Chapter 1. Alien Attack
"Angry Aliens at 9 o'clock!"
the Commander yelled as he dashed to the controls. Warning sirens were screeching
all over his tiny space cruiser.
"And
at 3 o'clock as well!" Joe-Computer, the ship computer pointed out.
"Right!" the Commander noted,
locking in on both ships.
"Greeting-Contact
has failed," Joe-Computer added, annoyed that it had to speak rather loudly to
be heard over the sirens.
The Commander nodded, and he tried to switch off the sirens. Unfortunately, the
situation was far too serious for The Ship to allow him to manually override the
emergency system. And Joe-Computer and The Ship still hadn't gotten over that
silly disagreement they'd had, so Joe-Computer would be no help in persuading
The Ship to turn off the alarms. The Commander sure wished he had remembered to
bring ear plugs along on the mission.
"Steady
now," he said to his co-pilot beside him, without unlocking his gaze from the
windshield, his eyes darting back and forth between the two vibrating-orange-glowing
Rigmorfin spaceships just up ahead. "Let's ease closer so we can make face-to-face
contact…"
"But
not too close!" he added as the Rigmorfin ships began to shake more violently
and the glow turned red and glared brighter from both of them.
Slowly his vessel descended towards them.
"Warning!"
Joe-Computer coughed out urgently. "We are now at Code Red!"
The Commander reached for his communicator. "Attention! This is Peace Command
Officer PeaceMan-One. You are at Level Red. Do you need assistance?"
The Monitor came on in Peace Command Officer PeaceMan-One's cruiser. On a split
screen, he now saw the two Rigmorfins in their alien ships angrily waving their
purple tentacles at each other. Each of their six Rigmorfin heads was shrieking
loud high-pitched sounds that made Commander PeaceMan-One certain his head would
explode.
The aliens' normally green faces were now a violent red and steam was rising off
their gelatinous bodies as they waved their tentacles viciously about.
"Yikes!" Joe-Computer
gasped. It was not a pretty sight.
"I
repeat," Commander PeaceMan-One called out over the Communicator. He glanced down
to make sure the translator-controls were set so that his words would be heard
in Rigmorfin. "Do you need assistance?"
In their own ships, each of the two Rigmorfin aliens turned their angry six heads
towards the peace cruiser. "Loggity Dimbooey!" they screeched in a chorus of deafening
sounds.
Commander PeaceMan-One rolled his eyes in agony, then opened them to notice the
Rigmorfins were tapping on their control panels with a dozen waving tentacles.
Suddenly a bay opened at the front of each alien ship and two canons slid outwards,
pointing at the peace cruiser.
"Steady,
PeaceKit" Commander PeaceMan-One said to his co-pilot. "Put the Shields on full…"
"You'd
better brace yourselves!" Joe-Computer added.
The Rigmorfin canons were fully extended and began to glow violently. Commander
PeaceMan-One held onto the arms of his chair and held his breath.
Suddenly a tongue stuck out of the end of each canon and blew nasty raspberries
at the peace cruiser. Spit went flying and splattered all over the peace cruiser
windshield.
"Huh!
PeaceKit where's the Shields?" Commander PeaceMan-One gasped, but without a moment's
hesitation he quickly tapped the controls and the windshield wipers came on, clearing
the view. With another tap on the controls, the PeaceShields were on full power
and the next raspberries harmlessly bounced off and dispersed into space.
Commander
PeaceMan-One glanced at his CoPilot-PeaceKit for only a second before he grabbed
the communicator. He didn't want to say anything, but this was the third time
this week PeaceKit had been too slow on the controls.
"Look you guys," Commander
PeaceMan-One said, focusing back on the aliens. "I'm here to help you disarm.
I know you don't want to hurt each other or anyone else for that matter. Let's
just stop for a moment and take a second to step back. You guys can work it out.
I know you can..."
The raspberries flew at the ship more and more violently.
"Commander, the ship can't
take much more of this…" Joe-Computer warned.
