Chapter
1. Alien Attack
"Angry
Aliens at 9 o'clock!" the Commander yelled
as he dashed to the controls. Warning
sirens were screeching all over his tiny
space cruiser.
"And
at 3 o'clock as well!" Joe-Computer, the
ship computer-navigator pointed out.
"Right!"
the Commander noted, locking in on both
ships.
"Greeting-Contact
has failed," Joe-Computer added, annoyed
that it had to speak rather loudly to
be heard over the sirens.
The Commander nodded, and he tried to
switch off the sirens. Unfortunately,
the situation was far too serious for
The Ship to allow him to manually override
the emergency system. And Joe-Computer
and The Ship still hadn't gotten over
that silly disagreement they'd had, so
Joe-Computer would be no help in persuading
The Ship to turn off the alarms. The Commander
sure wished he had remembered to bring
ear plugs along on the mission.
"Steady
now," he said to his co-pilot beside him,
without unlocking his gaze from the windshield,
his eyes darting back and forth between
the two vibrating-orange-glowing Rigmorfin
spaceships just up ahead. "Let's ease
closer so we can make face-to-face contact…"
"But
not too close!" he added as the Rigmorfin
ships began to shake more violently and
the glow turned red and glared brighter
from both of them.
Slowly his vessel descended towards them.
"Warning!"
Joe-Computer coughed out urgently. "We
are now at Code Red!"
The Commander reached for his communicator.
"Attention! This is Peace Command Officer
KindMan-One. You are at Level Red. Do
you need assistance?"
The Monitor came on in Peace Command
Officer KindMan-One's cruiser. On a split
screen, he now saw the two Rigmorfins
in their alien ships angrily waving their
purple tentacles at each other. Each of
their six Rigmorfin heads was shrieking
loud high-pitched sounds that made Commander
KindMan-One certain his head would explode.
The aliens' normally green faces were
now a violent red and steam was rising
off their gelatinous bodies as they waved
their tentacles viciously about.
"Yikes!"
Joe-Computer gasped. It was not a pretty
sight.
"I
repeat," Commander KindMan-One called
out over the Communicator. He glanced
down to make sure the translator-controls
were set so that his words would be heard
in Rigmorfin. "Do you need assistance?"
In their own ships, each of the two Rigmorfin
aliens turned their angry six heads towards
the Kindness Cruiser. "Loggity Dimbooey!"
they screeched in a chorus of deafening
sounds.
Commander KindMan-One rolled his eyes
in agony, then opened them to notice the
Rigmorfins were tapping on their control
panels with a dozen waving tentacles.
Suddenly a bay opened at the front of
each alien ship and two canons slid outwards,
pointing at the Kindness Cruiser.
"Steady,
KindnessKit" Commander KindMan-One said
to his co-pilot. "Put the Shields on full…"
"You'd
better brace yourselves!" Joe-Computer
added.
The Rigmorfin canons were fully extended
and began to glow violently. Commander
KindMan-One held onto the arms of his
chair and held his breath.
Suddenly a tongue stuck out of the end
of each canon and blew nasty raspberries
at the Kindness Cruiser. Spit went flying
and splattered all over the Kindness Cruiser
windshield.
"Huh!
KindnessKit where's the Shields?" Commander
KindMan-One gasped, but without a moment's
hesitation he quickly tapped the controls
and the windshield wipers came on, clearing
the view. With another tap on the controls,
the KindnessShields were on full power
and the next raspberries harmlessly bounced
off and dispersed into space.
Commander KindMan-One glanced at his CoPilot-KindnessKit
for only a second before he grabbed the
communicator. He didn't want to say anything,
but this was the third time this week
KindnessKit had been too slow on the controls.
"Look
you guys," Commander KindMan-One said,
focusing back on the aliens. "I'm here
to help you disarm. I know you don't want
to hurt each other or anyone else for
that matter. Let's just stop for a moment
and take a second to step back. You guys
can work it out. I know you can..."
The raspberries flew at the ship more
and more violently.
"Commander,
the ship can't take much more of this…"
Joe-Computer warned.
Commander KindMan-One thought fast and
tapped on the panel. Soft, gentle calming
music streamed out of the speakers mounted
on the outside of his cruiser.
