Here we are, said Beenan, as they hovered high over the area. It looked like a transparent cube, floating in space. It was motionless.

The edges of the cube were green lines of radiating light. There was an opening in one end of the cube that looked like an open doorway. Beenan took the parade down to the doorway. They all peered inside. There was nothing to see, except more green lines, stretching in all directions. What is all this, asked Kirby? As we pass through this maze, said Beenan, we will be pushed around here and there, by various forces. Each time you hit a green memory line, your thoughts will go to a funny time in your past, that coincides with the time frequency of the line you hit. The thicker lines represent very early in your life, while the thin lines activate more recent events. If you bounce too quickly between the green lines and hit one right after another, you will not get a succession of funny memories. Instead, you will extend the life of the first memory. If something seems hilarious and you want to extend the fun, just hit another green line quickly, or better yet, stay beside it and hit it periodically, for a sustained effect.

The yellow floating dots are belly laugh dots. Each of us has had an uncontrollable laughing fit, a few times in our lives. The yellow dots will trigger those memories related to the time frequency of the dot. Again, the large dots go way back to your childhood and the smaller dots are more recent. Hitting them repetitiously will enhance the first memory. The larger blue spheres are a different story.

At the other end of the maze, on the way out, is the Positive reminder Fog. This Fog conjures up memories of your past accomplishments and exaggerates them, to inflate your ego a little. When you come out of the Fog, you feel real good about yourself. From there, you leave the maze. The exit is called Funny Bone Gate. It gives the sensation of being tickled while passing through. There is nothing to harm anyone in here and you may leave simply by willing yourself out. C'mon, said Bishop, let's go. They all entered at once.

The force fields took over and everyone began to move with the flow. Cliff watched while Beem hit a green bar. He began to chuckle. Marie hit one and she started to laugh. Cliff hadn't hit one yet, but he did hit a yellow dot. He hung on to the dot for a few seconds to see what happened. The memory it brought back was from his days in high school. At the graduation dance, he was acting rather childish, so while he was in the bleachers taking a break, his best buddy offered him his binoculars to watch the dancers with. Cliff grabbed them and hogged them for almost ten minutes. What he didn't know, was they left two black rings around his eyes. For the rest of the dance, every where he went, he generated laughter. Someone finally told him about the rings around his eyes. He went to the washroom to check it out and sure enough, huge black rings circled his eyes, where the glasses had touched. He was shocked at first, but he looked so funny he had to laugh himself. He decided to pretend he didn't know they were there and returned to the dance. He spent the whole night dancing like that, making everyone laugh, including himself. By holding on to the yellow dot, it reran the episode, up to where he discovered his plight. This almost brought tears to his eyes, he was laughing so much.

Soon everyone was laughing and bouncing so much, it was hilarious in itself. Even straight, old Allen was chuckling. Allen hadn't hit a blue dot yet, but he had hit two green lines. He was brought up in an atmosphere of coldness. His parents fell out of love with each other when he was only ten years old, but they stayed together for his sake. They didn't hesitate to let him know it, at every opportunity. He did have a couple of funny memories, like when his grade eleven teacher was sorting her roses in a new vase, she had acquired. Allen sat in the first row and just at the moment that his teacher dropped one of the roses, Allen farted. The class broke up with laughter.

Bishop, Beem and Bo were still bouncing around in the yellow dot area. That was their favorite place in the maze. They found that if they hit a green line together simultaneously, the memories brought forth often included the three of them. That way, they got to share some of their laughs. The three of them had shared many funny experiences together over the years. Because of their ages, they had many more funny memories stored away, than the humans. They could bounce forever, but Bishop noticed that Beenan had left already.

Bishop was the second one to leave. Kelly was passing through the Ego Fog and Cliff was right behind her. She was feeling very proud and pleased with herself. The memories of when she won her achievement award were still fresh in her mind. She was a broad jumper in high school and she was reminded of the trophies she won there also. Once, while her parents were gone on vacation, Kelly and her high school friends cleaned and polished the whole house, after a wild party the night before. They did such a good job of it, that her parents praised her for a week and even let her use the car. Kelly was feeling pretty good about herself. She wore a very solemn and wise mood, until she passed though Funny Bone Gate. The sensation made her break out into laughter again.

Cliff hurried back to the front gate and dove in. This time he did not fight it and let himself hit everything in sight. Kirby, Sarah and Marie were just coming out of the exit and Allen was right behind them. Bo and Beem, seeing they were being left behind, decided to exit also. Soon they were all outside and accounted for, including Cliff. That place is terrific, said Cliff. Too bad we couldn't film it. I can sketch it up from memory, said Kelly. It will be pretty close to a photo. You may not need to do that, said Bishop. You will probably get souvenirs to take back, just before you leave. Speaking of leaving, said Beem, I think we are running a little late, aren't we Beenan? Not by much, he replied. We could look around for a little while.

Allen and Kirby decided to lake a better look at Playland from the outside. It looked cubical, but it wasn't really. All the edges were smooth and it was closer in shape, to a practice golf ball, except for the flat sidedness. Controlling the power that contains everything, is what baffles me, said Allen, as they returned to the group. Region Two is power control, replied Beem, but we don't have time to visit that area on this trip.

