Hugh Lovel wrote:
We have the potential on this planet to develop a balanced and awesomely, beautifully, productive culture. Many other developments of sentient beings in our wide universe have failed one way or the other, either lapsing into pure self-centered materiality or going off into spiritual fantasies. Steiner's work was an effort to unite the two streams so our culture strikes a balanced middle path--as the Buddha likewise advocated, and as Christ and Zoroaster, and many others have tried to guide us.
We don't have to go there. In which case the Intergalactic Council isn't letting us off this planet when we trash it, as we are presently working so hard to do (both trash and get off). And I don't doubt they know how to pull our plug if they so choose.
(Extract from 'Earth's Companions' copyright Roger Pye 2002)
Charles Rogers produced a pencil and paper, drew a large circle on it with a much smaller one at its centre, and divided the whole into equal segments. He printed an 'E' inside the periphery of one, and a 'B' in the next. The circle in the middle became 'H' and on the far side he put an 'A'.
"Imagine this is the Universe; the Earth is here, Brrron is there, Heaven is in the middle, the Agency is on the right. The Universe consists of galaxies which are full of stars. Say each of the segments in the original circle is a galaxy." He drew tiny circles everywhere. "We know of several planes of existence: ours, Brrron's, Thera's, the one where the Old Ones live - and that people have travelled from one to another. We know of two planets which bear life and a third which once did.
"Sheer logic dictates there should be many more than three life-bearing worlds among the vast number of stars. Yet hundreds of years observation of the heavens by telescope and, in recent times, space probes, have not found any trace of them. Why not?"
"Because they are either too distant or are not on our plane of existence," Bill answered triumphantly. "They are the only possible answers."
"Right," Charles exclaimed. "So, given that intelligent beings can move from plane to plane, would you think it possible for planets to do the same?"
"The Universe is infinite, therefore there are infinite possibilities," Sylvia said excitedly.
"Then I would postulate there is a plane or dimension which contains a large number of life-bearing worlds, and a standard which a species has to reach before its planet may gain entry to it. The agency is probably representative of those worlds or their galaxies. Its purposes include setting the standard, observing those species which have not reached it yet and, when permitted, actively assisting their development."
"Do you have a name for this so-called agency?" Amber asked.
Charles studied her expression and decided the question was meant seriously. "The actual agency would have to be an interplanetary or inter-galactic organisation and its name might reflect whichever one. On the other hand, were a world to move from one plane to another it would be symbolic of the end of one existence and the beginning of another. I would imagine the agency's name to be equally symbolic. Worlds End, however, has a tragic connotation. How about Stars End?"
"Game, set and match," Melissa praised and applauded vigorously.
**********
My arrival earlier this afternoon was a bit mystifying and I apologise (Amber said). However, had I introduced myself as Amber Felencia of the Inter-Galactic Federation, Stars End, most of you would have been little the wiser and possibly fearful or angry as well. What I am going to do now is fill in the gaps in Charles' conjecture.
In the Universe there are many planes of existence; each has a thousand sectors. The Earth is in the Milky Way galaxy in Sector 946 of Plane 7423A. It is the only planet with intelligent life which we have been able to locate in this plane.
The Federation was formed with the object of raising other races to a certain standard. There are now dozens of intelligent worlds, if I might use the expression, too many for each of them or their galaxies to be separately represented.
The world of Stars End is outside time and normal space to enable it to travel through and across the planes of existence. It houses the governing body of fifteen members together with support staffs. Each member represents a galaxy grouping and is appointed for life.
When a race reaches and maintains the standard, the power of the Universe is invoked to confer membership of the federation upon it and its world. The racial purpose also changes; for example, in cases where the home planet has been despoiled, the beings thereon are required to take corrective action and the federated worlds provide assistance as necessary.
Though the beings of the universe vary greatly in shape, size and appearance, their individual mindpower if used to the full would be about the same. Their levels of minduse, however, differ considerably. On a scale of one to ten, the average minduse of your species is two; the Brrronians, four; mine, six.
The qualities or characteristics of emotions are also ratable. Empathy groups those which relate lifeforms one to another. The starting level for all newborn races is seven. Earth's species of the human race is down to five and Brrron's to one. Mine rates at seven; our lowest level was three. So also mechanical technology. We all start at one. Earth and Brrron are eight; my planet Felencia is three but it has been as high as nine.
The inter-galactic entry standard for minduse, empathy and technology is five steady or increasing, six ditto, five steady or declining. When empathy falls to a certain level and technology rises to another there is danger of extinction. The figures are three and nine for Earth, Brrron and Felencia. When the EmTech rating of a race nears these figures, or it approaches extinction through some non-ratable reason, Stars End attempts to determine the cause and then recommends genetic or other changes be made by the One Above. Sometimes transfer to another world in the same or a different plane is included.
