The return trip went flawlessly and we landed at 18:00 as scheduled. Natalia was waiting for me and gave me a hug as I walked to her.
«I am eager to hear about your trip, how was it?» she asked.
«Just marvelous, and great fun!» I answered and explained what we had seen and experienced, among other things the zero-gravity room and the oasis that I first had seen while in her home. I mentioned in particular the grand meeting room and the idea behind it that so appealed to me.
«Good to hear! Then let’s go home. A dinner party is being arranged near where I live, We’ll go to my home and get ready before it starts.»
We talked a bit while the hydroplane took us back to Lighthaven and we walked to her house. After a while we were both ready for the evening and went to where the party was to be held, only a few minutes’ walk away. As the weather was nice and warm, we were to eat outside.
The long table had been decorated in a creative and humorous way. The surroundings were lovely, with the beautiful scenery and the river flowing nearby. Many kinds of food were being placed on the table, and wine was set out here and there. Natalia told me that there were other places in the area where similar parties were arranged. Here old and young alike were present. We greeted and hugged several persons before we sat down beside each other. I noticed that hugs were being given generously. It seemed clear that this entire group of people had a friendly and good relationship to each other. We greeted and hugged Skylar and Kayden as they arrived and sat down opposite us, and all began to eat.
«How was your trip to the Space Station?» Kayden asked.
«Terrific! I should have loved to stay there for longer! It was an incredible experience to see our planet from above, and it moved me. I was also surprised to see how Earth-like they had managed to make it, like the small oasis» I answered.
«To explore Cosmos is one of the next steps for humanity. We are in the process of preparing for that, and the first humans will leave our solar system within ten years», Kayden said enthusiastically.
«Gosh, what fantastic perspectives for the future we’re approaching!» I exclaimed.
«We think so as well. It is incredible what can be accomplished when humanity co-operates and we in addition receive some help from other civilizations. But I actually have to correct myself a bit, - a few persons have already left our solar system and have visited other worlds. They have been permitted to accompany our cosmic friends» Kayden added.
«Do you live here, by the way?» I asked.
«No, Kayden and I live in the city and we like it there. On the other hand we are often here because we very much enjoy this place as well, so you never know. It was Natalia who invited us here today, so why don’t you two make a visit to us?» Skylar said.
«I am sure we could» I said and glanced at Natalia. She was the one who had the agenda for my time there.
«We could visit you tomorrow evening if that would suit you» Natalia suggested. Skylar looked at Kayden and they both nodded.
«But first we are going to another continent to visit a city there» Natalia said.
«We are going to visit one of the worst places on the planet» I elaborated.
Natalia glanced at me. «Don’t forget that they generally have a better society than the best you have managed in your time.» Natalia stroked my back in a friendly way.
«If you think of the world that existed two centuries before your own time and compare that to your society now, you will see that there has been a formidable development. At that time most people lived in miserable circumstances, yes, in what you in your time would call slums. And even though you have raised an enormous number of people from dire poverty, you still have quite a lot of poverty, slums and hunger left. To put it differently: In your time a relatively large part of the world’s inhabitants, roughly half, lived under conditions resembling those of a very few aristocrats several hundred years ago. Today everyone lives like aristocrats here in our society, and almost everyone globally! We have taken societal development to a completely new level. And the development has accelerated far more rapidly. Just the latest ten years here correspond to at least thirty years’ development in your time. That is how quickly the development has taken place here.»
«How have you managed to create this wonderful society?»
Skylar answered: «You live at a time when there is a lot of unrest and chaos, but, you know, after chaos comes order. Here we are almost at that stage. We have restructured our society. We share things, which is a far more efficient use of resources and far more just. And we give. We have eliminated money and competition. There is more than enough of everything, so why compete? And, not least important, we have become good at giving of ourselves, and I am then speaking of empathy, consideration and affection. We see each other, on a deeper level, that is, and everybody is seen as they are. All of this strengthens the feeling of fellowship, which is alfa and omega for creating a truly good society. These are some of the reasons, but we could have conversed the entire evening about this topic. None of it could have happened without the huge shift in mentality.»
