Lee sat with his mobile phone, seeking shelter under a patio umbrella at a BBQ stand, waiting for his mobile phone to ring.

Raised under the invisible guidance of an Ecuadorean elder, Lee had grown up in one subculture while receiving wisdom from an ageless seer, ancient but young, a combination of all cultures and all times, past and future.

She had taught him that the universe is neither belligerent not benevolent, that the sacred and the profane are subcultural signposts as significant to some as order and chaos or heaven and hell, ignored or absorbed as one wishes.

Lee checked his phone. A brother from Canus Major and a sister from Ursa Major had left him messages, each claiming the other as falsely seeking his attention.

Lee listened to a mockingbird and cardinal, one to his left and one to his right, each reaching him in stereophonic, amplified by digital hearing aids.

Were human organisations any more different than bird songs?  Conversations on the same topic but in a different language?

Lee had long ago given over his body’s vital signs for science, knowing that not everyone would agree to give up freedom of thought for quicker access to the pleasures of groupthink.

Lee was trained from birth to disguise his true intent, or subconscience, from his conscious or superficial intent/action, preparation for the creation of a solar system sized network, every generation of humans redefining the connections, via drumbeat, smoke signal, radiowave or electronic impulse, shaped sets of states of energy.

A rumbling thundercloud approached, flashes of lightning barely visible in the afternoon sky.

Lee sat and waited.

He had his instructions.

He also had his freedom and independence to seek, reshaping the framework of his friend network to increase the happiness he wanted to feel in the days he had left on Earth, knowing he was part of a larger structure shaping the future of an organisation in its infancy, tentatively called the Inner Solar System Alliance. 

As always, he was part of something and not part of something, keeping a wary eye, a safe distance mentally, playing the devil’s advocate to prevent the euphoric jump to conclusions organisations make after their first level of success.

If the ISSANet was to thrive, it needed resistant feedback loops.

Lee sought independence to facilitate both the builders of and the opposition to the ISSANet.

His Ecuadorean advisor would be proud of his accomplishments, having taught him to feed his doubts and fears in equal proportion to his happiness and confidence.

She never said it would be easy.

Worthwhile, however, knowing that a messenger carrying a set of symbols billions of years old never sees the final destination, if there is one.

Just enjoy the journey, simple as that.

12,070 days until Mars colonisation is a complete success? Maybe he’d live to see that!