Chapter 16

As Leo and the three of us walked back to the portal, he said, "Remember, you can think in your mind what you want to say to me, and I will hear it. If you want to connect with Master, I can send the thoughts to him. No matter where you are, Jesse, Master and I will communicate just by having a conversation in your mind." Leo disappeared, but not before kissing Karl.

As they passed through the portal, Karl asked, "Leo was overly eager to have sex with me—not that I'm complaining—but as you can see, I need a change of clothes."

Jesse reentered the cave as he changed back to his normal self. "Let me show you another perk of being a member." He stood in front of Karl, and Karl saw the same outfit Jesse had worn earlier form over his very muscular and naked body.

"From what I've seen and felt, you should be able to do the same. Just imagine what the clothes you had earlier looked like, and they will form around you," I said.

"That's all? Where do the clothes come from?"

"Try to imagine it first; we will tell you after you’re dressed," I requested.

Karl nodded and then closed his eyes to concentrate. His underwear flowed around him, then his shirt and socks. After that, nothing. Karl opened his eyes and looked at himself. "You'll have to work on your imagination, but it will come in time. Just practice when you know you're alone," Jesse said. "Say I wanted a dumbbell in my hand." Jesse opened his hand, and almost immediately, a dumbbell appeared. He handed it to Karl. "Almost anything you can imagine can become real. The limits are complex machines like a TV or a computer. Making living organisms is the only other limitation."

Karl questioned, "Is this real? I mean, it feels real, but will it always be this way?"

I answered, "As long as you don't make it disappear or another member doesn't, it will exist." Holding out my arms, Karl’s missing clothes formed, waiting for Karl to take them. Even forming clothes was beyond me, but the connection I have with spirits was so tight they always knew what I want to happen.

After getting dressed and asking for some refreshments, the three of us sat down to continue our discussion. "The spirits can move matter from their plane into ours, forming it into what we want or need," I explained. "The most complex thing I have seen them make is a watch that belonged to my father. I was considering selling some jewelry to raise funds, but then Ursus offered to send gold from his plane. However, getting rid of large amounts of gold would draw attention to us. We cannot afford to have anyone, especially the government, investigating us. It could spell disaster, not just for us, but for the entire world."

"I told Ursus about my problem..." I began.

"... Which he had caused," Jesse interjected.

"I had an important task to do on Monday after we went camping, and with all that happened, the spirits let us have sex for two days and nights. When we woke up and realized it was already Monday, I was shocked that we had overslept. Ursus explained he let us sleep longer because we were enjoying ourselves so much. Unfortunately, this resulted in me getting fired from my job. On a positive note, Jesse broke his lease and moved in with me to help with expenses. However, money was still going to be a problem.

"To my surprise, Ursus had been doing more than just researching the stock market. He had taken most of my savings and invested in it. Initially, I thought my money was wasted, which only added to my financial stress. Desperate to recover my losses, I devised a plan to use the spirits' abilities to recreate some items my father had left me before he passed away. I had sold those items not too long ago to cover bills and other expenses, but I believed the spirits could recreate them."

"The spirits are adept at investing, based on what you said about the fund you have amassed."

"Yes, they are. When I discovered that my money was growing, I had Jesse invest his savings in the stock market as well. Our goal was just to make enough to buy a house, but things escalated out of control with the news of what happened to us here on Earth and how the spirits perceived me as some kingly or holy figure. This brings us to our plan to buy secluded land. This land would accommodate all members, allowing them to generate the emotions and feelings needed to satisfy the spirits in their realm. Ursus told me before we left that if the land we buy has mountains with a high stone content, they could create a vast cave system deep within it to hide us from the outside world. We would still maintain a presence above ground, like a new community of homesteaders or preppers, growing our food and living off the land. That should attract minimal attention to us," I finished.

"What you are planning will cost much more than you think. The land alone would exceed your available funds, and buying it would make the news. I offer. One of my businesses will close, and my employees know this. If I can persuade most of them to transition from mining to building a large attraction, similar to Six Flags, they could then become employed there under certain stipulations. This changeover would attract media attention, which would help keep your activities less newsworthy. The mine has been depleted for years, but I couldn't close it without leaving my workers without a livelihood. If I sell it to you at a bargain price, it won't raise any eyebrows because it would cost more to collapse the mine than the land is worth. It is in Montana, near Idaho."

"Do you know if there are many rock formations in the area?"

"I wouldn't have made the offer if there weren't. The mine is failing for that reason; we have dug so deep that it is almost entirely rock. The cost of continuing to mine far exceeds the silver we might extract at this point. On paper, I will sell it for, say, fifteen million, but we will create a paper trail where I provide you with funds to purchase any surrounding land you desire. If you promise to evaluate the men who work there and allow those who are like us to become members," Karl requested.