Well I guess that is about the end of the astral trip, said Bishop. It’s time to return to the sphere. I was just starting to enjoy this astral form, said Kirby. Too bad we have to return so soon. You will get the opportunity to astral travel again I'm sure, said Bishop. All you have to do is take your conscious mind with you, when you dream.

Beenan signaled for them to follow him upward and away. They arrived back at their sphere. They stayed outside for a moment, looking in at their sleeping bodies. Look, said Kelly. My body has moved. How can that happen without me in there, she asked, looking at Beenan? When you astral travel, you don't leave your body entirely. There is still a connection, where you are in control. It works something like the umbilical cord. The cord is never severed, until the body is dead, although it does not require conscious thought, you still are in control. There are many functions the body can do while the spirit is away. Whatever functions your body performs, while you are asleep, can also be done while astral traveling and more, because you can send a conscious directive to your body, no matter where your astral body is. Let's get inside for now, said Beenan.

They all passed into the sphere. We all seem to have moved, said Allen. I guess we just will ourselves inside and that is it, Allen questioned, looking at Beenan. That's all there is to it, said Beenan. Who's going in first, asked Cliff? You mean back to those old human feelings of hunger, cold and boredom, asked Allen, sarcastically? That's right, replied Kirby. You forgot to mention talking again and smelling. Taste is also missing. Not only that, but now we can tell lies again and fool one another. It will be nice to feel the hot tub again too, interrupted Kelly. Even though our senses of sight and sound are enhanced, it is still nice to smell, feel and taste, which you can't do in the astral form. Marie's astral form disappeared suddenly. No one noticed her disappearance and continued talking.

While they were talking, Marie willed herself back in her body. She sat up with a jerk, as if recovering from a nightmare. She stretched. Okay you guys don't take forever. She stood up and walked around to get the circulation going. I'm getting lonely already, she joked. Kelly woke up next and than all of them got up, as though they had slept for hours. Great to be back, said Sarah. I still like the Sasquatch form though. It fitted me almost as well as this form does. If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I think I will come back as an Ehesti or Sasquatch. I felt real comfortable in there. I wish I had time to try your telescopic vision and other attributes. I didn't feel the dexterity that we humans have though. I would like to test out the fur coat in a cold climate also. I don't know if I could give up the pleasure of eating though, like you guys did. I sure enjoy my food.

Bishop was back on the intercom now. Well, back to being just another voice in tie crowd, he said. I will see you just before you leave. The music came up. Kirby and the girls wandered instinctively to the kitchen. Kirby poured from the coffee urn of endless fresh coffee. There were fresh snacks on the trays. Some had been there since they left. Once again it is nice to get back to this good old sphere, said Kirby. If I don't watch out, I'll be calling this place home. When this voyage has long since become history, said Bo, you will be able to visit us without using the sphere, just as we can visit earth, without a life support sphere. You seem pretty sure that we will be able to astral travel at will after this voyage, said Kirby. Any particular reason why you are so confident? Yes, there is, replied Bo. Be patient, you will find out soon enough.

Sarah was back in the washroom. She was using the magnifying mirror, to spot any changes that might have occurred while she was astral traveling. Everything seemed normal. Reoccurring thoughts from Playland kept her smiling. She was thinking of how to tell her family about the Sasquatch body she was bringing back. She could just keep it a secret, but she did not like to keep secrets from her family. Kelly knocked on the door. Hurry please, I have to go, she said. Sarah touched up her hair a bit with the mirror back to normal and opened the door. Thanks, said Kelly. I won't take but a minute. Marie was waiting in line behind Kelly. Kirby was busy making notes, while everything was still fresh in his mind. He found that choosing the proper physical words to describe a non-physical event, was no easy task. He wanted to get his version of the astral trip down on paper, so he could compare it to what the others wrote.

Bo was sitting next to him and overheard his thoughts. Make up new words, why don't you, said Bo? Whenever you can't describe something or some action, make up a new word for that part. Before Kirby could reply, Beenan pulled Bo aside, saying excuse us for just a moment. See if you can't subtly convince Sarah to cancel her request for the Ehesti body would you? Once they receive their gifts, they won't need the bodies. I'll give it my best shot, replied Bo.

Are you sure you want that Ehesti body to look after, asked Bo. When you progress further into the astral plane, you will have access to any of the forms. You won't need to possess one as your own. I realize that, replied Sarah. I'm just not too sure about my ability to astral travel, after you guys leave. What if I can't do it? Bo didn't reply to that, he let a moment of silence pass. I know you wouldn't suggest I leave it, unless you were sure about me, so maybe I'm being a bit selfish. Perhaps you are right and I should leave it. What about you Cliff, she asked? I definitely want mine, he responded. I am at the early stages of astral projection and I think this robot body will help me progress. Just knowing it is ready and waiting will inspire me to practice. I will be glad to return it, when I am progressed as you say Bo. Also, it won't require nearly as much effort to keep it ready and I won't have to climb a mountain to get at it. I can't argue with that kind of logic, replied Bo. The music level dropped again. The farewell event is about to begin, announced Bishop.