Twelve angry Rigmorfin faces glared at
Commander KindMan-One and CoPilot-KindnessKit
on their Screen Monitors. Two-dozen angry
tentacles tapped on their control panel.
Suddenly electric guitars were screeching
out of the alien-ships' speakers, completely
drowning out the peaceful music.
Commander KindMan-One sighed. "I hate
to have to do this guys, but you've left
me no choice. I'm going to have to blast
you."
He sighed again, and tapped on his control
panel. A double-barreled bay on the front
of the Kindness Cruiser opened up and
two shiny canons projected outwards. Commander
KindMan-One leaned back in his chair with
his finger poised over the firing button.
He closed his eyes and began to breathe
deeply. In a moment he was completely
relaxed. "May Peace Prevail On Earth,"
he whispered and pressed the button.
Suddenly there was a burst of light around
each alien ship. When Commander KindMan-One
opened his eyes, the alien ships were
no longer glaring an angry red. Instead
they both hummed a warm soft glow.
In his split-screen Monitor, Commander
KindMan-One saw the twelve Rigmorfin faces
smiling at him. "Thank you, Commander
KindMan-One!" they chimed in perfect harmony.
Commander KindMan-One smiled. "You're
welcome guys. Try not to wander into the
Red Zone again, okay. The Raging Flares
have been really violent lately and, well,
you've seen what can happen when they
hit your ships. You guys had a nasty case
of Earthitis!"
The Rigmorfins nodded. "Thanks again,
Captain Kindness!" they said and twenty-four
tentacles flashed him the peace sign,
and then did The Kindness Roll.
Commander KindMan-One blushed when he
heard what they'd called him. News sure
travels fast in space, he thought. Why
he'd only been knighted as Captain Kindness
the day before yesterday! Actually, he'd
completely forgotten his new title. It
was going to take some time to get used
to it. He saluted them with a Kindness
Roll as their ship sped away back into
the Safe Zone.
Commander KindMan-One, er, that is Captain
Kindness, watched them a moment, and sighed.
"That's the second time today the normal
Kindness Vibes didn't do the trick and
we've had to use the Pure-Love-Rays,"
he said to CoPilot KindnessKit.
"Third,"
Joe-Computer corrected.
His train of thought distracted, Captain
Kindness squinted, trying to recall the
third confrontation they'd had that day.
Try as he might, he just couldn't remember.
Joe-Computer was never wrong, so why couldn't
he remember? These space days were taking
their toll and they still had their big
mission to complete.
Reading his mind Joe-Computer pointed
out, "We're going to have to do some heavy-duty
refueling on Pure-Love-Energy."
Captain Kindness nodded. "I still can't
get over how far the Red Zone has spread
this year. I'd guess about 100,000 light
years further than it was last season,
wouldn't you think, KindnessKit?"
No answer.
He'd purposely emphasized that he was
asking KindnessKit because this blasted
ship Computer they'd been assigned always
had to monopolize every conversation with
its vast knowledge base. Poor KindnessKit
never got to get a word in. "Peace on,
peace on, peace on," the computer began
hiccupping, as it always did whenever
it was nervous, excited, or asked to be
quiet for a moment.
The hiccupping got worse, but still no
answer from KindnessKit.
"106,
382.45 light years…" Joe-Computer finally
burst out, unable to contain itself.
"KindnessKit?"
Commander KindMan-One said more urgently
and turned to his faithful CoPilot.
KindnessKit tried to raise his head to
face him, but slumped forward and the
light went out of his eyes. Captain Kindness
jumped up and dashed over.
"Oh
my gosh! Are you alright, KindnessKit?"
But CoPilot KindnessKit was motionless.
Commander KindMan-One started to panic,
"Joe, quick, call 911…" he gasped.
But then he noticed the blinking LCD light
on KindnessKit's side. It must have been
blinking for days. Joe-Computer snorted
and rolled its eyeodes.
"I'm
so sorry, KindnessKit!" he burst out.
"I forgot to change your battery! Has
it been 1,000 years already?" He checked
his watch. Sure enough.
