Nisha heard the early morning sound of someone outside the tent. She opened the door. Beedee stood silently looking pale and gray.

“Beedee, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Bok. He doesn’t know what to do. I’ve never seen him like this. He’s always confident and knows the best course of action. However, in this situation, he’s unsure because of the fight he had yesterday with his parents. Whenever I try to discuss the problem, he disconnects.”

“Let me try messaging him,” Nisha said.

She blinked into her eyepiece and messaged him hello. She waited but there was no reply.

“Hmm, he’s not talking to me either. My advice is to be supportive and let him grieve. The Omanji seem to experience some emotions in common with humans and I think he’s sad about the loss of his parents. Aren’t you sad? You were disconnected too, right?”

“Yes, everyone here at this new colony has been disconnected. We’re all sad but angry too.”

“Humans have trained psychologists so they can help others when they’re having psychological problems. Do Omanji employ similar helpers?”

“I’ve learned that in ancient times, we used to seek help from helpers,” Beedee said. “I’ve heard rumors that on Oma, the colony of those who refuse to merge, still employ psychologists. However, the main Omanji colony doesn’t employ them. Our tightly interwoven connections keep us from having what you call personal problems.”

Nisha glanced over at Rachel.

“The Omanji don’t need psychologists because they’re highly connected. I’m no psychologist, but the Omanji sound enmeshed.”

“What does ‘enmeshed’ mean?” Rachel asked.

“That’s where you might for example, live in a big family that’s tightly connected, sometimes to the point of being codependent. The problem is when a family member leaves such a tight relationship, the person can experience many serious problems which take years of psychotherapy to ameliorate.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow.

“The millions who will live in this new colony will need an army of psychologists?”

“I’m not sure. I’m no psychologist and I’m no expert on the Omanji either. What do you think Beedee?”

“Your example is roughly analogous to the current situation.”

A chill flowed down Nisha’s spine. She hid this.

“Beedee, why are the elders allowing so many of you to form a new colony,” Rachel asked. “Can’t they stop you?”

“They’re allowing us to do this because Omanji society is free. Everyone can do what they want within the limits of the law. They can stop us at any time. Bok is worried if too many of us leave, they will stop us because Omanji society would be threatened if too many new young members refuse to join the collective.”

“Where’s Bok now?” Nisha asked Beedee.

“I’m not sure. He disconnected several hours ago. His speeder is still here.”

“Okay, we’ll go search for him and you do the same.”

They got into their car and drove around on the dusty roads for at least an hour. Their drones could not find him either. They gave up and returned to the tent.

“Where did he go?” Nisha asked Rachel as she got out of the car.

“I’m not sure, but—”

Nisha pointed to the top of the hill.

“That’s him. I wonder if he’s been on the hill the whole time. We didn’t look nearby.”

They walked up the hill to him.

“Bok, we’ve been worried about you,” Nisha said.

“You sound like my mother.”

“What are you doing up here?” Rachel said.

“I’m here because I’m not sure what else to do. I’ve been disconnected. We’ve all been disconnected. I don’t want to go back but I’m afraid about the future. More than 150,000 are here in my colony now, and four million more are on the waiting list. That’s far over the 550,000 limit the Esteemed Elders established.”

“Bok, there’s no way to know about the future,” Nisha said. “For now, you need to stay in the present moment. Do you practice your twice daily 20-minute meditation? Don’t all Omanji do that?”

“Yes, we’re supposed to practice every day, but since they disconnected me, I haven’t meditated.”

“Bok, I want you to meditate right now,” Nisha said. “Everything has changed for you, so you need some regularity in your life. I meditate twice per day and so can you. Rachel does too.”

“I know what to do,” Rachel said. “Let’s all meditate together every day to start.”

“Great idea.” Nisha said. “What do you think Bok? We’ll include Beedee. You can set up a meditation for everyone in your colony. I think the practice would help bring peace and order to the chaos.”

“I agree. I think I’m missing something. I don’t have 24-hour cycles like you though.”

“Let’s start right now,” Nisha said as she found a soft spot to sit.

After about 20 minutes, they finished meditating.

“Thanks, I’m feel better now. You humans may be slow mastering technology but you’re astute observers.”

“Tech isn’t everything Bok.” Rachel said.

