2150 A.D.

Again they laughed, and darkly handsome Adam said, "But no one forces us to live in a student Gamma. The Macro society is set up so that our needs for companionship, love, learning, exercise, recreation, and everything else are best served this way. We are free to leave any time we want to. But we are not masochists, so we seldom go against our own best interests."

Now Alan got up from our long dining table and said, "Because the Macro society lives according to the one Macro imperative-loving acceptance-we cooperate and, thus, conflict is impossible. However, we still have micro people living on Micro Island who dedicate their lives to amnesic forgetfulness of the Macro oneness of all. Only in this way of deliberately forgetting our Macro origin can we behave in micro selfish ways that damage others and ourselves.

"Well, then," I said, "you at least have laws against micro man, since you force them to stay on a prison island."

"Not at all," Alan replied. "It's only their lack of desire and belief that keeps them there. In fact, we maintain free training on the island for anyone who wants to remember his Macro origins and, thus, return to the Macro society. And we don't interfere with them in any way that would restrict or punish any of their activities on Micro Island. They are free to do anything they like as far as we are concerned. They stay pretty busy just passing laws and enforcing them so that they can survive selfishly and competitively."

I changed my tactics now and decided to ask a very personal question. "Did you vote for Alan as Alphar and Leo for Betar because you thought they would be the best leaders or because C.I. says they are level six and seven?"

My Carol had been allowing others to supply questions and answers for me; but now I looked directly at her for her response.

She glanced at the others and obviously decided she had their permission to speak for them, for she said, "We voted for Alan and Leo because as long as we have known them, since our first and second triads, they have demonstrated superior Macro qualities. C.I. only reflects what we already know. No one can possibly fool anyone else about his level of awareness because our tunic colors make no mistakes. C.I. only formally confirms what our tunics have already told us."

"I see," I responded, switching ground. "Well, how about jealousy? What if you have sex with someone else's Alpha mate?"

Once again I heard their amused laughter as giant Steve answered for the group. "Sexual relations must have been one of micro man's most exciting and challenging diversions. The popular 'Eleven p.m. Syndrome'-waiting for the late hour to bring enough drowsiness for soft music and quiet talk to lower a woman's resistance so you can conquer her taboos-isn't needed here in 2150. We have no taboos, no hidden dark areas, and, thus, no desire to use others as possessions for our own selfish micro purposes."

"Are you saying you wouldn't be jealous if Adam or David began having sex with your Joyce?"

Steve smiled a kind and patient smile, "First of all, she is by no means my Joyce. She is her own Joyce. Secondly, it would be surprising if Adam or David wanted a sexual relationship with Joyce, since it would be totally out of character with their lifestyles. But I couldn't be jealous because if it made them happy it would make me happy, too. If it did not make them happy, they would have learned a valuable lesson and we would all rejoice in their new growth."

"But why would you be surprised?" I asked, not understanding this part at all.

"He'd be surprised," Joyce answered, "because by the 7th triad we are focusing on greater-depth dyadic relationships with our Alpha mates. We've explored polyadic sexual relationships from the first through the 5th triads, and by the 7th triad, we are no longer interested in childish activities. Not because they are bad or wicked, but because we've simply outgrown them."

"You've outgrown being sexually attracted to each other?" I asked incredulously.

"Oh, never!" They laughed, then Joyce explained with the analogy that admiring a painting or statue was very different from wanting to take it home, hide it away where no one else could see it, and keep it all to yourself.

I was thinking that her analogy didn't do much for me when Diane said that they realized I had not had their early triad experiences and so of course, any of the girls in my Alpha or Beta would help me with whatever sexual problems I might have.

I was stu

"That's right," Carol replied. "If you approach someone in 2150 who doesn't feel it's in the best interest of both of you for you to spend time together, she'll just say, 'Thank you. I care, but I don't feel we're harmonic. However, there is no girl in the whole Gamma or even Delta who would refuse you, so it won't be fear of rejection that will stop you. And, I assure you, neither Lea nor I will be jealous."

I shook my head, trying to clear its conflicting thoughts and feelings; then I said that with all my sexual frustrations and guilts they would be taking an awful chance with me. They might feel like they were being raped.

But rape was impossible in the Macro society, Bo

"It's incredible," she observed, "how often during the 20th century blackmail and political scandals could have as their focal point some person's sexual behavior. Your ridiculous social sanctions against homosexuality and extramarital sex did far more to encourage these behavioral patterns than to extinguish them."

"Do you mean that you people don't object to homosexuality-a man making love with a man, or a woman with a woman?" I asked incredulously.

"Of course not. You will find, however, that there is a much lower incidence of homosexuality here in 2150 because of a few factors.

"First, we have eliminated the social situations that often caused homosexuality-like loneliness, unfulfilled needs, pernicious social myths which tell you that if you enjoy the touch of someone of the same sex, then you must be homosexual.

"Second, when a soul incarnates into the physical body of one sex while still carrying with it emotional, spiritual, or mental selves that are overwhelmingly the opposite sex, you must, naturally, expect expression of the predominant sex. This is neither abnormal nor undesirable. It is true, natural, and logical.

Third, as we evolve to higher levels of awareness, the masculine and feminine forces within us become more perfectly balanced till we ultimately reach a point where we are once again emotionally, spiritually, and mentally androgynous. Your micro society, in its isolationist ignorance, would call this state of total 'at-one-ness' sick."

"I don't know much about androgynism, but homosexuality is sick isn't it?" I questioned.

Steve explained, "In some cases, yes. In some, no. Just like heterosexuality which is, in some cases, what you would call very sick and, in some cases, not. As with all else, it depends totally on the motivation."

We talked some more about the problems of our micro society and their Macro society's solutions to these problems. Then Alan said he must leave to visit his Personal Evolution tutor. Carol looked at her mib and said it was time for some Macro counseling, popularly called Personal Evolution tutoring.

We said our goodbyes and everyone left the Alpha together in pursuit of his or her tutor.

I asked Carol about Personal Evolution tutoring. C.I. had told me that P.E. tutoring was the core of formal education in the Macro society, but it hadn't meant much to me.

Carol explained that P.E. tutoring was a learning relationship between a tutor, with a larger viewpoint or life perspective, and a student with a smaller perspective who wanted to learn a larger one. While all triads had P.E. tutors begi