Part 1 Thiaoouba Prophecy ... Thao ... Atomic Destruction ... The First Man on Earth...

Thiaoouba Prophecy

by Michel Desmarquet

Report from the journey undertaken in June 1987 

Manuscript completed in January 1989 

Postscript written in April 1993 

Preface 

I have written this book as the result of orders received and which I have obeyed. Further, it is an account of events that happened to me personally - this I affirm. 

I imagine that, to some extent, this extraordinary story will appear to some readers as science fiction - a story entirely invented - but I do not have the imagination that such a fabrication would require. This is not science fiction. 

The reader of good faith will be able to recognise the truth in the message I transmit from my new friends to the people of the planet Earth. 

This message, in spite of numerous references to races and religions, reflects neither racial nor religious bias on behalf of the author. 

Michel Desmarquet, 

January, 1989 

They have eyes but they do 

not see - ears, and they do not hear... 

The Bible

1 

Thao 

I awoke suddenly, not knowing how long I had slept. I was completely awake - fresh and alert - but good God, what time could it be? Lina was sleeping beside me, her fists closed, but then Lina always sleeps... 

I had no desire at all to go back to sleep and besides, it was possibly already five in the morning. I got up, made my way to the kitchen and checked the clock. Only 12.30am! It was unusual for me to wake up at such an hour. 

I took off my pyjamas and dressed in trousers and a shirt, why, I had no idea. Neither can I explain why I went to my desk, took a sheet of paper and a biro and watched myself write, as if my hand had a mind of its own. 

‘My dear, I’ll be away for about ten days. Absolutely no need to worry.’ 

Leaving the note by the telephone, I headed through the door and on to the verandah. I avoided the table on which last night’s chess game remained, with the white King still in checkmate, and silently opened the door leading on to the garden. 

The night seemed to be suffused with a strange brightness, which had nothing to do with the stars. Instinctively, I tried to recall what phase the moon was currently in, thinking that perhaps it was about to rise. Here, in the north-east of Australia where I live, the nights are generally quite clear. 

I descended the outside stairs and headed towards the pandanus. Usually, at this time of night, we would have a veritable concert from the frogs and crickets whose chirring sounds fill the night. Now however, there was a heavy silence and I wondered why. 

I had only walked a few steps when, quite suddenly, the colour of the philodendrons changed. The wall of the house too, and the pandanus - all were bathed in a kind of bluish light. The lawn seemed to undulate beneath my feet and the ground beneath the pandanus waved also. The philodendrons distorted and the wall of the house resembled a sheet floating in the wind. 1

1. During one of his public lectures the author used words “heat haze”  

Beginning to believe that I was not well, I decided to return to the house when, at that precise moment, I felt myself lifted quite gently from the ground. I rose, slowly at first, above the philodendrons, and then quicker, until I saw the house becoming smaller and smaller below me. 

‘What is happening?’ I exclaimed in utter bewilderment. 

‘All is well now, Michel.’ 

By then, I believed I was dreaming. Before me, a human being of impressive size, dressed in a one-piece suit and wearing a completely transparent helmet on ‘her’ head, was looking at me - friendly and smiling.

‘No, you are not dreaming,’ she said, answering the question in my mind.

‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘but it always happens this way in a dream and in the end you find you’ve fallen out of bed and have a lump on your forehead!’ She smiled. ‘Further’, I continued, ‘you are speaking to me in French, my native tongue, and yet we are in Australia. I do speak English, you know!’

‘So do I’.

‘It has to be a dream - one of those stupid dreams, moreover. If not though, what are you doing on my property?’

‘We are not on your property, but above it.’

‘Ah! It is a nightmare. You see I was right. I’ll pinch myself!’ I accompanied the words with the action. Ouch!

She smiled again. ‘Now are you satisfied, Michel?’

‘But if it’s not a dream, why am I here sitting on this rock? Who are those people over there, dressed in the fashion of the last century?’

I was beginning to distinguish, in a milky light, people talking and at a slight distance, others moving around.

‘And you, who are you? Why aren’t you normal sized?’

‘I am a normal size, Michel. On my planet we are all this size. But everything in good time, my dear friend. I hope you don’t mind me calling you that? If we aren’t good friends already, I am sure that we will be soon.’

She stood there in front of me, intelligence reflected in her smiling face and goodness emanating from her entire being. It would not be possible to meet anyone with whom I could feel more at ease.

‘Of course, you may call me what you wish. And what is your name?’

‘My name is Thao, but first, I would like you to know, once and for all, that this is not a dream. Indeed, it is something quite different. For certain reasons which will be explained to you later, you have been chosen to undertake a journey which very few Earthlings have made - particularly in recent times.

‘We are, you and I, at this moment, in a universe which is parallel to that of Earth. In order to admit you, as well as ourselves, we have made use of an ‘airlock’. 

‘At this instant, time has stopped for you, and you could remain here twenty or fifty of your Earthly years and then return as if you hadn’t left. Your physical body would remain absolutely unchanged.’

‘But what are these people doing?’

‘They exist as well as can be expected and, as you will learn later, the population density is very low. Death only occurs by suicide or accident. Time is suspended. There are men and women, as well as some animals who are 30 000, 50 000 or even many more Earth years old.’

‘But why are they here and how did they come to be here? Where were they born?’

‘On Earth. . . they are all here by accident.’ 

‘By accident? What do you mean?’ 

‘It’s very simple. You have heard of the Bermuda Triangle?’ I nodded. ‘Well, quite simply, in this spot and in others less well known, this parallel universe becomes confused with your universe so that there exists between them a natural warp. 

‘People, animals or even objects finding themselves in the immediate vicinity of a warp are literally sucked into it. Thus, you can have, for example, an entire fleet of boats disappear in several seconds. Sometimes a person, or persons, can pass back into your universe after several hours, several days or several years. More often, however, they never return. 

‘When a man does return and relates his experience, the vast majority of people don’t believe him - and if he persists, he is assumed ‘crazy’. Most of the time, such a person recounts nothing at all, realising how he will appear in the eyes of his peers. Sometimes too, he returns amnesic, and if he recovers some memory, it is not of what happened in the parallel universe, and therefore sheds no light on the subject. 

‘There was,’ Thao continued, ‘a typical case of this passage into a parallel universe in North America, where a young man literally vanished while going to fetch water from a well which was situated several hundred metres from his house. About an hour later, family and friends set out in search of him and, as there had been a fresh snowfall of about 20 centimetres, it should have been quite simple - they had only to follow the footprints left by the young man. But, right in the middle of the field - the footprints stopped. 

‘There were no trees around, no rocks on to which he could have jumped - nothing strange or unusual - the footprints just stopped. Some people believed that he had been taken by a spacecraft, but that could not have been, as you will see later. This poor man had quite simply been sucked into the parallel universe.’ 

‘I remember’, I said, ‘I did hear of that particular case, but how do you know all about it?’ 

‘You will find out later how I know,’ she replied enigmatically. 

We were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a group of people so bizarre that again, I wondered if this was all a dream. About a dozen men, accompanied by what seemed to be a woman, emerged from behind a pile of rocks a hundred metres from where we were. The sight was even stranger, since these human beings appeared to have stepped out of the pages of prehistoric records. With the gait of gorillas, they brandished enormous clubs which modern man would not have been able to lift from the ground. These hideous creatures were coming straight for us, howling like wild beasts. I made a move to retreat, but my companion told me there was nothing to fear and that I should stay still. She put her hand on the buckle of her belt and turned so that she faced them. 

I heard a series of small clicks and five of the strongest looking men fell to the ground, motionless. The rest of the group stopped cleanly and began moaning. They prostrated themselves before us. 

I looked again at Thao. She stood like a statue, her face set. Her eyes were fixed on those people as though she was trying to hypnotise them. I later learned that she was giving orders by telepathy to the female of the group. Suddenly, this woman got up and began, it seemed to me, to issue orders in a guttural voice to the others. They then helped remove the bodies, carrying them on their backs to the pile of rocks mentioned earlier. 

‘What are they doing?’ I asked. 

‘They will cover their dead with stones.’ 

‘Did you kill them?’ 

‘I had to.’ 

‘What do you mean? Were we really in danger?’ 

‘Of course we were. These are people who have been here for ten or fifteen thousand years - who knows? We don’t have time to establish that and besides, it is of no importance. Nevertheless, it illustrates well what I was explaining to you a few moments ago. These people passed into this universe at a certain time, and they have lived in that time ever since.’ 

‘It’s frightful!’ ‘I agree. However it is part of natural, and therefore universal, law. Furthermore, they are dangerous because they behave more like wild beasts than human beings. Dialogue would not have been possible between them and us, just as it is not possible between them and most of the others living in this parallel universe. For one thing, they are unable to communicate; and for another, they, less than anyone, understand what has happened to them. We were in real danger and, if I do say so, I have done them a favour just now, of liberating them.’ 

‘Liberating?’ 

‘Don’t look so shocked, Michel. You know quite well what I mean by that. 

‘They are liberated from their physical bodies and are now able to continue their cycle, like every living being, according to the normal process.’ 

‘So if I understand correctly, this parallel universe is a curse - a kind of hell or purgatory?’ 

‘I didn’t realise you were religious!’ 

‘I just make this comparison to show you that I am trying to understand,’ I replied, wondering how she could know whether or not I was religious. 

‘I know, Michel, I was only teasing. You were right in explaining it as a kind of purgatory but, of course, this is quite accidental. In fact, this is one of several accidents of nature. An albino is an accident, and a four-leafed clover can also be considered as an accident. Your appendix is just as much an accident. Your doctors still wonder what use it could possibly have in your body. The answer - no use whatsoever. Now usually, in nature, everything has a precise reason for existing - that’s why I list the appendix among the natural ‘accidents’. 

‘People living in this universe suffer neither physically or morally. For example, if I hit you, you would feel no pain, but if the blows were strong enough, although without pain, you could still die from them. This might be difficult to comprehend, but it is so. Those existing here know nothing of what I have just explained to you, and it is fortunate because they would be tempted to commit suicide - which, even here, is not a solution.’ 

‘What do they eat?’ 

‘They don’t eat, nor do they drink, because they don’t feel the need to. Here, remember, time has stopped - those dead won’t even rot.’ 

‘But that’s terrible! In all, the greatest service that one can render these people would be to kill them!’ 

‘You raise an important point there. Effectively it would be one of two solutions.’ 

‘What is the other?’ 

‘To send them back where they came from - but that would pose great problems. Because we are able to make use of the warp, we could return many of them to your universe, and thus liberate [1] them, but I’m sure you are aware of the enormous problems that would create for the majority of these people. Here, as I have already said, you have people, who have been here for thousands of years. What would happen if they found themselves back in the universe they left so long ago?’ 

‘They might go insane. In all, there is nothing to do.’ She smiled gently at my affirmation. 

‘You are certainly the man of action we require, Michel, but beware of jumping to conclusions - you have much more to see.’ 

She put her hand on my shoulder, having to incline forward slightly to do so. Although I didn’t know it at the time, Thao measured 290 centimetres, exceptionally tall for a human being. 

‘I see with my own eyes that we made the right choice in selecting you - you have an astute mind, but I cannot explain everything to you now, for two reasons.’ 

‘Namely?’ 

‘First, it is still too soon for such an explanation. By this, I mean that you must be instructed further on certain points before proceeding beyond.’ 

‘I understand - and second?’ 

‘The second reason is that they are waiting for us. We must leave.’ 

With a light touch, she turned me around. I followed her gaze and stared wide eyed with surprise. About 100 metres from us was an enormous sphere, from which emanated a bluish Aura. I later learned that it measured 70 metres in diameter. The light was not steady, but shimmered, resembling a heat haze when one looks from a distance at sand heated by the summer sun. 

This enormous sphere ‘shimmered’ about ten metres from the ground. With no windows, no openings, no ladder, it appeared as smooth as the shell of an egg. 

Thao signalled for me to follow her and we set out towards the machine. I remember that moment very well. During the short time we took in approaching the sphere, I was so excited that I lost control of my thoughts. A constant stream of images flashed through my mind, resembling a film in the ‘fast-forward’ mode. I saw myself relating this adventure to my family, and I saw again newspaper articles I had read on the subject of UFOs. 

I remember a feeling of sadness sweep over me when I thought of my family whom I loved so much; I saw myself caught, as though in a trap, and it occurred to me that I might never see them again... 

‘You have absolutely nothing to fear, Michel,’ said Thao. ‘Trust me. You will be reunited with your family very soon, and in good health.’ 