Kayden interrupted mildly «Look at the houses around here. They are self-sufficient when it comes to energy, and also with water. Should they for some reason be needing more, they get it from the local area. Refuse is being composted, and whatever cannot be composted is recycled. We have new types of organic toilets. We don’t have to build as much infrastructure as earlier, on the contrary we are dismantling more of the old than we are building new ones. We don’t manufacture enormous amounts of unnecessary goods. Almost everything we produce can be recycled, and whatever we are not yet able to recycle we keep until we have found a solution. You might say we live more simply, but no less comfortably. In short we lead a richer life. We lack for nothing materially, we are technologically advanced, and not least, we have a warmer and more humane society with less work and more spare time. But spare time does not necessarily mean just relaxation and holidays, we spend a lot of our spare time contributing to society because we feel like doing it, not least because it is meaningful and satisfying.»
Skylar added: «And the self-driven vehicles are in use most of the time, except at night, and with that one saves a lot of downtime and we need fewer of them. In your time the cars are unused for most of the time. So why should we need garages now? Neither do we need to spend a lot of time and money on repairs and maintenance, this is usually done by robots. If one wants to go someplace, one simply has to ask for transport, and it will arrive automatically. You seldom need to book in advance. We could try now» Skylar looked at Natalia.
«Of course we could. I order transport, and then we’ll take a short trip to the center of Lighthaven so we can show it to Aron.» Natalia pressed the bracelet she wore around her wrist. A virtual holographic screen suddenly appeared on her arm. I had no idea that she had such a thing! After a couple of clicks in what appeared to be the air, I saw a small green spot appear.» It will be here in a few minutes» Natalia said.
Gradually it had got darker. The dinner and dessert had been consumed. The dessert consisted mainly of fruit, as they no longer used a lot of sugar in their diet. The natural sugar in fruit is preferred, and fruit is of course very healthy as well as delicious. I thought to myself that the use of it ought to be far more widespread in the time I came from. It might have subdued the craving for sugar that a lot of people struggled with. I looked at the persons around the table. The people were beaming and laughter came easily. No one was intoxicated or loud. I witnessed hugs being exchanged and received some hugs myself. Some kissed each other’s cheek. Others kissed in a more intimate way, they were probably lovers. Clearly, there was no social distancing here! It seemed that pandemics fortunately no longer were such a huge problem. It was great to sense the affectionate atmosphere everywhere. The ambience was unusually good and it seemed as if they were members of one large family. In fact I felt as if I were one of them, I felt included and safeguarded just as the person I was. Perhaps this was the key? The feeling of fellowship, the sense of being seen and of totally being one of them was simply beautiful. I felt sure that my own society had a lot to learn here...
«Here is our transport now». Skylar pointed to the vehicle that was approaching. She, Kayden, Natalia and I entered it. The fact that we had all drunk some wine made no difference as the vehicle was self-driven.
It took off right away and accelerated when there was none nearby. This one went around the hill from the other side, probably because there were fewer houses and people there. After a short time we arrived at a beautiful open area which seemed to be a park surrounded by nearby buildings. This had to be the center of Lighthaven which until then I had not seen a lot of. We exited the vehicle and it continued by itself, perhaps to a parking place somewhere in the vicinity.
«It is lovely here!» I exclaimed. «The lighting is so special! Those who designed this park have really been able to express their creativity.» Soft lighting surrounded all the beautiful flowerbeds, the small oval lake, the bridge that crossed it, the paths in the area that led to other small lakes and bridges, and created an atmosphere of pure magic. Could this be the reason the town was called Lighthaven?
Seating areas were abundant, and quite a lot of people were present. A lighted water fountain that spread out over a sizeable area made lovely synchronic patterns, and it seemed that many of the persons were there to watch it. Some places one could actually walk among the sprays of water that were shot into the air. This way of getting wet would surely be fun for children, - and for adults who wished to bring out their inner child, for that matter.
«Yes, isn’t it just beautiful here?» Skylar said as she put her arm around Kayden.