They walked down the hill and back into the growing colony. Beedee waited for them.

“Thank you,” Beedee said.

“You’re welcome,” Nisha said. “Make sure Bok meditates twice per day. When our cycles coincide, both of you can meditate with us if you wish.”

They walked back into the colony as Nisha and Rachel watched.

“I hope meditation helps,” Nisha said.

“I think it will, but this is a serious situation. I’m not sure how to resolve this,” Rachel said.

They walked over to their tent and spent the rest of the day and evening working on getting the Yoots moved up to their new colony.

They awoke to a cool, late October rain. No rain had fallen since April, which is normal for most of California. Sometimes the desert has a few dramatic flash-flood thunderstorms in the summer, but not this year.

Nisha walked outside and ducked back in. She smiled.

“How weird, everything is covered in water. What happened?”

“Yeah, I forgot all about rain, and umbrellas. Where’s the nearest town? Oh, that would be Barstow about 20 miles away.”

“Let’s go, Nisha said. “We need supplies anyway.”

They traveled up lonely highway 247, past deep gullies which had been formed in flash floods over millions of years. The rain hadn’t begun to fill them. They drove around the last hill and into Barstow.

“I love the desert,” Nisha said. “It’s so quiet and peaceful.”

“Yeah, nobody is around. Well, on second thought.”

“The edge of the colony has advanced all the way to here,” Nisha said. “Comparing the colony to the small town of Barstow gives you a sense of scale. We’re 50 miles away from where the colony started. Looking at this, they’re going to have to evacuate Barstow unless the Omanji build around the town.”

“Yeah, but remember what happened to the town of Mojave? Even though the Omanji built around it, the town still had to be evacuated because nobody wanted to live in a place surrounded by 6,000-foot-tall towers. It was like living in an artificial Yosemite Valley. Let me find out what’s happening on my colony growth analysis display. Okay, they’ll build around it. The closest edge of the colony to Barstow hasn’t grown closer in two days. There’s plenty of room for expansion in other directions. Approximately 15 billion Omanji live in the colony now.”

“Unbelievable,” Nisha said.

They bought their supplies and drove back to Bok’s colony.

“It figures,” Rachel said. “Now we carry umbrellas, and the sun is coming out.”

Nisha smiled.

“That’s because my car got caked with mud from the dust storm on the drive here. Now the mud will dry into a work of art.”

They arrived back at their tent.

“Bok is thoughtful. He made an outlet plug and a water faucet so I can recharge the car’s batteries. He’s been a tremendous help.”

“Yeah, imagine our situation if he wasn’t here,” Rachel said. “We’d have no connection with the Omanji at all. Imagine trying to guess what’s happening with no information from Bok.”

“I can’t imagine it,” Nisha said. “I checked on the status of the Yoots. Yoova got on the train an hour ago and is heading up there. 5,000 of the 50,000 Yoots are at the redwood colony now. They’re building their colony as we speak. With no drones.”

“That’s great news,” Rachel said. “How long before the construction is finished? Can they all live there?”

“About two months, I think. They can all live there. The rainy season will be at full strength by then. Yoova said the sun was too bright here in the desert and her parents said they missed the rain. Yoova doesn’t know what rain is.”

Rachel glanced over at the plants Yoova gave them.

“I think they’re staring at us. Watch this. It’s a cool day and I’m giving off a lot of heat with my jacket off. If I walk slowly. Whoa, what are they doing?”

“They’re slowly following you. The chilly day matters. Do you think they can survive here on Earth?”

“I’ve been doing some analysis and they can survive in a redwood forest better than here. They cannot produce as much food as Earth plants because they’re adapted to soft light. I think if we make some adjustments to the DNA in the plants and in the Halobacteria living in them, we can get them to use our sunlight more efficiently. I’m sending some samples to our genetics lab for further analysis. Wait, I think I heard Bok.”

Nisha opened the tent door, startling Bok.

“How do you always know when I’m outside the tent? I attempted to be stealthy, and you can’t listen to me think.”

Nisha smiled.

“Humans can be talented Bok. I’m wondering about something. We’re growing plants the Yoots used to eat on Oma. Do you know how we can adapt them to better use the earth’s sunlight, so they grow better here?”

Bok looked closely at the plants.

