It was clear the word “visible” had more meaning to them than their word for biological. And of course they were contradicting themselves. They’d told us of planets that had invisible life, or at least that is what I had inferred from what they’d told us.

“Can you tell us,” I asked, “why you made us such complex and intelligent beings if we are to die so soon?”

“It’s easy for us to make beings like you,” said the Parents. “We do it all the time. There’s nothing to it. We can easily replace you. Understand, all the mental and physical equipment we have given you is for your purpose. We cannot send you down to Earth without emotions. You will be found out by the Great One of Atalantaya if we do that. You will never get into the city. No one gets into Atalantaya except at his invitation. Don’t you think all those starving, struggling, violent savages of the forests and the fields would love to live in his Atalantaya? Wait and see what it is like. See what they suffer. Of course they would. But he controls who gets in, taking from the planet what he needs for his city, his paradise, his utopia—taking what he chooses and locking out all those so that his chosen ones can enjoy it. Wait and see. You must put an end to this. This is important! He has no authority to rule on Earth. This is important to the ‘Realm of Worlds.’ This is why you were made. You have been born for this purpose.”

“I don’t want to do it,” cried Derek. “I don’t want to die. I want to stay alive. I want to keep thinking, being, feeling.” He broke down in incoherent weeping and the Parents stepped forward and surrounded him and moved him away from us.

At this point, I knew my first real fear. I was afraid they were going to kill Derek then and there. I couldn’t bear it. The pain in me was so all-consuming that it took all the strength I possessed to stand by and do and say nothing. However, I did not feel that there was anything that I could do to prevent whatever the Parents would now do to Derek. I braced myself for unspeakable suffering. But they didn’t kill Derek. They stroked him, comforted him, wiped away his tears, told him that it was a great thing that he was doing. And that indeed his death might not come for months, maybe even a year, and that he would have time to realize the importance of his purpose.