«Absolutely! And I see it is a place with a lot of surprises to offer.»
«There are other places we might visit nearby, among others some eating places and other gathering points. Activities are going on constantly both in daytime and in the evenings, but we’ll stay here. We can walk around the lake and look at the fountain a bit before we return. After all, we are at a party» Natalia said and slipped her hand into mine, to which I had no objection. We talked about this and that as we walked. In the lake were birds and colorful fishes. We paused for a while and watched them before walking over to the fountain to admire the beautiful play of light. After some time Natalia pressed the virtual holographic screen that once more appeared on her arm, and a short while later the vehicle arrived. This really was very practical, one did not even have to think about finding a parking place!
When we were back at the party, we continued the conversation about the societal differences.
«What other differences are there between my society and yours?» I asked.
It was Skylar who answered.
«We here in Lighthaven have a completely different outlook on life. Our spirituality has developed a great deal. The predominant mentality in your time was strongly characterized by people regarding each other as separate. This view spread and permeated the entire society in a negative way. Because of this view one tolerated indescribably dreadful things that were done. This was caused by the fact that one did not see the other person as oneself or one’s neighbour. We have taken this a step further: you are your neighbour! This is the way we look at it here. We have a strong fellowship based on our view of all of us being one. On a deep spiritual level we are one with everything and everybody, and it is this that is the real key to creating a fantastic society. But this you will learn more about when you meet our cosmic friends.»
«I am thoroughly looking forward to that! It feels a bit scary also, though» I said.
«Haha, scary? That should be the least of your worries!» Skylar laughed.
«So you have met them?» I asked.
«Both Natalia, Kayden and I have met them. They are the ones who told us about you and who wanted us to guide you. At the same time we have been studying history with special emphasis on your time.»
«Then I understand why you know so much about me and about that time» I replied and glanced at Natalia.
Suddenly someone started to sing not far from where we were sitting. Silence reigned around the tables while everyone was listening. They sang well, and there was laughter and applause when they finished. We continued our conversation.
«In my time there were those who believed that there did not exist intelligent life, or any form of life at all, other places than here on Earth» I said. «They would surely have been surprised if they had been here! But what about those who don’t believe that there is a greater reality, a life after death and more lives for that matter, a little like me? Or, I guess I am open for such thoughts, though.»
«Not many people think like that anymore in our time» Skylar said. «It can be understood that many thoughts like that in your time, after having seen what atrocities many religions have inflicted upon humanity and the world throughout history. But this has also in a way blinded them to reality. Besides, our worldview and spirituality is developing all the time. It has evolved from a rather primitive understanding to a more developed one. Everyone is at liberty to believe what he wants to, but I would have given the idea of something more a greater chance if I were you. Think of the smartphone which was so popular in your time. It can’t just appear all by itself. There has to be an intelligence behind it. If you look at the human being with its DNA, which is infinitely more advanced than a smartphone, not to mention Earth and the Universe, how could this have come into existence all by itself? There must be an incredibly intelligent design behind all these fantastic things. This is food for thorough reflection!»
«Other things have changed as well». Now Kayden spoke. «Hardly anyone gets married here any longer.»
«Natalia mentioned that, but please go on» I said.
Kayden continued: «Choosing to tie oneself to another for the rest of one’s life is outdated. As you know from your own time, around half of the marriages were dissolved, and that was not without a reason. Even in some of the marriages that did not break up, the relationship could be problematic. But just for the record, a great number of people here still choose to live together. And we arrange lovely ceremonies when people announce that they want to make a commitment to each other. Skylar and I, on the other hand, live separately although we are sweethearts. But it is quite possible that at some point in time we may choose to live together. In our society we regularly evaluate our relationships. We are also good at being honest with each other and speaking openly about things, so there are few problems here.»
Skylar joined in: «I can for example sometimes be a bit jealous, and I know that this is something I need to work on. I also know that it is mainly because I don’t love myself fully. This is largely caused by my childhood and growing up on another continent, but it has become much better now. For that I can also thank Kayden.» Kayden smiled and put his arm around her.