“Ah, these are familiar to me. I learned about them, but I’ve never seen them with my own eyes. Omanji used to eat them thousands of years ago. The wild Yoots still eat them. Yes, it should be easy to alter the DNA, so they grow more efficiently in this bright yellow sunlight.”

“Easy for the Omanji I suppose. Thanks Bok, it would mean a lot to the Yoots if they— What was that?

Nisha and Rachel ran outside as a super sleek racer accelerated into the sky, leaving behind only a sonic boom.

“Okay Bok,” Nisha said. “That racer looks different than anything we’ve seen. What is it?”

“That’s a sky racer. They’re like my racer, but bigger and faster. Mine is old and slow compared to that one. My racer can only travel in this atmosphere at Mach 5. That sky racer was built in the past week from the parts of two ordinary racers along with the engine and body from a sky racer which had some defective parts.”

“Well, the engine seems to be working well,” Nisha said. “I wonder how quickly your racer can travel once around the earth. Did you say two hours?”

Bok paused.

“I calculate about two hours if traveling at the upper edge of the atmosphere where it can go much faster than Mach 5.”

“Your racer can travel faster than five times the speed of sound? That’s impressive. And how about the sky racer we saw?”

“About one hour and it can accelerate to Mach 8 in the atmosphere. That’s much faster than my racer. A natural orbit takes about 90 minutes, but they can fly upside down at greater than escape velocity and avoid being flung into space. That technique uses a lot of energy though. It’s better to float weightless in orbit naturally.”

Nisha smiled.

“What is it?” Rachel said. “I’ve seen this look before.”

“Well Bok, it’s cold today. I was wondering how long it would take for your racer to fly to Tahiti?”

Bok paused again for a couple of seconds.

“It would take 28.5 minutes from surface to surface assuming Bora Bora as the target island. We would travel below the speed limit for the speeder since humans are delicate about high speeds.”

“Incredible,” Nisha said, losing herself in fantasy. “That’s so fast. I’ve always wanted to go to Bora Bora.”

“Would you like to go?” Bok said.

“Yeah but—”

“But what?” Rachel asked.

She winked at Nisha so Bok couldn’t see. Nisha smiled again.

“Um, I mean yes. I’d love to go.”

“Okay, get in.”

“What do you mean, ‘get in?’”

“I mean, my racer is only 200 feet away. Let’s go. I need to get away from this pressure and experience the earth. I summoned Beedee.”

“It’s already noon Bok,” Nisha said. “Do we have enough time?”

Rachel whispered to Nisha, “Of course we have enough time, it only takes 28 minutes.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

They grabbed their swimsuits and towels. Soon they were in the upper stratosphere over the open Pacific Ocean. The North American continent disappeared quickly behind them.

Nisha gazed at the stars in the black daytime sky of space.

“I’m weightless. I’m feeling dizzy. The Omanji spheres are more visible. How many are in orbit now?”

Rachel blinked to access her data source in her eyepiece.

“I estimate—”

“16,347,” Bok said. “Another one recently arrived so I’m in error. This makes 16,348.”

“I’m as fascinated with the spheres above as the ocean below,” Rachel said. “Even at this high altitude, the earth is a water world. It’s an endless ocean.”

“Why am I not floating around in the cabin?” Nisha said. “I know I’m weightless.”

“You’re not floating because the same resistance field which created your seating is also holding you in place. In this case you can still move, but you must push through it.”

“Ah, I understand. Yes, I can still move around. This isn’t artificial gravity?”

“No, this is a local field which interacts with the atoms in your body to keep them in place. Artificial gravity is possible. However, to provide the same amount of gravity as you sense on the surface of the earth, you would need enough energy to bend space as much as the earth does. That is currently beyond our practical capabilities.”

“Perhaps someday you’ll overcome this primitive limitation.” Nisha said.

She smiled.

“Yes, we’re working on—”

“I’m joking Bok!” Nisha said.

“I’m still trying to understand human humor. I’m not sure what’s more difficult, understanding how to create artificial gravity or understanding human humor.”

Nisha and Rachel laughed.

“Did I make a joke?” Bok said.

“No.”

“So why are you laughing?” Bok said. “I’ll never understand humor.”

A few minutes later, they reentered the atmosphere and decelerated. A dull red heat could be seen and felt outside the window for a moment, soon it dissipated.