"Let's look at your mine then; we will search for members soon," I replied.

*****

Karl arranged for a plane, Jesse took time off from work, and the spirits researched not just the area where the mine was located, but all of Montana. Since I showed them the internet, they have become obsessed with information. Ursus discussed a plan to use the internet to find men like us all over the world, but I nixed that, at least for now.

The day arrived to head out, and all the spirits wanted to come along. I agreed only two could join, as the others needed to keep tabs on the market and sell off enough to make the money we needed, taking capital gains into account and all that. Leo was an easy decision since he was bound to Karl. For the second spirit, we drew straws with a color on the bottom. Texting Karl and asked him to text a color to me but not to send it until I asked. I hoped that by doing it this way, none of the spirits could cheat. Not wanting them all to show me the same color straw? "Okay, show me your colors," I texted Karl. He sent me the color "yellow," but none of the colors I had placed on the straws were yellow. The closest color was orange. "Well, it looks like Cobra will be coming. You can come as spirits or in your human form. If you choose your human form, you'll need to behave civil in the car, on the plane, and anywhere there are other people. Got it? I want no excuses. If we have any problems, this offer will never happen again."

This time, Karl arrived with the limo. We all got in, and since I had promised to look at his male employees, Cobra offered to sit up front with James, the driver. The limo felt comfortable, even with Karl, me, and two immense men in the back. Since we were heading to the airport, the ride was slow but smooth. We all headed inside the plane, with everyone but Karl and I having to duck or turn sideways to get through the hatch. I loved the inside of the plane.

"James won't be coming with us, as he needs to take care of the limo. I made sure that other than the pilot and co-pilot, it would be just us going. This way, we can speak without being overheard in the cabin."

During the flight, Cobra remarked, "Jessy is a nice guy, and while he's not looking for male companionship, he is compatible with our kind."

Karl responded, "You're not implying you're going to make him gay, are you?"

I said, "I would never agree with that."

Leo tried to calm everyone down. "When we bond with someone, we change nothing, they do not want to change by being in your world and feeling the strong emotions of Jesse and Master. Plus, the feelings when Karl told his story at the party were the most intense, and when we sent them to our plane, they were just as intense. We have found that we can never bond with the female species. Although we can mate with males, evoking powerful emotions that our species craves, they are never as intense as man-to-man bonding."

"So, what does that mean for James? Can he become a member but not bring a girlfriend?" Karl asked.

"No, it means that we can bond with him, but he will not have a full bond. He will not know about our group or that we can become physical beings. Until Master, we were always just spirits, taking emotions from the host and providing them with health and someone to talk to. That's all. James is neither straight nor gay. He has never been with a man or a woman, at least that much I could sense. For whatever reason, he has just been doing what needs to be done—a man pleasing his employer, working hard, saving money, and having a place to stay. That's all he has known and done. I sensed deep feelings for you, Karl, but that's all," Cobra clarified.

We could see the mine now that we were a little lower. Karl instructed the pilot to circle a few times. He did, and Karl pointed out the size of the property, what he thought was private land, and where the federal land began. "You should look into the private land; nothing has been built on any of it in the 30 years I have owned the mine. If you go deep enough, you can expand the chambers under some of the federal land if you think the property is not big enough."

"This seems big enough for our needs; if we need more land, the private land is more than sufficient, and hopefully, we can buy at least half of it," I commented.

The nearest airport was another hour's flight away. Everyone sat and talked until we landed. Most of the conversation was about how Karl had succeeded in imagining clothes forming on him, which then led to thoughts of changing his body. "I have not tried to change myself because I did not want something to go wrong and find myself unable to change back," Karl confessed.

Jesse said, "changing your body is easier than forming clothes. And as for something going wrong, it won't happen. The change you want to see occurs because the spirits make it happen. They look at your thoughts and change you. They would not change you if it would be harmful to you. Remember, they are part of you and have a vested interest in your well-being. Clothes are just something on the outside, so an incorrect size, color, or even fabric is not life-threatening. If you're afraid the clothes won't fit, just think, 'I want the clothes to fit my body, even if I grow or shrink.' Before I pictured the clothes this way, I used to rip them off all the time until I was told that the spirits could make my clothes fit no matter how big or small I get. If you want to show off, just think, 'Let these clothes rip,' or something like that, and the spirits will make it happen when you flex your muscles or grow, say, into a bear like me."

"In your case, you are only connected to one spirit, Leo. When things go wrong, just think, 'Leo, can you do this for me?' or 'Leo, help me.' He will guide you through your problem. Remember, he is always in touch with you," I added.