Commander PeaceMan-One thought fast and tapped on the panel. Soft, gentle calming
music streamed out of the speakers mounted on the outside of his cruiser.
Twelve angry
Rigmorfin faces glared at Commander PeaceMan-One and CoPilot-PeaceKit on their
Screen Monitors. Two-dozen angry tentacles tapped on their control panel. Suddenly
electric guitars were screeching out of the alien-ships' speakers, completely
drowning out the peaceful music.
Commander PeaceMan-One sighed. "I hate to have to do this guys, but you've left
me no choice. I'm going to have to blast you."
He sighed again, and tapped on his control panel. A double-barreled bay on the
front of the PeaceCruiser opened up and two shiny canons projected outwards. Commander
PeaceMan-One leaned back in his chair with his finger poised over the firing button.
He closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply. In a moment he was completely
relaxed. "May Peace Prevail On Earth," he whispered and pressed the button.
Suddenly there
was a burst of light around each alien ship. When Commander PeaceMan-One opened
his eyes, the alien ships were no longer glaring an angry red. Instead they both
hummed a warm soft glow.
In his split-screen Monitor, Commander PeaceMan-One saw the twelve Rigmorfin faces
smiling at him. "Thank you, Commander PeaceMan-One!" they chimed in perfect harmony.
Commander
PeaceMan-One smiled. "You're welcome guys. Try not to wander into the Red Zone
again, okay. The Raging Flares have been really violent lately and, well, you've
seen what can happen when they hit your ships. You guys had a nasty case of Earthitis!"
The
Rigmorfins nodded. "Thanks again, Super PeaceMan!" they said and twenty-four tentacles
flashed him the peace sign.
Commander PeaceMan-One blushed. News sure travels fast in space. Why he'd only
been knighted as Super PeaceMan the day before yesterday! Actually, he'd completely
forgotten his new title. It was going to take some time to get used to it. He
saluted them with a peace sign as their ship sped away back into the Safe Zone.
Commander
PeaceMan-One, er, that is Super PeaceMan, watched them a moment, and sighed. "That's
the second time today the normal Peace Vibes didn't do the trick and we've had
to use the Pure-Love-Rays," he said to CoPilot PeaceKit.
"Third," Joe-Computer corrected.
His
train of thought distracted, Super PeaceMan squinted, trying to recall the third
confrontation they'd had that day. Try as he might, he just couldn't remember.
Joe-Computer was never wrong, so why couldn't he remember? These space days were
taking their toll and they still had their big mission to complete.
Reading his mind Joe-Computer pointed out, "We're going to have to do some heavy-duty
refueling on Pure-Love-Energy."
Super PeaceMan nodded. "I still can't get over how far the Red Zone has spread
this year. I'd guess about 100,000 light years further than it was last season,
wouldn't you think, PEACEKIT?"
No answer.
He'd purposely emphasized that he was asking PeaceKit because this blasted ship
Computer they'd been assigned always had to monopolize every conversation with
its vast knowledge base. Poor PeaceKit never got to get a word in. "Peace on,
peace on, peace on," the computer began hiccupping, as it always did whenever
it was nervous, excited, or asked to be quiet for a moment.
The hiccupping got worse, but still no answer from PeaceKit.
"106, 382.45 light years…"
Joe-Computer finally burst out, unable to contain itself.
"PeaceKit?" Commander PeaceMan-One
said more urgently and turned to his faithful CoPilot.
PeaceKit tried to raise his head to face him, but slumped forward and the light
went out of his eyes. Super PeaceMan jumped up and dashed over.
"Oh my gosh! Are you alright,
PeaceKit?"
But CoPilot PeaceKit was motionless. Commander PeaceMan-One started to panic,
"Joe, quick, call 911…" he gasped.
But then he noticed the blinking LCD light on PeaceKit's side. It must have been
blinking for days. Joe-Computer snorted and rolled its eyeodes.
"I'm so sorry, PeaceKit!" he
burst out. "I forgot to change your battery! Has it been 1,000 years already?"
He checked his watch. Sure enough.