I believe my mouth fell open in surprise, triggering in Thao a melodious laugh, such as is rarely heard among us Earthlings. That was the second time she had read my thoughts; the first time I thought might have been a coincidence, but this time there could be no doubt. 

When we arrived in close proximity to the sphere, Thao placed me in a position opposite her and about a metre distance away. 

‘Do not touch me under any pretext, Michel, whatever happens. Under any pretext - do you understand?’ 

I was quite taken aback by this formal order, but I nodded.  

She placed her hand on a type of ‘medallion’ I had noticed earlier ‘attached’ at the height of her left breast, and with the other hand, she held what resembled a large biro which she unclasped from her belt. 

She pointed the ‘biro’ above our heads and in the direction of the sphere. I thought I saw a green beam of light flash from it but I couldn’t be sure. She then pointed the ‘biro’ at me, her other hand still on the ‘medallion’ and quite simply, we rose, simultaneously, towards the wall of the machine. Just when I was sure we were going to collide with it, a portion of the hull retracted like an enormous piston in the core of a cylinder, revealing an opening, oval in shape, of about three metres in height.

We regained our feet, Thao and I, on a type of landing inside the craft. She let go of her ‘medallion’ and with a dexterity that suggested she had done it often, she refastened her ‘biro’. 

‘Come. We can touch each other now,’ she said. 

Taking me by the shoulder, she guided me towards a small blue light, so intense that I had almost to half close my eyes. I had never seen a colour like it on Earth. When we were almost below the light, the wall on which it was located ‘let us pass’. That is the only way to describe it. From the way in which my mentor was leading me, I could have sworn I was going to have a handsome lump on my forehead, but we passed through the walls - like ghosts! Thao laughed heartily at the shocked expression on my face. That did me good. I remember that laugh - like a refreshing breeze and reassuring at a time when I was not feeling at ease. 

I had often spoken with friends of ‘flying saucers’ and was persuaded that they did, in fact, exist - but when you are actually faced with the reality, so many questions cloud your brain that you think it will burst. Of course, deep down I was delighted. From Thao’s manner towards me, I sensed that I had nothing to fear. However, she was not alone: I wondered what the others were going to be like. In spite of my fascination with this adventure, I still doubted if I would see my family again. Already, they seemed so far away, when only several minutes earlier I was in my own garden. 

We were now ‘gliding’ at ground level along a tunnel-shaped corridor that led to a small room, the walls of which were of a yellow so intense that I had to close my eyes. The walls formed a vault - exactly as if we were inside an upturned bowl. 

Thao covered my head with a helmet made from a transparent material and I found, by opening one eye, that this enabled me to tolerate the light. 

‘How do you feel?’ she asked. 

‘Better, thank you, but that light - how can you stand it?’ 

‘It is not a light. It is just the present colour of the walls in this room.’ 

‘Why ‘present’? Have you brought me here to repaint them?’ I joked.

‘There is no paint. There are only vibrations, Michel. You still believe that you are in your Earthly universe, when you are not. You are now in one of our super long-range spacecraft, capable of travelling at several times the speed of light. We will be leaving soon, if you will lie down on this bunk..?’ 

There, in the centre of the room were two boxes - rather like coffins without lids. I stretched out in one of them and Thao in the other. I heard her speak in a language unfamiliar to me, but very harmonious. I wanted to lift myself up a little but couldn’t, being held by an unknown and invisible force. The yellow colour progressively disappeared from the walls, to be replaced by a blue that was certainly no less intense. The ‘paintwork’ had been redone... 

One third of the room suddenly became dark and I noticed minute lights sparkling like stars. 

Thao’s voice was clear in the darkness. ‘These are stars, Michel. We have left Earth’s parallel universe and will be leaving your planet further and further behind, to take you to visit ours. We know you are going to be greatly interested in the journey, but also in our departure that will be quite slow, for your benefit. 

‘We can watch on the screen you see in front of you.’ 

‘Where is Earth?’ 

‘We still can’t see it, being almost directly above it, at approximately 10 000 metres altitude...’ 

Suddenly, a voice could be heard, speaking what seemed to be the same language Thao had used moments earlier. Thao answered briefly and then the voice spoke to me in French - excellent French (although the tone was more melodic than is typical) welcoming me aboard. It was very much the ‘welcome aboard’ of our airline companies, and I recall being quite amused by that - in spite of the unique situation in which I found myself. 

At the same instant, I felt a very light movement of the air and it became cool, as though air-conditioned. Things began to happen quickly. On the screen, appeared what could only have been the sun. At first, it seemed to touch the edge of the Earth or, more precisely, South America, as I later learned. Again, I wondered if I could be dreaming. Second by second America was shrinking. Australia couldn’t be seen, as the sun’s rays had not yet reached it. Now the contours of the planet could be distinguished, and we seemed to move around the globe, to a position above the North Pole. There, we changed direction, drawing away from Earth at an incredible speed. 

Our poor Earth became a basketball, then a billiard ball until it finally disappeared - or almost - from the screen. Instead, my vision was filled with the sombre blue of space. I turned my head in Thao’s direction hoping for further explanation. 

‘Did you like that?’ 

‘It was wonderful, but so fast - is it possible to travel at such a high speed?’ 

‘That was nothing, my dear friend. We ‘took off’ very gently. Only now are we travelling at full speed.’ 

‘How fast?’ I interrupted. 

‘Several times the speed of light.’ 

‘Of light? But how many times? It’s incredible! What about the light barrier?’ 

‘I can well understand that it appears incredible to you. Not even your experts would believe it - it is, however, the truth.’ 

‘You say several times the speed of light, but how may times?’ 

‘Michel, during this journey many things will be intentionally revealed to you - many things, but there will also be details to which you will not have access. The precise speed of our spacecraft is one such detail. I’m sorry, for I know it will disappoint you not to have your great curiosity for all things satisfied, but there will be so many new and interesting things for you to see and learn, that you must not mind too much when information is withheld from you.’ 

Her manner indicated that the matter was closed and I didn’t insist further, sensing that to do so would have been rude. 

‘Look’ she said to me. On the screen a coloured dot had appeared and was growing rapidly. 

‘What is it?’ 

‘Saturn.’ 

The reader must forgive me if the descriptions I give are not as detailed as he/she might wish, but it must be understood that I had not yet recovered all my senses. I had seen so much in so short a time, and was somewhat ‘disoriented.’ 

As we approached, the famous Saturn grew rapidly larger on the screen. Its colours were wonderful - incomparable to anything I had ever seen on Earth. There were yellows, reds, greens, blues, oranges - within each colour, an infinite range of nuances mingled, separated, grew stronger then weaker, creating the famous rings and confined within them... 

It was an amazing spectacle, which filled more and more of our screen. 

Realising I was no longer restrained by the force field, I wanted to remove my mask so as to see the colours better, but Thao signalled that I should do nothing. 

‘Where are the satellites?’ I asked. 

‘You can see two, almost side by side towards the right of the screen.’ 

‘How far away are we?’ 

‘We must be approximately 6,000,000 kilometres or perhaps more. They know exactly on the flight deck of course, but to give you a more precise estimate, I’d have to know whether our ‘camera’ is on full zoom or not.’ 

Saturn suddenly disappeared from the left side of the screen, which filled again with the ‘colour’ of space. 

I believe it was at that moment I felt exalted, as I never had before. It hit me that I was in the process of living an extraordinary adventure - and why? I had asked for nothing and had never contemplated the possibility (who would have dared?) of experiencing such an adventure. 

Thao got up. ‘You can do the same now, Michel.’ I obeyed and we found ourselves again, side by side in the centre of the cabin. It was only then, I noticed Thao no longer wore her helmet. 

‘Can you explain to me,’ I asked, ‘why just now, you were still wearing a helmet while I was able to accompany you without one, and yet now I have one while you don’t?’ 

‘It is very simple. We come from a planet bacteriologically different from Earth, which, for us, is a veritable culture medium. Thus, in order to contact you, I was obliged to take this basic precaution. You, yourself, were a danger to me but you are no longer.’ 

‘I don’t follow you.’ 

‘When you entered this cabin, the colour was too intense for you and I gave you the helmet you are now wearing, which was specially designed for you. Indeed, we were able to anticipate your reaction. 

‘During the very short time the cabin was yellow and then blue, eighty per cent of the dangerous bacteria in you was destroyed. Then perhaps you felt a coolness in the air, similar to when an air conditioner is working; this was another form of disinfection by...let’s call it radiation, although that is not the correct word - it cannot be translated into any Earth language. In this way, I have been disinfected one hundred per cent, but you still have enough bacteria to harm us considerably. I am going to give you these two pills, and in three hours you will be able to consider yourself as ‘pure’ as one of us.’ As she spoke, she took a little box from beside her bunk, removed the pills and held them out to me, along with a test tube containing a liquid that I supposed to be water. I swallowed them both, lifting the base of my helmet to do so. Next ... well, everything happened very quickly and it was all very strange. 

Thao took me in her arms, put me on the bunk and removed my mask. I saw that happen from two or three metres from my body! I imagine that certain things in this book will seem incomprehensible to the unwarned reader, but I saw my body from a distance and I was able to move about in the room just by thought. 

Thao spoke. ‘Michel, I know that you see me and hear me, but I am not able to see you myself, therefore I cannot look at you when I speak to you. Your Astral being has left your body. There is no danger in this - you needn’t worry. I know that this is the first time this has happened to you, and there are people who panic... 

‘I have given you a special drug in order to cleanse your body of all bacteria that is dangerous to us. I have also given you another drug that has caused your Astral being to leave your body - this will last three hours, the time it will take to purify you. In this way, you will be able to visit our spacecraft, without danger of contamination to us and without wasting time.’ 

As strange as it seems, I found this quite natural - and I followed her. It was fascinating. She arrived in front of a panel that slid open to let us pass into one chamber after another. I was following at some distance and each time, if the panel had already closed by the time I reached it - I quite simply passed through it. 

Finally, we reached a circular room, about 20 metres in diameter, in which there were at least a dozen ‘astronauts’ - all women and all about Thao’s size. Thao approached a group of four who were seated in enormous, comfortable-looking armchairs, arranged in a circle. When she sat down in a vacant seat, the four heads turned towards her questioningly. She almost seemed to take delight in making them wait: finally she spoke. 

I was again charmed to hear that language - the assonance was quite new to me, and the intonations so harmonious one would have thought they were singing. They all seemed to be greatly interested in Thao’s report. I supposed they were speaking of me, believing correctly that I was the main purpose of their mission. 

When Thao stopped, the questions streamed forth, and two other astronauts joined the group. The discussion swelled and developed a tone of increased excitement. 

Not understanding a word of what was being said, and having noticed on entering three people positioned in front of screens displaying 3-dimensional images, more or less vividly coloured, I approached to discover that this must certainly be the control room of the spacecraft. Being invisible made it even much more interesting since each person was performing her duties without being disturbed, or even distracted, by my presence. 

On a screen bigger than the rest, I was able to discern dots - some larger than others and some brighter, which moved steadily and without interruption in their prescribed directions, several towards the left of the screen and others towards the right. 

Their speed increased as they grew on the screen and finally exited from it. Their colours were often brilliant and extraordinarily beautiful, ranging from subtle tones to a blinding yellow, like the light from our sun. 

I soon realised that these were the planets and suns among which we were navigating, and I was absolutely fascinated by their silent progression across the screen. I can’t say how long I had been watching them, when suddenly a strange sound filled the cabin - a sound which was soft and at the same time, insistent, and which was accompanied by many flashing lights. 

The effect was immediate. The astronauts that had been talking with Thao now approached the control post and each took a seat that seemed to be personally assigned to her. Everyone’s eyes were fixed attentively on the screens. 

Right in the middle of these large monitors, I began to distinguish an enormous mass that is difficult to describe. Let me say only that it was round in form and blue-grey in colour. It remained immobile in the centre of each screen. 

In the room, all was silent. The general attention was focused on three astronauts in command of oblong-shaped pieces of equipment resembling in some ways, our computers. 

Suddenly, covering a huge area of what I believed was a wall of the cabin I was stupefied to see an image of New York - no! That’s Sydney, I said to myself, and yet the bridge is different...was it even a bridge? 

