A New Life Year

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Synopsis:

If magic is just science that hasn't been explained yet, can the magic return? Find out with Hope when she finds her new life.

Another BigCloset TopShelf story.

Story:

Here is the usual disclaimer. This story contains scenes of cross-dressing, and other transgender themes and if these would offend you please don’t read any further. I had no intention of writing yet another holiday story but my muses had other ideas. Thanks to H.E.R. and Karen P. for the help in editing and proofreading.
Enjoy everyone!

A New Life Year
By grover

A few thousand years had passed since one of its kind’s last visit from the edges of the Ort Cloud to the blue skies of the third planet. Tumbling slowly in the air-less void between worlds the huge comet-like body made its relentless way to Earth.

Science hadn’t yet named it, but had inferred its existence. Some called it Dark Matter or shards of the beginning of everything. Most simply it was a mystery.

Mysteries are the bread and butter of the world of science, chief among them are the question where do we come from, how did we begin. The Theory of Evolution and legends of creation and the Gods were all seeking to answer that mystery of our existence.

Darwin’s Theory was elegant and logical, but from the beginning some didn’t agree with him. They believed that the evidence didn’t entirely support the Theory.

These nay Sayers were ridiculed as the Theory became dogma. Their objections that the fossil record seem to indicate not a steady expansion of species but a sudden increase followed by a slow decline. Alas, dogma always trumps reason. (Source: James Hogan “Kicking the Sacred Cow)

Hank finished grouting the last of the bathroom tiles and now nothing was left of this job, but the clean-up and the pay-check. He tiredly pulled his balding six foot plus self up off of the floor. It wasn’t as easy as it used to be now that Hank was pushing sixty. He’d had to push a little to be done before New Years, but he’d needed the money. Being self-employed meant that Hank was the boss and could set his own hours, but also meant irregular work and pay.

Where did these idiots learn to drive, cursed Hank on his way home, as he herded his second-hand work van along the snowy streets. The forecast for tonight said it was to clear by evening, but you couldn’t prove it by him. The unreliable heater fan rattled as if on it’s last breathe and the worn wipers were fighting a losing battle keeping the windshield clear enough to drive.

He had plans to go out tonight for New Years with some of his close friends. They’d made plans weeks ago to meet at John’s place. There no one would point or stare and it was far enough away from the neighbors that they could get a little rowdy. That is if he could get home alive!

Hank laid out HER clothes and prepared the bubble-bath that would begin the ritual of letting her be the woman she really was inside. After spending hours on his hands and knees, even with the pads, he was very sore and the bath would be the next best thing to the Havens.

The sensual pleasure of dressing em-fem was a magic of it own for Hank. Each article of clothing and brush of make-up let the mask of Hank fade away and brought Hope alive once more. Hope knew that she really wasn’t convincing, but the support of her friends both here at home and around the world by the web, gave her hope that some day she could find peace. Sadly too many others had taken the dreadful solution of ending their lives. One of her Goddesses tenets was do no harm. Taking her life would bring pain to her friends and family not to mention harm to her!

Normally a comet would begin to leave a tail as the Sun heated the frozen water and mud causing the brilliant display we know as a comet’s tail. This wasn’t a normal comet. Science had discovered what they called Dark Comets just because they don’t reflect and are very difficult to spot.

If an astronomer had been looking at the right time they might had seen it pass though the Outer Van Allen Belt. The radiation energizing positive and negative particles within the Not-comet and Earth’s gravity caused the apparent solid mass of the Not-comet to split apart much like Levy-Shoemaker Nine had when it had struck Jupiter.

Huge multi-ton fragments flew away from each other repelled by differences in their particle charges and then they too spilt into smaller chucks of Not-comet. The now swarm of positively and negatively charged Not-comet pieces flooded the Van Allen Belts with radiation. Acting much the same as a Solar Flare, communications began experiencing problems. The major difference was experts can forecast Solar Flares and prepare for them; this had no warning at all.

Hope had gotten a ride from her friend Rhonda who was also dressed em-femmed. They lived far enough north that occasionally they saw the Aurora Borealis, but tonight it was truly a brilliant display. Hope gave a silent thanks to the Goddess of the Silver Circle for the omen of the New Year as the Lights danced in the winter sky.

Hope and Rhonda were greeted at the door by John, their host, already well into his celebration for the New Year. Their fellow guests was a mixed-bag of people but no one cared how you were dressed or what your orientation was as long as you could hold up your end of the conversation. With smile and hugs they exchanged well wishes and hellos.

Hope was too busy talking to a fellow pagan to notice that the TV that someone had left on to catch the ball drop in New York, that its reception had gotten worse and worse till it was nothing but white noise.