"Time
flies!" Joe-Computer observed, in his most sarcastic tone.
With a fresh battery from the supply shute, PeaceKit was purring peacefully in
no time at all. Super PeaceMan affectionately scratched him under the chin for
a while, until PeaceKit reminded him they had a lot more space to cover before
they reached the coordinates to begin the special mission they were assigned.
"You're
right, little guy," he laughed as PeaceKit leaped onto the control panel and started
tapping with his paws.
"Coordinates
set," Joe-Computer confirmed, with a hiccup or two, as PeaceKit meowed and leaped
onto PeaceMan-One's lap for a little catnap.
Super PeaceMan rubbed PeaceKit gently on the head as the Peace Cruiser swung around
and set off deep into the Red Zone, further than any Peace Commander had ever
dared to go.
Chapter 2. The Dreaded Red Zone
"Once upon a time the Universe
lived in relative peace and harmony. Of course there were conflicts, but living
creatures respected each other and the planets they inhabited and this helped
them to work out their problems peacefully.
"As
life on other planets was discovered, fair and just planetary systems were agreed
upon to ensure the peaceful coexistence of the many diverse cultures and ways
of life that abounded in the vast Universe. Thus was set the foundation for the
great Inter-Galactic Federation that presided over three millennia of peace."
PeaceKit
put the Briefing Video on pause and snuggled in closer to Super PeaceMan, barely
peaking out through half-closed eyes. They'd watched this video a hundred times
in preparation for their new mission, but each time the next part always made
him cringe.
Obviously, Joe-Computer wasn't keen on replaying the next part either. It was
hiccupping like crazy and pretended to be otherwise occupied when Super PeaceMan
pressed the remote to continue.
"Ship
Computer!" Super PeaceMan said sternly after the third attempt to coax it to restart
the video.
"Peace
on, peace on, peace on … Oh, alright!" Joe-Computer agreed reluctantly.
"No one knows
for sure where the Raging Cloud of '29 came from, but the havoc it struck throughout
the universe was all too clear. Wherever it passed, three thousand years of peacemaking
was left in shambles and only half-memories. Wherever the Raging Cloud came, living
creatures everywhere suddenly forgot how to get along.
"The damage was extensive and
far reaching but no where was worse than in the dreaded Red Zone - a cluster of
galaxies where the Raging Cloud seemed to settle."
Super PeaceMan, PeaceKit, Joe-Computer and even the Ship itself shuddered.
Super PeaceMan
suddenly felt thirsty and put the video on pause. But it kept playing.
"No way,"
Joe-Computer insisted. "We're just getting to the good part now…"
Super PeaceMan sighed, and shrugging sat back in his chair. PeaceKit purred away.
"The
Inter-Galactic Federation had nearly been destroyed, and the Universe would have
dissolved into chaos had it not been for an ancient society called the Knights
of Peace who, legend held, had helped to bring peace to the Universe three thousand
years ago.
"The
Knights of Peace quickly leaped into action, traversing the farthest reaches of
the great Universe in their Peace Cruisers. Wherever they went, they helped to
bring peace back to Aliens everywhere. They combated conflict utilizing their
ultimate weapons of peace -- one part dialogue, one-part mediation, one-part conflict
resolution and held together and reinforced with three measures of Pure Love Energy.
"In
Less than a year, Peace had been restored to most of the Universe. Except for
the Red Zone, which at first was small and contained to a few thousand light year
radius around the Planet Earth in the Sol Solar System.
"But each year the Red Zone
has grown wider as Negative Rays of anger, greed and fear have continued to burst
out from the heart of the Red Zone, keeping the Knights of Peace busy Keeping
the Peace.
"No
Peace Knight has ever been able to enter deep enough into the Red Zone to reach
the epicenter of the Raging Cloud around the Planet Earth.
"But recently the Greatest
PeaceMakers of the Universe have detected a wave of CyberPeace emanating from
the heart of the Red Zone that may allow access to planet Earth itself…"
"Ooh… ooh…"
Joe Computer burst out. "Here comes the part about you…"
"Shush…" Super PeaceMan whispered.
