“Perhaps an explanation is in order,” Iman said.
“Ya think?”
Iman slowly paced the room as he walked, stalking over the floor with long strides as if searching for the right words to say in the hidden crevices of the room.
“We have visited your planet a number of times over the course of its development, and for the most part, we really like what we see. For one, it’s the only of the planets in your solar system that is remotely conscious of life.”
“What do you mean `conscious of life’,” I interjected.
“It sustains life,” Yewell explained. “Things grow and prosper here. Not like on the other planets.”
“Oh, no,” added Iman. “Not like the other planets. The other seven are just plain dismal. Not very inspiring. Perhaps you’ve seen pictures.”
“Seven?” I asked. “You mean Pluto’s really not a planet?”
“Not anymore.” They looked at one another, and Yewell continued, “You humans don’t quite understand the power of your naming system. Your classification of things truly does have a profound effect on the ramifications for the rest of the universe. Therefore, if you don’t consider Pluto a planet, we don’t consider Pluto a planet.”
“No kidding?” I said. “And here I thought we were just being anal.”
“Well, you are that,” Iman said, “but it doesn’t take away from the fact that your understanding of things has an effect on them beyond your comprehension. What you call something has a great bearing on what it actually is and what it eventually becomes.”
Yewell interjected, “Even your ancient texts speak to the fact that letters and words are the means through which physical reality comes into being and manifestation.”
“And that’s why you want me to write the world?”
“My, you are a quick one,” Iman said. “I knew we were correct in picking you.”
“Exactly why did you pick me?”
“Because you paid attention,” Yewell stated. “Do you think you’re the only one we’ve sent messages to? That’s our entire mission here: to speak to your people.”
“About what?”
“About life.”
“I thought you wanted me to write about marketing?”
“We do.”
“So what’s that have to do with life?”
“Everything.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Most don’t,” Yewell said with a shrug. “That’s why we want you to help us. You see, as often as we try to communicate with your kind, most of you turn a blind eye.”
“Or a deaf ear,” Iman interjected.
“Exactly,” Yewell continued. “Your kind has greatly excelled at using your power to create many wonderful things with your words; however you have also used them to build boundaries and fortresses outside of which you can no longer comprehend.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you humans have developed this habit of only using ten percent of your brain. If we try to speak to you in a manner that is beyond what you allow yourself to use, the majority of you miss it. So we figured that we’d try to speak in a language that you’d understand through a conduit that you can relate to.”
“And you think that marketing is the language and I’m the conduit?”
“That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” Yewell said.
This is an excerpt from How to Survive an Estralarian Mind Meld. Come back weekly for the next part or order your copy in ebook or paperback today!
