Emma's Children
Note: Set not too long after the events of The Last Mimzy. There is a Mimzy found in the not to distant future, and it receives the one thing that can truly purify the future that isn't scientifically quantifiable; the unconditional love and innocence of a child by the name of Gloria Svetlana.
"It's not obsession. It's genius."—Mr. White, The Last Mimzy
"Sometimes the littlest ripples cause the biggest waves."—Unknown
"It's not always what you look at that matters, but what you see."—Henry David Thoreau
Chapter 1—Gloria Svetlana
A wise woman dressed much like the gurus or llamas of the Himalayas sat amidst mountains full of flowers and natural wildlife. The creatures, co-existing, had no reason to kill or maim one another because it was Nirvana. In other words, it was as close to heaven as earth would ever be; according to the mortal, finite mind.
"Tell us about Gloria Svetlana again, teacher !", one of the children called to the shaman with his telepathic ability.
"Oh that story again ?", the dark woman with the auburn hair asked in return, laughing softly through a smile that seemed to glow almost ethereally. This woman, Yvonne Tsu, was the future daughter of Gloria, and she knew all about her many-times-over great grandmother. It was a proud heritage to be sharing with the children, and she didn't mind repeating the tale again.
"Once upon a time on this very planet we know as Earth, back in 2007, there was an adolescent girl who was going to give us the one thing that the scientist was missing.", Yvonne began, whimsically.
"What was that exactly ?", a young Vietnamese girl asked through telepathy.
"Love. He had forgotten about love. Without it, we wouldn't even exist here now. We need love to live day by day, and more importantly, the chemical reaction that the incredible concept of love produces is integral to keeping our species alive. Without it, we would have no desire to procreate, let alone nurture and provide for little ones that come into this world in their vulnerable state.", Yvonne explained.
Back sometime in 2007…
In the future, the ingenious elderly scientist that had created the so called "Last Mimzy" had gotten the results he wanted from Emma's tear. Within that one drop of DNA, there was purity and innocence, enough to recreate and reformat the molecular constructs of water. In that start, the world of the future began to change and become clean and viable again. Yet, the human race wasn't reproducing as much as he initially thought. Something was awfully wrong.
He wasn't sure what, but he had to make another Mimzy and send it back into the past with a different set of remotes, a generator and other items to enhance the mind of the one who received the gift.
"Very well, you go back to 2007 and retrieve what I need. Godspeed.", he said to the little rabbit as well as its counterparts as the box was sent into the past.
It was a particularly stunning day in South Carolina. There was a young fair-haired girl with sparkling violet eyes scouring the beach looking for shells and other "treasures" she could find. Her name was Gloria Svetlana. Since Gloria had been five, her mother Natasha had been taking her here, even with what little money she had. Since Edward, her husband had died from mysterious colon and stomach cancer, it had been difficult for her. But her teenage daughter had helped her overcome that devastating tragedy. For 4 years now, she had been able to accept she wasn't alone in the world and that her daughter was extremely special and unique. She had always been incredibly smart and had many friends at school. She had only recently started dating a Chinese boy named Xian Tsu. They were quite an item at school but Gloria hadn't let dating Xian get in the way of proving herself and continuing to be the overachiever that she was.
Along the seashore, there was a black metal box with many different complex geometrical shapes composing it, floating along idly in the mouth of the ocean. It looked heavy, but thanks to its density, it could maintain weightlessness. Gloria was intrigued by the stunning aesthetic quality of the black box and wanted to swim out to sea to retrieve it. Not thinking what could be in the box, and not really caring, she swam back to shore with it and wrapped it up in her towel. Her mother hadn't seen her carrying it in with her, but noted to her that it was getting late and it was time to return home. Complying with her mother's commands, she got back into the car and kept the alien box close to her, inquisitive about what the contents could be inside.
Chapter 2—Transformation
Gloria had wondered about extraterrestrial life since she had befriended Emma and her brother Noah online. She had never met them in reality, but she had kept in contact with her and was glad that the government hadn't stopped her and Noah from helping the scientist in the future. What was really interesting and almost scary was that Emma had told her via instant messenger she was about to help the future further where she could not. Gloria didn't understand what Emma meant, and she dismissed it as nothing more than typed text and foolishness. Emma seemed to know what Gloria was thinking and reassured her it wasn't anything to worry about. Gloria was a little frightened, but Emma told her everything would become clear in time. She simply had to remember she was special, loved and that she had friends rooting for her. She also told her not to trust anyone who looked suspicious and that she would know right away if a person was honest, approachable and didn't seem to have a secret agenda. Gloria wasn't certain what Emma meant by her otherworldly words, but she took her friends typing as encouragement. She admitted it had been difficult being without a father, but it hadn't stopped her from pushing herself and working hard, even to the point of having a part-time job at her age. She was moving her way up in the world and would have experience as her teacher, but nothing prepared her for the metamorphosis that was about to occur.