"Time
flies!" Joe-Computer observed, in his
most sarcastic tone.
With a fresh battery from the supply shute,
KindnessKit was purring peacefully in
no time at all. Captain Kindness affectionately
scratched him under the chin for a while,
until KindnessKit reminded him they had
a lot more space to cover before they
reached the coordinates to begin the special
mission they were assigned.
"You're
right, little guy," he laughed as KindnessKit
leaped onto the control panel and started
tapping with his paws.
"Coordinates
set," Joe-Computer confirmed, with a hiccup
or two, as KindnessKit meowed and leaped
onto KindMan-One's lap for a little catnap.
Captain Kindness rubbed KindnessKit gently
on the head as the Kindness Cruiser swung
around and set off deep into the Red Zone,
further than any Peace Commander had
ever dared to go.
Chapter
2. The Dreaded Red Zone
"Once
upon a time the Universe lived in relative
peace and harmony. Of course there were
conflicts, but living creatures respected
each other and the planets they inhabited
and treated each other with kindness,
and this helped them to work out their
problems peacefully.
"As
life on other planets was discovered,
fair and just planetary systems were agreed
upon to ensure the peaceful coexistence
of the many diverse cultures and ways
of life that abounded in the vast Universe.
Thus was set the foundation for the great
Inter-Galactic Federation that presided
over three millennia of peace."
KindnessKit put the Briefing Video on
pause and snuggled in closer to Captain
Kindness, barely peaking out through half-closed
eyes. They'd watched this video a hundred
times in preparation for their new mission,
but each time the next part always made
him cringe.
Obviously, Joe-Computer wasn't keen on
replaying the next part either. It was
hiccupping like crazy and pretended to
be otherwise occupied when Captain Kindness
pressed the remote to continue.
"Ship
Computer!" Captain Kindness said sternly
after the third attempt to coax it to
restart the video.
"Peace
on, peace on, peace on … Oh, alright!"
Joe-Computer agreed reluctantly.
"No
one knows for sure where the Raging Cloud
of '29 came from, but the havoc it struck
throughout the universe was all too clear.
Wherever it passed, three thousand years
of Peace was left in shambles and only
half-memories. Wherever the Raging Cloud
came, living creatures everywhere suddenly
forgot how to get along.
"The
damage was extensive and far reaching
but nowhere was worse than in the dreaded
Red Zone - a cluster of galaxies where
the Raging Cloud seemed to settle."
Captain Kindness, KindnessKit, Joe-Computer
and even the Ship itself shuddered.
Captain Kindness suddenly felt thirsty
and put the video on pause. But it kept
playing.
"No
way," Joe-Computer insisted. "We're just
getting to the good part now…"
Captain Kindness sighed, and shrugging
sat back in his chair. KindnessKit purred
away.
"The
Inter-Galactic Federation had nearly been
destroyed, and the Universe would have
dissolved into chaos had it not been for
an ancient society called the Knights
of Kindness who, legend held, had helped
to bring peace to the Universe three thousand
years ago.
"The
Knights of Kindness quickly leaped into
action, traversing the farthest reaches
of the great Universe in their Kindness
Cruisers. Wherever they went, they helped
to bring peace back to Aliens everywhere.
They combated conflict utilizing their
ultimate weapons of peace -- one part
dialogue, one-part mediation, one-part
conflict resolution, two-parts kindness,
and all held together and reinforced with
three measures of Pure Love Energy.
"In
Less than a year, Peace had been restored
to most of the Universe. Except for the
Red Zone, which at first was small and
contained to a few thousand light year
radius around the Planet Earth in the
Sol Solar System.
"But
each year the Red Zone has grown wider
as Negative Rays of anger, greed and fear
have continued to burst out from the heart
of the Red Zone, keeping the Knights of
Kindness busy Keeping the Peace.
"No
Kindness Knight has ever been able to
enter deep enough into the Red Zone to
reach the epicenter of the Raging Cloud
around the Planet Earth.
"But
recently the Greatest PeaceMakers of the
Universe have detected a wave of CyberPeace
emanating from the heart of the Red Zone
that may allow access to planet Earth
itself…"
"Ooh…
ooh…" Joe Computer burst out. "Here comes
the part about you…"
"Shush…"
Captain Kindness whispered.