Marie has just returned from the washroom, everyone went back to their chairs. The outside changed from its light blue to violet. The sphere began to move extremely slowly. The yellow flowers appeared again, to form a ground like surface. Grayish tubes began to roll onto the flower bed from one end. They looked like oil drums on edge, but grayish in color. One barrel took command and all the others followed behind. They formed a large circle and continued to form an inner circle and one more even smaller inner circle. One barrel was used for the bull's eye of this target like design. When they were all in position, a white cloud appeared overhead. The cloud rained white droplets onto the target design. The once gray barrels were now white. The cloud moved off. Those earlier little people, emerged with handfuls of sparkly, lacy material. They hovered over the barrels, adorning them with glittering objects they were carrying. It was like decorating Easter eggs, in a way, thought Marie. When all the barrels were sparkling, the little people disappeared.

The barrels than stood upright and the tops mushroomed out to form large egg cups. The visitor's sphere, still in motion, eased its way to the center of all this and perched on the center barrel. There it rested. Other spheres began moving in, from the violet sky above. One sat on each barrel. Each sphere was of a different color tint. When they all had finally settled, the expansion began to occur, just like at supper time. This time, all the spheres were expanding to a point where they were all touching one another. Inside each sphere, was an Ehesti. Some carried books and others had musical instruments. They remained motionless, as if waiting for the sphere to come to a full halt. They expanded a little more, until the portion touching each other, were about three meters in diameter.

The expansion stopped. The parts of each sphere that were touching one another disappeared. All the spheres were now connected with three meter corridors between them. The spheres contained many people from Balenn, using bodies similar to those found in Region Twelve. Most were in the Ehesti form or Sasquatch, but there were many other forms as well. Everyone seems to be very busy, commented Sarah, as she tried to watch everything that was going on. They are all preparing to perform a concert, said Beem. They are making themselves comfortable, before they begin. Oh great, replied Sarah, I love concerts. I hope they play something classical. Sarah was really a rock and roll music lover, but she didn't want to embarrass herself, so she suggested classical instead. Give us some good old fashioned rock and roll, hollered Cliff, excited over the concert himself. He looked over at Allen. Allen wasn't smiling. Cliff took that as his queue to settle down, so he said no more. They were in the center of the target and were being watched by everyone.

Because the spheres were mostly transparent, it was possible to see everyone. The center sphere was slowly turning, so everyone could be seen from it. The spheres from the outer ring produced the music. It was like the sound of the largest orchestra ever put together. They began with mellow horn solos and progressed on with string and keyboard accompaniment. When all the instruments were being played along with the percussion section, the sound was all around them. Wow, thought Sarah, this must be what it sounds like, when you are playing in the orchestra yourself, sitting in the middle of everything. The music was loud, but not annoyingly loud. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra has got nothing on these guys, she thought. Cliff was enjoying it too, even though it wasn't rock and roll.

As their sphere rotated, various instruments predominated. The next ring of spheres, were the chorus and background singers. They sounded like a mix of the Vienna Boys Choir with deep baritone singers added. In the higher center ring were the lead singers. Their music was mostly classical, but changed to ballad form and contemporary, as the concert progressed. Each section of the orchestra had its turn to play the lead and to play solo for a few moments. When it came time for the vocalists to perform their solo, they chose to keep the percussion section as accompaniment. Their harmony and flawless performance was truly a pleasure to hear. They sang three songs very close to some favorite earthly melodies. The last tune was called "Farewell from Balenn". The lyrics read this way:

They repeated the last verse and closed in a musical crescendo. Everyone applauded vigorously. Marie had tears in her eyes. She hated to say goodbye to such beautiful people. She began by laughing at the lyrics, to the point of tears. When the emotion of sadness hit her, it was too hard to fight the tears. She looked over at the others and she wasn't the only one crying. Seeing everyone else in tears, brought back the laughter and soon they were all laughing again, at themselves mostly. The musicians and vocalists settled back in their spheres, making ready for departure.

The spheres began to shrink back to their original size. When back to normal size, the spheres lifted up off their cradles. They hovered there momentarily, until the lead sphere began to move. The rest of the spheres moved in behind him, to follow. When the leader passed in front of the visitors, he stopped to take a bow. The visitors all stood up and applauded him. Some of the orchestra began playing again, as they followed their leader up and away. They all waved as they passed the center sphere, until everyone was out of sight.

I will take this opportunity to say "farewell for now" too, said Bishop, although I feel certain we will meet again many times. His voice faded. Allen was wondering what Bishop knew about the future, that he didn't. It dawned on him that the future to Bishop would be thousands of years and in that sense, he was probably right. Even though we never get to know Bishop in any physical form, said Allen, I feel a friendship that I thought I could never share with anyone, but another physical person. I agree, said Sarah. She was about to speak again when Beem interrupted. Well, that's it, said Beem. It’s time to return to Beautiful B.C. I feel like we should clean up the sphere before we leave, said Sarah. Thank you Bishop, for being a super master of ceremonies. She applauded and everyone joined in with her. Bishop came back just to say "the pleasure was all mine".

Click here for chapter 14.