Gloria had told Xian about her discovery and he too wished to see it for himself. When the box magically opened, they saw items that looked like items that were indeed belonging to earth, but beyond anything that existed in the present day.
"What is all of this ?", Xian questioned.
"I don't know. Listen to this, you can hear the tiniest noise around you, it's incredible.", Gloria said, holding what looked to be like a small CD disk that was curved outward to capture sound, much like an old-fashioned bull-horn.
"I can hear your mother's heart beating…Unbelievable.", Xian said, his eyes lighting up.
He could hear the skittering of a bug's legs to the drip of water from the tap a few houses away.
"These items are all really interesting, particularly this one. I usually don't play with dolls but this one caught my eye. Isn't she adorable ?", Gloria said, holding the stuffed rabbit close. The rabbit was pastel yellow in color with black button eyes, a swirl for the belly button and it smelled faintly of lemons.
"It is. What are you calling it ?", Xian questioned.
"Well you'll think I'm insane…but I swear I heard him speak to me. His name is Lewis. You know like Lewis Carroll who wrote Alice In Wonderland ?", Gloria answered. But, Xian didn't think she was mentally unstable. She could hear the rabbit 'speaking' himself.
"I don't know what this is, Gloria…but we cannot let anyone else know we have Lewis. You and I together, we'll hold onto him until the time is right and then, we'll know what to do.", Xian said, his words seeming to come from a source beyond him. She seemed to understand what he meant. But, Lewis and the tools wouldn't be safe for long. The government as in the case with Emma, would become involved again. But this time, they wouldn't have their chance to get a hold of the tools as they had wanted.
Chapter 3—Can One Capture Love ?
One day while the lovers were watching the stars discussing the vast nature of the Universe when the implements started to take upon an otherworldly glow. They hadn't noticed that the "gifts from the heavens" were starting to react strangely. Xian kissed his love sincerely upon the lips and the stars became illumined. They almost seemed to form a pattern. He rested his head upon her shoulder and stated, quite straightforwardly,
"That looks like a mandala…", Xian said, sounding extremely thoughtful.
"You mean, one of those intricate pieces of artwork made with sand by Tibetan monks ?", Gloria responded, noticing that indeed, the stars were starting to connect in myriads of geometric shapes that only a very sophisticated machine could've made.
"Exactly, but what could it all mean ?", Xian asked her, kissing her warmly again. Being momentarily lost in his kiss, one object had merged, becoming something else entirely. They were shocked at the sudden blast of light and the object floated mysteriously, coming between them.
"I don't know, but this is all so strange. We have to leave here, Xian. We're not alone.", Gloria said, her senses on alert.
"You know, I believe you're absolutely right.", Xian said, both of them getting up onto their feet together. Before they knew it, strange men in black that had been encamped around the area had come in and captured them as well as the objects. The couple was only just discovering what their purpose was with them. In her head, she could hear Emma's voice, and could hear Noah spurring them both on.
"It's not as bad as it seems.", Noah said.
"What do you mean ? We've been captured by the men in black. We're dealing with something that is far beyond us.", Xian confessed.
"Both of you are resourceful. Find a way to get the objects back. They need to be returned to the future. Use Jacob's Ladder.", Emma said, before the thought waves were no longer accessible. There were so many questions about what she could've meant by "Jacob's Ladder", but she would understand what Emma had meant later on.
Both families of the teenagers were concerned and even more so when they had been told they were being monitored by the government. Of course, the men in black couldn't answer any of their questions. Everything they were doing was strictly confidential, but the 'container' was in the wrong hands. She now knew what was in it…what was in it was more valuable than anything earthly, heavenly, or celestial. It was a phenomenon of the cosmos: Love.
"How do we retrieve the container ?", Xian questioned, speaking with his mind to his beloved girlfriend, who was in an opposite room, looking at him through a slit in her door. The accommodations were similar to a state penitentiary and not at all comfortable. Everything about the building was cold and calculating, just as well as the people watching them.