"Our
bravest PeaceMaker, SuperPeaceMan himself, has volunteered for this dangerous
mission, in order to bring peace to Earth, which as we all know, will vanquish
the Raging Cloud and establish peace forever in our Universe.
"May Peace Prevail On Earth
… May Peace Prevail Throughout The Universe…"
The screen went silent.
"I
still get all choked up every time I see that," Joe-Computer sniffled. "I'm just
so honored to be serving with you, Sir," he coughed.
"Meow," Co-Pilot PeaceKit agreed
and snuggled closer, putting his purr-motor in overdrive.
Super PeaceMan blushed as he always did. "Come on guys, you're just as brave as
me. Together we'll succeed and we'll bring peace on earth."
"Hooray," they all cheered.
"May Peace Prevail On Earth."
Super PeaceMan wiped his brow. "Sure is getting warm in here," he commented. He
knew, of course, that it was because they were getting quite deep into the Red
Zone, maybe a hundred million light years from Earth, now. But he'd thought the
shields would have protected them better.
"We'd
better find that wave of CyberPeace fast," he mumbled.
Joe-Computer was thinking the same thing. "According to our calculations, it should
focalize any nanosecond, Sir" he said, somewhat unconvincingly. His circuits were
feeling a little more toasty than he preferred them to feel, so it was a little
hard to muster up a convincing tone.
Then suddenly they all saw the Cyber- wave out the windshield.
"Peace on … peace on … peace
on… Oh my," Joe-Computer gasped. "It's not quite as big as we'd hoped, now is
it."
"No,"
Super PeaceMan sighed. "And it's getting a little too hot to risk us all trying
to ride in on it." He hesitated a moment, knowing he was going to have to argue
his case. "I'm going to have to go it alone," he said, "and you'll have to pull
the ship back to a safer distance outside the Red Zone. I'll call you for the
return trip out."
"Okay.
Peace on, peace on, peace on,.," Joe-Computer agreed eagerly, but PeaceKit wasn't
going to let him away from his side.
"Look
little PeaceKit. I need you to pilot the ship. I'm counting on you, pal."
How could
PeaceKit argue with that? So it was settled. Super PeaceMan pulled on his Heaviest-Duty
Peace Suit and Co-Pilot PeaceKit typed in the hyperlink they'd detected that would
allow him to ride in on the wave of Cyber Peace.
Co-Pilot PeaceKit slid down and snuggled against Super PeaceMan's leg. "I'll be
back, PeaceKit," Super PeaceMan sighed, and then he sat down in the pilot's seat
and got ready to press the hyperlink.
Super PeaceMan took a deep breath. "Okay, Guys," he whispered, "think peace thoughts
… May Peace Prevail On Earth… May Peace Prevail On Earth…"
"Hyperlink optimized," Joe-Computer
whispered politely, then hiccupped as quietly as he could.
Super PeaceMan pressed the enter key. A nanosecond later he was gone, whooshing
through Cyberspace.
Chapter 3. The Weekly PeaceKids Club Meeting
The PeaceKids
had just materialized in Cyberspace, like they do every Friday afternoon for their
weekly PeaceKids Club meeting. They'd stopped wondering long ago how they appeared
together in Cyberspace, and just enjoyed it. Sometimes they were able to bring
friends with them to their meetings. This week, however, they had an unexpected
visitor from a galaxy far, far, far, far, far, far really really far far away.
"The
weekly meeting of the PeaceKids Club is now called to order," Ahmed was just saying
as he typed onto his laptop. Then all of the sudden the PeaceKids heard a whoooshhhhing
sound over the top of their heads and saw a rainbow blast of color whiz by.
"What was
that?" everyone gasped. At first it had looked like a giant alien-looking creature
in a spacesuit, but then it shrank so quickly that before they even realized what
they'd seen, it was so small they couldn't see anything.
"Uh, sorry, it's just me,"
they heard a voice say, somewhere above them. But they didn't see anything.
"Over here,"
the voice said.
