Part 21
Stephen's reminder is enough to convince you. If this all goes wrong you might have to say goodbye to your parents and family for ever. They still know very little about your new life. Between you, you and Stephen managed to convince them that the Tomorrow People was some kind of club and you were going on a sort of adventure holiday. They were surprised at the speed with which it had been organised but a little gentle persuasion from Stephen got them to agree.
TIM contacts them as your kalinar travels for the day it takes to get back to Earth and your parents are expecting you when you arrive home. They still seem a little confused as to why they agreed to the holiday but even so they welcome you home as if nothing unusual has happened. You squirm out of the questions about your new friends and what you've been doing for the last couple of weeks. You're still not ready to face the scene that would result from truthful answers and yet you're reluctant to lie.
*****
Elizabeth, TIM and the others are sombre when you jaunt back to the Lab. You're all waiting, helpless to change matters one way or the other. To the other Tomorrow People being members of the Galactic Federation is part of what they are and your beginning to see some of their points. The technological help, the relief of having other telepaths to call upon, the importance of your emergent world not being isolated, all those things are valuable you can see. But you still worry that the arguments about the danger of your powers being abused might be as important.
You don't sleep in the Lab that night and nor do you return the following day. You know that the others will call you when the decision has been made. You are under no illusions that you'll be permitted to remain on Earth if the others are forced to leave despite your recent breakout. Perhaps leaving Earth may be the best thing you can do for it. But you don't believe that and you long to stay.
And so you wait, taking each day as it comes. The world seems somehow more beautiful since you've realised that your time on it may be limited. You marvel each morning at the sunrise and spend each day in awe of the natural world around you. The sun shines through the leaves of trees displaying their intricate lattice of veins. You hear the tears and laughter of babies in your mind as they play in the park not far from your house. A new world is open to your incredible senses and you revel in it.
One day, soon, John will walk through your door and either order you to leave or let you know that Earth is still an Emergent World. When he does you'll have to decide what you're doing with your life and what you'll tell your parents. For now you put those decisions aside.
*****
The long summer holiday is drawing to a close when you hear TIM calling you to join the others in the Lab. Liz, Hsui Tai and Andrew all look tense and you know that their tension is mirrored on your face. Ginge, Chris and Professor Cawston are in the Lab too, pulled in by TIM's matter transmitter belts.
"Is this it, TIM?" You ask as you jaunt onto the pad. "Have they finally given us an answer?"
"Overmind's asked to see the others, all at once." Andrew tells you excitedly.
"Indeed, Jay." Tim adds. "It appears we may have a verdict soon."
"Is there any way we can see a picture of what's going on, TIM?" Chris asks eagerly.
"John has asked Overmind to speak through a spokesperson for just that purpose, Chris." TIM informs you all. "Overmind has agreed although much of the communication will still be telepathic in nature."
You exchange looks with the other three Tomorrow People in the room.
[It would be terribly rude.] Elizabeth protest half-heartedly but the ret of you are already sliding into chairs around the Lab's main link table.
"Sorry, guys." You tell the three Saps as your fingers touch. The link table lights up at the same moment as the main viewscreen. It's slightly disorientating to see the Overmind chamber, darkened for the occasion, both through the camera image TIM is relaying and through the eyes of the Tomorrow People assembled inside it. You feel John, Stephen and the others welcome the four of you to the light mental contact they're maintaining between themselves.
[Well,] John says tiredly. [Now I guess we learn the truth.]
*****
Overmind's representative speaks suddenly, his words a pale shadow of the gestalt's thoughts that they vocalise.
["Tomorrow People of Earth, you were called before Overmind to speak for your world. Some have argued that despite your slow emergence Earth remains too primitive and dangerous to be considered a candidate Emergent World for Galactic Federation membership. Others have argues that no world which produces a viable group of telepathic individuals such as yourself can be excluded from Federation membership. The testimony of you, those you invited and others who have reason to know your minds has been taken and considered."]
Overmind pauses and you can feel the frustration you all share.
["Yes, but have you made a decision?"] John presses on behalf of you all.
["We have."] Again Overmind pauses but this time you wait for them to go on. ["We have heard testimony of how delicately the political situation on your planet is balanced. We have heard how the first instinct of your authority figures is to use you and your abilities as weapons. We have heard how your lives have been endangered."] You feel your heart sinking. ["We have observed the instinctive reactions of Homo sapiens to danger. We have studied the ethical and moral reactions of Homo superior."] Overmind lets that sink in. ["We have also interviewed individuals of both species. We have been impressed with the potential for adaptation and moral choice in the minds of those not constrained to make such choices genetically. We have also been impressed by the strong arguments put forward for continued membership of the Federation by the Tomorrow People despite significant private doubts about their own personal safety. We are satisfied that no member of the emergent species Homo superior presents a significant threat either to Homo sapiens, or to other members of their own species, or to the Galactic Federation. We are also satisfied that Homo sapiens presents a significant threat to every Homo superior individual. Analysis of the emergence pattern suggests that Earth possesses the capacity for large scale telepathic population within an acceptable time period. It is our conclusion that in this situation the parties most at risk are the individuals of the species Homo superior. It is also our conclusion that these individuals have repeatedly demonstrated their eligibility for acceptance into the community of telepathic races. As a result, we must respect their clear and unanimous wishes in this matter. Our decision is that Earth will remain an Emergent World under consideration for membership of the Galactic Federation."]
"Yes!" You barely hear the exclamations of delight from Ginge and Chris and the sigh from the professor. Your mental link has flooded with relief and joy. You feel even Overmind reel back from the combined power of your minds. Carol is sobbing with relief, her mind full of her children and their future, she sets Elizabeth and Tricia off without trying and you can feel the rest of you becoming a little emotional too.
["Thank you."] John expresses the combined thought of you all and the Tomorrow People on the Trig jaunt back to their quarters as one body. You break the link in the Lab.
"So that's it?" Professor Cawston asks disbelievingly. "All this is over so quickly?"
"That's it." Andrew tells him as Hsui Tai gives Elizabeth a hug. "We're back where we were before all this started." He gives you a grin. "Except that Jay here has a little more idea what we're all about."
*****
You nod, looking around at the Lab that you're starting to think of as home. John will be back soon, you know, and the others will scatter through the distant galaxies. Despite the anxious situation you're pleased that you had this opportunity to meet all the other Tomorrow People.
You know now what you're letting yourself in for.
And you can't wait!
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