"Our
bravest PeaceMaker, Captain Kindness himself,
has volunteered for this dangerous mission,
in order to bring peace to Earth, which
as we all know, will vanquish the Raging
Cloud and establish peace forever in our
Universe.
"May
Peace Prevail On Earth … May Peace Prevail
Throughout The Universe…"
The screen went silent.
"I
still get all choked up every time I see
that," Joe-Computer sniffled. "I'm just
so honored to be serving with you, Sir,"
he coughed.
"Meow,"
Co-Pilot KindnessKit agreed and snuggled
closer, putting his purr-motor in overdrive.
Captain Kindness blushed as he always
did. "Come on guys, you're just as brave
as me. Together we'll succeed and we'll
bring peace on earth."
"Hooray,"
they all cheered.
Captain Kindness wiped his brow. "Sure
is getting warm in here," he commented.
He knew, of course, that it was because
they were getting quite deep into the
Red Zone, maybe a hundred million light
years from Earth, now. But he'd thought
the shields would have protected them
better.
"We'd
better find that wave of CyberPeace fast,"
he mumbled.
Joe-Computer was thinking the same thing.
"According to our calculations, it should
focalize any nanosecond, Sir," he said,
somewhat unconvincingly. His circuits
were feeling a little more toasty than
he preferred them to feel, so it was a
little hard to muster up a convincing
tone.
Then suddenly they all saw the Cyber-
wave out the windshield.
"Peace
on … peace on … peace on… Oh my," Joe-Computer
gasped. "It's not quite as big as we'd
hoped, now is it."
"No,"
Captain Kindness sighed. "And it's getting
a little too hot to risk us all trying
to ride in on it." He hesitated a moment,
knowing he was going to have to argue
his case. "I'm going to have to go it
alone," he said, "and you'll have to pull
the ship back to a safer distance outside
the Red Zone. I'll call you for the return
trip out."
"Okay.
Peace on, peace on, peace on,.," Joe-Computer
agreed eagerly, but KindnessKit wasn't
going to let him away from his side.
"Look
little KindnessKit. I need you to pilot
the ship. I'm counting on you, pal."
How could KindnessKit argue with that?
So it was settled. Captain Kindness pulled
on his Heaviest-Duty Kindness Suit and
Co-Pilot KindnessKit typed in the hyperlink
they'd detected that would allow him to
ride in on the wave of Cyber Peace.
Co-Pilot KindnessKit slid down and snuggled
against Captain Kindness's leg. "I'll
be back, KindnessKit," Captain Kindness
sighed, and then he sat down in the pilot's
seat and got ready to press the hyperlink.
Captain Kindness took a deep breath. "Okay,
Guys," he whispered, "think Kind thoughts
… May Peace Prevail On Earth… May Peace
Prevail On Earth…"
"Hyperlink
optimized," Joe-Computer whispered politely,
then hiccupped as quietly as he could.
Captain Kindness pressed the enter key.
A nanosecond later he was gone, whooshing
through Cyberspace.
Chapter
3. The Weekly Better World Kids Team Meeting
The
Better World Kids had just materialized
in Cyberspace, like they do every Friday
afternoon for their weekly Better World
Kids Team meeting. They'd stopped wondering
long ago how they appeared together in
Cyberspace, and just enjoyed it. Sometimes
they were able to bring friends with them
to their meetings. This week, however,
they had an unexpected visitor from a
galaxy far, far, far, far, far, far, really
really far far away.
"The
weekly meeting of the Better World Kids Team
is now called to order," Ahmed was just
saying as he typed onto his laptop. Then
all of the sudden the Better World Kids heard
a whoooshhhhing sound over the top of
their heads and saw a rainbow blast of
color whiz by.
"What
was that?" everyone gasped. At first it
had looked like a giant alien-looking
creature in a spacesuit, but then it shrank
so quickly that before they even realized
what they'd seen, it was so small they
couldn't see anything.
"Uh,
sorry, it's just me," they heard a voice
say, somewhere above them. But they didn't
see anything.
"Over
here," the voice said.