My surprise was such I had to ask Thao, at whose side I was standing. I had forgotten however, that I was no longer in my physical body and no one could hear me. I was able to hear Thao and others commenting on what they were seeing but, not understanding their language, it didn’t get me far. I was convinced though, that Thao had not lied to me and therefore we had well and truly left Earth behind. My mentor had explained we were travelling at several times the speed of light...and I had seen Saturn pass by and later, what I took to be planets and suns - so had we come back, and why? 

Thao spoke aloud and in French, which caused all heads to turn in her direction. 

‘Michel, we are stationed above the planet Arèmo X3 which is almost twice the size of planet Earth, and as you can see on the screen, quite similar to your world. 

‘I can’t explain at any length our current mission as I am required to participate in the operation, but I will do so later. To put you on the right track, I will tell you that our mission concerns atomic radiation such as you know on Earth’.  

Everyone seemed preoccupied: each knew exactly what to do and when to do it. We were stationary. The large panel projected an image of the centre of a town. The reader should understand that this large panel was in fact, no more than an immense television screen, projecting an image in relief so real, we could have been looking out the window of a tall building. 

My attention turned to another smaller screen being monitored by two of my ‘hostesses’. On this panel I could see our spacecraft, as I had already seen it in our parallel universe. As I watched, I was surprised to see, slightly below the middle of our vessel, a small sphere ejected, like an egg from a hen. Once outside, this sphere accelerated rapidly towards the planet below. As it disappeared from view, another sphere emerged in the same manner, and then a third. I noticed each sphere was being monitored on separate screens by different groups of astronauts. 

The descent of the spheres could now be easily followed on the large panel. The distance should have made them invisible in quite a short time but they remained in sight and I deduced that the camera had to have an extraordinarily powerful ‘zoom’. Indeed, the effect of the zoom was so strong that the first sphere disappeared from the right of the panel and the second from the left. We could now only see the middle one and followed its descent to the ground quite clearly. It stopped in the centre of an immense square, situated among apartment buildings. There it hovered, as though suspended several metres from the ground. The other spheres were monitored in the same detail. One was above a river that flowed through the town, and the other hovered above a hill, near the city. 

Unexpectedly, the panel projected a new image. I could now distinctly see the doors of the apartment buildings, or rather, the doorways, for where doors should have been, were gaping openings. 

I remember clearly that, until then, I had not realised how odd this town was... 

Nothing had moved... 

2 

Atomic Destruction 

A single word can impart what was being reflected from the panel: ‘Desolation’. The street we were observing, piece by piece, was cluttered with ‘mounds’ generally arranged one behind the other. Some stood apart while others lay right in the middle of the openings to the buildings. Imperceptibly, the camera zoomed closer and I soon understood that these ‘mounds’ had to be vehicles - vehicles that were somewhat similar in shape to flat-bottomed boats. 

Around me, the astronauts were attending to their desks. From each sphere emerged a long tube that descended slowly towards the surface. When the end of the tube touched the ground, a little cloud of dust rose, and I realised that the vehicles too were covered in a thick blanket of dust, rendering them formless and unrecognisable. Of course, the sphere that hovered above the river had its tube in the water. My attention was now riveted on the panel, for the scene was quite fascinating - one had the exact impression of being in the street. 

My attention was especially drawn to a darkened place in the entrance of a huge building. I could have sworn something moved... 

I also felt there was a certain agitation among the astronauts. Abruptly, and with a series of jerks, the ‘thing’ emerged into the light. I was horrified by what I saw. As for my ‘hostesses’, apart from some utterances spoken more quickly, and a few exclamations in which emotion could be discerned, I must say that they didn’t really seem surprised. However, what we were seeing so clearly on the panel was a horrible cockroach, about two metres long and 80 centimetres high. 

The reader will certainly have seen, at one time or another, these nasty little insects we have on Earth, particularly in hot climates, living in cupboards and damp places. 

You will agree that they are loathsome, but the biggest would be no more than five centimetres in length. Imagine then, one with the dimensions I have just described. It was truly an abomination. 

The tube from the sphere began to retract, yet was still a metre from the ground when suddenly, the creature hurried forward to attack this thing which moved. Untrustingly, it stopped again, when from under the building, a veritable swarm of the creatures emerged, spilling one over the other. Just then, a ray of intense blue light beamed from the sphere and swept over the group, reducing it instantly to carbonised dust. A cloud of black smoke hid the entrance to the building from view. 

My curiosity further aroused, I watched the other screens, but they indicated no problems. The sphere from the river was returning towards us, and the sphere on the hill retracted its tube, moved a little higher and lowered the tube again, along with a second cylinder above the sphere. I had guessed, of course, that the astronauts were collecting samples of soil, water and air. Being in Astral body, I couldn’t ask Thao any questions; in any case, she seemed quite busy conferring with two of the ‘hostesses. The spheres began climbing towards us and were soon ready to be ‘reabsorbed’ by our spacecraft. 

When the operation was complete, Thao and the two astronauts mentioned took their places opposite their respective desks. Instantly, the images we received on the panel and screens changed completely. 

I understood we were leaving when each one took her place. I observed that all the astronauts had a similar posture in their seats that intrigued me. I later learned that a force field restrained them exactly as a security harness would have restrained a stuntman on Earth. 

The suns illuminated the planet through a reddish fog. We had left by then, and I assumed we were following the contour of the planet, at the same altitude. In fact, we could see a desert-like area passing by, dissected by dry riverbeds that sometimes crossed each other at right angles. It occurred to me they might be canals, or at least had been man made. 

The panel revealed images of a town apparently intact, then it disappeared and the screen went blank. The vessel had obviously gained speed in flying over the planet, as the images on the smaller screens, showing a lake or inland sea, flashed by quickly. Suddenly, several exclamations were heard and we immediately slowed down. The panel was turned on and presented a close-up of the lake. We stopped. 

We could clearly see a portion of the coast and, beyond some large rocks by the lake, we could make out cube-like structures which I imagined to be habitations. As soon as we had stopped, the spheres began their operations again, just as they had earlier.

We received some excellent shots taken from one of the spheres that hovered above the beach at a height I judged to be 40 to 60 metres from the ground. Its tube extended right to the shore. Very clearly, it transmitted a scene of a group of human beings... Indeed, at first sight, they were identical to people found on Earth. 

We had a very close view. In the middle of the panel appeared the face of a woman of uncertain age. She had brown skin, with long black hair that fell to her breasts. As we could see on another screen, she was quite naked. Only her face appeared to be deformed - she was Mongoloid. 

When I saw her, I didn’t realise she was deformed, I simply assumed we had to contend with a race of humans only slightly different from our own - as science fiction writers like to describe them - all twisted, with big ears or such like. Still, we had other shots and, in this group, the men and women seemed to resemble the Polynesian race. It was, however, obvious that more than half of these people were either deformed or eaten away by what appeared to be leprosy. 

They were looking towards the sphere and gesticulating, appearing to be greatly agitated. Many more were emerging from the cubic constructions which proved to be their habitations, and on which I will elaborate a little. 

These structures closely resembled the ‘blockhaus’ of the Second World War, to which had been added very thick chimneys (installed, I supposed, for the ventilation of the buildings) which only seemed to rise about one metre above the ground. These blockhaus were all built with the same orientation and the people emerging from them, did so by openings on the sides which were in shadow... 

Without warning, I felt myself drawn backwards away from the panel. Rapidly, I passed through several partitions until I found myself once again, in the cabin where my physical being lay stretched out on the bunk, just as I had left it. 

Instantly, everything was completely black. How well I remember the unpleasant sensation that followed! My limbs felt like lead and when I tried to move them, it was as if I was paralysed. I could not understand what prevented me from moving. I must confess I panicked a little and wished with all my heart that I might leave my physical body again, but I couldn’t do that either. 

I don’t know how much time elapsed before the cabin gradually became suffused with the most restful blue-green light. Finally Thao entered, wearing a different suit. 

‘I am sorry to have made you wait, Michel, but just as your physical body recalled you, it was impossible for me to come and help you.’ 

‘Don’t apologise, I understand perfectly,’ I interrupted, ‘but I believe I have a problem - I can’t move. I’m sure something in me is disconnected.’ 

She smiled and put her hand just beside mine, undoubtedly operating a control mechanism, and immediately I was freed. 

‘Again, a thousand apologies, Michel. I should have pointed out to you the spot where the control cell for the security harness is found. All the seats, beds or bunks are equipped with them, and they are automatically activated when occupied if there is the least possibility of danger. [2] 

‘When the vessel arrives in a dangerous area, the three security computers cause the closing of the force fields, to use their proper name. When the danger has passed they automatically release them. 

‘At the same time, if we do want to be released in a zone deemed dangerous, or even if we simply want to change position, we have only to pass a hand or just a finger in front of the cell and the force field is immediately neutralised. When we return to our seats, we will be automatically restrained again. 

‘Now, I’m going to ask you to go and change - I’ll show you where. In the room, you will see an open trunk where you can put your clothes -in fact, all that you are wearing apart from the glasses. You’ll find a suit there, which you are to put on before meeting me back here.’ 

Thao bent down and taking my hand, she helped me up. I was really quite stiff. I went into the small room she had pointed out, undressed completely and put on the suit, which fitted me perfectly. This was surprising, given that, in spite of my 178 centimetres in height, I was a dwarf compared with my hostesses. 

A short time later, back in the cabin, Thao handed me something in the form of a bracelet, which was actually a pair of enormous glasses. 

A little like motorcycle goggles, they were strongly tinted. At her request, I put them on, but to do so, I was obliged to remove my own glasses, as they would have been crushed by this larger pair. They fitted exactly into the shape of my eye sockets. ‘

A last precaution,’ she said. 

Lifting her hand towards the partition, she in some way released a certain mechanism, for the intense light reappeared and I felt the intensity in spite of the strong glasses. I was again aware of the current of cool air. 

The lights went out. The air current could no longer be felt, but Thao did not move, appearing to be waiting for something. Eventually a voice was heard and she removed my large tinted glasses. I replaced them with my own and she asked that I follow her. We took the same route as when I followed her in Astral body, and we found ourselves again, in the command room.

One of the older astronauts (I say older but perhaps I should instead say ‘more serious’ as they all appeared to be about the same age) signalled briefly to Thao who took me to a seat in front of the panel and asked that I stay there. She quickly rejoined her colleague and I realised they were very busy. 

As for me, I began checking whether I could in fact free myself from the force field. As soon as I sat down, I was effectively plastered to my seat - a feeling I did not like at all. 

Moving my hand slightly, I found I was immediately liberated for as long as my hand remained in front of the cell. 

The panel relayed an image of about 500 people standing on the shore and quite near the ‘blockhaus’. Thanks to the close-ups possible with our cameras, we had an excellent view of these people, who were quite naked, from the oldest down to the youngest. Again, I could see many of them were either deformed or sporting ugly wounds. They were all gesturing towards the spheres taking sand and soil samples, but no one approached. The strongest looking men were holding what appeared to be machetes or sabres. They seemed to be watching something. 

I felt pressure on my shoulder and turned round, surprised. It was Thao. She smiled at me and I clearly remember appreciating, for the first time, the beauty and nobility of her face. 

I have already mentioned her hair, which was long and silky, golden-blond in colour, which fell to her shoulders and framed a face that was perfectly oval in shape. She had a large, slightly protruding forehead. 

Her blue-mauve eyes and long curled lashes would have been the envy of many women on our planet. Her eyebrows curved upwards, similar to the wings of a seagull, adding a unique charm. Under her eyes, which sparkled and sometimes teased, was her nose, well-proportioned and slightly flat at the bottom, which accentuated a sensual mouth. When she smiled, she revealed perfect teeth - so perfect, one could believe they were false. (This would have surprised me.) The chin, well-shaped but slightly angular, suggested a wilful determination that was somewhat masculine, but this did not detract from its charm. A faint shadow of hair above her upper lip could have spoiled this perfect face, were it not blond. 

‘I see you already know how to free yourself from the force field, Michel.’ 

I was about to reply, when an almost general exclamation made us turn our eyes to the panel. 

The people on the beach were surging back en masse towards the habitations and dived inside in one big rush, while a line of men had been formed armed with sabres or picks, facing the most incredible ‘thing’ I could ever have imagined. 

A group of red ants, each the size of a cow, were rushing from behind the rocks onto the beach. They moved quicker than horses in gallop. 

The armed men kept glancing behind, as if to compare the speed at which the people scrambled to safety, with the advance of the ants. Already, the latter were near - too near... 