"We need a diversion. But what can we do to distract these guards ? They're not slow on the uptake…", Gloria mentioned. She had a brilliant idea. She would pretend to be sick with the flu while Xian would rush to take back what was rightfully loaned to them.
With a low groan and a look of pure agony, Gloria pulled off the act of looking as if she was going to be ill and the guards had called for the doctors to tend to her needs. Xian had made himself invisible momentarily as he quietly went into the lab and procuring all of the implements back into a duffle bag he happened to have with him. Meanwhile, his girlfriend still had the guards in the palm of her hand until she mesmerized them with rapid hand moves.
"What are you doing ? Quit fooling around, we have to get out of here, my love !", Xian said through telepathy and his brows furrowing, but saw that what she was doing was making a mirage to distract the guards while she ran away with Xian.
"You are a genius.", he complimented, rushing out of the government headquarters as soon as they could.
Chapter 3—Goodbye, Lewis
The two lovers were confused about where they were, especially considering how dark it was. But they were more concerned about getting the supplies they had back to the future. Everything Emma and Noah had told the teens was now coming together. Jacob's Ladder was simply a small portal to transport the "tools of the future" back to whoever had sent them. They still had many questions that wouldn't be answered until a later time when they became older.
Something uncanny had happened as they came home. Two other tools had merged together forming a sort of "generator". Gathering everything that needed to return to the future, even Lewis the rabbit, the generator was turned on by Xian and the two stood back as a force field surrounded the duffle bag and it began to levitate. The two watched in surprise, shock and delighted awe as the bag disappeared into the portal and the mandala revealed itself.
"Lewis was right, as was Emma and Noah…", she thought to herself. The mandala was simply the opening of the portal, and it let objects in, but never back out again.
"Do you suppose the government got anything out of the tools, the container, the generator…any of it ?", Xian said, as he was suddenly led by Gloria back home. He didn't know how she knew the way back home, especially from Area 51, which was in the middle of nowhere in Utah.
"I doubt it. Unlike us, they simply saw pieces of rock or useless cardboard. I'm not sure what the container or Lewis did, but whatever they were needed for they accomplished. Like you, I have a lot of questions, but I'm glad we're on our way home.", Gloria said as she took his hand and led him home. It was like she had a compass within her mind and knew what direction to take. Even without bus faire, she had been able to walk home and she departed from Xian.
"Don't worry, I know you'll be able to go the rest of the way without me. We've done our part for the Universe.", she said. Xian wasn't certain how, but he too had found his way without much trouble. Granted, his parents were worried but relieved that he had come back.
Making absolutely certain he wasn't harmed they inspected him for bruises, cuts and spoke to him to make sure he hadn't suffered any psychological trauma. Then, for the longest time, they both held him close and kissed his forehead. What Xian didn't know is that through the events he had been through is that he had heeded the call of the Universe and proven just how incredibly strong love could be.
Chapter 4—Present Day
"So, with what 'Louis' filmed was used later by the scientist as well as what was captured chemically through the container ?", a younger, male child asked the shaman with the silvery-wispy hair.
"Yes. Later on, Xian and Gloria married. Emma and Noah too, had families of their own. Many of you are either descendents of them, or of Xian and Gloria. My grandmother and grandfather are no longer here with us, but their memory is alive and well and her spirit is alive with me. In a way, I already know her only because I happen to like many of the things that she did.", Yvonne stated, smiling at the young boy, gently. The children were impressed. The scientist really put a lot of thought into how he would collect "love" through the container and its small suction devices and tissue-like capabilities. They had learned what love was but only through actual experience did it come naturally to them as it had thousands of years ago for the furthering of the human race.
"Thank you Guru. You must be ecstatic to have such a blessed family lineage.", an older child said, feeling privileged to be in Yvonne's presence.
"We all are, my dears. That concludes today's lesson. I shall see you tomorrow, until then, many blessings.", Yvonne said as she watched the children float in their different directions to return to their homes.
Epilogue
Yvonne thought of her grandparents and their willingness to accept something so peculiar from the future was the act of purest, most innocent faith. It was faith itself that had made the future what it was and eventually brought her into being. She thanked the powers that were for such divine providence and didn't take anything she had for granted. The world was at peace, and there were no wars now. There would be harmony as long as she lived and beyond that. What future waited for future Tsus was unknown but enlightenment could carry many far to places one never thought were possible to reach.
The End