The Better World Kids squinted and stared
where they thought they heard the voice
coming from. Then they saw him, but just
barely - a super tiny alien-looking guy
in a spacesuit.
"Huh,
who are you?" the Better World Kids gasped.
"Why,
I'm Commander KindMan-One. Er, that is,
I'm Captain Kindness," the tiny visitor
stated as he floated above their heads.
Although he was so small, they could hear
his voice loud and clear.
"Well,
actually my name is really Hector Narrow-Bottom,"
the visitor admitted. "Naturally, with
a name like that I was happy to become
Peace Officer KindMan, and of course honored
to have been named Commander KindMan-One
after 25 years as a Knight of Kindness
in The Service of the PeaceForce. I was
just knighted Captain Kindness, the day
before yesterday, in fact, and I must
say it is my greatest thrill to serve
the Inter-Galactic Peace Federation for
Peace in the Universe."
"But
you're so small - how can you be Captain
Kindness?" Johnny, one of the youngest
Better World Kids asked.
"Well,
I'm not that small back where I come from,"
Captain Kindness insisted. "Truth is,
I'm not feeling myself right now. But
besides, never underestimate the power
of Kindness, my good sir," Captain Kindness
said.
"Whoa,
like do you have super powers?" José
asked.
"Not
really, just the usual Kindness Knight
abilities to make peace with a single
calming word. Dissolve fear with an act
of kindness. Break apart jealousy with
a hug. Mend conflicts with a moment of
silent listening. And of course when all
my peacemaking skills fail, I have my
trusty Kindness-Blaster, filled with the
purest of the Universe's pure love energy.
But I guess I did forget to refuel, didn't
I … and I was getting kind of low…" Captain
Kindness paused a moment and his voice
sounded all raspy.
"Sorry
I'm not making too much sense," he wheezed.
"I'm feeling kind of woozy. I know we're
not exactly on Earth here in Cyberspace,
but I think I'm feeling a touch of Earthitis
coming on… Do you think you guys can help
me out here…"
"Uh,
sure," the Better World Kids said at once.
"What do you need us to do?"
"Okay,
well, I'm feeling lots of negativity trying
to take my mind over. It's leaking into
Cyberspace from Earth. I'm straining to
keep it out of my head. Could you all
just please think Kind thoughts. Your
positivity would really replenish my peace
waves."
"Uh
… okay…" the Better World Kids stammered.
It all sounded pretty alien to them. But
then, that's exactly what Captain Kindness
was, so it sort of made sense.
"Alright
everyone, close your eyes and concentrate
on saying the most sacred of all the expressions
in the Universe with me."
"Okay,"
everyone said, with their eyes tightly
closed, wondering just what the most sacred
of all expressions in the Universe would
turn out to be.
"May
peace prevail on earth," Captain Kindness
said softly.
"Huh?"
the Better World Kids gasped. Seemed like
an odd think for an alien to be wishing
for, but they did as Captain Kindness
asked, joining him in repeating the words
slowly again and again.
After a few moments, Captain Kindness
was breathing normally again. And he was
a lot bigger. He towered over them as
he floated above their heads. He zipped
across the emptiness of cyberspace, whooshing
overhead in a blur of rainbow colors.
"I
feel good," Captain Kindness exclaimed.
"I feel GRRRRREAT! Thanks so much! You
Better World Kids really generate a great
Kindness Energy - I never felt so alive!"
Needless to say, the Better World Kids had
a lot of questions for Captain Kindness.
But the one that interested them the most
was why "May Peace Prevail On Earth" was
the most sacred of all expressions - and
how had their saying it helped restore
Captain Kindness's strength?
Captain Kindness floated back and forth
above their heads and told them all about
the Inter-Galactic Peace Federation, and
how all the aliens of the Universe lived
in peace. Except for Earth, of course.
On account of the Raging Cloud that had
settled over the Earth, creating the dreaded
Red Zone.
He told them that for thousands of years
aliens everywhere have said, "May Peace
Prevail On Earth," knowing that someday,
when there is peace on earth, Earthlings
will be able to join the Universal Peace
Federation, and there will be peace everywhere
in the Universe. "This single expression
has been said so much with so much kindness,
peace and love energy behind it" he told
them, "that it is the most magical expression
of all, now."