The men faced them bravely as, with only a second’s hesitation, the first beast attacked. We could distinguish the mandibles clearly - each the size of a man’s arm. At first, the creature feigned, enabling the man to strike with his sabre, but he slashed only air. Immediately, the mandibles encircled his waist, severing him cleanly in two. Another pair of ants helped the first to shred him, while the rest launched their assault on the fleeing combatants, gaining rapidly on them - too rapidly... 

From the sphere, an electric-blue beam of unbearable intensity shot out, just as the ants were upon the men. The creatures were struck dead, one after the other, with amazing precision and effectiveness. Curls of smoke rose from the burnt flesh of the animals strewn over the ground, their enormous legs convulsing in a last spasm. 

The beam continued its devastation among the ants, instantly and systematically annihilating the giant insects. They must have known instinctively that they could not match this almost supernatural force and fled in retreat. 

Everything had happened so quickly. Thao was still at my side, her face reflecting disgust and sadness, rather than anger. 

Another glance at the panel revealed a new scene - of the sphere pursuing the ants in their hasty retreat, not only with the camera, but also with the deadly beam. The rest of the swarm, which I estimated to comprise six or seven hundred, were being decimated. Not one was left alive. 

The sphere returned to its earlier position above the beach and produced a special tool with which it combed through the carcasses. I could see one of the astronauts seated at her desk, talking into her computer. This prompted me to ask Thao if she was supervising the work being carried out. 

‘At the moment, yes, for this work was not originally scheduled. We are taking samples of these creatures, pieces of lung in particular, in order to analyse them. We think that certain types of radiation have produced this mutant form of creature. In fact, ants do not have lungs but the only logical explanation for their sudden gigantism is...’ 

Thao stopped short. The camera was relaying a picture of the men now reemerging form their shelters, gesticulating wildly at the sphere. They were holding their arms open-wide and prostrating themselves on the ground. They repeated this pattern.  

‘Can they see this vessel?’ I asked. 

‘No. We are at an altitude of 40 000 metres, and, further, there are presently three layers of cloud between the planet and us. On the other hand, they can see our satellite and I think it is to that they are addressing these gestures of gratitude.’ 

‘Perhaps they take the sphere to be a God which has saved them from ruin?’ 

‘It’s quite possible.’ 

‘Can you tell me what is happening? Who are these people?’ 

‘It would take too long to explain to you, Michel, especially now with so much activity in the vessel, but I can satisfy your curiosity by explaining briefly. 

‘These people are, in a way, the descendants of certain ancestors of people existing still on your planet. In fact, a group of their ancestors peopled a continent on the planet Earth about 250 000 of your Earth years ago. Here, they possessed a civilisation which was very advanced but, having raised enormous political barriers between themselves, they finally destroyed themselves, 150 years ago, with the atom.’ 

‘Do you mean - a total nuclear war?’ 

‘Yes, brought about by chain reaction. We come, from time to time, to take samples in order to study the degree of radiation still existing in various regions. Sometimes too, just as a few moments ago, we help them.’ 

‘But they must take you to be God himself after what you did just now!’ 

Thao smiled and nodded her head. ‘Ah yes, that’s certainly true, Michel. They take us to be gods, exactly as, on your planet, certain of your ancestors also took us to be gods. Still, they talk of us... 

I must have shown complete surprise, as Thao threw me a look of amusement. 

‘I told you a moment ago that my explanation is somewhat premature. We’ll have plenty of time to talk of this again. Besides, that’s why you are with us.’ 

With that, she excused herself and resumed her place in front of a ‘screen-desk’. The images were changing rapidly on the panel. The sphere was on its way up and we had a view of a whole section of the continent, on which, I noticed in places, patches of green and brown. The sphere took its place again within the vessel and we departed. 

We flew over the planet at a breathtaking speed and I allowed myself to be imprisoned in my armchair by the force field. 

On the screen were images of the waters of an immense ocean. We could distinguish an island, which ‘grew’ rapidly. 

It seemed to be a very low island although, for me, the problems of estimating dimensions were very real. 

The entire procedure, already described, was repeated. We stopped above the coast and, this time, four spheres left the spacecraft and descended to the island. On the panel I could see a beach which the camera was scanning. 

On the water’s edge lay what looked like thick slabs, around which were gathered naked men - the same kind we had seen earlier. They didn’t appear to have noticed the sphere and I assumed that this time, it was at a much higher altitude, in spite of the ever-closing images we were receiving. 

On the panel, we could now see the men carrying one of the slabs into the waves. It floated, as if made of cork. The men hoisted themselves up on to it, grabbed large oars that they handled skilfully and the boat took to the open sea. When they were a good distance from the shore, they threw out fishing lines and, to my surprise, almost immediately, pulled up fish of what seemed a respectable size. 

It was quite fascinating to see how these men were surviving, and to be capable of helping them, as if we were gods. 

I had released myself from the force field, wanting to go and study the other screens that were receiving different images. Just as I was about to venture from my seat, I received an order, without hearing a sound: ‘Stay where you are, Michel.’ I was stupefied. It was as if the voice was inside my head. I turned my head in Thao’s direction and she was smiling at me. I decided to try something, and thought as hard as I could, ‘Telepathy is great, isn’t it Thao?’ 

‘Of course,’ she replied in the same manner. 

‘It’s wonderful! Can you tell me what the temperature is down there at the moment?’ 

She checked the data at her desk. ‘Twenty-eight of your degrees Celsius. By day, the average temperature is thirty-eight degrees.’ 

I said to myself if I was deaf and mute, I could communicate with Thao quite as easily as I can with the spoken word. 

‘Exactly, my dear.’ 

I looked at Thao with some surprise. I had been making a personal reflection and yet she had intercepted my thoughts. I was a little put out by this. 

She gave me a wide smile. ‘Don’t worry, Michel. I was merely being playful and I ask that you forgive me. 

‘Normally, I only read your thoughts when you ask me a question. I just wanted to demonstrate what is possible in this domain; I won’t do it again.’ 

I returned her smile and redirected my attention to the panel. There I could see a sphere on the beach, very close to a group of men who didn’t seem to notice it. This sphere was removing sand samples from a spot about ten metres from the group. By telepathy, I asked Thao why these people were unable to see the machine. 

‘It’s night,’ she answered. 

‘Night? But how is it that we can see things so clearly?’ 

‘Special cameras, Michel - something like your infra-reds.’ 

Now I better understood why the images received were less ‘luminous’ than on our preceding stops. However, the close-ups were excellent. Just then, on the panel, we had a shot of a face apparently that of a female. It was really horrible. The poor creature had an enormous gash where her left eye should have been. Her mouth was positioned to the right of her face and appeared as a tiny little opening in the middle of her jaw, around which were lips that seemed fused together. On the top of her head, a single tuft of hair hung pitifully. 

We could now see her breasts, and very pretty they would have been, if one of them hadn’t had a purulent wound on the side. 

‘With breasts like that she must be young?’ I asked. 

‘The computer puts the age at 19 years.’ 

‘Radiation?’ 

‘Of course.’ 

Other people appeared, some of whom were perfectly normal looking. There were males among them, with an athletic build, who looked to be in their twenties. 

‘What is the age of the oldest? Do you know?’ 

‘At present, we have no record of anyone older than 38 years, and a year on this planet is 295 days of 27 hours. Now, if you look at the screen, you can see a close-up of the genital area of that handsome and athletic young man. As you will note, the genitals are totally atrophied. We’ve already worked out, from previous expeditions, that there are very few men actually capable of procreation - and yet, there are great numbers of children. It’s the survival instinct of all races to reproduce as soon as possible. Thus, the obvious solution would be that the males capable of reproduction are ‘studs’. This man must be one of them, I think.’ 

Indeed, the camera was showing a man of about 30 years perhaps, possessing physical attributes certainly capable of producing offspring. 

We were also able to see many children coming and going around small fires on which food was cooking. 

The men and women seated around the fireplaces were taking cooked pieces and sharing them with the children. The fires seemed like wood fires, but I couldn’t be sure. They were fuelled by something shaped rather like stones. 

Behind the fires, slabs similar to the boats seen earlier, were piled and assembled so as to form shelters that looked quite comfortable. 

In the camera’s field of vision, no trees could be seen - perhaps they did exist, because I had noticed green patches earlier as we flew over the continent. 

From between two huts, some little black pigs appeared, pursued by three furious yellow dogs, only to disappear rapidly behind another hut. I was dumbfounded and couldn’t help but wonder if I really was looking down on another planet. These humans looked like me - or rather, like Polynesians - and here were dogs and pigs. It was all more and more surprising... 

The sphere began to return, as did the other spheres no doubt, that were being monitored by screens I couldn’t easily see from my position. The operation ‘return to ship’ was initiated, and all the spheres ‘reabsorbed’ without incident, the same as before. 

I assumed we were about to leave again and so installed myself comfortably in my seat, allowing the force field to restrain me thus. 

Some moments later, the suns of the planet appeared, two in number, then everything dwindled rapidly, just as it had done when we left Earth. After a time, which seemed quite short, the force field was neutralised and I understood that I was free to get out of my seat. This was a good feeling. I noticed Thao heading towards me accompanied by two of the ‘oldest’, if I can say so, of her companions. I remained standing beside my seat before the three astronauts. 

In order to look at Thao, I was already obliged to raise my head, but when she introduced me, in French, to the ‘elder’ of them, I felt even smaller. The latter was easily a head taller than Thao. 

I was completely astonished when she, Biastra, spoke to me correctly, although slowly, in French. She placed her right hand on my shoulder, saying, 

‘I am delighted to have you on board, Michel. I hope that all is well with you and that it continues to be so. May I present Latoli, the second-in-charge of our spacecraft, myself being what you would call ‘Commander-in-Chief of the Alatora.’1 

1. Alatora, in their language, is the name given to their super long-distance spacecraft. (Author’s comment)  

Turning to Latoli, she spoke a few words in her own language and Latoli too, placed her hand on my shoulder. With a warm smile, she repeated my name several times slowly, as would someone who had difficulty pronouncing a new language. 

Her hand remained on my shoulder and a feeling of well-being, a definite fluid sensation, passed through my body. 

I was so obviously overcome by this, that the three of them began to laugh. Reading my thoughts, Thao reassured me. 

‘Michel, Latoli possesses a special gift, although not rare among our people. What you have been able to experience, is a fluid which is magnetic and beneficial, and which emanated from her.’ 

‘It’s wonderful!’ I exclaimed. ‘Please compliment her on my behalf[1]. I then addressed the two astronauts. ‘Thank you for your welcome, but I must confess I am absolutely astounded by what is happening to me. It really is the most incredible adventure for an Earthling such as me. Although I have always believed in the possibility that other planets might be inhabited by human-like beings, I’m still having a hard time convincing myself that this is not a fantastic dream. 

‘I had often discussed things such as telepathy, extra-terrestrials and what we call ‘flying saucers’ with friends on Earth, but they were just words and grand phrases uttered in ignorance. Now I have the proof of what I had suspected for so long regarding the existence of parallel universes, the duality of our beings, and other unexplained occurrences. To experience all that I have in these last few hours is so exciting it takes my breath away. 

Latoli, admiring my monologue, uttered an exclamation, in words I didn’t understand but which Thao immediately translated for me. 

‘Latoli understands your state of mind perfectly well, Michel.’ ‘As do I,’ added Biastra. 

‘How could she have understood what I said?’ 

‘She has ‘dipped’ telepathically into your mind while you were speaking. As you must realise, telepathy is not hindered by language barriers.’ 

My astonishment amused them and perpetual smiles played on their lips. Biastra addressed me. 

‘Michel, I am going to introduce you to the rest of the crew, if you will kindly follow me.’ She guided me, by the shoulder, to the furthest desk, where three astronauts were monitoring the instruments. I hadn’t yet approached these desks and, even in Astral body, I had not paid any attention to the read-out of these computers. The glance I now gave them immobilised me completely. The numerals before my eyes were in Arabic! I know the reader will be as surprised as I was, but it was fact. The 1s, 2s, 3s 4s etc. appearing on the monitors, were the same numerals that occur on Earth. 

Biastra noticed my astonishment. ‘It is true, isn’t it Michel, for you there is one surprise after another. Don’t think we are having fun at your expense, as we totally understand your wonder. All will fall into place in good time. For the moment please allow me to introduce Naola.’  

The first of the astronauts rose and turned towards me. She placed her hand on my shoulder, as Biastra and Latoli had done. It occurred to me that this gesture must correspond to our handshake. Naola addressed me in her own language and then she, too, repeated my name three times, as if she wanted to commit it to memory forever. She was about the same size as Thao. 