The PeaceKids squinted and stared where they thought they heard the voice coming
from. Then they saw him, but just barely - a super tiny alien-looking guy in a
spacesuit.
"Huh,
who are you?" the PeaceKids gasped.
"Why,
I'm Commander PeaceMan-One. Er, that is, I'm Super PeaceMan," the tiny visitor
stated as he floated above their heads. Although he was so small, they could hear
his voice loud and clear.
"Well,
actually my name is really Hector Narrow-Bottom," the visitor admitted. "Naturally,
with a name like that I was happy to become Commander PeaceMan, and of course
honored to have been named Commander PeaceMan-One after 25 years in The Service
of the PeaceForce. I was just knighted Super PeaceMan, the day before yesterday,
in fact, and I must say it is my greatest thrill to serve the Inter-Galactic Peace
Federation for Peace in the Universe."
"But
you're so small - how can you be Super PeaceMan?" Johnny, one of the youngest
PeaceKids asked.
"Well,
I'm not that small back where I come from," Super PeaceMan insisted. "Truth is,
I'm not feeling myself right now. But besides, never underestimate the power of
peace, my good sir," Super PeaceMan said.
"Whoa,
like do you have super powers?" Juan asked.
"Not
really, just the usual Peace Knight abilities to make peace with a single calming
word, break down jealousy with a hug. Dissolve conflicts with a moment of silent
listening. And of course when all my peacemaking skills fail, I have my trusty
Peace-Blaster, filled with the purest of the Universe's pure love energy. But
I guess I did forget to refuel, didn't I … and I was getting kind of low…" Super
PeaceMan paused a moment and his voice sounded all raspy.
"Sorry I'm not making too much
sense," he wheezed. "I'm feeling kind of woozy. I know we're not exactly on Earth
here in Cyberspace, but I think I'm feeling a touch of Earthitis coming on… Do
you think you guys can help me out here…"
"Uh,
sure," the PeaceKids said at once. "What do you need us to do?"
"Okay, well, I'm feeling lots
of negativity trying to take my mind over. It's leaking into Cyberspace from Earth.
I'm straining to keep it out of my head. Could you all just please think peace
thoughts. Your positivity would really replenish my peace waves."
"Uh … okay…" the PeaceKids
stammered. It all sounded pretty alien to them. But then, that's exactly what
Super PeaceMan was, so it sort of made sense.
"Alright
everyone, close your eyes and concentrate on saying the most sacred of all the
expressions in the Universe with me."
"Okay,"
everyone said, with their eyes tightly closed, wondering just what the most sacred
of all expressions in the Universe would turn out to be.
"May peace prevail on earth,"
Super PeaceMan said softly.
"Huh?"
the PeaceKids gasped. Seemed like an odd think for an alien to be wishing for,
but they did as Super PeaceMan asked, joining him in repeating the words slowly
again and again.
After a few moments, Super PeaceMan was breathing normally again. And he was a
lot bigger. He towered over them as he floated above their heads. He zipped across
the emptiness of cyberspace, whooshing overhead in a blur of rainbow colors.
"I feel good,"
Super PeaceMan exclaimed. "I feel GRRRRREAT! Thanks so much! You PeaceKids really
generate a great peace energy - I never felt so alive!"
Needless to say, the PeaceKids had a lot of questions for Super PeaceMan. But
the one that interested them the most was why "May Peace Prevail On Earth" was
the most sacred of all expressions - and how had their saying it helped restore
Super PeaceMan's strength?
Super PeaceMan floated back and forth above their heads and told them all about
the Inter-Galactic Peace Federation, and how all the aliens of the Universe lived
in peace. Except for Earth, of course. On account of the Raging Cloud that had
settled over the Earth, creating the dreaded Red Zone.
He told them that for thousands of years aliens everywhere have said, "May Peace
Prevail On Earth," knowing that someday, when there is peace on earth, Earthlings
will be able to join the Universal Peace Federation, and there will be peace everywhere
in the Universe. "This single expression has been said so much with so much peace
and love energy behind it" he told them, "that it is the most magical expression
of all, now."
