A financial genius doesn't know when to stop making money and Gaia (Earth as goddess) takes advantage of the golden opportunity.

WARNING: If you have a fear of snakes, then this story isn't for you. A large nonpoisonous snake figures prominently in this story.

NOTE: Votes and comments have been disabled for this story. Please just relax and enjoy it if you care to read it. If you do read it and feel moved to comment, private messages are always welcome.

Gaia's Avatar
by Terry Volkirch

Part 1

Thomas Comstock was a money making machine, destined for greatness. As a young financial whiz kid, he made his first million dollars by age 20 and dropped out of college before going on to make his first billion at 32 and his first trillion at 39. He could do no wrong, and when the Dow Jones and NASDAQ began to bore him, he turned to foreign markets.

Starting with the Japanese Nikkei as an appetizer, he moved on to control all of the major Asian and European markets until at age 50, it seemed like he owned almost everything -- commodities, currencies, stocks and bonds. It was like he owned the whole world.

The extreme wealth brought with it a fair measure of notoriety. Wealthy and poor alike envied the huge sums of money that were tossed around like small change, especially when it affected their jobs. Thomas had far too much influence over everyone's lives and didn't even realize it. Something had to be done.

It was late in the evening one cold winter day in New York City when someone, or something, came to call on Thomas and finally forced him to wake up and take responsibility. It started with a strange whispering voice.

"Thomas. Thomas Comstock." The words sounded incomplete and barely comprehensible.

"Who's there?" The man muttered, not looking away from his computer screen. "What do you want?" He'd been working late and sat alone at his large desk in his corner office that overlooked Central Park. His large meaty hands fumbled over the keyboard and sweat trickled down from his receding hairline. He was out of shape and looked much older than his years. He spent too much time on his financial investments to take proper care of himself. Health care was just another easily affordable service he could buy whenever he got bad enough to need it.

The voice grew stronger and more insistent, still broken up and sounding like an odd arrangement of primitive instruments designed to mimic various parts of speech. Only the hissing of words with the letter "s" came through strongly.

"Thomas Comstock. Stop making money. It's time to stop."

The hissing started to get to him and he actually did stop to look around.

He'd been going after small foreign markets that had eluded his grasp. They weren't much of a challenge. He just wanted to add them to his collection. Having a complete collection appealed to him. He didn't have to do the work himself but it was one of the few pleasures he had left.

"Who's there?" he grumbled, annoyed at the distraction. "Confound it. Show yourself." He soon regretted his demand.

A large python slithered from behind the pot of a large ficus tree that stood to one side of the desk. She introduced herself by regarding the man with cold eyes and flicking her tongue out twice. Her name was Clementine, and she was there to deliver a message, something that annoyed her as much as it did Mr. Comstock.

The snake didn't actually speak. She could make hissing noises easily enough but she generated the rest of the sounds by contorting her body. She thumped things with her tail and head, rolled, coiled and even forced air out through her mouth in unusual ways to create a few vowel sounds. It was all very uncomfortable, and none of it was her doing. She was but a humble servant for a greater power, a much greater power that currently directed her every move.

"What the hell?! How did you get in here?!"

Clementine didn't answer his questions. Instead, she moved back into position to finish the message.

"Central Park," she hissed, wheezed, banged and clunked. "Seek Central Park."

"What? Why?!" he yelped in fear. "Who are you?! Are you the devil?!" He vaguely remembered his Sunday school lessons about Satan taking the form of a serpent to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden. The story didn't impress him at the time but the memory of it came back with a vengeance.

The snake couldn't be made to answer so many questions so quickly, and she could only make a very limited number of sounds. All she could do was try the same message one last time, only with much greater emphasis.

"Seek Central Park!" came out loud and clear. Then she slithered out towards his desk and hissed in anger. She hated giving the message and she'd had enough of the man's nonsense.

Thomas levitated out of his seat and flew around his desk and out the door of his office. He couldn't get to the elevators fast enough. He rode down to the staccato tapping of his shiny black oxford shoes and burst from the elevator as soon as the doors slid open.

Once he made his way to the lobby of his office building, the financial genius didn't think to grab a coat or a security guard. He exited the building and marched in the direction of Central Park, too afraid to be cold.

The brisk walk did wonders to elevate his heart rate and keep him warm enough. It wasn't until he got to the edge of the park and slowed down that the cold began to seep into his bones.

"What the hell am I doing?" he muttered to himself. "I must be crazy." Still, he kept walking until he was well into the darkest regions of the park. He might have made an excellent mugging victim too, except for one thing. He was being watched over.

The power that had controlled the python, now had Thomas close enough to perform its magic on him, but it wasn't the devil as he feared, it was the planet itself. Earth contained its own form of divine magic that manifested in times of crisis, and the modern era certainly counted as a crisis.

With all the pollution and destruction of habitat, Earth needed help more than ever. Mankind was out of control and a more direct approach was needed to address the problem. Earthquakes and other natural disasters were no longer adequate to stop the relentless drive to strip the planet bare and foul it with toxic chemicals and nuclear waste. The planet cried out for a heroine, a female avatar to represent the feminine energy of the Earth goddess.

Thomas Comstock wasn't feminine by any stretch of the imagination, but he'd have to do. The divine magic caught up with him and surrounded his body with a warm golden light. He squeaked out a yelp and then quickly calmed down from the influence of the light. He never felt more comfortable and more secure. His shivering stopped and he walked slowly back to his office building with a serene smile on his face, still faintly glowing.

He arrived back in the lobby to find a flustered looking security guard waiting for him, and fortunately for the guard's mental state, the glowing was too faint to see under the harsh glare of the florescent lights.

"Good evening, sir," the guard said. "Is everything okay?" He'd seen Mr. Comstock rush out of the building but he wasn't supposed to leave his post, and he didn't have time to call for an escort. Rich executives didn't normally leave the building by themselves so the guard wasn't prepared.

"Everything is fine ...," Thomas squinted to read the man's badge. "Larry. Everything is great." He didn't really understand what had happened to him but he did feel very good, better than he had in years.

"Are you sure? Why did you rush outside?"

"The devil made me do it," Thomas half joked, still wondering who or what was behind the strange events of the evening. Then he smiled and headed for the vending machines to see about getting a snack for the python in case it was still around in his office.

The security guard shook his head, keeping his thoughts to himself. Crazy rich bastard.

