Papoo sat in his office contemplating how to assist these beings entering the Trakis II event horizon. As the Natural Law Arbitrator for Universe Delta III, it was his responsibility to protect intelligent life forms from disasters. All this was to be done without breaking any of the Natural Laws. These life forms were special. They were possessed by a burning desire for learning and adventure, which many of them pursued with all the energy of their lives. These beings also possessed freedom of choice connected with their infinite essence. It was this gift of free moral agency for which Papoo longed. He swore that if his chance ever came for that great test and adventure: he would not forget the objective, the reward, or who he really was.
Papoo was aware that others had taken assignments and not accomplished their objectives. Some had never found their purpose. Still others had chosen, in three-dimensions, not to pursue the objectives, nor accept the missions previously agreed to.
The Arbitrator smiled as he realized the solution to the problem approaching Trakis II. As was so often the case, the transportation device was not properly configured to withstand the force fields set up by a first class creation known to them as a Black Hole. The Developer or Black Hole was a truly marvelous system capable of totally reconstituting the time and space continuum. This particular Developer, Trakis II, was a wonderful device into which and out of which several galaxies had already disappeared and been spawned from. More than one group of travelers had been flung into different time spaces and environments by the slingshot maneuver from Trakis II.
Papoo was not always able to manage the events as he wished. Sometimes things happened quite beyond even his ability to influence or change. Then life journeys really got botched up. Imagine going on a routine visit to the next galaxy--- just visiting or on business--- and ending up in an era before your grandmother without knowing that time is just a limiting dimension. Papoo watched as the adventuring ship approached Trakis II and the ship’s control center went berserk. The electronic controls were completely useless when confronted by an energy absorber so powerful that even light was absorbed by it. This was a most difficult concept for these creatures with their perception of their own inherent, but not inevitable, physical design limitations. The ship was nearing the point of no return. The travelers were terrorized by the innumerable inputs assaulting their real essence. They were unable to verbalize what seemed to be real and what they were sure was reality. The ship was accelerating toward a fateful rendezvous when ----
The Arbitrator grasped the opportunity, the moment, as the giant and unseen Trakis II hurled the ship far into the galaxy Crkon. Papoo smiled again as he observed the travelers admiring their perceptions of their younger physical bodies. “Oh well,” he thought, “They have already discovered the way that little 'trick' works. I hope they figure out where they are soon.”
Papoo was the originator of the Black Hole escape formula, using a ship’s own trajectory to move it close to the event horizon and then using the acceleration force from Black Hole to escape again. The Omniscient One had simply smiled when Papoo was invited to demonstrate the maneuver. Papoo realized how simple the concept really was. He was considered very intelligent and quite creative in his own group.
Papoo had first gained special attention from the Omniscient One when he formally requested a Life-Event assignment through his sector overseer, the renowned Gabriall. Few could understand how an Arbitrator could wish to leave his perfection for such a risky, although exciting and potentially rewarding adventure. Gabriall understood. He had survived the great test in the old way. Many friends, including his best friend, had not survived.
Lucifer, Michael, Raphael, Melchizedek and Gabriall had been very close to each other and to the Creator. They had been a part of the Creator's early and little understood work. No other beings created after them possessed either their perception or their creative abilities.
Michael was always the wise one. He was one of the great communicators sent by the Creator to some of His living work. Lucifer always seemed to be obsessed with competing with his peers and indeed, the Omniscient One. It started out with simple cosmic games. Later, Lucifer actually challenged the Creator for the position of Supreme Being. In spite of Michael and Gabriall's reasoning and pleading, he persisted in the challenge. Gabriall reasoned that the Creator had not been elected or invited to the position of Supreme Being. He simply WAS and IS. Many times these friends met throughout the Cosmos and in newly created universes to discuss the Origin of the Creator.
The five archangels searched around the Cosmos for other beings and tested the Creators omniscience by asking Him about their journeys. His replies were perfect descriptions of places, events and discussions. Even this Lucifer questioned. "He knows our thoughts but He may not really be omniscient," He declared to Gabriall. Gabriall's love for Lucifer was strong and he reasoned that the Omniscient One, THE CREATOR, had created them and not they Him; therefore, Lucifer's challenge was totally unfounded. Perhaps it was the simplicity of the logic or the perfection of the proofs or perhaps, it was the fact of the Creator's nearly complete silence when he was pressed to explain His origin. He responded with a benevolent smile and only the statement "I AM" which frustrated Lucifer. Gabriall demanded that Lucifer "consider the absolute perfection of the Creator and be careful not to break the laws of behavior, lest the consequences prescribed by the Creator be set in motion. Remember the penalties are an inevitable part of the Divine Law of the Continuum! The Creator’s love for you as His most brilliant and beautiful creation will not be enough to save even you!!" Lucifer paused to consider and left the presence of his friend. There were many changes in the Continuum after that meeting.
When Lucifer returned from his thoughts and wanderings he was strikingly changed. He had lost his lightness. His aura was dark and somber and his communication was morbid and unreasonable. He no longer seemed capable of the great love that he had been so famous for creatively expressing.
Gabriall had lost the argument with Lucifer and often grieved for his friend. Sometimes they ran into each other and even fought when Gabriall was on assignments. He was still a dazzling creature, brilliant and fascinating, but now dark and evil. A totally loveless creature he had become. Gabriall warned Papoo, “Beware of Lucifer on your journey, for he will be aware of you.”
Gabriall and Papoo often discussed the joys and dangers of a Life-Event assignment. Papoo dreamed of surviving the assignment and returning “home” with an understanding of the Creator. After all, he would muse to himself, “How difficult could it be to travel to another dimension and existence and simply retain a remembrance of this dimension and the dream or the assignment as it was known to some?” Throughout the assignment he would retain his own personal essence, that unique omni dimensional quality that was the basis for his being.