«I have decided to be honest as well. When I heard Natalia mention her earlier lover yesterday, I felt a stab of pain. And we are not even a couple, so I guess I also have some work to do» I said and glanced at Natalia. She smiled, took my hand between her own and put them on her lap.
«Family patterns are also not the same any longer» Kayden continued. «Today in some ways one selects one’s family. Here in our society, that is in the city and in the surrounding suburbs, many people live by themselves. But even if they live alone, they are not lonely, if you see what I mean. We have become much more skilled at mingling and socializing. Perhaps you have noticed how good the sense of friendship and unity is here. We are now also better at taking care of the elderly, and they are far more included in the society and not tucked away somewhere. They receive more stimulus and consideration from the community. In fact, the concept of generation housing has had a kind of renaissance. Older persons are highly regarded and well cared for, and thus they stay healthy longer, both physically and mentally. They are seen as a resource and are good at taking care of our children, for example. Should they require extra care and help, this is not seen as a burden for the community.»
Someone had put on some music, and before long there were people dancing. The sound volume was only moderate, so hearing what the others said was not difficult.
Skylar took over. «In your time, looking back from now, the society appears rather cold, at least in many of the affluent countries. There was often scant contact with neighbors, even with those living as close as next door. It also seems clear that those who were married or living together tended to isolate themselves with their closest family members. When one lives alone, one is usually more likely to involve oneself in the community, visit others and keep contact with relatives and friends. This was not always the case, obviously, I am speaking generally here. But being alone was something quite different in your time from what it is now, by the way. Loneliness was a major problem at that time, it was like a pandemic itself. Those who are alone here are not lonely, while we to a far greater extent include others and socialize and are open and honest with each other. Yes, even our buildings and infra- structure are too a much larger extent arranged for this as well.»
Natalia commented, «I need only get out my virtual activity calendar here on my arm, and it gives me an overview of everything that is going on here during the coming days and further in time. You did have something resembling it in your time, but this is more advanced and customized. I get to know about most things through friends in any case, but it is nice to be able to plan and have it as a supplement.»
«We have also a large number of persons who choose to live in collectives. In fact, one of the most recently established experimental suburbs consists of many small collectives. It is architecturally and infra-structurally designed after the newest research results in that field. We are eager to see how it is functioning» Skylar continued. «But back to this question of relationships. Loving couples of every variety are highly regarded here. Love knows no boundaries. Kayden and I have found each other, and it seems that you and Natalia are finding each other as well!» Skylar regarded us with a knowing smile. Natalia smiled at me and took an even firmer hold of my hand which she was still holding in both of her own.
It was late, and people had begun to depart for their homes. This did not take place without kisses and hugs. Natalia got a lot, and so in fact did I.
«Perhaps we should retire as well?» I asked Natalia and was already looking forward to being alone with her and all the lovely things that would lead to. Natalia didn’t have to say anything, I understood from her smile and body language that she had the same feeling. The way she touched my fingers spoke of this as well. We got up and said goodnight to Skylar and Kayden and the other persons near us, after which we walked back to Natalia’s house.
«It is fairly late, so we may as well go to bed» Natalia said and gave me a kiss. We went to our separate bathrooms to get ready for the night. I finished first and lay down on the large double bed in her bedroom. Imagine being able to look straight up at the starlit sky through the glass ceiling! It was just so beautiful and peaceful.
Together with the reflection from the moon it gave the room a dim lighting.
Natalia came out from her bathroom wearing only a thin and partly transparent nightie. Just seeing her coming into the softly lit room like that made me tremble with anticipation. She got into bed and snuggled close to me, and we smiled at each other.
We began to stroke each other gently and I kissed her lightly on her cheek, forehead and throat. And then she started giving me her wonderful deep kisses, the ones that sent shivers through my body. For quite a while we did nothing more than kiss each other, until I heard a moan from Natalia and at the same time felt a hand creeping gently in beneath my underpants. Quickly we got rid of the little we were still wearing There and then nothing else existed than Natalia and I. We made love, and we were no longer two individuals, we were one...