Aboard the International space-station they had a front-row seat to an incredible light show. Most of the fragments were below them, but the rain of dazzling lights falling to earth was riveting. Alarms forced them to the safe-hole where the radiation couldn’t penetrate. They left every device they had recording, hoping to preserve some of the phenomena as fragment after fragment starburst like a fireworks display sending more sparks down to mother Earth.

While the ISS was able to escape damage the communication satellite constellations orbiting Earth wasn’t as fortunate. Gaping holes were torn in the networks, which finally took the rest of the orbital communications off line. The satellites that weren’t physically harmed then had to deal with the charged particles that overloaded and damaged systems.

The few scientist and military organizations that became aware of the crises couldn’t communicate with anyone else because of the grid being down so all they could do was to shut down their remaining equipment to preserve it from power surges and go outside to watch like everyone else.

Over much of the world Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis performed their veiled dance as the world watched. Not so for power companies, who fought a losing fight as the charged particles overloaded systems and more and more grids started to go down.

Like their distant caveman ancestors of millennia past, all the people of Earth could do was to sit and watch the skies. The achievements of electrical generation and of speaking at moments notice to someone on the other side of the planet was for the time being lost.

The party was in full swing when the lights went out. Taking it stride John got out emergency candles, and went out for more wood to build the fire higher. Hope had drifted outside herself, and was enthralled by the incredible night sky with the lights from the city out. If you looked hard enough you could see the pinpoint lights falling from the heavens.

In the years to come many would debate what happened next and it would be hotly disputed. Instead of burning up in the upper atmosphere each piece continued to split until each small speck had just a single charge. This white hot fog of particles were suddenly cooled and they formed unique crystal like patterns not unlike snowflakes, but this Not-comet debris wasn’t ice.

Seemingly ignoring Laws of thermal dynamics the rain of sparks slowly altered into a fall of silver snowflakes and began the last part of their journey to Mother Earth. It wasn’t an even distribution, although so nearly so, many would declare it a divine act, a miracle.

Hope saw the first silver flakes as they hesitatingly spiraled down from the winter’s sky. Her eyes were alight in the Aurora Borealis as the first ones landed and disappeared in a sparkle of tiny lights. Hope not knowing what it was still couldn’t prevent herself from trying to catch one. In the chilly breeze it was like trying to grab a soap bubble!

When it gently landed on her palm it settled softly and then soundlessly POP with sparkles. Hope jumped expecting to feel pain but instead a vaguely pleasant tingle. Her eyes wide, she giggled and found that if she got her hand close it would follow it. Soon she had a small trail of glowing flakes dancing at her finger tips!

Others had joined her and a few were dancing leaving a meteor trail of silvery flakes behind them. The deck of John’s home was not the place to dance in heels so braving the cold and the embarrassment Hope usually felt when trying to dance, kicked them free to dance under the northern lights. Her friend Rhonda had joined the intrepid few out in the cold her face clearly visible in the glow.

The nature of the comet was a subject that learned men and women would argue over for decades. What did it do; where did it come from; were there more of them, and how to duplicate it? The simplest child knew what happened that night. It was the night the lights danced and magic fell from the skies.

Hope was soon in the center of a storm of silver as they fell to the Earth harder in a blizzard of light. The exhilarating tingle and feeling of being one with everything was a blessing from the Goddess herself! Lost in the joy of the dance all thought of being cold or of embarrassment was forgotten.

Some inside felt frighten of this strange sight, but most were envious of the obvious pleasure and joy of the dancers and went out to join them. As the flakes fell none that they touch were unchanged. For some the changes were clear as Rhonda sat weeping in joy hugging her very real breasts to herself knowing that against all odds she was finally whole. Others the changes were subtle as an illness was cured or old painful injuries healed themselves.

The fine small flakes drifted into everything and everywhere. Only the most airtight rooms kept them out. All over the world in light of the sun or in the dancing veils, the silver snow fell to the Mother Earth and she welcomed the tears from the stars.

The last flake drifted down from the sky finally ending a journey that began far beyond far Pluto’s orbit landing as softly as a mother’s breathe bringing its gift of change.

Hope tiredly hung her head as her rich brown hair blew into her eyes. She no longer needed the wig she’d worn here nor the breast forms, but now Hope needed to rest. She felt whole and happy, knowing that now her body matched her soul.

Paying the snow on the ground no mind, bare-footed Hope went towards John’s still dark house to meet with the rest of her friends as they too started to come in. Hope and Rhonda hugged each other in undisguised joy that the Goddess had answered their prayers. As they walked together, unnoticed small white flowers bloomed in her footsteps as Hope and her friend walked into the beginning day of the New Year and into a new life.

The end. Happy New Years!

Notes:

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Comments

Good work!

Grover,

You continue to improve your execution without losing the fresh viewpoint and novel concepts.