The same ceremony followed each time I was introduced, and thus I officially made the acquaintance of all the members of the crew. There was a striking resemblance between them. Their hair, for example, varied only in length and shade, which ranged from a dark copper to a light golden-blond. Some had longer or broader noses than others, but all had eyes of a colour which tended towards light rather than dark, and all had very neat, well-shaped ears. 

Latoli, Biastra and Thao invited me to sit down in one of the comfortable seats. When we were all comfortably installed, Biastra moved her hand in a particular way near the armrest of her seat and-I saw coming towards us, floating in the air - four round trays. Each carried a container of yellowish liquid and a bowl of something whitish with a consistency similar to fairy-floss but in granulated form. Flat ‘tongs’ served as forks. The trays came to rest on the arms of our seats. 

I was quite intrigued. Thao suggested, if I wished to partake of this refreshment, I might like to follow her lead. She sipped from her ‘glass’ and I did likewise, finding it quite a pleasant-tasting drink, similar to a water-honey mixture. My companions used the ‘tongs’ to eat the mixture in the bowls. Following their example, I tasted for the first time what we, on Earth, called ‘manna’. Similar to bread, it is however, extremely light and without any particular flavour. I had eaten only half the amount in my bowl when already, I felt satisfied, which surprised me considering the consistency of this food. I finished my drink and, although I couldn’t say I’d dined in fine style, I experienced a sense of well-being and was neither hungry nor thirsty. 

‘Perhaps you would have preferred a French dish, Michel?’ asked Thao, a smile twitching on her lips. 

I merely smiled, but Biastra snorted. 

Just then, a signal drew our attention to the panel. In the centre, and in close-up, appeared the head of a woman, resembling my hostesses. She spoke rapidly. My companions turned slightly in their seats to better attend to what was being said. Naola, at her desk, entered into a dialogue with the figure on the screen, just as our television interviewers do on Earth. Imperceptibly, the shot changed from the close-up to a wide angle, revealing a dozen women each in front of a desk. 

Thao took me by the shoulder and guided me over to Naola, installing me in a seat in front of one of the screens. She took a seat next to me and addressed the people on the monitor. She spoke for some time, rapidly, in her melodious voice, turning frequently towards me. From all evidence, I was the main topic of conversation.

When she had finished, the woman re-appeared in close-up, responding in several brief sentences. To my great surprise, her eyes fixed on me and she smiled. ‘Hello Michel, we wish you a safe arrival on Thiaoouba.’ 

She waited for my reply. When I had overcome my surprise, I expressed warm thanks. This, in turn, elicited exclamations and numerous comments from her companions, appearing again in a wide-angle shot on the screen. 

‘Did they understand?’ I asked Thao. 

‘Telepathically yes, but they are delighted to hear someone from another planet speak his own language. For most of them, this is quite a rare experience.’ 

Excusing herself, Thao re-addressed the screen and, what I assumed was a technical conversation, ensued, including Biastra. Eventually, after a smile in my direction and a ‘see you soon’, the picture was cut. 

I say ‘cut’ because the screen did not simply become blank; rather, the image was replaced by a beautiful, soft colour - a mixture of green and indigo blue - which produced a sense of contentment. It gradually faded after a minute or so. 

Turning to Thao, I asked what it had all meant - had we rendezvoused with another spacecraft and what was this Thiaba or Thiaoula..? 

‘Thiaoouba, Michel, is the name we have given to our planet, just as you call yours ‘Earth’. Our intergalactic base has been in touch with us, as we will be arriving in Thiaoouba in 16 of your Earth hours and 35 minutes.’ This she had checked with a glance at the nearest computer. 

‘Those people then, are technicians on your planet?’ 

‘Yes, as I just said, at our intergalactic base.’ 

‘This base monitors our spacecraft continually and if we were in trouble for technical or human reasons, in eighty one per cent of cases, they would be able to control our safe return to port.’ 

This did not particularly surprise me as I had realised I was dealing with a superior race, whose technological possibilities were beyond my comprehension. What did occur to me was that, not only this spacecraft, but also the intergalactic base appeared to be manned by only women. An all female team such as this would be quite exceptional on Earth. 

I wondered if Thiaoouba was populated only by women...like space Amazons. I smiled at the image. I have always preferred the company of women rather than men: it was quite a pleasant thought..! 

My question to Thao was direct. ‘Are you from a planet solely populated by women?’ 

She looked at me with apparent surprise, then her face lit up with amusement. I was a little concerned. Had I said something stupid? She took me by the shoulder and asked that I follow her. We left the control room and immediately entered a smaller room (called the Haalis) which had quite a relaxing ambience. Thao explained that we would not be interrupted in the room, since the occupants acquired, by their presence, the right to absolute privacy. She invited me to choose one of the many seats that furnished the room. 

Some were like beds, some like armchairs, others resembled hammocks, while others again, were like high stools with adjustable backs. I would have been difficult to please if one of them did not suit my requirements. 

Once settled comfortably in a kind of armchair with Thao facing me, I watched, as her face became serious again. She started to speak. 

‘Michel, there are no women aboard this spacecraft...’ 

If she had told me that I wasn’t on a spaceship but rather, in the Australian desert, I would have more readily believed her. Seeing the expression of disbelief on my face, she added, ‘neither are there any men.’ At this, my confusion was absolute. 

‘But,’ I faltered, ‘you are - what? Just robots?’ 

‘No, I think you misunderstand. In a word, Michel, we are hermaphrodites. You know, of course, what an hermaphrodite is?’ 

I nodded, quite dumbfounded, and then asked, ‘Is your whole planet inhabited only by hermaphrodites?’ 

‘Yes.’ 

‘And yet your face and mannerisms are more feminine than masculine.’ 

‘Indeed, it might appear so, but believe me when I tell you that we are not women, but hermaphrodites. Our race has always been this way.’ 

‘I must confess, this is all very confusing. I’m going to find it difficult to think of you as ‘he’ rather than the ‘she’ I have done since I’ve been among you.’ 

‘You have nothing to imagine, my dear. We are simply what we are: human beings from another planet living in a world different from yours. I can understand you would like to define us as one sex or the other, for you think as an Earthling and a Frenchman. Perhaps, for once, you could make use of the neuter gender of English and think of us as ‘it’.’ 

I smiled at this suggestion but continued to feel disoriented. Only moments ago, I had believed myself to be among Amazons. 

‘But how can reproduction of your race occur?’ I asked. ‘Can an hermaphrodite reproduce?’ 

‘Of course we can, exactly as you do on Earth; the only difference being that we genuinely control the births - but that is another story. In good time, you will understand, but now we should rejoin the others.’ 

We returned to the control post, and I found myself looking at these astronauts with new eyes. Looking at the chin of one, I found it to be more masculine than it had seemed earlier. Another’s nose was decidedly masculine, and the hairstyles of some were now manlier [12]. It occurred to me that we really do see people as we think they are and not as they are. 

In order to feel less embarrassed among them, I created a rule for myself: I had taken them to be women, as to me they were more like females than males: thus I would continue to think of them as women and we’d see how that worked. 

From where I was, I could follow, on the central panel, the movement of stars as we proceeded on our way. Sometimes they appeared enormous and blinding as we passed by a little too closely - a few million kilometres from them. At times too, we noticed planets of strange colours. I remember one was of an emerald green, so pure I was stunned. It resembled an enormous jewel. 

Thao approached and I took advantage of the opportunity to ask her about a band of light that had appeared at the base of the screen. This light was composed of what looked like millions of tiny explosions. 

‘These are caused by our anti-matter guns, as you would call them on Earth, and are, in fact, explosions. At the speed at which we travel, the most minuscule of meteorites would shatter this spacecraft were we to hit it. So, we make use of specific rooms to store certain forms of dust under enormous pressure, and this is fed into our anti-matter guns. Our vessel could be considered to be a cosmotron, firing streams of accelerated particles that disintegrate the most microscopic of errant bodies in space, for great distances ahead and to the sides of our spacecraft. This is what allows us to attain speeds that we can. Around our vessel, we create our own magnetic field...’ 

‘Oh please, not so fast. As you know Thao, I have no scientific background and if you speak of cosmotrons and accelerated particles, you are going to lose me. I understand the principle, which is certainly very interesting, but I’m not good on technical terms. Can you tell me instead, why the planets on the screen are coloured the way they are?’ 

‘Sometimes because of their atmospheres and sometimes because of the gases which surround them. Do you see a multicoloured point with a tail, at the right of the screen?’ The ‘thing’ was approaching at high speed. Second by second we were better able to admire it. 

It seemed to explode constantly and change form, its colours indescribably rich. I looked at Thao. 

‘It’s a comet,’ she said. ‘It completes a revolution around its sun in approximately 55 of your Earth years.’ 

‘How far are we from it?’ 

She glanced at the computer: ‘4,150,000 kilometres.’ 

‘Thao,’ I said, ‘How is it you use the numerals of Arabic? And when you speak of “kilometres”, are you translating for me, or do you actually use this measure?’ 

‘No. We count in Kato and Taki. We use the numerals that you recognise as Arabic, for the simple reason that it is our own system - one which we took to Earth.’ 

‘What? Please explain further.’ 

‘Michel, we have several hours before arriving at Thiaoouba. This is probably the best time to start ‘educating’ you seriously on certain matters. If you don’t mind, we’ll go back to the Haalis, where we were before.’ 

I followed Thao, my curiosity stronger than ever. 

3 

The first man on Earth 

Once comfortably re-established in the Haalis, the relaxation room previously described, Thao began her strange recital. 

‘Michel, 1,350,000 years ago precisely, on the planet Bakaratini of the constellation Centaur, a decision was made by the leaders of that planet, following numerous conferences and reconnaissance expeditions, to send inhabited vessels to the planets Mars and Earth. 

There was a very simple reason for this: their planet was cooling down internally and would become uninhabitable within 500 years. They thought, with good reason, that it was preferable to evacuate their people to a younger planet of the same category...’ 

‘What do you mean by ‘the same category’?’ 

‘I will explain later, to do so now would be premature. Going back to these people, I must tell you that these beings were human - very intelligent and highly evolved. A black race, they had thick lips, flattened noses and frizzy hair - resembling, in these ways, the blacks now living on Earth. 

‘These people had inhabited the planet Bakaratini for 8,000 ,000 years, in cohabitation with a yellow-coloured race. 

‘To be precise, this was what you call on Earth, the Chinese race and they had inhabited Bakaratini for about 400 years prior to the blacks. The two races witnessed numerous revolutions during their time on the planet. We tried to provide relief, assistance and guidance but, in spite of our intervention, wars broke out periodically. These, along with the natural disasters occurring on the planet, served to thin the ranks in both races. 

‘Finally, a nuclear war broke out on such a grand scale that the entire planet was plunged into darkness and temperatures fell to minus 40 of your degrees Celsius. Not only did atomic radiation destroy the population, but cold and lack of food accomplished the rest. 

‘It is a recorded fact that a mere 150 black people and 85 yellow people survived the catastrophe, from a population of seven billion black and four billion yellow humans. A register of survivors was taken just before they began to reproduce and when they had stopped killing each other.’ 

‘What do you mean ‘killing each other’?’ 

‘Let me explain the whole situation to you and you’ll be able to understand better. 

‘First of all, it is important to explain that those who remained were not, as you might expect, the leaders, well protected in specially equipped shelters. 

‘The survivors, comprising three groups of blacks and five groups of yellows, had come, some from private shelters and others from large public shelters. Of course, at the time of the war, there were many more than 235 people in shelters: indeed it is believed there were over 800,000 in all. Following months of confinement in the darkness and intense cold, they were eventually able to risk going outside. 

‘The blacks ventured out first, finding almost no trees, no plants and no animals to speak of, on their continent. It was a group, isolated from their shelter in the mountains, who first knew cannibalism. Because of the lack of food, when the weakest died, they were eaten; then, in order to eat, they had to kill each other - and that was the worst catastrophe on their planet. 

‘Another group, near the ocean, managed to survive by eating the only living things left on the planet, which were not too contaminated, that is, the molluscs, some fish and crustaceans. They still had unpolluted drinking water thanks to very ingenious installations enabling them to obtain water from incredible depths. 

‘Of course, many of these people still died, as a result of lethal radiation on the planet and from eating fish which were filled with radioactivity. 

‘Much the same course of events occurred in the yellows’ territory; so that, as I have said, 150 blacks and 85 yellows remained, then finally, deaths resulting from the war ceased and reproduction began again. 

