The League of United Planets

 … The League of United Planets received more requests for memberships than it could comfortably handle, but it still took the time to review each request. Eventually, it developed the technology to create stable Wormholes between the several Sectors of its Quadrant, which allowed it to travel to them almost instantly.

It had been nearly four hundred fifty years since Bob’s chance meeting with Gheron on his farm and the subsequent creation of the League Charter, and things were going great. Bob had called Gheron and Bill and asked to see them as soon as possible.

“You do not need to request to see us, my son,” Gheron said when he and William arrived. “You can just pop in.”

“And you also know that I will not just do that. I’m still just a human being, and I respect who and what you are,” Bob explained. “I will not abuse this power given to me.”

“We understand, old friend. What is on your mind, Bob?” Bill asked as he poured himself and Gheron a drink from Bob’s liquor cabinet.

“I was thinking of going to the center of the Universe to check things out, and I wanted your input,” he answered.

“You can do that?… Scratch that. I’m pretty sure you can do that,” Bill said as he took a drink. “Is there any particular reason why?”

“It’s there, and I’ve never been,” he answered. “Besides that. Meridian and the Trinity seem to think that I shouldn’t do it. And you know me.”

“Yes, we do,” Gheron agreed. “Do they give reasons why you shouldn’t go there?”

“Only that there’s nothing there now after everything has been expanding spherically outwards for the past thirteen and a half billion years,” Bob explained.

“Expanding spherically, you say?” Gheron asked.

“That’s the way I figure it. I think of our entire Universe as a bubble. It formed nearly fourteen billion years ago and has been expanding outwards ever since. A bubble that is, only God knows how big,” he suggested. “And still expanding, I think. I’m wondering, though, if there are other bubbles out in the gigantic nothing that is space. Maybe a couple hundred billion light years away, another bubble is expanding with an entirely different Universe inside. Who knows. Maybe there are as many Universes out there as Galaxies in ours.”

“I don’t know, son. Astrophysicists have been debating over that idea for centuries,” Gheron offered.

“I know. And I don’t want to rain on their parade,” Bob offered.

“So why do you need us?” Bill asked.

“Well. I don’t just want to flash there directly. I don’t want to get there, find a marble-sized remnant of the singularity, and get stuck there,” he answered. “I’m unsure if I can flash by or through a Black Hole. I’d like to have some sort of road map. Galaxy hop, so to speak. I’ll need all the latest information on the Universe.”

“I see,” Bill stated. “I’ll see what I can do for you. I’m not thrilled about this trip, but I know I won’t try to stop you either.”

“When were you planning on leaving?” Gheron asked.

“In a couple of years. I have to study up on the data first,” Bob answered.

“A part of me wishes that I could go along, and then there’s the practical part of me that says no way,” Gheron offered.

“I won’t lie. I’m a little frightened, too,” Bob admitted. “Well, supper should be ready. Let’s go eat.”

Bob had said his goodbyes four years later, and he flashed out…

When Bob opened his eyes, he first saw a bright white light. He blinked and then blinked again until his eyes became accustomed to the brightness. He could make out figures, and he heard strange but familiar noises. He saw his daughter and his family. It took him a few minutes to realize that he was in a hospital bed. His brother ran out to get a doctor.

After a few hours of explaining and answering questions, he found out that he had a tumor and that it had put him in a coma for nearly one year now. A few weeks later, he was well enough to go back home. He recovered and still couldn’t believe that what he thought he had experienced for over four hundred years was only a dream while he was in a coma. He wanted to believe that he had been transported back from when he flashed to the center of the Universe. Perhaps that was why he was told not to go there. They knew that this could happen. He tried and tried to call for the Trinity and the Larrians for help, but he saw no one.

One day, he was out fishing with Bill, and he told him about what he had experienced. He called him William Mont from the planet Vergon to gauge his reaction. Bill seemed to hold it together quite nicely. He asked Bob what he was babbling on about.

“Are you okay, Bob?” he asked. “Are you having some sort of relapse?”

“Please cut the crap Bill,” Bob pleaded. “I hated not confiding in you back then.”

“Back when, Bob? It didn’t happen,” Bill stated. “No ship crashing. No aliens. It was a dream.”

“You can trust me, Bill. I didn’t tell anyone about Gheron or Leah for centuries until you finally showed up and told me who you were. And I won’t tell anyone about you or Jordan either,” Bob offered.

That’s good to know,” Bill stated. “I wouldn’t want people thinking that I’m some sort of alien or worse, that you lost some of your marbles while you were in that coma.”

Over the next several years, Bob would tell Bill and Chester about what he had experienced. He told them about the Cyborg attack on Berillion, the refugees, and how he helped them. He explained as best he could about the creation of The League of United Planets and how Gheron had taken a chance, approached the first few planets, and convinced them to sign on afterward. He described Berillion, Vergon, Pogh, Deron, and the many other worlds that he had visited—all in great detail.

Bob continued to search the stars with his telescopes and called out to the Trinity and the Larrians. He even called out to Babe, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she would hear him and come.

Bob spent most of his time with his daughter and family now that he had been given what he figured was a second chance at a life he had missed out on. Bob lived and died on his farm in Minnesota. He was ninety when they laid him to rest.

The End.