“Rachel, there’s Bora Bora! This is difficult to believe.”

“Believe,” Rachel said. “This is real. Bok, can you set down the racer over there on the little barrier island with nothing on it but a few palm trees? Nobody is there, so we can enjoy some peace.”

Soon they landed. Nisha jumped out and ran into the shallow clear blue lagoon water.

“The sand is silky soft. The water is perfect.”

Rachel walked up to a palm tree and hugged it.

“It’s real. This isn’t some Omanji simulation.”

Bok and Beedee stepped out. Their six toes made unusual prints in the sand.

“This environment is different than the Mojave Desert,” Bok said. “It’s humid. On Oma, similar equatorial islands exist, but the waves are large, and the winds are strong. It’s cooler here than on Oma’s equatorial islands. No barrier reefs surround Oma’s islands. One can’t be out in an exposed area like this without risking death.”

“Beedee, can you swim?” Nisha said.

Beedee paused and discussed something silently with Bok.

“No, we can’t swim. My parents used to swim on protected shores of the southern continent and in artificial bodies of water, but we were born in space, so we had no water for swimming.”

“Okay, be careful and don’t go in the water,” Nisha said. “You may drown.”

Bok and Beedee fell silent for a while.

“We were trying to figure out how to drown.”

“No Bok, you don’t want to drown.” Nisha said.

“Yes, I don’t. Drowning doesn’t seem pleasant.”

Nisha and Rachel laughed again.

“Did I make another joke?”

“No Bok,” Rachel said. “It’s funny how you said drowning didn’t seem pleasant.”

“I still don’t understand,” Bok said.

He turned to Beedee who wiggled her nose and turned vibrant orange colors.

“It’s okay Bok,” Nisha said as she smiled knowingly. “Beedee understands. She can explain it to you later.”

Nisha and Rachel swam in the blue lagoon and dried off under the shade of the three palm trees clustered in the middle of the tiny sand island. Bok and Beedee watched them with curiosity. He walked over to a coconut and picked it up.

“What is this?” he said.

“It’s a coconut,” Nisha said. “It’s a seed from this tree here. Delicious juice is inside but it’s difficult to open.”

Bok tried to open it with his hands, but even his strength proved insufficient. He pulled out his silver device. A hole appeared in the coconut. Nisha took it from him.

“Okay, now turn it over like this and drink the juice,” Nisha said. “Make sure it won’t make you sick.”

She handed it back to Bok, who tested it.

“It’s okay to drink,” Bok said as he poured some into Beedee’s mouth and then into his.”

“It is a pleasing liquid,” Beedee said as she turned a vibrant blue.

“Agreed,” Bok said as he drank the rest of it. “We’re not used to consuming a substance directly from a natural source. This is a strange experience for us. It’s raw and primitive. It’s enjoyable.”

They spent the rest of the day examining coral, fish, and seashells that Nisha and Rachel brought to them from the reef. Soon it was time to go. Even though the sun shone high in the sky at Bora Bora, it would be setting in California in only 30 minutes. They took off and soon were back in the desert.

“Thanks,” Nisha said. “We had a wonderful time. Let’s do this again.”

“Yes, we can easily go anywhere on the planet. Okay, we must go. I forgot about my problems for a few hours. This is good rest for the mind. It’s like meditation.”

Nisha and Rachel walked back into their tent as darkness fell in the desert.

Nisha contacted Quinn.

“Guess where we spent the afternoon.”

“Hmm, did you spend it in your tent waiting for the rain to stop? It rained hard in Pasadena. A chilly rain.”

“Um, no. We spent the afternoon on a tiny island looking across the lagoon at Bora Bora.”

Quinn laughed out loud.

“Good one Neesh. I’m glad your sense of humor is still intact.”

“Here are some pictures including some from space. You can check out my Twitter stream. I uploaded the entire trip there.”

“She’s right Dad,” Sanjay said. “Here it is.”

“You really did go. I’m watching you walk into the lagoon with Bora Bora behind you. Neesh, you’re so cute.”

“Thanks. I’m doing my yoga and exercises every day. Okay I gotta go, but I wanted to—”

“Brag? Boast? Rub it in? Fine. Talk to you later.”

“Okay, bye.”