her peers that followed her from mission to mission, and world to world. The council of beacons and the apprentices have always seen her as an example of how to do our jobs in subtle and positive ways. It wouldn’t have taken much for her to be placed in the role of head beacon when the opportunity arose whether she wanted it or not. 

The fact that she was the one who defeated her predecessor, Clara, didn’t hurt matters either. Especially considering Clara was in the middle of a very large reign of terror and war at the time. Astra brought an air of peace with her wherever she went, and thus the beacons decided to put her in charge and follow her lead willingly when the time came. They followed her out of love rather than fear. This didn’t mean that we didn’t disagree or debate or even fight over things from time to time, but everyone in the room knew she would never force an argument to get her way. It was that history, and the general calm that always surrounded Astra, that had really brought the level of tension back down to bearable. That had really refocused everyone in the room away from me, and on to her. I knew that she would require the truth of everyone at the table, but I could feel my excitement rise inside me. It was finally time to act. 

Now that we got that out of the way lets continue. 

Astra, You asked again why no one was eating and smiled at everyone in the room. You gestured towards the piles of food that weighed the long wooden table down as you took a moment to look around the table at everyone. Taking it in turn to make eye contact with each of us and allowing your energy of peace and sharp wit, that make up the essence that is you, to seep into us. This type of exchange was something that took time to get used to when I first began training to be a beacon, but now it is something that makes our meetings feel like I am at home. I shivered a little as I met your gaze, afraid I would find anger instead of peace, but you were the same as ever.  The warmth of your presence grounded me and focused me on the tasks that lay before us. 

For those on earth who don’t know, eye contact and the sharing of one’s energy is a very personal and strong experience, like letting a wave of someone else’s personality wash over and through you. As is the exchange of allowing your own energy to answer in return. It is a plain and simple greeting that says exactly who you are, and exactly who they are, with no secrets between you. That is why so many of the beacons have been avoiding my direct gaze. They refused to acknowledge me for fear of what they would experience when they met my eyes. 

I could see Chester fidget a little out of the corner of my eye as he re-grounded himself after saying hello to you Astra. I think your energy was particularly strong, and I sometimes still forget how young of a beacon Chester is. It is often the mark of a younger beacon for them to look a little dazed after they greet another of their kind. I smiled at him slightly and tried to reassure him as I used to when he was just my apprentice. He turned away from me and ignored my gesture. He really did think I was a criminal of some kind, and that hurt. I hadn’t intended to hurt anyone when I decided to help Bert.  

Again, you suggested that we all eat. This time everyone agreed. The tension continued to decrease in the room as we ate and relaxed. I took the opportunity to glance up and look around the room again in the hopes that someone would reach out to be my ally. But no such luck seemed to be forthcoming. Now that you were in the room, they apparently had decided to ignore Bert and I until they were told to address us.  My eyes caught on the fruit you had begun passing around the table. At least I assume the name fruit you had given it was accurate since it looked nothing like any fruit I had seen before. It was a bright green pyramid that had little purple hairs that spotted the exterior of the skin. You have always loved to bring exotic foods to our meetings. It was one of the talking points that always drew us all together as we learned about a new world that had just been born. You seemed to be trying to get us back into our routine, and apparently everyone was going to play along. 

I reached out and grabbed a piece of fruit to show my willingness to stick the script, and swiftly took a bite. It was a welcome distraction from everyone else in the room. As I bit into the green and purple pyramid, I instantly regretted it. Purple juice dripped down my arm and began to sting my skin. It tasted as if someone had developed a fruit that multiplied the sourness of a lemon by a thousand or so. I had temporarily shifted into my human form, so I could taste the new delicacy with set of taste buds that were designed for enjoying food, and I did my best not to allow by face to show my discomfort. Of course, I failed. My eyes squished shut, and my nose crinkled up. For the briefest of moments Vi smiled and Chester began to roar with laughter as my face contorted with distress. Even though he wasn’t looking at me it was nice to see that our old playfulness and rivalry was alive somewhere in him. I took that as a win for the moment. Even if Chester was mad at me, I could deal with it if it was a temporary reaction. Temporary anger I could at least try and fix later. 

We experimented with the new foods that were lain before us. Everyone else at the table had dove in at your suggestion and filled their plates with old comfort foods and new adventures alike. That is until you interrupted us and told us that you wanted to fill us in on why we were actually all there. Everyone looked up at you, eating utensils stopped in midair, as they took in the weight of that statement. Me included. I had never expected you to actually tell everyone everything that had happened. I had apparently been left out of that part of your plan. Bert and Linc did not seem surprised though. They were smiling. Which in   I should have figured out that Linc knew more than expected when Linc first met me at the door. He must actually know the truth, and everyone would now. 

You ignored the stunned looks being thrown your way and continued on fearlessly with your story. You said you wanted to get to the point, and just blurted the whole truth out. That Clara escaped from her initial imprisonment 684 years ago. She came to visit you and tell you about a bigger danger that we would need to face. So, you relocated her and provided her with a guard. You paused for a moment and looked around the table at each of us to make sure your words were sinking in. Clara, the bringer of war and destruction, your predecessor, was free and you hadn’t bothered to tell anyone. Well except me and Bert and apparently Linc. Perhaps you were not expecting to be met with stunned silence when you proclaimed this crazy fact. You probably expected people to jump from their seats, to yell or hurl questions at you. That’s what I would have done. That’s what I did on that day when Clara talked to you and Me. 