***

Thomas sat in his office, drumming his fingers on the solid mahogany desk with the lights dimmed. He didn't need artificial lighting any more because his glowing had brightened, enough that everyone who saw him noticed. It was only a matter of time before the embarrassing effect caught the attention of the news media. Then he'd really be upset.

Why him? What did he do to deserve being turned into a human glowworm? The ultimate answer to his questions would have to wait, but it would become plain to him once the glowing stopped and his impending transformation was complete. He controlled most of the money and resources on the planet, so only he truly had the power to make the changes that were so badly needed for the planet. As for the glowing itself, the reason for that would soon become evident.

The nervous man reached over and opened a plastic container, pulling out a piece of raw chicken breast that he carefully tossed over to his right. The meat never hit the ground. It was snapped up by the large python that refused to be removed from his office despite the best efforts of the security staff. They could've killed it and removed it easily enough but Thomas wouldn't allow that, so she stayed.

"Stick with me, Snake," he said, having no way to know her name was Clementine. "You'll go far." He laughed at the irony.

She hummed with contentment near a heating vent and reached out to coil the tip of her tail around his ankle as a show of affection. She wanted to wrap her whole body around him but she didn't dare. The one time she tried he scared her with his shrieking.

A knock at the door interrupted the happy scene.

"Come in."

"Mr. Comstock," a pleasant looking young blonde woman said as she entered. "They know."

"Damn. Thanks, Ms. West."

"You're welcome," she said, closing the office door behind her as she left.

The news media found out sooner than he thought. It'd only been three days since he'd wandered into Central Park for the first time in his life. Now he'd be hounded by the press for at least as long as he glowed.

Not that he wasn't hounded before. With each impressive milestone in his life, the press was there, waiting like a pack of starving feral dogs. They'd recorded his life ever since he'd made his first million dollars, and they'd be around for a long time to come.

Thomas consoled himself by moving over to rub Clementine's belly while muttering about his strange life. She rolled over before he got close and enjoyed every minute of the attention.

***

The glowing continued to get brighter, and with it came other changes that were gleefully noticed by reporters. Speculation ran rampant, with the favorite story being that Mr. Comstock had invested in a biotech company that discovered the Fountain of Youth. The man already looked 20 years younger.

As he left for yet another of his frequently scheduled doctor appointments, Thomas and his huge security force successfully fended off the reporters and made it the doctor's office with an impressively small amount of fuss.

"Hey Doc," Thomas said. "I'm ready for another round of poking and prodding."

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Comstock." The tall young doctor studied his patient with a look of disbelief. "We've ran all the tests we can think of and you have us all baffled."

"Well ... actually," the glowing man said. "I think I've got another change you should know about."

"If it has something to do with hormones, we already know. Your testosterone levels have dropped significantly and we've seen a huge increase in estrogen. You're changing into a woman. I can see it happening." The doctor had already measured a slight loss in height and a significant loss of weight. He also noticed a significant redistribution of weight, and his patient's skin was much softer and mostly hair free. As he looked over the feminized man, his professional but intense gaze bothered Thomas, causing him to blush.

That was the whole point of the glowing. It was supposed to draw attention to Mr. Comstock. Being an extremely unusual symptom of his transformation, it got the world to notice him and made sure his identity would be secure as he slowly changed into a young woman.

The earth goddess thought of everything in her quest to make the perfect avatar. Only a woman could hold the divine energy of the planet so Thomas Comstock had to become a woman, and everyone would be watching and would know it to be true.

***

The weeks rolled by and Thomas Comstock continued to get younger and more feminine. His skin darkened significantly from its original pasty white color and his hair grew thick, long and dark, but oddly enough, his eyes turned a bright blue-green from their original dark brown, looking out of place for his apparent race. The earth goddess thought to give her avatar a mix of all races so everyone would be fairly represented and feel at ease in the avatar's presence.

Mr. Comstock took the changes fairly well, though he refused to buy any women's clothing. He accepted that the doctors couldn't help him and simply went on with his financial wizardry. It wasn't until his transformation was nearly complete that some adjustments needed to be made.

He felt restless, and what's more, he had to stop thinking of himself as a man. He had the full figure of a woman and there was nothing left of his manhood. Even his thoughts and emotions veered towards the female side of the gender divide.

After being distracted for the umpteenth time by stray thoughts and ill-fitting clothing, the new woman buzzed her assistant on a sudden whim. "Ms. West, please come into my office," she said with a husky but obviously feminine voice.

"Yes, Mr. Comstock? You wanted to see me?" The young blonde assistant poked her head in the office, hoping to avoid seeing the large python that normally lounged on the black leather couch. She wasn't fond of snakes.

"Stop right there. Please. Do I look like a mister to you?"

"No." The blonde looked decidedly uncomfortable. She knew where the conversation was heading. She also knew it meant she needed to spend some private time with her boss so she reluctantly entered the office, shutting the door behind her.

"I have to face facts," Thomas said. "I'm a woman now and I ... need help."

Ms. West took pity and braved all the topics of conversation, including lingerie and personal hygiene. It wasn't until they got to the subject of a new name that she hesitated.

"I can't very well go by Thomas anymore." The avatar looked forlorn. Her lower lip trembled.

"I guess you're right," the blonde said after a minute. She couldn't think of any decent way of feminizing her boss's first name. "Do you have a new name then?" she asked hopefully.

"Haven't a clue."

Ms. West had a good look at Thomas but drew a blank. She'd known her boss as Thomas Comstock for a little over three years and had trouble thinking of the new woman as anyone else. After including what she knew about the glowing incident in Central Park, she slowly began to get some ideas though.

"I take it you have no idea what your parents would've named you if you'd been born a girl."

Thomas sadly shook her head. It was a safe assumption. The subject of alternate names rarely came up and Thomas's parents couldn't be asked. They died in a freak car accident several years ago on an icy stretch of highway in upstate New York. They'd slid head on into an oncoming semi truck and died instantly. Airbags didn't help, not when the car was compacted into a small fraction of its original length.

At the time, the grieving man had taken an unusually long break of three weeks from his work to mourn his parents. It was one of the few times in his life he showed passion for anything other than money. After that, he distanced himself even further from the rest of the world. He only had room in his life for the financial world. Money was his only friend.

"Okay," Ms. West continued. "You told me you felt a powerful presence in Central Park, right?"

