Thea Alexander - 2150 A.D.

As these thoughts entered my mind the pain began to diminish, and it was not long before I was completely free of the misery I had inflicted upon myself.

While I was free of one pain, the thought of being forever separated from my new world would, I knew, prove far more painful in the long run. Somehow I had to learn how to balance my negative vibrations and I was sure that my best chance of doing this lay upstairs with the hoodlums I had captured. If I forced them to go to the police and confess to the rape-murders of the two co-eds, which my probing of their minds had discovered, maybe that would do it. They would be punished, if not by the electric chair, then by a life term in one of our prisons... But that kind of angry vengeance usually fills its victims with even more hate, and from the Macro perspective I knew that those who died with hatred often chose quick rebirth in an attempt at revenge. Thus, what micro man can not see, due to his limited life perspective, is that hate and revenge always produce more hate and more revenge. No, I couldn't balance my negativity by using micro man's approach to the problem. That was not the solution. But what was?

I smiled sadly to myself as I recalled that micro man had been given the solution by all his great Macro philosophers. The so-called Christian nations knew of this as the one commandment that their great Master gave: "Love one another, as I have loved you."

Shaking my head, I resigned myself to the fact that this one commandment didn't seem very practical from. a micro point of view. However, I had been exposed to a larger point of view... the Macro view... which I must now use to solve this problem and, thereby, get back to my beloved Lea in 2150. So I couldn't turn my two captives over to the police, but I couldn't turn them loose to continue on their murderous path, either. Could I, I wondered, rehabilitate them?

While I had succeeded in using my Macro powers to heal them and to safely firing them to the apartment, would I now be able to heal their twisted micro minds? I knew that I could control their minds and force them to do only what I commanded, but this would certainly not be rehabilitation, not with me acting as the prison warden of their minds. Somehow I must help them see the long-term painful and unfulfilling consequences of their micro existence. As I searched my mind for a way of performing this miracle I loaded a tray with bowls, spoons, a carton of milk, and some granola. I picked up the tray and started off to their apartment.

When I entered the room they were still in their hypnotically induced sleep. I quickly awakened them and got them into the kitchen, where we all sat at the kitchen table. At first they eyed me with fear, but this slowly gave way to puzzled bewilderment as I told them that they were my guests and that I had healed their bodies and was about to start trying to heal their minds. I told them that if we succeeded they would be free to live satisfying new lives without fear of the police. If we failed, and I emphasized "we," to begin developing the idea of a joint venture in which they would have at least equal responsibility, then I could promise nothing but a future filled with misery and unhappiness.

Griff, the tall one, scratched his head and began pulling on his mustache. "Listen, man," he said finally, "I don't understand what's happening. How did you get us to come here with you? And how come you haven't called the cops?"

I wasn't sure how to answer these two questions, so I took my time before saying, "I hypnotized you into coming here, and the reason I didn't turn you over to the police is sort of complicated. You see, I know that you raped and murdered those two co-eds, and if I just wanted you punished I'd let the police have you. But I'm going to gamble on being able to show you a different type of life which will prove so attractive that you won't want to hurt anybody ever again."

"Hey, man," Judd exclaimed, "are you some sort of religious nut? You gonna save us from our sins?"

"No," I assured him, shaking my head, "I'm just going to tell you some things and if what I say doesn't make sense to you, then I'll turn you loose and you can do whatever you wish."

They looked at me suspiciously, then Griff said, "What's stopping us from walking out right now?"

I told him. "That door to the hall is red hot. If you try to open it you'll get burned. You'll find the same is true of the windows."

I could see they didn't consciously believe me. As they both got up, Griff said, "You're plumb crazy, man. There's nothing wrong with that door. I think maybe we should be doctoring you."

Judd reached the door first and started to open it, but as soon as his hand touched the doorknob he let out a scream and jerked backwards.

"Yeowww!" Judd wailed as he frantically waved his hand in the air trying to cool it. "God damn it. That crazy bastard's right. Look at my hand!"

He held his reddened hand out for Griff to examine. Griff apparently accepted the reality of Judd's pain, for he turned to me and said sarcastically, "Okay, man, how the hell did ya manage that little trick?"

"I hypnotized you into believing the door was red hot," I explained. "There was nothing you could do about it because I was working with your subconscious mind, not your conscious one. As long as your subconscious mind holds my suggestion, you won't be able to get out that door."

Judd, still holding his hand, glared at me and said, "Well, if it's all in my mind, then how come I've got these God damned-blisters on my hand?"

"Because your body can only do what your mind directs it to do," I answered. "Your mind believes your hand is burned so it directs your nerves to signal pain and your gland system to produce blisters."

"Okay, man," Griff nodded, "we'll buy the science lecture, but how about you knocking off this messin' around with our minds. You were lucky this morning. You don't think you can take us both at the same time, do you? We'd bust you right in half."

"I made a mistake this morning," I admitted, "and I'm paying for it. But I'm not going to fight you again."

"You mean you're just going to stand there and let us tear you up?" Judd sneered. "I can just see that. Sure you are. Noooo, sir. You fight like a madman. You did this morning, and you'll do it again right now first time we lift a fist."

"No, I won't," I responded, "I don't have to. From now on if either one of you tries to harm anyone you'll only succeed in doing it to yourself."

They looked at me skeptically, so I said, "If you haven't learned to believe me, you can try and see for yourself. I'm warning you, though, that you'll only hurt yourself."

"Bash him one, Griff," Judd urged. "Call his bluff."

"So he can get hurt like you did?" I asked.

Griff approached me warily and with obvious uncertainty. Finally he sidled up to within striking distance and began giving me what he clearly hoped was a frightening stare. I remained standing and smiled at him.

"Remember," I said, "you've been warned that any harm you try to do to anyone else will only happen to you."

"Okay," Griff said, "I believe you, man. I wouldn't think of hurting you."

With these words he pretended to turn away but when he was half turned he suddenly let go with a twisting uppercut to my jaw. It had tremendous force as Griff soon discovered, for his fist missed my chin and like a boomerang, came crashing back into his own jaw, knocking him off balance so that he fell heavily to the floor.

"What 'the hell?" Judd exclaimed, "you didn't even move and Griff knocked himself down. What the hell's happening?"

"I told you, but you refused to believe me. How badly do you have to hurt yourselves before you-start believing me?"

Griff had climbed to his feet and gingerly touched his sore jaw. He came at me fiercely and stopped just short of my body. A combination of rage and puzzled amazement filled his eyes. Drawing up his fist, he hesitated, then sticking out his index finger poked at my chest. The pokes of course landed on his own befuddled self.