The Better World Kids told Captain Kindness
that they used that expression, too. It
did help them quiet their minds sometimes,
or feel close to each other, when they
said it after a moment of silence together.
But it didn't really have 'magic' in it.
"Well,
that's because on Earth there's so much
negativity that the Kindness Energy can't
focalize enough to create what you'd call
magic. But here in Cyberspace, it looks
like you Better World Kids can generate so
much Kindness Energy that you can do almost
anything."
The Better World Kids had to agree that in
cyberspace their adventures were magical!
They felt really good about themselves
as they realized that it was their heartfelt
wish for peace that caused their Better World Kids Team meetings to send them on such
unusual adventures. They all were quiet
a moment, enjoying the silence together.
"What's
the Universe like?" Erin asked after a
moment or so. All the Better World Kids were
eager to learn more about the Universe,
now that they'd found out that Earth wasn't
the only planet with life on it.
Captain Kindness told them about some
of the most amazing things in the Universe.
"Actually, we could probably take a quick
spin around the universe, if you wanted
to," Captain Kindness said. "I'll bet
with your peace powers, you Better World
Kids could transport us back to my Kindness
Cruiser in an instant, and then we could
take a tour of the 7 Wonders of the Universe."
The Better World Kids loved the idea. "What
are the coordinates of your Kindness Cruiser,"
Ahmed asked as he got ready to type them
into his laptop. He was the Better World Kids
Team Secretary, and it was when he typed
a web address on his computer that the
Better World Kids were able to be transported
through CyberSpace together to enjoy all
the adventures that they'd been on.
Captain Kindness told the coordinates
to Ahmed. Then they all joined in a circle
and concentrated on the magical expression
they all loved, "May Peace Prevail On
Earth." Ahmed clicked the link and suddenly
they were all standing together on the
deck of the Kindness Cruiser.
"Peacetastic!"
Captain Kindness exclaimed.
Chapter
4. The Seven Wonders of the Universe
The
Better World Kids really loved meeting
Co-Pilot KindnessKit. "He's SO CUTE!"
they all laughed. They really flipped
when they heard his purr-motor going after
they rubbed him under the chin.
"Yep,
KindnessKit was the first Kitty I put
together, back when I was just a kid.
Wouldn't even ever think of getting a
newer model. Nope, KindnessKit and I have
been through everything together. Just
have to remember to change his batteries,
every thousand years or so."
The Better World Kids really got a kick out
of Joe-Computer, too. They didn't even
seem to mind how he went on and on about
everything, showing off his vast wealth
of knowledge. They just thought it was
so cool to have a super computer like
that who could talk to you. The hiccupping
did get on their nerves a bit after a
while, though.
The Better World Kids felt amazingly proud
when Captain Kindness asked them to join
him in refueling the ship with Pure Love
Energy. "We'll be able to refuel in no
time with the Kindness Energy you Better World Kids have got going!" he assured them.
Sure enough, it wasn't very long at all
after they'd sat in a circle quietly focusing
on peace and love and the sacred expression,
"May Peace Prevail On Earth," that Joe-Computer
quietly, then more loudly interrupted
their quiet time. "Sir, we're completely
filled to the brim," he stated. "And,
I might add, with the highest octane I've
ever seen!"
Captain Kindness took them on a quick
tour of the Universe, showing them so
many amazing sites that it would take
a whole book to describe them all. The
Better World Kids had to admit that the 7
Wonders of the Universe really were the
most amazing things they could imagine.
They zipped through space from one landmark
to the next, instantly in a heartbeat
after they whispered the sacred expression
together after a moment of silence. Commander
KindMan-One couldn't stop marveling at
how powerful their Kindness Energy was.
There was so much to see that the Better World Kids couldn't decide which of the 7 Wonders
was their favorite. There were the Great
Pyramid Planets of the Egyptolonia7 Galaxy,
whose gravitational pull caused them to
dance together in a perfectly choreographed
display every afternoon.
There were the Hanging Gardens of Planet
Babylonia with the most beautiful gigantic
and strangest-looking flowers and plants
the Better World Kids could have imagined
hanging from puffy clouds.