‘All of this occurred, in spite of all the warnings they had received. It should be said that before this almost total decimation, both the black race and the yellow race had attained a very high level of technological advance. The people lived in great comfort. They worked in factories, private and government enterprises, offices - just as happens now on your planet. 

‘They had a strong devotion to money which, to some, meant power and to others, wiser, it meant well-being. They worked on average 12 hours per week. 

‘On Bakaratini a week comprises six days of 21 hours each. They tended to the material rather than the spiritual side of their existence. At the same time, they allowed themselves to be duped and led in circles by a structure of politicians and bureaucrats, exactly as is happening now on Earth. Leaders fool the masses with empty words and, motivated by greed or pride, they ‘lead’ entire nations towards their downfall. 

‘Gradually, these two great races began to envy each other and, as there is only one step from envy to hate, eventually they hated each other so much and so completely that the catastrophe occurred. Both possessing very sophisticated arms, they achieved their mutual destruction. 

‘Our historical records show, then, that 235 survived the disaster, six of them being children. These statistics were recorded five years afterwards, and their survival is attributed to cannibalism and certain marine life. 

‘They reproduced - not always ‘successfully’ as it was not uncommon for babies to be born with horribly misshapen heads or ugly weeping sores. They had to endure all the effects of atomic radiation on human beings. 

‘One hundred and fifty years later, there were 190 000 blacks - men, women and children, and 85 000 yellows. I speak to you of this 150-year period because this was when both races began to re-establish and when we were able to help them materially.’

‘What do you mean?’ 

‘Just a few hours ago, you saw our spacecraft stop above the planet Arêmo X3 and take samples of soil, water and air, did you not?’ I nodded. ‘Then,’ Thao resumed, ‘you watched as we quite easily annihilated a mass of giant ants as they attacked the inhabitants of a village.’ 

‘Indeed.’ 

‘In that particular case, we helped those people by intervening directly. You saw that they were living in a semi-wild state?’ 

‘Yes, but what happened on that planet?’

‘Atomic war, my friend. Always and eternally the same story. 

‘Don’t forget Michel that the universe is a gigantic atom and everything is affected by that. Your body is composed of atoms. My point is, in all galaxies, each time a planet is inhabited, at a certain stage in its evolution, the atom is discovered or rediscovered. 

‘Of course, the scientists who discover it are very soon aware that the disintegration of the atom can be a formidable weapon, and, at one moment or another, the leaders want to use it; just as a child with a box of matches is driven to set fire to a bale of straw in order to see what will happen. 

‘But, coming back to the planet Bakaratini, 150 years after the nuclear holocaust, we wanted to help these people. 

‘Their immediate need was food. Still they were subsisting essentially from products of the sea, resorting occasionally to cannibalism to satisfy their omnivorous yearnings. They needed vegetables and a source of meat. Vegetables, fruit trees, grains, animals - all that was edible had disappeared from the planet. 

‘There remained just enough inedible plants and bushes to replenish the oxygen in the atmosphere. 

‘At the same time, an insect, resembling in some ways your praying mantis, had survived and, as a result of spontaneous mutation caused by the atomic radiation, had evolved to gigantic proportions. It grew to about eight metres in height and had become extremely dangerous to the people. In addition, this insect, having no natural predator, reproduced rapidly. 

‘We flew over the planet locating the whereabouts of these insects. This was a relatively easy task thanks to technology that has been at our disposal since time immemorial. When we detected the insects, we destroyed them so that, in a short time, we had exterminated them. 

‘Next, we had to re-introduce livestock, plants and trees on the planet according to the species known to have adapted climatically in specific regions before the catastrophe. This too, was relatively easy...’ 

‘It must have taken years for such a task!’ 

A large smile lit up Thao’s face. ‘It took just two days - two 21-hour days.’ 

Faced with my incredulity, Thao burst into laughter. She, or he, laughed so heartily that I joined in, still wondering however, if the truth was being stretched somewhat. 

How could I know? What I was hearing was so fantastic! Perhaps I was hallucinating; perhaps I had been drugged; perhaps I would soon ‘wake up’ in my very own bed? ‘No, Michel,’ interrupted Thao, reading my thoughts. ‘I wish you would stop doubting in this way. Telepathy itself should be enough to convince you.’ 

As she uttered this sentence, it struck me that, even in the best-planned hoax, it would hardly be possible to bring together so many supernatural elements. Thao was able to read my mind like an open book, and proved it over and over again. Latoli, simply by placing her hand on me, had produced such an extraordinary feeling of well-being, I must acknowledge the evidence. I was well and truly experiencing an extra-extraordinary adventure. 

‘Perfect,’ Thao agreed aloud. ‘May I continue?’ 

‘Please do,’ I encouraged. 

‘So, we helped these people materially; but, as so often when we intervene, we did not allow our presence to be known and there are several reasons for that. 

‘The first is security. The second reason is a psychological one; if we had made these people aware of our existence and if they had realised we were there in order to help them, they would passively have allowed themselves to be helped and would have felt sorry for themselves. This would adversely affect their will to survive. As you say on Earth: ‘God helps those who help themselves.’ 

‘The third and last reason is the main one. Universal Law is well-established and is as strictly enforced as that which controls the planets revolutions around their suns. If you make a mistake, you pay the penalty - immediately, in ten years time, or in ten centuries time, but errors must be paid for. Thus, from time to time we are permitted, or even advised, to offer a helping hand but we are formally forbidden to ‘serve the meal on a plate’. 

‘Thus, in two days, we repopulated their planet with several pairs of animals and re-established numerous plants so that eventually the people could raise the animals and cultivate the plants and trees. They had to start from scratch and we guided their progress, either by dream or telepathy. At times we did it by means of ‘a voice coming from the heavens’; that is to say, the ‘voice’ came from our spacecraft but, to them, it came from ‘heaven’.’ 

‘They must have taken you to be gods!’ 

‘Exactly so, and it is in this way that legends and religions are established; but, in cases as urgent as that one was, the end justified the means. 

‘Finally, after several centuries, the planet was almost as it had been before the nuclear holocaust. All the same, in some places, deserts had been definitely established. In other spots less affected, the flora and fauna were easily developed. 

‘One hundred and fifty thousand years later, the civilisation was highly successful but, this time, not only technologically: happily the people had learned their lesson and had also evolved to a high psychic and spiritual level. This occurred in both races and the blacks and the yellows had developed strong bonds of friendship. 

‘Thus, peace reigned on the planet, for the legends remained quite clear; many of them recorded in writing, so that future generations would know exactly what had provoked the nuclear catastrophe and what its consequences had been. 

‘As I said earlier, the people knew that their planet was going to become uninhabitable within 500 years. Knowing there were other planets, inhabited and inhabitable, in the galaxy, they mounted one of the most serious exploratory expeditions. 

‘Eventually, they penetrated your solar system, first visiting Mars which was known to be inhabitable and which, at that time in fact was inhabited. 

‘The human beings on Mars had no technology but, by contrast, they were spiritually, highly evolved. They were very small people measuring in height between 120 centimetres and 150 centimetres, and of Mongoloid type. They lived in tribes, in huts of stone. 

‘The fauna on Mars was scarce. There was a kind of dwarf goat, some very large hare-like creatures, several species of rat, and the largest animal resembled a buffalo but had a head like a tapir. There were also some birds and three species of snakes, one of which was quite venomous. The flora was also poor, trees attaining no more than four metres in height. They had too, an edible grass that you might compare with buckwheat. 

‘The Bakaratinians conducted their research, realizing soon that Mars was also cooling down at a rate which indicated that it would no longer be inhabitable in four to five thousand years. In terms of its flora and fauna, it was barely rich enough to sustain those already living there, let alone cope with an emigrant mass from Bakaratini. Besides, the planet did not appeal to them. 

‘Thus, the two spacecraft headed for Earth. The first landing took place where Australia is now found. At that time, it should be explained that Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and Malaysia were all part of the one continent. A strait existed, about 300 kilometres wide, exactly where Thailand is now found. 

‘In those times, Australia possessed a great inland sea fed by several large rivers, so that diverse and interesting flora and fauna flourished there. All things considered, the astronauts chose this country as their first immigration base. 

‘I must say, to be more precise, that the black race chose Australia and the yellow people established themselves where Burma is now - here too, was a land rich in wildlife. Bases were quickly set up on the coast, on the Bay of Bengal, while the black people constructed their first base on the shores of the Inland Sea in Australia. Later, further bases were established where New Guinea is presently located. 

‘Their spacecraft were capable of super-light speeds and took approximately 50 of your Earth years to bring 3,600,000 black people and the same number of the yellow race, to Earth. This bears witness to the perfect understanding and excellent association between two races determined to survive on a new planet and exist in peace. By common agreement, the aged and infirmed remained in Bakaratini. 

‘The Bakaratinians had explored all of the planet Earth before establishing their bases, and were absolutely persuaded that no human life existed before their arrival. Often they thought they had located a humanoid form of life, but on closer inspection, realised they had made contact with a species of large apes. 

‘Gravity on Earth was stronger than on their planet and it was quite uncomfortable initially, for the two races, but eventually they adapted very well. 

‘In building their towns and factories, they were fortunate to import from Bakaratini, certain materials which were very light and, at the same time, very strong. 

‘I have not yet explained that, at that time, Australia was on the equator. Earth rotated on a different axis - taking 30 hours and 12 minutes to complete a rotation, and achieved a revolution around its sun in 280 such days. The equatorial climate was not as you will find it today. It was much more humid than now, for the Earth’s atmosphere has changed. 

‘Herds of huge zebras roamed the country, in company with enormous edible birds, referred to as ‘dodos’, very large jaguars, and another bird measuring almost four metres in height, which you have called Dinornis. In certain rivers, there were crocodiles up to 15 metres in length and snakes 25 to 30 metres long. They, at times, nourished themselves on the new arrivals. 

‘Most of the flora and fauna on Earth was totally different from that on Bakaratini - both from a nutritional and ecological point of view. Numerous experimental farms were established in an endeavour to acclimate plants such as sunflower, maize, wheat, sorghum, tapioca and others. 

‘These plants either didn’t exist on Earth or else existed in such a primitive state that they couldn’t be consumed. The goat and the kangaroo were both imported, for the immigrants were quite partial to these, consuming them in great numbers on their planet. They were particularly keen to raise kangaroos on Earth, experiencing enormous difficulties however, in acclimatising them. One of the main problems was food. On Bakaratini, the kangaroo fed on a fine, hardy grass called arilu, which was totally unknown on Earth. Each time the Bakaratinians tried to grow it, it died, attacked always by millions of microscopic fungi. So it happened that the kangaroo were hand-fed, so to speak, for several decades, as they gradually adapted to the grasses on Earth. 

‘The black race persevered in its endeavours and finally succeeded in growing the plant, but it had taken so long that the kangaroos no longer required more than their new pastures. Very much later, some arilu plants took root and, as there were no animals to eat them, they spread throughout Australia. They still exist under the botanical name Xanthorrhoea and the popular name “grass trees’’ 1 . 

1. “grass trees’’ - original text was ‘black boys’. This term is currently avoided in Australia due to the racist connotation. (Editor's comment) 

‘On Earth, this grass grows much taller and thicker than it did on Bakaratini, but that often happens when species are introduced from other planets. This plant is one of the rare vestiges of those distant times.  

‘It indicates, by being found only in Australia, along with the kangaroo, that the Bakaratinians remained in that particular part of the planet for a very long time before seeking to colonise other parts. I am about to explain this, but I wanted first, to cite the examples of the kangaroo and the Xanthorrhoea so that you might better understand all the problems of adaptation these people had to overcome; of course, it is only one small example among so many others. 

‘The yellow race had settled, as I said, in the hinterland of the Bay of Bengal. Most were in Burma where they too, had established cities and experimental farms. Principally interested in vegetables, they had imported from Bakaratini cabbages, lettuce, parsley, coriander and some others. For fruit, they brought the cherry tree, the banana and the orange trees. These last two were difficult to establish, for the climate of the time was generally colder than it is now. Thus, they gave some of the trees to the blacks who, by contrast, had enormous success with them. 

‘In the same way, the yellow people had far greater success in the growing of wheat. In fact, the wheat from Bakaratini produced enormous grains, around the size of a coffee bean, with ears measuring up to 40 centimetres in length. Four varieties of wheat were grown and the yellow race wasted no time in establishing a very high production level.’ 

‘Did they also bring rice to the planet?’ 