Thomas nodded.

"Right. It might help us come up with a name if we knew who or what did this to you. I'm kind of curious about it anyway. Aren't you?"

Thomas shrugged and her assistant frowned back.

"So why change at a park and not here in the office?" The blonde continued, thinking out loud and stumbling along until inspiration hit. "You've got trees, grass ... a snake. Could it have been something like Mother Nature?"

She received another shrug. So far, Thomas didn't know anything other than what she'd told a few close associates, including Ms. West, in confidence.

The blonde woman wouldn't be stopped though, not once she got going. She slid Thomas's keyboard and turned the monitor so she could see it. Then she did an Internet search for Mother Nature.

She quickly found several links and tracked down an interesting name that struck a chord of truth for Thomas. It also caused the new woman to glow more brightly for a few seconds when spoken. The name was Gaia, and Gaia was trying to tell her something.

"It looks like you've got a new mother." Ms. West smiled.

"I guess so. I'm virtually reborn, aren't I?" Thomas smiled back.

The two of them continued searching and found the names of Gaia's children. Tethys sounded more like Thomas but Theia, Titan goddess of sight and heavenly light, seemed a better match for the glowing woman.

"Theia," the new woman said. "Theia Comstock. I think I like it."

"Why not just Theia? Goddesses don't have last names."

"I have a feeling I'm not really a goddess." She glowed more brightly in response to confirm it. "I think I'm more of a representative." Again, she glowed more brightly.

"You're like an avatar," Ms. West said, and Theia glowed more brightly for several minutes. The issue was settled. Theia was the avatar of Gaia, and she'd remain so for the rest of her life. A name and title had been found but the real work had yet to begin.

***

Using the hit or miss method of bright flare ups to communicate with the Earth goddess, Theia managed to figure out her purpose before her glowing faded completely and she became all woman. She was to use her modest powers and excessive wealth to protect and heal the planet.

Of course. It all made sense, in a strange sort of way. She couldn't exactly control governments but she had more than enough money to throw around to get her way. Environmental groups were ecstatic when they started receiving generous donations. With her new purpose in mind, she discovered the satisfying joy of compassion, and she blindly but gladly steered her life down another path. She finally found her true calling, and she was happy.

"Well, Snake," Theia said in a rich, contralto voice. "What's next?" The snake looked back at her from the leather couch it liked so much. "I don't know what else to do but I feel like I should do something."

The woman sat at her desk, surfing the Internet out of boredom. She'd found several major environmental groups to donate huge sums of money to, but she still felt like there was something more she had to do.

She missed her glowing. Without it, she had no way to communicate with Gaia, and even with it, it took far too long to understand anything. In her current state, she couldn't hope to comprehend the divine mind of a planet. Luckily, Earth had other ways to communicate.

"Don't like it here." Theia felt the message more than heard it.

"Hello? What?"

"Don't like it here. Too cold. Too dry."

"Who is that? What's going on?" Theia got up out of her chair and looked around the office. All she saw was her python companion, lounging in its usual spot on the leather couch.

"Snake?"

"Yes. Me. Hungry."

Theia numbly went to the fridge she'd added to the office and pulled out a recently thawed but still cold hamster. She warmed it up a little under a heat lamp by habit and tossed it to the snake who quickly gobbled it up.

"We go now?" The snake stared at Theia with its large, unblinking eyes and the avatar shivered.

"I'm talking with a snake," Theia muttered. Then she shouted. "I'm talking with a snake!"

"Yes. We go now?"

"Wait a minute," the avatar stopped to think before remembering the question she'd kept in the back of her mind for so long. "What's your name? I'm really tired of calling you Snake."

Theia received an image, and along with the image came the memory of a young man's voice. The man called out the name, Clementine.

"Clementine?"

"Yes."

"Your name is Clementine!"

"Yes. We go now?"

Clementine had a one track mind. She really didn't like it in New York City. It wasn't a good home for a python. She also didn't like her former owner. The young man didn't abuse her but he never fed her enough and never gave her enough attention, not like Theia. She really liked Theia, especially after the avatar finished transforming. The two of them could communicate now, and life would be much nicer for the large snake if she could ever get the woman to listen.

***

"So let me get this straight," Ms. West said, standing in front of her boss's desk. "You're telling me you can talk to that snake?"

"Yes!"

"That's a bit hard to believe."

"Well you've seen how strong I've become," she stood up and easily lifted her desk with one hand. "Why can't you believe I can talk to Clementine?" She flopped back down in her chair and sulked.

"Clementine?"

"That's her name. Maybe you could check for missing pythons named Clementine and find her picture or something. Maybe then you'd believe me."

"Wait a minute. Her? She's a she? How can you tell?"

Theia raised an eyebrow and frowned but didn't say anything.

"Right. Never mind. Okay. For the sake of argument, let's say she can talk. What's she been telling you? ... besides her name."

Theia filled in her assistant on Clementine's desire to move to a warmer location and happened to agree. She'd had enough of hiding up in her tower of glass and steel and wanted to be closer to Earth. Nothing more and nothing less than a ground floor office with direct access to Gaia would do. She could almost hear the Earth goddess calling to her.

Ms. West didn't like hearing that. She didn't like that at all. She loved New York and didn't want to leave. Theia couldn't help notice something was wrong.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry." The blonde sniffled. "I'm just being selfish. I don't want to leave. I can't leave. All my friends and family are here. Do you have to go?"

"I'm sorry too, but I'm afraid I do. It'll probably take several weeks to make plans and then several months to carry them out, but I'll be going just as soon as I can."

***

Theia's plans formed in an unusual way but they didn't take nearly as long as she thought they would. She had dreams, very vivid dreams that detailed everything, including a complete building design and location. Gaia found yet another way to communicate with her avatar.

Theia started by contacting an architectural firm to have her very special office building designed and built in Sacramento, California. The building specifications were quite different from most buildings but simpler in a way so it didn't take long before construction began. The building wouldn't be finished for another year or so after that. Thankfully, that gave the avatar plenty of time to prepare.

Her first order of business was to start taking Environmental Engineering classes and educating herself on how to take better care of the planet. With her online education started, she focused on addressing a more local need.

"Gloria? May I call you Gloria?" Theia asked her assistant.

"Yes, of course, as long as I can call you Theia." The young blonde smiled. She'd been hoping to be on more familiar terms with her boss for weeks. They both felt a strong sisterly bond forming between them that wouldn't be broken, not even with the impending move.