The PeaceKids told Super PeaceMan-One that they used that expression, too. It
did help them quiet their minds sometimes, or feel close to each other, when they
said it after a moment of silence together. But it didn't really have 'magic'
in it.
"Well,
that's because on Earth there's so much negativity that the peace energy can't
focalize enough to create what you'd call magic. But here in Cyberspace, it looks
like you PeaceKids can generate so much peace energy that you can do almost anything."
The
PeaceKids had to agree that in cyberspace their adventures were magical! They
felt really good about themselves as they realized that it was their heartfelt
wish for peace that caused their PeaceKids Club meetings to send them on such
unusual adventures. They all were quiet a moment, enjoying the silence together.
"What's
the Universe like?" Erin asked after a moment or so. All the PeaceKids were eager
to learn more about the Universe, now that they'd found out that Earth wasn't
the only planet with life on it.
Super PeaceMan told them about some of the most amazing things in the Universe.
"Actually, we could probably take a quick spin around the universe, if you wanted
to," Super PeaceMan-One said. "I'll bet with your peace powers, you PeaceKids
could transport us back to my Peace Cruiser in an instant, and then we could take
a tour of the 7 Wonders of the Universe."
The PeaceKids loved the idea. "What are the coordinates of your Peace Cruiser,"
Ahmed asked as he got ready to type them into his laptop. He was the PeaceKids
Club Secretary, and it was when he typed a web address on his computer that the
PeaceKids were able to be transported through CyberSpace together to enjoy all
the adventures that they'd been on.
Super PeaceMan told the coordinates to Ahmed. Then they all joined in a circle
and concentrated on the magical expression they all loved, "May Peace Prevail
On Earth." Ahmed clicked the link and suddenly they were all standing together
on the deck of the Peace Cruiser.
"Peacetastic!"
Super PeaceMan exclaimed.
Chapter 4. The Seven Wonders of the Universe
The PeaceKids
really loved meeting Co-Pilot PeaceKit. "He's SO CUTE!" they all laughed. They
really flipped when they heard his purr-motor going after they rubbed him under
the chin.
"Yep,
PeaceKit was the first Kitty I put together, back when I was just a kid. Wouldn't
even ever think of getting a newer model. Nope, PeaceKit and I have been through
everything together. Just have to remember to change his batteries, every thousand
years or so."
The PeaceKids really got a kick out of Joe-Computer, too. They didn't even seem
to mind how he went on and on about everything, showing off his vast wealth of
knowledge. They just thought it was so cool to have a super computer like that
who could talk to you. The hiccupping did get on their nerves a bit after a while,
though.
The PeaceKids felt amazingly proud when Super PeaceMan asked them to join him
in refueling the ship with Pure Love Energy. "We'll be able to refuel in no time
with the peace energy you PeaceKids have got going!" he assured them.
Sure enough,
it wasn't very long at all after they'd sat in a circle quietly focusing on peace
and love and the sacred expression, "May Peace Prevail On Earth," that Joe-Computer
quietly, then more loudly interrupted their quiet time. "Sir, we're completely
filled to the brim," he stated. "And, I might add, with the highest octane I've
ever seen!"
Super PeaceMan took them on a quick tour of the Universe, showing them so many
amazing sites that it would take a whole book to describe them all. The PeaceKids
had to admit that the 7 Wonders of the Universe really were the most amazing things
they could imagine. They zipped through space from one landmark to the next, instantly
in a heartbeat after they whispered the sacred expression together after a moment
of silence. Commander PeaceMan-One couldn't stop marveling at how powerful their
peace energy was.
There was so much to see that the PeaceKids couldn't decide which of the 7 Wonders
was their favorite. There were the Great Pyramid Planets of the Egyptolonia7 Galaxy,
whose gravitational pull caused them to dance together in a perfectly choreographed
display every afternoon.
There were the Hanging Gardens of Planet Babylonia with the most beautiful gigantic
and strangest-looking flowers and plants the PeaceKids could have imagined hanging
from puffy clouds.