‘No, not at all. Rice is a plant absolutely native to Earth, although it was greatly improved by the yellow people on its way to becoming what it is now. 

‘To continue, immense silos were constructed and soon, commercial exchanges began between the two races. The black race exported kangaroo meat, dodos (which were prolific at the time) and zebra meat. In domesticating the latter, the blacks in fact, produced breeds that were equal in taste, to kangaroo meat and more nutritious. Trade was carried out using Bakaratini spacecraft, bases for these vessels having been set up all over the land...’ 

‘What you are saying, Thao, is that the first men on Earth were black and yellow. How is it then, that I come to be white?’ 

‘Not so fast, Michel, not so fast. The first men on Earth were, indeed, the blacks and the yellows, but for the moment I will continue to explain how they organised themselves and how they lived. 

‘Materially, they were successful, but they were also careful not to neglect the construction of their immense meeting halls, in which they practised their cult.’ 

‘They had a cult?’ 

‘Oh yes, they were all Tackioni, which is to say, they all believed in reincarnation; something in the way present-day Lamaists do on your planet. 

‘There was much travel between the two countries and they even combined efforts to explore deeper into certain regions of Earth. A mixed group of blacks and yellows landed one day, on the tip of South Africa, now called the Cape of Good Hope. Africa has changed very little since those times - apart from the Sahara, the north-eastern area and the Red Sea, which didn’t exist then. But that is another story we will get to later. 

‘At the time of the exploration, they had already been established on Earth for three centuries. 

‘In Africa, they discovered new animals such as the elephant, the giraffe and the buffalo, and a new fruit that they had never before encountered - the tomato. Don’t imagine Michel, that this was the tomato as you know it today. When discovered, it was the size of a very small currant and very acidic. The yellow people, having developed great expertise in such things, undertook to improve the tomato over the succeeding centuries, just as they did with rice, until it became the fruit you are now familiar with. They were equally surprised to find banana trees that, at first sight, resembled those they had imported. They had no reason to regret their efforts however, for the African banana was practically inedible and filled with large seeds. 

‘This African expedition comprised 50 blacks and 50 yellows, bringing home elephants, tomatoes and many mongeese, for they soon discovered the mongoose to be the mortal enemy of snakes. Unfortunately, they also brought with them without realising it, the terrible virus which is now called ‘yellow fever’. 

‘In a very short time, millions of people had died, without their medical experts even knowing how the sickness had spread. 

‘Since it is mainly spread by the mosquito, and since there are many more mosquitoes in equatorial climates where there is no winter to reduce their numbers, it was the blacks in Australia who suffered most. In fact, they counted four times more victims than the yellows. 

‘The yellow race on Bakaratini has always been superior in the field of medicine and pathology; nevertheless, it took many years before they discovered a remedy for this curse, during which time hundreds of thousands died in terrible suffering. Eventually the yellow people produced a vaccine that was immediately made available to the blacks - a gesture that reinforced the bonds of friendship between the two races.’ 

‘What were they physically like, these blacks?’ 

‘When they migrated from Bakaratini, they were about 230 centimetres tall - their women too. They were a beautiful race. The yellow people were smaller in size, the average man measuring 190 centimetres and the women, 180 centimetres.’ 

‘But you said that the present-day blacks are the descendants of those people - why is it they are now so much smaller?’

‘Gravitation, Michel. Being stronger on Earth than on Bakaratini, both races gradually became smaller in size.’ 

‘You also said that you are able to help people in trouble - why did you not give any assistance in regard to the yellow fever outbreak. Was it that you weren’t able to find the vaccine either?’ 

‘We could have helped; you will realise our potential when you visit our planet - but we didn’t intervene because it wasn’t in the program that we had to follow. I have already told you, and I can’t repeat it often enough, we can help in certain situations but only so far. Beyond a certain point, the law strictly forbids aid of any kind. 

‘I’ll give you a simple example. Imagine a child who goes to school each day in order to learn. Returning home in the evening, this child asks for assistance with his homework. If his parents are smart, they will help him understand the concepts involved so that the child can complete his task himself. If, however, his parents did his work for him, he wouldn’t learn much, would he? He’d have to repeat each year and his parents would have done him no favours. 

‘As you will see later, although you know it already, you are on your planet in order to learn how to live, suffer and die, but also to develop spiritually as much as you can. We’ll come back to this point later when the Thaori speak to you. For now, I want to tell you more of these people... 

‘They overcame the curse of the yellow fever and spread their roots deeper on this new planet. Not only was Australia heavily populated, but so was the area now known as Antarctica - of course, in those days, its position meant that its climate was temperate. New Guinea was also densely settled. By the end of the yellow fever scourge, the blacks numbered 795 million.’ 

‘I thought that Antarctica was not really a continent?’ 

‘At that time, it was attached to Australia and very much warmer than now, since Earth rotated on a different axis. The Antarctic climate was more like southern Russia is now.’ 

‘Did they never go back to Bakaratini?’ 

‘No. Once established on Earth, they made strict rules that no one would return.’ 

‘What became of their planet?’ 

‘It cooled down as predicted and became a desert - much like Mars.’ 

‘What was their political structure like?’ 

‘Very simple - election (by raised hands) of the leader of a village or district. These district leaders elected a town leader as well as eight old people chosen from among those most respected for their wisdom, common sense, integrity and intelligence. 

‘They were never selected on the basis of wealth or family, and all were between 45 and 65 years of age. The town or regional leaders (a region comprised eight villages) had the role of negotiating with the eight old people. The council of eight elected (by a secret ballot requiring that at least seven voted in accord) a delegate to represent them at meetings of State Council. 

‘In Australia, for example, there were eight states, each of which comprised eight towns or regions. At state council meetings there were thus, eight delegates, each representing a different town or region. ‘

At a state council meeting, presided over by a great sage, they discussed the type of day-to-day problems that confront any government: water conveyance, hospitals, roads etc. In regards to roads, both the black and the yellow races used very light vehicles, with a hydrogen motor, which travelled above the ground, thanks to a system based on antimagnetic and anti-gravitational force. 

‘But, to get back to the political system, there was no such thing as a ‘party’, everything being based solely on reputation for integrity and wisdom. Long experience had taught them that to establish an order that would endure, required two golden ingredients: fairness and discipline. 

‘I will speak to you some other time of their economic and social organisation, and give you an idea now, of their system of justice. A thief for example, genuinely considered to be guilty, was branded with a red-hot iron on the back of the hand he or she ordinarily used. So, a right-handed thief was branded on the right hand, a subsequent offence resulted in the left hand being cut off. This is a practice that still occurred quite recently among the Arabs - a practice conserved throughout time past. If he or she continued to steal, the right hand would be cut off and the forehead marked with an indelible symbol. Without hands, the thief was at the mercy and pity of his family and passers-by for food, for everything. Because people would recognise the symbol as that of a thief, life became very difficult. Death would have been preferable. 

‘In this way, the thief became a living example of what happened to a habitual offender. Needless to say, theft was a rare occurrence. 

‘As for murder, this too was rare, as you will see. Accused murderers were taken to a special room and left alone. Behind a curtain, a ‘mind-reader’ would be installed. This was a man who not only possessed a special telepathic gift but who also cultivated that gift in a constant endeavour, in one or another of the special universities. He would intercept the thoughts of the supposed murderer. 

‘You are going to retort that it is possible, with training, to make one’s mind blank - but not for six hours at a stretch. Further, at various times when he or she might least expect it, certain predetermined sounds would be heard, obliging the ‘subject’ to break concentration. 

‘As a precautionary measure, six different ‘mind-readers’ were used. The same procedure was applied to witnesses for the prosecution or defence, in another building some distance away. Not a word would be exchanged and, on the two following days, the procedure would be repeated, this time for eight hours. 

‘On the fourth day, all the ‘mind-readers’ submitted their notes to a panel of three judges, who interviewed and cross-examined the accused and the witnesses. There were no lawyers or juries to impress. The judges had before them all the particulars of the case, and wanted to be absolutely sure of the guilt of the accused.’ 

‘Why?’ 

‘The penalty was death Michel, but a terrible death, the murderer being thrown alive to the crocodiles. As for rape, which was considered worse than murder, the punishment was even cruller [13]. The offender was coated with honey and buried to the shoulders in the immediate vicinity of an ant colony. Death, at times, would take ten or 12 hours. 

‘As you will now understand, the crime rate was extremely low among both races and, for this reason, they had no need for prisons.’ 

‘Don’t you consider that excessively cruel?’ 

‘Consider the mother of a 16-year-old-girl, for example, who was raped and murdered. Doesn’t she endure, in the loss of her child, cruelty of the worst kind? She did not provoke or seek her loss but she must suffer. The criminal, on the other hand, is aware of the consequences of his actions; thus, it is just that he be punished very cruelly. As I have explained however, criminality was almost nonexistent. 

‘Returning to religion: I said earlier that both races believed in reincarnation, but there were variations on their beliefs that, at times, divided them. Certain priests diverted masses of people to group them, under their leadership, in these variant religions. The divisions that resulted among the blacks had disastrous repercussions. 

‘Eventually, about 500,000 blacks emigrated in the wake of their priests, to Africa - to the area where the Red Sea is now. At that time, the Red Sea did not exist and the land was African. They began to construct villages and towns, but the political system as I described to you, which was fair and effective in all respects, was abandoned. The priests themselves elected the heads of government, so that these leaders became, more or less, puppets manipulated by the priests. From that time on, the people had to face many of the problems that are so familiar to you on Earth at the present time: corruption, prostitution, drugs and all manner of injustices. 

‘As for the yellow people they were very well structured and, in spite of some slight religious distortions, their priests had no say in the affairs of state. 

‘They lived in peace and affluence - quite different from the secessionist black race in Africa.’ 

‘And in regard to arms, what sorts of weapons did they have?’ 

‘It was quite simple and, as simplicity is often superior to complexity, it worked wonderfully well. Both races brought with them what we could call ‘laser weapons’. These weapons were under the control of a special group which, in turn, was under the direction of the leaders of each country. By common accord, each race had exchanged 100 ‘observers’ whose presence was permanent in each foreign country. These observers were ambassadors and diplomats for their own countries, at the same time, ensuring that an arms excess did not occur. This system worked perfectly and peace was maintained for 3550 years. 

‘The blacks who emigrated to Africa however, had not been allowed to take these weapons with them, being, as they were, a secessionist group. Little by little they spread further, settling the area that is now the Sahara desert. In those times, it was a rich land with a temperate climate, providing a well-vegetated habitat for many animals. 

‘The priests had temples constructed and, to satisfy their desire for wealth and power, they taxed the people heavily. 

‘Among a people who had never before known poverty, there now formed two distinct classes: the very rich and the very poor. The priests of course, belonged to the former, as did those who helped them to exploit the poor. 

‘Religion became idolatry and the people worshiped stone or wooden gods, offering sacrifices to them. It was not long before the priests insisted that the sacrifices must be human. 

‘From the beginning of the secession, the priests took pains to ensure that the people were kept in ignorance to the greatest extent possible. By lowering their intellectual and physical level of development over the course of years, the priests were better able to maintain domination over them. The religion which had ‘developed’ had absolutely nothing in common with the ‘cult’ that had originally inspired the secession; so control of the masses was essential. 

‘Universal Law decrees that man’s principal obligation, regardless of which planet he happens to inhabit, is to develop his spirituality. These priests, by degrading an entire ‘nation’ through keeping them in ignorance and leading them with lies, infringed this fundamental Law. 

‘We decided at this point, to intervene, but, before doing so, offered the priests a last chance. Using telepathy, as well as a dream, we contacted the Great Priest: ‘Human sacrifices must cease and these people must be led back to the Right Path. Man exists physically for the sole purpose of developing spiritually. What you are doing contravenes Universal Law.’ 

‘The Great Priest was terribly shaken and, the next day, called a meeting of his priests, telling them of his dream. A few among them accused him of betrayal; others suggested senility; and some suspected hallucinations. Eventually, following several hours of discussion, 12 of the 15 priests who formed this council, remained determined to preserve the religion as it was, claiming that the ideal was to maintain control and to promote the belief in, and fear of, ‘vengeful gods’ whose representatives they were on Earth. They didn’t believe a word of what the Great Priest had told them regarding his ‘dream’. 

‘Sometimes our position is very delicate, Michel. We could have appeared with our spacecraft and spoken directly to the priests, but they were able to identify vessels from space, having had them too, before the secession. 