"Well, Gloria," Theia returned the smile. "I'll need someone to run things here after I leave. Do you have any ideas who I could hire?"

"No, I really don't."

"What about you?"

"What?! No way, Theia. I couldn't. Don't joke around like that."

"I'm not joking. You already do a lot of my work for me. It wouldn't take much training to get you up to speed to manage everything."

"But I couldn't possibly ...." Gloria couldn't finish. She couldn't believe her ears.

"Gloria, please." Theia got up out of her chair and directed her assistant to take her place. "Sit. I'm being serious here. We might as well start right away ... President West."

The shocked blonde sat on Theia's desk chair and stared at the computer monitor as her new mentor showed her around the world of finance.

***

As a man, Theia had looked down on her former personal assistant, figuratively and literally, but after her transformation, she lost several inches of height and now looked Gloria in the eye when they both stood. She also realized how intelligent the blonde really was, and how beautiful. The tall, slender blonde woman would never be considered model material in spite of her height and figure, but Theia saw an inner beauty that outshone any arbitrary physical standards.

The two women grew ever closer as they spent more and more time together. Feminine aspects of Theia's personality blossomed to match her body, making the pair much more compatible. They both filled a void in each other's life that neither realized they had, and promoting Gloria to president of New York operations helped make their relationship comfortable and easy. No one would dare suggest any impropriety.

The weeks flew by, and as predicted, the young blonde had no trouble handling her added responsibilities. She had a masters degree in business administration from Harvard after all. Being a personal assistant had always been just a stepping stone to a much more fulfilling career, one she thought would take years to develop, but her stepping stone turned out to be the ultimate short cut.

She spent most of her work time at her old desk. She couldn't handle sharing the same office with Clementine so it was her only option for the time being. She'd move into Theia's office after the move to California. That left the avatar and her companion snake lots of privacy and free time, making Gloria wonder what they did all day. It had to get a bit boring at times. Theia never went out during the day.

Up to that point, the former personal assistant had ordered appropriate clothes for Theia and helped the avatar dress. It took awhile to find a style though. Theia tried pant suits and they worked better than her original clothing, but she found them to be too restrictive and uncomfortable. They just didn't feel or even look right, and Gloria had to agree, so they decided to spend an afternoon pouring over several clothing web sites, looking for ideas.

"What about this outfit?" the blonde asked. The model in the photo wore loose fitting wool slacks with a conservative, long-sleeved white blouse. It was simple and elegant. "Think of it as business casual. You don't have to dress up all the time."

"Isn't that wool?" Theia pointed to the slacks. "Wool makes me itchy."

"You could wear hose underneath."

"Hose? I don't know ...." The avatar blushed. She still wasn't used to a lot of the more feminine articles of clothing.

Gloria sensed the problem and knew what to do. It might take a little work but no easier way presented itself.

"We have to go shopping," the blonde stated, her jaw firmly set. Only total immersion would do.

"But what about security?" The idea of going out scared Theia. She'd been hounded by reporters and religious nuts at every turn, even after she stopped glowing.

"That'll be a problem, especially with the women's dressing rooms and rest rooms. Our security force is all men." Gloria had felt a little restricted herself. She required guarding after her promotion and huge increase in salary.

"Yeah," Theia looked glum, but she hid her true feeling of relief. She still didn't like the idea of going out.

"There's an easy way around that though."

"Oh?"

"We hire women!"

Theia couldn't disagree. Having women bodyguards would make the outside world more accessible. She couldn't hide away forever anyway, especially after she got to California. Some of the dreams she had showed her meeting with people from all around the world and communicating with all different species of animals. As Gaia's avatar, she had to interact with the whole world.

*** to be continued ***

 © 2008 by Terry Volkirch. This work may not be replicated in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the Author (copyright holder). All Rights Reserved. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental.

Theia continues to learn a great many things about the environment and about herself -- as Gaia's avatar and as a woman.

WARNING: If you have a fear of snakes, then this story isn't for you. A large nonpoisonous snake figures prominently in this story.

NOTE: Votes and comments have been disabled for this story. Please just relax and enjoy it if you care to read it. If you do read it and feel moved to comment, private messages are always welcome.

Gaia's Avatar
by Terry Volkirch

Part 2

Gloria had fun looking over résumés and it was good practice for her since she'd have to occasionally hire and fire employees. She sat at Theia's desk with the avatar looking over her shoulder at the computer screen.

"What about her?" the blonde asked. "She looks like she might appreciate a little shopping." The guard's picture showed a fashionably dressed woman with her face well made up, and her résumé showed she'd spent a fair amount of time working in Hollywood, where image was everything.

Theia raised a single eyebrow but the effect was wasted. Gloria couldn't see it.

"I don't think that's an appropriate requirement for the job," the avatar scolded.

"It most certainly is! Remember how this all started? You need to get out and shop, and I'd like to think the experience would be much more pleasant if our bodyguards had a little fun too."

"Bodyguards aren't supposed to have fun. They're supposed to watch out for potential threats and protect us."

"Well, duh," Gloria said, showing her age. "But who says they can't have a little fun too? Besides, if we treat them well, they'll be more loyal."

"That's true. I'd trust them more that way. We could have them rotate with one or two of them staying close and joining us in whatever we were doing at the time. The rest could lie in wait and watch for trouble. I like it!"

The blonde grinned and turned to look at Theia over her shoulder. "Paranoid much?"

"Comes with the job, honey." Theia winked and the two women had a good laugh.

***

Leaving the logistics to the security force, the two women took the New York boutiques by storm. Two female security guards in plain clothes accompanied the two shoppers and after a spur of the moment shopping bonus was given to them, they even joined in a little themselves. The rest of the guards, a mix of men and women, hung back and tried not to look bored.

There wasn't much of a problem with security in the expensive boutiques. They already had their own security measures in place and could deal with virtually any criminal element. That left nothing but fun for the four shoppers.

Theia got a crash course in feminine chic that left her stunned. She'd never seen so many beautiful clothes in such wonderful colors. She didn't understand where her aesthetic appreciation came from and she didn't care. She soon lost herself in the moment and simply enjoyed herself.

The four energized shoppers spent an obscene amount of money, and after several hours, they chatted endlessly for the entire ride back to the office tower. Theia's transformation truly was complete. She was all woman and loved every minute of it.