And the Great Zeusophone that towered
over the planet Olympiata, trumpeting
waves of joy that thundered throughout
the universe.
The Planet Ephesus was home to the famous
Art-Em-Is-Great Temple, which captivated
them as it displayed a new work of artistic
beauty each instant. Each glimpse of beauty
was pulsed out to the Universe providing
the creative spark for all works of art
that would be created.
In the Halicarnassus Galaxy there were
22 planets filled with statues of the
Universes' greatest peacemakers. Each
monument towered a thousand feet into
the sky and blazed a different color of
the rainbow.
There was the firey statue on the planet
Rhodes that was so huge and colossal that
it lit up the sky and brought life-bringing
warmth to a thousand once-barren planets
that floated nearby.
And of course there was the Great Lighthouse
at the very center of the universe, on
the Alexandria Asteroid, that pulsed out
a beacon of hope each instant as it whispered,
"May Peace Prevail On Earth." The Better World Kids could hear the whisper echo throughout
the entire universe and they were filled
with a real sense of hope that someday
this wish would indeed come true.
The Better World Kids were so grateful to
Captain Kindness for showing them these
wonders and so much more. They were only
too happy to help Captain Kindness to
see the wonders of their world, especially
since that was his mission and they wanted
to do whatever they could to help him
accomplish it.
Chapter
5. What a Wonderful World!
Joe-Computer
was a little hesitant at first when Captain
Kindness asked the kids to use their Kindness
Energy to transport the Kindness Cruiser
into Cyberspace. He remembered only too
well the singey feeling that came over
him when they first tried to enter the
Red Zone. But Captain Kindness was sure
the Better World Kids would have no difficulty
transporting them into Cyberspace.
Getting to the actual planet, however.
was a completely different matter. Captain
Kindness realized that even the Better World Kids wouldn't be able to generate enough
Kindness Energy to bring the Kindness
Cruiser to the Earth's surface. There
was just too much negativity.
"But
we can go home after our meetings?" Jamal
said, echoing the other Better World Kids'
thoughts.
"The
negativity has been hanging over the earth
for so long," Captain Kindness explained,
"that Earthlings are used to it. They're
not immune, of course. We've seen some
nasty things going on in our remote viewing
facilities. People break out with nasty
cases of Earthitis all the time, doing
really mean things to each other…"
The Better World Kids had to admit that unfortunately
violence was all too common in their world.
"But
there's a lot of good, too!" the Better World Kids assured Captain Kindness.
After they'd materialized in Cyberspace,
the Better World Kids took Captain Kindness
on a virtual tour of the planet, showing
him just how much kindness and beauty
the Earth had to offer. Ahmed's fingers
were getting tired from typing in all
the web addresses as they leaped from
one hyperlink to the next to show their
new friends as many Earth-sites as they
could.
They showed him beautiful landscapes and
sunsets, beaches and forests. They showed
him towering skyscrapers and bridges that
scanned giant bodies of water. They showed
him people working together to help feed
the hungry and people helping to heal
the sick. They brought him to celebrations
where people danced and sang and prayed
together and the feeling of love and connectedness
was so strong you could practically see
it floating in the air.
"There
really is a lot of Kindness Energy here
on Earth!" Captain Kindness marveled.
"Much more than we realized!"
Unfortunately they couldn't help seeing
some of the negative things, too. Captain
Kindness sighed after they'd accidentally
landed on a website that talked about
a war that was going on. "Gosh, this really
could be a wonderful world, if only people
tried harder to get along with each other."
"And
treated the earth with respect, too,"
the Better World Kids agreed. Then they hyperlinked
to another site that showed how compassionate
people can be and Joe-Computer couldn't
help commenting, "I've weighed the good
and the bad, and there's quite a lot of
both here. But overall, there is great
cause for hope of peace on earth after
all…"
Everyone agreed.
Chapter
6. I'll Be Back
Captain
Kindness would have been quite content
to continue sightseeing for much longer
- he really liked Earth a lot. But as
they were just about to glide along another
hyperlink, Joe-Computer called out, "Hang
on, Ahmed. It appears that the Cyberwindow
is narrowing quite a bit. We'll have to
leave soon, if we want to make it back
out."