"I can help you with your thoughts if you can't figure out how to form clothes or something," Leo offered.

The pilot told us we would land shortly, and that we had to stow everything that was not strapped down and fasten our seat belts. A few minutes before we descended, the co-pilot entered the cabin to ensure we were ready.

While the trip to the airport took only an hour, the return trip to the mine took three. We rented two four-wheel-drive Jeeps, with Jesse driving one and me following. I could drive and had a license, but I felt more comfortable driving behind Jesse than leading. After the long and grueling drive, we made it to the mine.

Karl said, "I informed them to expect at least four of us, up to eight, for at least three days, but it might be a week."

We were greeted by the mine manager, a foreman, and an engineer. They introduced themselves, and because it was getting dark, showed us to our temporary quarters. "They take care of their workers. Even though what we were assigned was for the owner and VIPs, the Mess Hall is not shabby. I saw all the miners eating there, so I know it's not just the higher-ups who eat there," Jesse commented.

Karl added, "A lot of miners live in trailers and such because the mine is so far from town. Most of them go home on the weekends to save gas and time. We have a few bunk rooms and can accommodate about half of the miners. They're pretty basic—small rooms with bunk beds, communal showers, and such. After a while, the miners want something better, so they bring a camper, trailer, or van to live in. We provide good food at a set fee to keep them happy."

"Did we kick out those three from their rooms?" I asked.

"Just one. The mine has a room for me, only in times of dire need would it be used otherwise, and another room for visitors, mostly government officials. Since the third room is so close to the other two, the manager must have given his up, most likely sharing with the engineer. Don't feel bad for him, though; these rooms are more like suites. You'll see."

*****

The next day, early, we received wake-up calls informing us that the Mess would only be open for another hour if we wanted breakfast. Karl was not wrong about the rooms; they were like two-bedroom apartments, with each room having its own full bath. Jesse and I shared one room together. We met the same men from yesterday and sat down for a big breakfast.

"I don't know which one of you gave up your room for us, but the rooms are so big that the four of us can share one," I said.

The manager was about to say something, but Karl raised his hand and spoke. "Just accept it. These guys have made up their minds, and nothing you say will change that."

We were given the complete tour, not just the show-and-tell version. Everywhere we went, they told us both the good and the bad. We were dressed in safety suits with air tanks strapped to our backs. The engineer had to adjust the harness for Jesse and Leo because they were so broad in the upper body, and he seemed excited while doing that. We went all the way down in a caged elevator. It was kind of eerie—a light would flash every few seconds as we descended, then there was almost no light except for a very dim one in the elevator. We stopped at what we assumed was the bottom and walked into what looked like a tunnel. However, we were told that the mining equipment made the main passageways, with the borer and other equipment widening them as the engineers decided whether shoring was needed.

"Keith, do you see all this?" Ursus asked. "The height of the tunnel that the borer creates is only about 25 feet. Can we make this work? It's a little tight, even where they've widened it. It's still the same height."

'With the cave structure being stable, it shouldn't be a problem. Before we leave, ask for the most recent mapping of the mine and gather all the geological data that the engineer has available,' Ursus advised.

The following day, we received yet another wake-up call. However, Leo had already got us up earlier by entering the suite almost half an hour before the call. It turned out that Karl and Leo were busy working on Karl's abilities. It was likely that Leo either wanted to have some fun with Karl or vice versa.

This morning, we were greeted only by the manager and another man, his assistant. "After breakfast, we will take you through the boundaries of the property and point out what land is federal and what is private. Mr. Hodgkin asked for information on land for sale; my assistant has that with lot sizes and asking prices." Karl was a thorough and thoughtful person. We were ready to head back the next day, but rubbed shoulders with the miners first. When the shift change happened, we were at the entrance to the mine and spoke to each one for just a few minutes. Jesse and I talked while Leo and Cobra sensed the men. There were a few women, and we did the same with them to avoid any assumptions. The manager had given us a list of all the employees, so if Leo or Cobra reported anything, we would put an "X" by their name, and if nothing was felt, we would put a checkmark. We did this for all three shifts.

Another day passed, and now we were on the move to the airport, and then on the plane. During the flight, we looked at both sets of lists, and after counting all the X's, we found that only 35 men were compatible with the spirits. I thought that was a good percentage, but Jesse believed we had not caught everyone. "Come on, you're telling me that all these men working and living together yield only 35? We must have been going through them too fast!"

I replied, "That's over 10 percent. This was only the first scan; we will conduct others. We have to buy the mine first and try to gain the other available land. Karl has to inform them about our situation and propose his solution. We have plenty of time."