Learning to Meditate

Learning to Meditate

     Norrith wobbled back and forth in a seated position. His arms were crossed across his chest. And his legs crossed against his upper legs. In front of him sat six tube flames.

     The lights remained dim when they started flashing. “You may enter.”

     Corridor lights shined through the opening as the entrance slid open. A young female Offion named tima entered.

     Norrith floated up to human adult level. Then he spun slowly toward Tima. He uncrossed his legs and they floated down to form the lower half of his body. “I have been expecting you.”

     “I’m not going to have to learn to do that am I?” after Tima entered that room the entrance behind her slid shut.

     “No, you don’t. Maybe someday you will. But that’s several years from now.” Norrith walked over to a control panel next to a big box. He pushed several buttons on it. A uniform appeared in the clear front view of the box. Norrith opened it and removed the uniform. Then started putting it on.

     “I don’t plan on doing this that long. I’m only going to be here this one time. And I wouldn’t be here even now if I didn’t have to be.”

     “You are here as long as I say you are here. The way I look at it you are going to be here a very long time.”

     Tima stepped back into the shadows. “Humans are so ugly when they are naked.”

     “The Offion are almost human. Except for being light red in the skin, four fingers instead of five and long gold or silver strains of twine instead of hair you are human.”

     “Only the females are red skinned. The males are light blue. And our Young Ones are just red or blue depending on their gender until they reach adulthood. As for our hair the females are gold while the males are silver. It’s the same when it comes to our Young Ones.”

     Norrith quickly changed the subject as he finished getting dressed. “I have looked over your papers. And you do have potential. But you lack discipline. Since you got here two months ago you have gotten into numerous fights. And on your last three off-ship missions you also caused some trouble. The middle one you almost killed someone. That’s why you are here.”

     “I am an Offion. We are fighters. Nothing you can do or say is ever going to change that.”

     “I’m not going to try to change you. You are here to learn how to control yourself. We don’t like to fight. But sometimes we have to – especially in your chosen profession of Security.”

     Tima didn’t say anything for several minutes. She just watched Norrith as he blew out the tube flames by swiping his hand over them. Then he sat down. And gestured for Tima to sit down too. Which she did. The tube flames between them.

     “I shouldn’t be here. And I don’t understand why I am here. My request was for a Star Cruiser. Instead they sent me to a Research ship.”

     “You are here because we needed someone to fill a Security position. Besides, you really don’t want to be on a Star cruiser when you are first starting out – especially for a warrior race like yourself.”

     “We aren’t a warrior society.” Tima took Norrith’s hands when he stretched them out to her.

     “Do you know what would have happened if you had of gotten into fights, or what happened off-ship, on a Star Cruiser. You would be in a detention cell right now.” Norrith and Tima crossed arms to form an X. First one arm combination was on the top – then the other one. They did that twenty times. Norrith counted down each time they did one.

     “I don’t have to be here.” Tima tried to break her hands free from Norrith. But she couldn’t. Norrith just squeezed tighter. So she dug her curved fingernails into his skin. That didn’t break his grip either.

     “Then why are you here?” Norrith started rocking back and forth like he did earlier. Only that time he had Tima doing it too.

     “Because Offions are a curious race too. I wanted to know what this new health care was all about.”

     “It’s not new. Whatever you want to call it it’s on almost every planet, spaceship etc. If there is a population, then it’s probably part of it one form or another.”

     “Exactly what is this kind of health care?” Tima and Norrith sat upright again. Now they swayed from side to side – getting closer to the deck each time they did it.

     Norrith didn’t speak for about a minute. “It’s hard to explain. Basically, what you do is blank out you mind and body. Then you just relax.”

     “I still don’t understand what we are doing here. What does all of this have to do with my mind and body?”

     “This isn’t part of the lessons. All we have been doing so far are the relaxation exercises.” Norrith broke contact with Tima.

     When Tima doesn’t respond Norrith continued. “Now let’s get started with lesson one. First close your eyes.”