Being so strong, the avatar carried all the bags. That left the guards free to act if necessary so they didn't mind. The four shoppers rode the elevator up to the top floor together before the goods were distributed. Then Theia headed for her office with her best friend in tow.

When she got inside, she immediately dropped her bags and got a pained expression on her face.

"What's wrong?!" Gloria couldn't help notice.

"Poor Clementine!" Theia rushed over to the couch where her loyal companion rested. "Did hissy kissy snakey wakey miss Mommy?"

"Cold. Sad. Yes," the snake replied.

Theia lifted the entire 120 pound snake like it was light as a feather and let it coil itself around her. She no longer minded being completely wrapped up because she was strong enough that the snake couldn't constrict her breathing if it tried.

"Good girl," the woman cooed. "Is that better?"

"Warm. Happy. Yes."

"Honestly," Gloria had her hands on her hips after having dropped her own bags of clothes, but she was still smiling. "You two are hopeless."

"Awww. Don't be jealous," Theia teased. "Clementine would gladly give you a little hug too if you let her."

"No thanks." The blonde shivered with dread.

"But she likes you! Come on. Just a tail around your ankle? She won't hurt you."

"Are you serious?!"

"Yes! Come on. Group hug."

Sometimes the young woman wasn't sure when Theia was joking, but she could see the serious look on the avatar's face and knew she wouldn't escape without trying.

"Okay. Just a little hug though."

The blonde edged over until she stood close enough for Clementine to lower her tail and gently wrap it around the woman's ankle. She shivered a little but it wasn't so bad. It wasn't at all slimy like she imagined.

"That's enough," Gloria said quietly. "Can I go now please?"

"Are you sure you don't want a bigger hug?"

"I'm sure. Baby steps, Theia. Baby steps."

Clementine released the blonde's ankle and all three of them slowly separated on good terms. The internal glow from the shopping trip even came back, leaving Gloria in a very good mood.

So far, it was a mostly good life and much progress had been made, but there was still a long way to go for Gaia's avatar.

***

Late that night, the avatar rested on the black couch in her office after having woken up from a bad dream in her adjoining bedroom. She had much of the office space made into living quarters so she wouldn't have to commute to work. It was much safer and easier that way.

She'd been sleeping very well up that evening so she knew something was wrong. Gaia had to have been sending her a message in the form of a nightmare and it caused her to take some time to reflect on her life.

As a respectful gesture to the Earth goddess, she had a very large round bed with sky blue silk sheets, fluffy white pillows and a black comforter with white stars in the middle of her room. All of her furniture and accessories were constructed using environmentally sustainable organic materials and she even added low energy lighting to save on energy. She felt obligated to make such an effort but she still made mistakes, and still had a lot to learn.

Her nightmare started out with a graphic demonstration about how her fancy new clothes were manufactured. All of the poisonous chemical byproducts from the synthetic fibers and all of the sweatshop labor greatly disturbed her sleep, but that was nothing compared to the big picture. All of the pollution, habitat destruction and social injustices in the world added up to make a nightmare of epic proportions. Gaia cried out in pain and the avatar woke up crying, feeling every bit of that pain.

She sat on her couch, leaning heavily against Clementine, and started crying again, the memories from her dream still fresh in her mind.

"I'm sorry, Gaia." She sniffled. "I'll try harder. I won't let you down."

The avatar had so much responsibility that she couldn't help feel overwhelmed sometimes. She needed someone to share her life with and give her some support. Having a python for a close companion was nice but it wouldn't do for the long-term.

Theia normally kept her office very warm for Clementine, and she added a humidifier to keep the snake moist. That didn't make for the most idea sleeping conditions for her but she didn't care. She needed companionship more than physical comfort so she stayed on the couch to finish the night with her loyal snake friend.

***

Early May brought nicer weather that was welcomed by many, including several species of birds that flocked to Theia. They somehow knew who and what she was and communicated with her in their own way, giving the avatar lots of useful information about the state of the environment. Migratory birds were especially useful when it came to information. They flew long distances and identified several wilderness areas that needed protection.

Theia had so many avian visits that she modified her office to allow open access to it. The pecking on her office windows threatened to drive her crazy otherwise. A bird or two would fly in, give a fond greeting and short report and be on their way after a quick nibble at the large bird feeder that was attached to the outside of the window. The avatar kept the covered feeder full for her visitors, knowing that they had to expend extra energy to go out of their way to reach her office.

The visits were always enjoyable and she looked forward to seeing more animals at her new, more accessible location in Sacramento. It still surprised her that she could talk to animals, all animals according to her dreams. She also looked forward to testing her knowledge of human languages. She'd dabbled on the computer and discovered she could read every foreign language she tried, but reading wasn't the same thing as speaking.

So far, birds were her favorite type of visitor. They saw quite a lot as they flew overhead and they had many interesting stories to tell as well as information to give. They were always welcome any time of day, though they were warned about Clementine.

Pythons couldn't help but look at birds as food and the large snake made several birds nervous when she stared at them. Thankfully, Gloria and Theia kept her well fed so she behaved herself.

It was one particular warm spring day that had Gloria lounging on the black couch in Theia's office while waiting to discuss lunch plans. She'd watched Theia deal with a couple birds as they came and went while she absently stroked Clementine's head. The large snake rested her head on the woman's lap and snoozed after having been recently fed.

"How do you do that?" the blonde asked, leaning forward slightly after the latest visitor flew outside. She waited until the crow left before she said anything. It kept eyeing her suspiciously and she was afraid she'd spook it.

"Do what? Speak with animals?" Theia seemed oddly preoccupied after the visit. "I haven't a clue."

"Is it something you could teach?"

"I doubt it, since I don't know how I do it myself." Theia stopped a moment to think. "Actually, I might not even be doing it. Maybe Gaia is translating for me and feeding me the translated version. I have no idea."

Gloria pouted and quickly leaned back, disturbing Clementine.

"Oh. Sorry, Clementine." The young woman gently slid out from under the snake's head and moved to sit on the edge of Theia's desk.

"So what do they say?" Gloria continued.

"They chirp or squawk out a respectful greeting and then blurt out some grievances. Sometimes they also describe some interesting sights they'd seen." The avatar sighed.

"Okay, but what specific things did that crow have to say?" she said, pointing to the bird that was enjoying a quick meal in the bird feeder outside.