And the Great Zeusophone that towered over the planet Olympiata, trumpeting waves
of joy that thundered throughout the universe.
The Planet Ephesus was home to the famous Art-Em-Is-Great Temple, which captivated
them as it displayed a new work of artistic beauty each instant. Each glimpse
of beauty was pulsed out to the Universe providing the creative spark for all
works of art that would be created.
In the Halicarnassus Galaxy there were 22 planets filled with statues of the Universes'
greatest peacemakers. Each monument towered a thousand feet into the sky and blazed
a different color of the rainbow.
There was the firey statue on the planet Rhodes that was so huge and colossal
that it lit up the sky and brought life-bringing warmth to a thousand once-barren
planets that floated nearby.
And of course there was the Great Lighthouse at the very center of the universe,
on the Alexandria Asteroid, that pulsed out a beacon of hope each instant as it
whispered, "May Peace Prevail On Earth." The PeaceKids could hear the whisper
echo throughout the entire universe and they were filled with a real sense of
hope that someday this wish would indeed come true.
The PeaceKids were so grateful to SuperPeaceMan for showing them these wonders
and so much more. They were only too happy to help Super PeaceMan to see the wonders
of their world, especially since that was his mission and they wanted to do whatever
they could to help him accomplish it.
Chapter 5. What a Wonderful World!
Joe-Computer
was a little hesitant at first when Super PeaceMan asked the kids to use their
peace energy to transport the Peace Cruiser into Cyberspace. He remembered only
too well the singy feeling that came over him when they first tried to enter the
Red Zone. But Super PeaceMan was sure the PeaceKids would have no difficulty transporting
them into Cyberspace.
Getting to the actual planet, however. was a completely different matter. Super
PeaceMan realized that even the PeaceKids wouldn't be able to generate enough
peace energy to bring the Peace Cruiser to the Earth's surface. There was just
too much negativity.
"But
we can go home after our meetings?" Jamal said, echoing the other PeaceKids's
thoughts. "The negativity has been hanging over the earth for so long," Super
PeaceMan explained, "that Earthlings are used to it. They're not immune, of course.
We've seen some nasty things going on in our remote viewing facilities. People
break out with nasty cases of Earthitis all the time, doing really mean things
to each other…"
The PeaceKids had to admit that unfortunately violence was all too common in their
world.
"But
there's a lot of good, too!" the PeaceKids assured Super PeaceMan.
After they'd materialized in Cyberspace, the PeaceKids took Super PeaceMan on
a virtual tour of the planet showing him just how much kindness and beauty the
Earth had to offer. Ahmed's fingers were getting tired from typing in all the
web addresses as they leaped from one hyperlink to the next to show their new
friends as many Earth-sites as they could.
They showed him beautiful landscapes and sunsets, beaches and forests. They showed
him towering skyscrapers and bridges that scanned giant bodies of water. They
showed him people working together to help feed the hungry and people helping
to heal the sick. They brought him to celebrations where people danced and sang
and prayed together and the feeling of love and connectedness was so strong you
could practically see it floating in the air.
"There
really is a lot of peace energy here on Earth!" Super PeaceMan marveled. "Much
more than we realized!"
Unfortunately they couldn't help seeing some of the negative things, too. Super
PeaceMan sighed after they'd accidentally landed on a website that talked about
a war that was going on. "Gosh, this really could be a wonderful world, if only
people tried harder to get along with each other."
"And
treated the earth with respect, too," the PeaceKids agreed. Then they hyperlinked
to another site that showed how compassionate people can be and Joe-Computer couldn't
help commenting, "I've weighed the good and the bad, and there's quite a lot of
both here. But overall, there is great cause for hope of peace on earth after
all…"
Everyone agreed.
Chapter 6. I'll Be Back
Super PeaceMan would have been quite content to continue sightseeing for much
longer - he really liked Earth a lot. But as they were just about to glide along
another hyperlink, Joe-Computer called out, "Hang on, Ahmed. It appears that the
Cyberwindow is narrowing quite a bit. We'll have to leave soon, if we want to
make it back out."