The joy of the recipients of the 'snowflakes' was nicely painted.

(As a techie note (I'm sorry. I'm a geek!), the real bandwidth for the Internet, and telephones is land based, and wouldn't be affected by satellite loss. The TV networks, on the other hand ... I set it aside as part of the "willing suspense of disbelief"..)

I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

Itinerant

Nicole (a.k.a. Itinerant)

--
Veni, Vidi, Velcro:
I came, I saw, I stuck around.

Actually ......

Both Internet and the telecommunications of earth are carried a great deal on microwave, as well as TV, and in some cases on satellite without anyone's knowledge, as who thinks about the how of a telephone call. Terrestrial microwave could be interfered with as Grover suggests. Not all that far off the mark in real science, think charged particles - EMP.

Good short story Grover, you are getting much better as you experiment in your writing. Would love to see a longer story as you do detail so well.

Re: Actually.......

At least here in the U.S., terrestial microwave has been phased out in favor of fiberoptic networks. When I'm on the road, I see many decommissioned microwave towers, their horns removed (dehorned?). A lot of these sites are for sale for mere pennys on the dollar. I read awhile back where a couple bought one complete with automatic diesel generator backup power and refurbished it as a home for about half of what a comparable-sized house would cost. And they are built like the proverbial brick outhouses, supposed to be able to withstand a direct hit from a tornado.

Hugs!
Karen J.

Change is inevitable, except from vending machines


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

Actually Re: Actually (I just love that word)

Hi Karen,

You right to an extent. In the US where they can, microwaves, which in themselves are all sorts of trouble, are being replaced especially in certain parts of the East coast and the central US but the vast majority of cross country calls are still done with microwave and in some cases satellite. Common Carrier microwave stations are generally used in a point to point configuration for, what is called, long-haul backbone connections. They also connect points on a telephone network which cannot be connected with either wire land line or fiber optic because of cost or terrain. For instance my DSL is carried by a T1 line to a microwave relay and then to the nearest city where my telephone company is located,68 miles away. This type of systems also are used widely to connect the cell sites to the telephone network, and they also relay television. We are not a land of fiber optic yet. Most microwave relay stations are not much bigger than your standard walk-in closet and sometimes are even less at cellular tower points but they are built like brick outhouses, in fact quite a few are pre built and then located on station. I know of quite a few that are placed underground. Applications for Broadcast Auxiliary Microwave Services by way of the FCC are still being sought after. Internationally microwave is the backbone of telecommunications, especially in the less developed countries.

Now how the heck did this come into the comment section. Maybe the off subject discussion is what has Erin in a little snit and if so I am truly sorry I started it. Grover I still liked you story!!

Hugs back at ya!!
LeiaMarie

I second Itinerant's "Good work!"

Grover,
An interesting concept and, yeah, the people dancing under the stars and sparkles was nicely done.

I would say to the techies (I'm also one), the story did say "Acting much the same as a Solar Flare...", maybe it was more intense and could penetrate down to the servers and switches that run the telecommunications world. Maybe it was just magic. You can describe a result without knowing all the mechanics that led to it.

Anyway, a good effort. I look forward to more.

Sunspots

Thanks for the comments! I did have a lot of trouble trying to determine what extreme sunspot like activity would do to electrical and communications grids. I should have followed my instincts and asked one of the tech guru's for aid, but didn't! I do think that the general effect I was looking for would be present. The back to the cave man days of being able to do nothing but just watch the skies. From what I can gather, forecast of sunspot activity allows power companies to take preventive actions. With out that warning, it suggests that a lot of people would be without power and while Internet and land lines wouldn't be directly effected without your own generator what would you do? (even most phones use a power-cord now to give all of those nifty features like caller-id, speed-dial, and ect.)
Again my fault! With all of the Guru's here at BC too! It just proves again the only stupid question is the one that didn't get asked!
Thanks for the comments folks!
Hugs
grover-

Sweet tale

Grover,

you seem to have a flair for magical/wishes fullfilled kinds of stories. You are evolving nicely, keep writing.

Having the privalge of using -- with fairly modest tweaking -- your Miki Mongoose story to introduce her as a new character in Timeout 4 made me appreciate your inventiveness and feel for characters and the emotional setting of a scene.

I got a number of comments that Miki was a real tear-jerker and I agree.

I suspect we will read more of your stories for a long time.

John in Wauwatosa,

not the least bit interested in microwaves except for cooking.

John in Wauwatosa

Snow Flakes

Grover,

Your story brings hope to all of us as we approach the new year.

What if? It is a question we all constantly ask ourselves. Thank you for providing a sweet answer to the question.

I feel sorry for the people in the air-tight rooms.

As always,

Dru

As always,

Dru