Theia blushed.

"What? What is it?"

"You ... she said something interesting about you, actually."

"Me? What? What did she say about me?" Gloria couldn't imagine what a bird would say about her. She always sat quietly out of the way and let Theia do her new life's work.

"She noticed the way you were looking at me and made a casual comment. That's all. I wouldn't worry about it." Theia felt a little uncomfortable. She strayed into unfamiliar territory and feared losing control. She'd always been in control of herself and her emotions. It wouldn't be professional to have an emotional outburst, especially in front of someone else, so she got up with the intention to hide away in her bedroom.

"Wait a minute!" Gloria moved to intercept. "You don't think you can get away with saying something like that and running off, do you?"

Theia gave a sheepish grin and shrugged.

"What did she say?" The blonde insisted.

"She said she thought you ... liked me or something. There. Happy?"

The avatar roughly brushed Gloria aside and ran to her bed. She flopped down on her stomach and started crying, not believing that what the bird said could be true. No one had ever loved her, except her parents. She couldn't accept that her best friend shared her own feelings, feelings she'd been denying herself for the past several weeks.

Several minutes later, she felt her friend sit on the bed and place a comforting hand on her back.

"You need to be a little careful with your strength," Gloria said quietly. "You hurt me when you knocked me out of the way."

"Sorry," came the muffled reply. Theia still had her face buried in her comforter.

"So are you going to cry the rest of the day, or are we going to talk about this?" The young blonde gave her shy friend a sad smile, confident she could get through this. It was only a matter of time before her true feelings were known. She'd planned on eventually telling Theia how she felt, but she never thought she'd be beaten to it by a crow.

Theia sat up and wiped her tears away with the back of her hands, and the two of them had a rather short discussion. There wasn't much left to say so they just confessed their feelings for each other and relief washed over them. Then they hugged and cried a few happy tears until a new sensation overwhelmed all others.

The two women pulled away, and after Theia carefully dabbed at Gloria's face to clean the smeared, all natural eye makeup, they stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Theia's blue-green irises radiated love and Gloria's light blue irises sparkled with the same message. Their work brought them together for a professional relationship over three years ago, and they just kept getting closer until what they had went beyond friendship. Now their eyes met and pulled them the rest of the way to where they both wanted and needed to go. They kissed, gently at first and then more passionately as they gave in to their long suppressed desire.

***

The months passed and the love between Gloria and Theia grew strong in spite of their busy schedules. Since they worked in the same office, they spent plenty of quality time together, sharing every moment they could, including meals, shopping trips to earth friendly stores, and a bed. The blonde woman even helped her lover try a little makeup, insisting it would help set the mood for special occasions.

Theia returned the favor of makeup lessons by sharing her knowledge and love of the environment. She taught her friend and lover to celebrate life in all its forms. The acclimation period had started slowly with Clementine but soon snowballed into every animal species. Even insects and worms were welcome.

Since Gloria had long since gotten used to the python, she had no problem paying random visits to her girlfriend whenever the mood struck her. It was during one of her surprise visits that she found Theia with a puzzled look on her face.

"Something wrong, my love?"

"Hmmm?" Theia abruptly shook her head and turned to face the blonde. "No, I was just wondering how Yorkshire could get so cluttered with trash."

"Yorkshire as in England?"

"Yes, of course." Theia said. "Apparently, littering is a big problem over there."

"Where did you hear that?" Gloria was confused. So far, all of the migratory birds came up from the south. There'd been no reports from Europe before.

"A little bird told me." Theia joked and pointed out her recent visitor gorging himself in the bird feeder. "That little European robin actually flew all the way around the northern edge of the Atlantic Ocean just to tell me how upset he was about all the litter. The little fellow has pluck. I'll give him that."

"Wow."

"Wow is right. Oh, and he'll be staying in our bedroom tonight. He'll need some rest before he flies back. I insisted. I hope that's okay."

"Sure, as long as he doesn't mind sharing the room with me."

"It shouldn't be a problem. I discussed it with him and he claims he's not afraid of you." Theia smiled when she thought about the robin's bravado. He put on a good show but he was still wary of both Gloria and Clementine.

"So what exactly did he say?"

"Well, before we worked out tonight's sleeping arrangements, he showed me visions of Yorkshire."

"Visions?"

"Yeah. That's how animals communicate a lot of their messages to me. The robin twittered in annoyance as he sent me visions of shredded plastic bags, candy and cigarette wrappers and an endless number of empty bottles scattered across much of the countryside. It's quite a mess over there."

"Really? I had no idea."

"Neither did I." Theia frowned. "When he finished the visions, he gave me a direct message using sounds and body language. I seem to be able to understand virtually every possible method of communication."

"What did he say?"

"Literally speaking, he said that the land isn't fit for a view."

"Fascinating," Gloria found herself sitting on the couch, stroking Clementine's head. She often found herself in that same position doing the same thing without thinking. It was almost as if the snake called her over and she answered. "So what are you going to do about it? What can you do?"

"Good question. I think it's time to reorganize."

The two lovers brainstormed and borrowed a few ideas from government as well as business. They ended up with several departments and created top positions for each, adding a press secretary, public relations manager and marketing director among other things. The dictum, 'reduce, reuse, recycle', would soon be known and practiced worldwide. The fate of the world counted on it.

***

Theia continued to work hard to create an ever increasing array of global initiatives, all aimed at making the planet a safer and healthier place to live. She continued getting input from her avian friends and finally felt comfortable accepting human visitors as well. She began using her newfound knowledge of all the world's languages, something that was fairly easy to do in New York City, where well over a hundred different languages were spoken. She got valuable information and advice from everyone she talked to, young or old, rich or poor, educated or not. Everyone gladly helped.

Gaia's avatar was famous so the large number of requests to see her wasn't a surprise. Neither were their reasons for seeing her. The various people who visited either talked about their home countries, if they were recent immigrants, or about the state of the city. New York could be quite grimy and full of litter so it was good to get the reports. The constant feedback made it easier to identify problem areas and test the effectiveness of various initiatives. A fair amount of city pride and loads of money made the work easy and satisfying, and Theia's reputation could only improve.

Speaking so many languages impressed her visitors, and it got a fair amount of press coverage. It also helped distract her from her impending move. She painfully recalled an emotional conversation she'd had with Gloria about leaving. She didn't look forward to leaving her true love behind, but her work in New York was nearly finished and the day finally came when she had to address the issue of moving.