"Perhaps
it's because it's getting late and we really should be adjourning our PeaceKids
Club meeting," Indira pointed out.
"Ah,
that would explain it," Super PeaceMan agreed. "But can you PeaceKids explain
something else. We've noticed the Cyberwave peaks at specific times. It's much
stronger at those times. If we can figure out why, then maybe we can find a way
to help peace on earth to come."
Super PeaceMan had Joe-Computer check over the records. "Obviously the Friday
afternoon peaks are due to your PeaceKids Club meetings. That creates a narrow
but clear channel into Cyberspace," Joe Computer began as he searched his memory
banks.
"A
narrow, but nice clear channel at Noon in each time zone…" he continued.
"People all
around the world join at Noon each day in saying 'May Peace Prevail on Earth'"
Juan exclaimed.
"If
only more people would join in," Cheyenne sighed, "It would create a larger beacon
of hope.
"There
are two specific times of year when the channel is the clearest," Joe-Computer
continued. "It looks like there's a huge spike on September 21 and the one leading
up to December 25 on up until January 1 when there's another big spike."
Hearing this
made the children very excited. They all began speaking at once explaining just
why this was happening. Embarrassed, they apologized to one another and urged
everyone else to continue. But they didn't have to re-explain, because Super PeaceMan
had easily been able to process what each of the PeaceKids had said.
He heard Erin, Jamal, Solomon and Maria say that September 21 was the International
Day of Peace, a day that the United Nations urged all the world to join together
to create a day of ceasefire and peace.
He heard Ming, Johnny, Michiko and Ahmed say that during the Christmas season
people were much more likely to be thinking about things like peace on earth and
goodwill.
And he heard Cheyenne and Indira explain that January 1 was One Day in Peace,
a chance for the world to begin the new year with a day of peace and sharing.
"Well,"
Super PeaceMan laughed and he was really excited. "Wait until everyone hears about
all this. We can join in all around the Universe sending you peaceful wishes at
those times. That will increase the peace field and help shrink the Raging Cloud."
"And
maybe this year for the International Day of Peace, people will make it the most
peaceful ever," Ming exclaimed.
"And
the peace energy will be so powerful it'll spill over the whole world…" Jamal
added.
"And
it'll make that Raging Cloud go away…" Indira continued.
"Which will help Earthitis
from spreading," Johnny said.
"So
people won't be so out of control and can remember to be kind and compassionate,"
Michiko exclaimed.
Every one was really excited and very hopeful.
"Sir
the window is shrinking fast" Joe Computer warned.
"I
guess we'd better go," Super PeaceMan sighed. He was really sad to be going. "But
I know that we'll be back really soon, with a clear channel right to the heart
of the planet. I just know that someday soon there will be peace on earth and
then finally there will be peace throughout the universe."
The PeaceKids hugged Super PeaceMan, PeaceKit and even Joe-Computer's monitor.
They joined together in a moment of silence, and after they said, "May Peace Prevail
On Earth" together, the PeaceKids found they were sitting in the familiar emptiness
of Cyberspace looking up at the PeaceCruiser floating up ahead.
"Goodbye!" PeaceKit and Super
PeaceMan waved through the windshield. Then in a blur of rainbow color they zipped
up, up and away through cyberspace off to the most distant reaches of the Universe.
"Wow!"
the PeaceKids sighed. "This sure was some meeting!"
The PeaceKids logged off and went back to their homes with even more reason to
try to make this year's Peace Day the best ever.
As each drifted off to sleep that night in their own part of the world, they were
almost sure they could hear Super PeaceMan's voice somewhere out in the great
universe whispering "May Peace Prevail on earth." And Co-Pilot PeaceKit's purr-motor,
humming away contentedly, too, not to mention Joe-Computer's hiccupping "Peace
on … peace on ..."
There were smiles on the faces of every one of the PeaceKids as they thought about
the fact that there was already peace in the rest of the universe and someday
finally there would be peace on earth.
