Stuart Adventures Chapter 6

As Stewart returned along the corridor, he noticed someone in the doorway. Before having said anything, Stuart sensed that this being was a friend. Then the being introduced himself as Hammon in a voice which Stuart percieved as coming from all directions at once. He then indicated that Stewart should follow him. They walked down a side corridor until they came to a room. As they entered the room Stewart noticed that gravity was less here and it was unnecessary to sit to be comfortable. Hammon began " as you have already guessed, this is a testing arena. We needed to see how you would use your new powers. It is important that these powers are not misused or used by someone who is not capable of controlling them.

We also have shown you a few very important lessons about abilities that you have yet to develope, such as the one I am using now." Suddenly Stuart looked at the being in front of him as though he were seeing him for the very first time and was filled with extreme fear and revulsion. Just as quickly as this feeling started, it left him and was replaced by the initial feelings of friendship and acceptance. " Stuart, you also contain this ability to influence the emotional states of others. To a certain degree, we all have this abilty to have an effect on the way people feel, but now every thing about you is amplified so that that you can affect this inner change without even uttering a single word. It takes time to learn this skill and even when you have learned how to use it, things like fear can interfere with your abilities. The dogs had you so frightened that you would not have had much of an effect on them even though they would never have harmed you." Stuart was startled to see, as if on cue, that the dogs had entered the room. He was also not very suprized that his fear of the dogs was now replaced by a sense of security and protection. "Stuart" Hammond said "The pack has been assigned to you for your wellbeing and for your first real taste of the responsibility that you now have. There are more dangerous adversaries that you will soon be exposed to that you will not be able to befriend as you did with the school yard bully, but let me first explain to you why all this has happened to you before we cover what we are asking you to do."

Stuart stood quietly amid the dogs and listened as Hammond began. " First of all, I am from a race that is from an area within this solar system, but not in this dimension. It is what your physicists would call a twist in space. Our civilization discovered yours several centuries ago, but our contact has been limited to scientific observations only, to avoid influencing your development adversely. As with any group though, there are those who don't agree with this hands-off policy and we have recently discovered a group who have been coming here for their own profit. In some ways you have surpassed us, in the field of chemistry for instance. That is one of the areas that are being plundered by some of our own people. We have still tried to maintain minimal influence, but now it is necessary to intervene. We have searched for an individual to act as a native enforcer to help us stop these criminals. If you agree to help, you will be the one."