"Do you have to go?!" Gloria whined. The two lovers slept in late one Sunday morning and stayed in bed to discuss the move to California. They'd spent so many blissful days and steamy nights together that neither could bear the thought of being separated.

"You know I do. I can't stay here and do what Gaia needs me to do. Please. Don't be difficult."

"Don't be difficult?!" Gloria sometimes forgot she loved a former man who hadn't had a lot of practice dealing with sensitive subjects. Sometimes she let her emotions get the best of her and needed an outlet. "But I love you!"

"I love you too! Do you think I'm happy about leaving you behind?"

"No! So don't go!!"

"I have to go! If I could, I'd pack up all of New York so we could be together, but that's not going to happen."

That made Gloria pause as something occurred to her. She first berated herself for not thinking of it earlier. Then she got a glint in her eye and smiled, confusing Theia to no end.

"What?" The avatar was afraid to ask but couldn't help herself. "What is it?"

"You don't have to pack up all of New York. You just have to help me pack up my things."

"Huh?"

"I'm going with you!"

"But ... I thought you said you wouldn't leave? What about your family and friends?"

"Duh! That was before we got involved. Why shouldn't I go now? You're my family! You're my everything! Don't you want me to go?!"

"Of course I want you to go, but I'm going to be busy ... maybe too busy to devote enough time to you. It wouldn't be fair to you."

"That's stupid," Gloria spat. "I'm going and that's that."

"Well ... I hadn't planned on telling you this but there are a couple things I've learned since we got together, things that'll affect our future together, things you should know about."

"Oh?"

The avatar had continued to receive dream messages from Gaia, and in some of those dreams, she learned more about herself. She'd have a greatly extended life span for one thing. That meant she'd still be young while Gloria grew old and died.

"What kind of future could we have?" Theia cried.

"A long and happy one! Who cares as long as we're together, for however long that'll be? You can take care of me in my old age and I'm sure I'll be happy."

"But I don't know if I could watch you wither and die!" The former man couldn't stop herself. She curled up on the bed and cried her eyes out.

Gloria spooned against her lover's back and rubbed the other woman's thigh. "It happens. People die. Life goes on."

Theia responded with a sniffle.

"You've taught me to celebrate life, and you're a great teacher. So let's celebrate. Come on. It's not like I'm going to die tomorrow."

"No," Theia choked out. "You're not going to die tomorrow. But there's something else you might have a problem with."

"Okay. Let's hear it."

"My libido is ... off the charts."

"I know," Gloria whispered fondly in the woman's ear.

"You don't understand. It keeps getting stronger too. I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"That I'll wear you out!" Theia wailed.

Gloria smiled and cuddled the woman from behind. Even assuming she couldn't continue to satisfy her lover's sexual appetites, there were always solutions. If she had to, she'd share Theia with other women, even men if she had to. She just didn't want to be without the only person who ever made her feel so completely alive.

"You'll just have to stay here," the avatar suddenly decided after a good short cry. Her guilt and fear kept her from thinking straight. She couldn't accept the bad with the good, and she wouldn't allow Gloria to make any sacrifices if she could help it.

"No, I'm going with you," Gloria set her jaw.

"But you can't! Please! Listen to reason!"

"Who are you to decide such things for me?!" Gloria raged. "How dare you?!"

Theia sniffled again. She didn't have an answer. She didn't have any answers for the moment, and she felt so alone. The weight of the world was on her shoulders, and it could be a terrible burden.

"We can work things out," the blonde said gently, after realizing how upset Theia was. "I'll ... I'll share you if I have to but I'm going." There. She'd said it. It shocked her a little but once she said it, she realized she could deal with it. She had to follow her heart, and her heart led straight to Theia. She was going to California.

The avatar actually felt relief. She didn't have to make yet another difficult decision. It really wasn't in her hands anyway. She had to remember to let people run their own lives, as long as they didn't severely harm the planet. She had to let Gloria decide for herself where to live. She felt so relieved, and so very happy that her tears once again began to soak her pillow.

"Are you okay?" the blonde asked, not quite sure why Theia was crying.

"Yes," her lover replied. "I'm just so happy!"

"Awww. That's my girl."

*** to be continued ***

 © 2008 by Terry Volkirch. This work may not be replicated in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the Author (copyright holder). All Rights Reserved. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental.

Theia and company finally make the move to California to see the grand new office building for the first time, and the surprises continue to trickle in.

WARNING: If you have a fear of snakes, then this story isn't for you. A large nonpoisonous snake figures prominently in this story.

NOTE: Votes and comments have been disabled for this story. Please just relax and enjoy it if you care to read it. If you do read it and feel moved to comment, private messages are always welcome.

Gaia's Avatar
by Terry Volkirch

Part 3

In late spring, on a cold, rainy day, most everything had long since been packed up and moved to Theia's new office building in California, leaving just two women, a python, and some office furniture that wouldn't be needed.

The old black leather couch still sat against the wall and Clementine lounged on it, refusing to let go. She coiled all around it and hissed when Theia tried to pull her away. The avatar had enough strength to separate the snake but she was afraid of doing any harm.

"Bed. Mine. Soft." The upset snake refused to accept that her couch could be replaced.

"Why don't we just bring it along?" Gloria suggested. "It's not too late. Clementine really loves that couch." To a casual observer, the python's behavior might have been confusing at best and hostile at worst, but Gloria correctly understood the problem.

Theia actually wondered how Gloria knew what was going on but she shrugged it off. The three of them had been together long enough to know that Clementine really did like lounging on the couch.

"Okay," Theia stood up to rest after wrestling with the powerful snake. "You're right. I know when I'm licked."

"I'll contact the moving company right away while you two have a talk." Gloria left the office to make a phone call while Theia apologized to her loyal friend in her own way.

"Mommy's sorry. We're bringing your bed. Okay? All better now?"

"Bed. Me. Go?"

"Yes. We're all going to a nice warm place. Is my hissy kissy snakey wakey happy now?"

"Yes. Warm. Good."

"That's my baby."

The python let Theia lift her up and she coiled around the woman so they could all leave, and the family of three were soon going down together in the elevator for the last time. The two women quietly lost themselves in their fond memories of the place. Then Clementine suddenly started hissing again.