"Perhaps
it's because it's getting late and we
really should be adjourning our Better World Kids Team meeting," Sunanda pointed out.
"Ah,
that would explain it," Captain Kindness
agreed. "But can you Better World Kids explain
something else. We've noticed the Cyberwave
peaks at specific times. It's much stronger
at those times. If we can figure out why,
then maybe we can find a way to help peace
on earth to come."
Captain Kindness had Joe-Computer check
over the records. "Obviously the Friday
afternoon peaks are due to your Better World Kids Team meetings. That creates a narrow
but clear channel into Cyberspace," Joe
Computer began as he searched his memory
banks.
"A
narrow, but nice clear channel at Noon
in each time zone…" he continued.
"People
all around the world join at Noon each
day in saying 'May Peace Prevail on Earth'"
José exclaimed.
"If
only more people would join in," Maya
sighed, "It would create a larger beacon
of hope.
"There
are two specific times of year when the
channel is the clearest," Joe-Computer
continued. "It looks like there's a huge
spike on September 21 and the one leading
up to December 25 on up until January
1 when there's another big spike."
Hearing this made the children very excited.
They all began speaking at once, explaining
just why this was happening. Embarrassed,
they apologized to one another and urged
everyone else to continue. But they didn't
have to re-explain, because Captain Kindness
had easily been able to process what each
of the Better World Kids had said.
He heard Erin, Jamal, Solomon and Erin
say that September 21 was the International
Day of Peace, a day that the United Nations
urged all the world to join together to
create a day of ceasefire and peace.
He heard Ling, Johnny, Michiko and Ahmed
say that during the Christmas season people
were much more likely to be thinking about
things like peace on earth and goodwill.
And he heard Maya and Sunanda explain
that January 1 was One Day in Peace, a
chance for the world to begin the new
year with a day of peace and sharing.
"Well,"
Captain Kindness laughed and he was really
excited. "Wait until everyone hears about
all this. We can join in all around the
Universe sending you peaceful wishes at
those times. That will increase the peace
field and help shrink the Raging Cloud."
"And
maybe this year for the International
Day of Peace, people will make it the
most peaceful ever," Ling exclaimed.
"And
the Kindness Energy will be so powerful
it'll spill over the whole world…" Jamal
added.
"And
it'll make that Raging Cloud go away…"
Sunanda continued.
"Which
will help Earthitis from spreading," Johnny
said.
"So
people won't be so out of control and
can remember to be kind and compassionate,"
Michiko exclaimed.
Everyone was really excited and very hopeful.
"Sir
the window is shrinking fast" Joe Computer
warned.
"I
guess we'd better go," Captain Kindness
sighed. He was really sad to be going.
"But I know that we'll be back really
soon, with a clear channel right to the
heart of the planet. I just know that
someday soon there will be peace on earth
and then finally there will be peace throughout
the universe."
The Better World Kids hugged Captain Kindness,
KindnessKit and even Joe-Computer's monitor.
They joined together in a moment of silence,
and after they said, "May Peace Prevail
On Earth" together, the Better World Kids
found they were sitting in the familiar
emptiness of Cyberspace looking up at
the Kindness Cruiser floating up ahead.
"Goodbye!"
KindnessKit and Captain Kindness waved
through the windshield. Then in a blur
of rainbow color they zipped up, up and
away through cyberspace off to the most
distant reaches of the Universe.
"Wow!"
the Better World Kids sighed. "This sure was
some meeting!"
The Better World Kids logged off and went
back to their homes with even more reason
to try to make this year's Peace Day the
best ever.
As each drifted off to sleep that night
in their own part of the world, they were
almost sure they could hear Captain Kindness's
voice somewhere out in the great universe
whispering "May Peace Prevail on earth."
And Co-Pilot KindnessKit's purr-motor,
humming away contentedly, too, not to
mention Joe-Computer's hiccupping "Peace
on … peace on ..."
There were smiles on the faces of every
one of the Better World Kids as they thought
about the fact that there was already
peace in the rest of the universe and
someday finally there would be peace on
earth.