They would have attacked us immediately - no questions asked - for they were very suspicious and fearful of losing their pre-eminence within their ‘nation’. They had formed an army and possessed quite powerful weapons, to be used to counter possible revolutions. We could also have destroyed them and spoken directly to the people in order to lead them back to the Right Path but, psychologically, this would have been a mistake. These people were accustomed to obeying their priests and would not have understood why we interfered in the affairs of their country - thus all would have been spoiled. 

‘So it was that one night we flew above the country at an altitude of 10,000 metres in one of our ‘tool spheres’. The temple and the Holy City were situated about one kilometre from the town. We woke, by telepathy, the Great Priest and the two acolytes who had followed his advice, making them go, on foot, to a beautiful park, one-and-a-half kilometres from the Holy City. Then, by collective hallucination, we had the guards open the gaols and release the prisoners. Servants, soldiers - in fact, all the inhabitants of the Holy City, with the exception of the 12 evil priests, were evacuated. Inspired by strange ‘visions’ in the sky, everyone ran for the other end of the town. 

‘In the sky, winged personages hovered around an enormous incandescent cloud which shone in the night...’ 

‘How is that done?’ 

‘Collective illusion, Michel. Thus, in a very short time, it was arranged that only the 12 evil priests remained in the Holy City. When all was ready, the ‘tool sphere’ destroyed it all, including the Temple, by means of the same weapon that you have already seen in action. Rocks were shattered and walls crumbled to a height of one metre, that their ruins might bear witness to the consequence of this ‘sin’. 

‘Indeed, if they had been totally effaced, men would soon have forgotten, for men easily forget...  

‘Further, and for the edification of the people, a voice issuing from the incandescent cloud, warned that the anger of God could be terrible - much worse than they had seen - and that they must obey the Great Priest and follow the new way which he would show them. 

‘When it was all over, the Great Priest stood before the people and spoke to them. He explained to the poor wretches that he had been wrong, and that it was now, important that everyone strive together to follow the new way. 

‘He was assisted in his work by the two priests. Of course, times were often hard, but they were aided by the memory and the fear of the event that had destroyed, in a matter of minutes, the Holy City and killed the evil priests. Needless to say, this ‘event’ was considered by all to be a miracle of the Gods, for it also involved the liberation of more than 200 prisoners who were to face human sacrifice the next day. 

‘All the details of the incident were noted by the scribes, but they were also distorted in the legends and tales passed on through the centuries. Nevertheless, the immediate consequence was that everything changed. The rich who had previously had a hand in the exploitation of the people, now, in view of what had happened to the evil priests and the Holy City, were fearful of meeting a similar fate. They were considerably humbled and assisted the new leaders in instigating the changes required. 

‘Gradually, the people became contented again, as they had been in times prior to the secession. 

‘Inclined towards pastoral rather than industrial or urban pursuits, they spread throughout Africa during the course of the centuries that followed and numbered, eventually, several million. Nevertheless, towns were only established in the area where the Red Sea is now, and along the banks of a large river that flowed through the centre of Africa. 

‘The people managed to develop their psychic abilities enormously. Many were able to travel short distances by means of levitation, and telepathy resumed its significance in their lives, becoming commonplace. There were also frequent instances of physical ailments being cured by the laying on of hands. 

‘Amicable relations were re-established with the black people in Australia and New Guinea who came to visit them regularly on ‘chariots of fire’ as they sometimes called the spaceships still being used by their Australian brothers. 

‘The yellow race, being closer neighbours, began to immigrate, in small numbers, to northern Africa, and were fascinated by the tales of ‘The arrival of God on a Chariot of Fire’. This is how the legends subsequently referred to our intervention. 

‘The yellow people were the first to mix with the black race physically speaking, I mean. It might be surprising, but never, on Bakaratini, had the race mixed to the extent that they did on Earth. The ethnologists were greatly interested in the results of this union, which produced on Earth, a great new tribe. Indeed, these ‘crossbreeds’ as I’ll call them, being crossed with more yellow blood than black, ended up feeling more at ease among themselves than with either black or yellow. Eventually, they grouped together and settled in the area now called Algeria - Tunisia, North Africa. Thus, a new race was born - the Arab race that you know. Don’t think though, they immediately resembled the race they are now. Climate and time, the passing of centuries, had its effect. My story simply gives you the idea of how the race began through inter-breeding. 

‘And so, all was going well for the inhabitants of the planet Earth, except for one thing...the astronomers and scholars were very worried, for an enormous asteroid was approaching Earth, almost imperceptibly, but unmistakably. 

‘It was first picked up by the observatory of Ikirito, located in the centre of Australia. After several months, it could be seen by the naked eye, provided one knew where to look, glowing a most sinister, vivid red. In the weeks to follow it became ever more readily visible. 

‘The governments of Australia, New Guinea and Antarctica made a most important decision, which was soon agreed to by the yellow leaders. Ahead of the inevitable collision with the asteroid, they agreed that all space vessels in a condition to fly, would leave Earth, carrying on board as many specialists and experts as possible - doctors, technicians etc. - of the kind most likely to be of service to the community following the catastrophe.’ 

‘Where were they going? To the Moon?’ 

‘No Michel, at that time Earth didn’t have a moon. Their spacecraft were now capable of 12 weeks autonomous flight. For a long time, their capability for super long distance travel had been lost to them. Their plan was to remain in orbit around the earth, ready to land as soon as possible and give assistance where it was most needed. 

‘Eighty Australian spacecraft were equipped and loaded to carry an elite group, which was chosen as a result of meetings held day and night. The yellow race followed the same procedure, making 98 spacecraft ready. In Africa of course, there had never been any spaceships. 

‘I ask you to note, in passing, that apart from the supreme leader of each country, none of his ‘ministers’, as you might call them, was given a place on any vessel. This will probably seem odd to you, for if the same situation were to occur today on Earth, many politicians would be pulling strings to save their own skins. 

‘All was ready. The people were then warned of the impending collision. The role of the spacecraft was kept secret though, for fear that the people would believe they had been betrayed by their leaders and that a panic would be created, perhaps even an attack on the airports. By the same token, the leaders had played down the impact the collision was likely to have, in order to minimise the collective panic. 

‘The collision was now as much imminent as it was inevitable, considering the estimated speed of the asteroid. It was only 48 hours away. 'The experts all agreed with this calculation - well, almost all. 

‘The spaceships were to take off together - 2 hours before the supposed collision time, their very late departure intended to allow them to remain in space for the full 12 weeks if necessary, following the catastrophe. It had been calculated that the asteroid would hit where South America is now. 

‘So, all was ready and the signal for take-off to be given on D-day, at 12 noon, Central Australian Time. Whether there had been an error in the calculations, although highly unlikely, or whether there was a sudden, unpredicted acceleration of the asteroid, it appeared in the sky at 11 am, shining like an orange sun. The order for take-off was given immediately and all the spacecraft took to the sky. 

‘In order to leave Earth’s atmosphere and gravitational force quickly, it is necessary to make use of a ‘warp’ 1 , which at that time, was above present day Europe. In spite of the speed these space vessels were capable of, they had not quite made it to the warp, when the asteroid hit Earth. When it entered the Earth’s atmosphere it had broken into three huge pieces. The smallest, which measured several kilometres in diameter, hit where the Red Sea is now. 

1. Warp here means ‘a gravitational hole’ - a region of weak gravity. (Editor’s note based on the explanation of the Author)  

‘Another, much bigger, hit where the Timor Sea is now, and the largest of the three landed in the region of the actual Galapagos Islands. 

‘The simultaneous impacts were terrible. The sun became a dull red and slid towards the horizon like a falling balloon. Soon, it stopped and climbed slowly, but when only to half the distance, it ‘fell’. The Earth had suddenly changed the inclination of its axis! Explosions of incredible force occurred, for two larger pieces of asteroid had pierced the Earth’s crust. Volcanoes erupted in Australia, New Guinea, Japan, South America - indeed, just about everywhere on the planet. Mountains formed instantly and tidal waves more than 300 metres in height swept over four-fifths of Australia. Tasmania separated from the Australian continent and a huge portion of Antarctica sank in the waters, creating two immense underwater canyons between Antarctica and Australia. An enormous continent rose from the waters in the centre of the South Pacific Ocean. A huge piece of Burma subsided where the Bay of Bengal is now. Another basin of land subsided and the Red Sea was formed.’  

‘Was there time for the spaceships to get out?’ 

‘Not quite, Michel, for the experts had made one mistake. It could be said in their defence that they could not really have anticipated what would happen. They had predicted the tilting of the Earth on its axis but what they hadn’t been able to predict was its oscillation. The spacecraft were literally caught [3] and dragged in the ‘backwash’ caused by the re-entry of the asteroid into the Earth’s atmosphere. Further, they were bombarded by millions of particles coming from the asteroid and trailing in its wake. 

‘Only seven vessels, three with black passengers and four with yellow, struggling with all the power they could manage, succeeded in escaping the horror occurring on Earth.’ 

‘It must have been a frightening sight for them to watch Earth change before their eyes. 

‘How long did it take for the continent you mentioned in the Pacific Ocean to emerge?’ 

‘Merely a matter of hours. This continent was raised by gaseous belts resulting from upheavals, occurring as deep as the centre of the planet. 

‘The upheavals on the Earth’s surface continued for months. In the three points of impact of the asteroids, thousands of volcanoes were created. Poisonous gases spread over most of the Australian continent, causing painless death within minutes, of millions of blacks. Our statistics indicate an almost total annihilation of humankind and of animals in Australia. A count taken when calm was restored indicated a mere 180 people had survived. 

‘The poisonous gases were the cause of this frightful toll. In New Guinea, where less gas had drifted, there were fewer deaths.’ 

‘I have been wanting to ask you a question, Thao.’ 

‘Please do.’ 

‘You said that it was the black people from Australia who spread to New Guinea and Africa. How is it then, that now, the Aborigines are so different from the blacks throughout the world?’ 

‘Excellent question, Michel. My account should have included more detail. You see, as a result of the catastrophe, there had been such an upheaval, that deposits of uranium scattered on the surface of the Earth emitted strong radiation. This happened only in Australia, and those who escaped death were badly affected, just as in an atomic explosion. 

‘They were genetically affected, so that today, the genes of Africans are different from those of Aborigines. Further, the environment totally changed and their diet drastically altered too. With the progress of time, these descendants of Bakaratinians were ‘transformed’ into the Aboriginal race of today. 

‘As the upheavals continued, mountains were formed, some suddenly, others within days. Crevasses opened swallowing entire towns, and then closing, removing all traces of existing civilisation. 

‘On top of all the horror, there was a deluge such as the planet had not known for eons. In fact, the volcanoes spat so many ashes into the sky simultaneously, and to such incredible altitudes, that the sky darkened. The vapour from the oceans, which in places actually boiled over an area of thousands of square kilometres, combined with the clouds of ashes. The thick clouds thus created, burst with rain so torrential you’d find it hard to imagine...’ 

‘And the vessels orbiting in space?’ 

‘After 12 weeks, they were obliged to return to Earth. They chose to descend over the area we now know as Europe, having absolutely no visibility over the rest of the planet. Of the seven vessels, only one managed to land. 

‘The others were hurled into the ground by gales, which occurred all over the planet - cyclonic winds of 300-400 kilometres per hour. The main cause of these winds was differences in temperature - these in turn, caused by the sudden volcanic eruptions. 

‘So, the sole remaining spaceship managed to land in what is now called Greenland. There were 95 yellow passengers on board, many of whom were doctors and experts of various kinds. Having landed in extremely adverse conditions, damage was incurred which made it impossible for the vessel to take off again. However, it remained useful for a shelter. They had provisions enough to last a long time and so they organised themselves as best they could. 

‘About one month later, they were all engulfed in an earthquake - the spacecraft too, and it was with this last catastrophe that all trace of civilisation on Earth was destroyed. The chain of catastrophes that followed the collision with the asteroid had dispersed entire populations - in New Guinea, Burma and China, and in Africa, although the region of the Sahara suffered to a lesser extent than elsewhere. However, all the towns established in the Red Sea area were engulfed by the newly-formed sea. In brief, no city remained on Earth and millions of people and animals had been wiped out. It was, therefore, not long before widespread famine occurred. 

‘Needless to say, the wonderful cultures of Australia and China were no more than memories that would become legends. And so it was, that the people (suddenly disseminated and separated from each other by newly gouged chasms and newly formed seas) experienced for the first time on the planet Earth, cannibalism.’

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The Golden Planet