Suddenly all eyes were on Bert and me. Everyone remained calm for the most part. The wheels in their minds likely spinning so fast that they simply didn’t know what to say yet. But it was Chester who surprised me most in that moment. He seemed genuinely scared about where the conversation may go. As a young beacon and council member he had not seen the wars that we all had, had not experienced the turmoil that Clara built. Maybe he didn’t want to know any more about it, or maybe he was afraid that he would have to choose a side if another war broke out. You seemed to come to the same conclusion that I had. Your gaze had paused on Chester. Something was off with him, and I wondered if you would call them out on it or ignore it. 

You didn’t though, didn’t allow anyone else to talk then actually. Instead, you decided we needed a history lesson to get everyone up to speed. You turned to Chester and asked him if he knew anything about the old wars.  Chester sat up straighter in his chair at your words and quickly glanced at me before turning his attention to back to you. His old habits of seeing me as his teacher seemed to still be hanging around. But he didn’t need my advice to speak. He was a council member and had a right to ask what ever questions he wanted. He also had the right to choose not to answer you if he wanted to. He responded that he knew a little about the wars. That Clara had started them. He mentioned how Walter had given him a bunch of old journals to read but he hadn’t finished them yet. He looked guilty. Walter likely gave him piles and piles of journals to read when he became a beacon and would be slightly hurt that Chester hadn’t even started reading them yet. If all he knew were the basics, he hadn’t really read through the histories. He should know much more than that Clara started the war; he should know how she started it. It wouldn’t matter if he wasn’t a beacon, but he was. Knowledge is something we all view as important. Understanding our history, and other being’s journeys helps us to make decisions with open eyes and minds. Chester would probably get a lecture from Walter later, but that wasn’t the time.  

Walter smiled at him allowing the smile to travel to his eyes and a wave of understanding to wash across the room towards Chester. He wasn’t really mad; he was an eternal teacher and wanted all of his students to succeed. Walter stood up and stepped away from the table. He turned to you Astra and asked if he should give a history lesson. You nodded your consent, and Walter pushed Bert and me aside so that he stood between us. The scrape of my chair rattled through me and added to the nerves that were building up inside of me like a ball of electricity. I didn’t like where the discussion was going. 

Walter reached out towards the table and placed the palm of his right hand against the grain of the wood. I took in a sharp breath as the table began to shake and vibrate, and as my fears were confirmed that Walter wasn’t just going to give a history lesson. Walter was going to immerse us in the past. He is the record keeper for the council. All of the journals we write get sent to him for cataloguing and review after you finish with them, but Walter has a skill set all his own. I quickly turned towards Chester to explain what was going on. He had never experienced the past before, and his face was already showing the tension of watching a table come to life before his eyes. I explained that Walter grew up on a world with a lot of technology before he began training to be a beacon. I explained in as even a voice as I could muster that once he experienced the powers that other worlds have, Walter combined technology with what some would call magic to bring thoughts and ideas to life for an audience. Depending on how far Walter was going to go with his little adventure, the situation could have gotten pretty tough for me to, and I wanted to keep Chester calm so that we could all focus on whatever story ended up playing out in front of us. I continued to explain that Walter is going to allow us to share our memories of the war with everyone else. So that we can all see it.  Well, not just so everyone can see, but so everyone can feel what happened in our memories. The experience can be harrowing to say the least. The past is not all parties and good times. Walter interrupted my explanation saying he was ready to begin. 

Walter reached out for my hand and placed my hand in his. He pressed it to the table next to his. He gestured for everyone else to join us. It didn’t take much coaxing; everyone knew this was going to happen like it or not. Not that someone couldn’t opt out. Walter never forced anyone to experience the past if they didn’t want to. But we all knew we needed to remember what had happened so we could figure out how to prepare for the future. So, one by one each of the beacons placed the palm of their right hand on the table, and slowly the table began to glow a soft red color. The table became warm and pulled my hand beneath the surface into its grain until it held me right below my wrist and my hand was completely concealed within its depths. There was not going back then. A three-dimensional image of a map slowly came to life in the air between us. Walter was driving the experience and would pick whose memory to dive into first. I didn’t have to wonder long who he would choose. Walter began his history lesson.

I will leave the rest for someone else to recall Astra, unless you ask me to tell the story myself. I think you understand why I chose to end my letter there. Also, I hope that you are not too upset about me sharing information about you. I think you know that was also necessary. Sorry to cut this letter short, but I have to catch a ship taking me off world in a few minutes. I will be back in touch soon. Oh, also I forgot to tell you. I heard your broadcast from Bert. Talking about how Linc was at the dragon’s house. That is my fault. I will explain later. 

Now I agree with Hum. The history lesson itself should probably come from Walter. I will let him provide the transcript for that broadcast himself. Tune in next week for the transcript of the council meeting and Walter’s journey into the past.

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Star Jelly Files podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode and that you are having a great day. The Star Jelly Files is written, produced, voice acted, and created by me, Elizabeth Hamblett. If you would like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content check out my Patreon at www.patreon.com/starjellyfiles. The link is also in the description.

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