"What's the matter, snakey wakey?" The avatar asked.

"Don't be afraid, Clementine." Gloria suddenly said. "We won't let anything happen to you."

The blonde woman started stroking the snake's head to calm it and Theia was amazed. They weren't in a familiar situation. Gloria had never seen the python in such a mood so there should've been no way for her to know what was wrong.

"Gloria, how did you know?"

"Huh? Know what?"

"How did you know she was afraid?"

"Didn't you say it?" The blonde looked puzzled, almost distracting Theia from her question. The young woman looked so beautiful when she was puzzled about something.

"No," the avatar said, roughly shaking her head to help her focus. "I just asked what was bugging her and you told her not to be afraid."

"Well ... it makes sense, doesn't it? We've never taken her down the elevator before. It is kind of cramped in here. I don't like it much either."

"I don't know. I think something more might be going on. We should check into this later. Perhaps on the flight?"

Gloria just shrugged.

"Maybe I'm rubbing off on you somehow," Theia mused.

"You can rub me anytime, lover." Gloria smiled suggestively.

The avatar felt a pang of desire but restrained herself, something that was easy enough to do with a large python coiled around her. They also had a large group of bodyguards waiting for them in the lobby, and an endless sea of reporters, sniffing for a story. It was going to be a long day.

When the elevator door opened, a crowd of guards surged forward to shield the small group and further agitated Clementine, causing Theia a little breathing trouble. The large snake squeezed her out of fear, and the squeezing continued as they slowly forced their way past the reporters. The avatar had to use a lot of her enhanced strength to protect herself from the muscular snake.

Getting to their hybrid SUV proved to be a media circus. Cameras recorded every step, every movement, and they got an eyeful of the avatar with the large python. One of the reporters shouted, "Snake!" and the questions flew. Theia had a short prepared statement that she rattled off from memory, though she had nothing new to say. She'd already informed the world of her intention to move to Sacramento. Still, the reporters wouldn't let go and she finally just groaned and let her security force fend them all off while she pressed on.

Once they were safely tucked away in the back of the black SUV, hidden behind tinted windows, Gloria worked her magic fingers on Clementine's head and the large snake relaxed, letting the avatar breathe easily. They spent the rest of the trip discussing business plans to distract them from their travel woes.

A new president of New York operations would soon be taking over, and it was a woman, naturally. Theia and Gloria thought it was about time women were fairly represented in the upper levels of management. Until that happened, they'd only consider hiring women.

There were certainly more than enough qualified male and female candidates but if anyone had a problem with an office full of women, they could complain to Theia's new complaints officer, Clementine. The python was actually a very good judge of character, and she was very fair, but most people with a grievance took one look at her and walked away. It minimized the number of frivolous complaints and made the large snake's job easy.

For the moment, Clementine had no duties except travel in style with her two human companions. She coiled around Theia and the three of them made their way to the airport to begin their journey across the United States. It wasn't until they got within view of their chartered jet that something looked fishy.

"Oh oh," Theia said quietly. "Trouble."

A group of uniformed police officers could be seen snooping around the jet, and they didn't look very friendly as they spoke with some of the members of Theia's advance security force.

After the avatar arrived at the jet, the officers went from unfriendly to downright hostile, and they all pointed their guns at her and her snake.

"Freeze!" one of the policemen shouted. "You're under arrest!"

"For what?!" Theia and Gloria shouted back in unison.

"Some idiot decided he wanted his snake back," one of the members of the security force said.

"You mean Clementine's former owner suddenly wants her back?" Theia asked. She couldn't believe her ears.

"He saw you both on the news tonight and I guess he recognized the python," her guard said after having gotten that much out of the police. "He had enough photographs and other evidence to prove he owns her and he claims you stole her."

"This snake came to me," the avatar said to the police. "I did not steal her."

"Just hand over the snake, ma'am," a police officer said.

"This snake is leaving with me. She's free to go where she wants and she wants to go with me to California."

The police moved in to try to take Clementine by force, causing the python to squeeze Theia very tightly.

"Stop it!" Theia shouted as she backed away. "You're scaring her."

"I suppose she told you all that?" one officer said with a sneer. Most people didn't react well when Theia said or even implied that she could communicate with animals. Few people believed her so she tried to be careful about mentioning it.

"It's obvious you're scaring her because she's squeezing me," the avatar gasped out. She had a little trouble breathing and had to use most of her strength to keep Clementine from accidentally constricting her to death.

Meanwhile, during the altercation with the police, Gloria slipped off to make some phone calls. She quickly tracked down Theia's accuser after having correctly guessed what the man really wanted. She figured he didn't really want the snake because she'd followed Theia's suggestion long ago and looked for a missing snake report. Since she'd never found anyone looking for the python, it was obvious the man just wanted money. He probably hoped to sell the suddenly famous snake to make a lot of money, and Gloria gave him what he wanted so they could all move on. It wasn't right, but it was for the best. The blonde arranged to transfer funds to the man's bank account and quickly went back to interrupt the arrest.

"You'll want to call your headquarters," she told the police. "I'm sure you'll find that the man will be dropping all charges."

The police soon verified Gloria's statement, and after some posturing and muttered apologies by the police officers, the two women and the python were free to go. The journey to California could resume, and New York City would soon be nothing but a distant memory. The avatar and her little family had a new life to settle into, and a lot more work to do.

***

The small chartered jet had lifted off three hours late and Theia couldn't be more relieved to finally be on her way. She'd had enough of living high up in an office building and looked forward to her ground floor office in Sacramento. It might be considered unusual for someone of her high status but it made sense. She'd be much closer to Gaia.

A large part of the avatar's security force flew along in the jet and took up most of the room, leaving the little family of three with a small section to themselves in the back. The two women sat one seat apart in the same row of the central section of three seats, with their loyal python lying in the seat between them. They both chose to fully stretch their long legs out into the aisle that ran along both sides of the narrow aircraft, but they made up for their separation by reaching out to hold hands and indulging in a little conversation.

"I still say something's odd about the way you handle Clementine," Theia told the blonde. "I don't think you're communicating directly but it's like you can read her mind."

"Whatever," Gloria sighed, stroking the python's head that found its way into her lap as usual. She wasn't really listening because she was briefly lost in thought. It amazed her how just under a year ago, she was scared to death of the large snake and now she couldn't imagine life without her. The three of them really were a family.

Theia noticed the python's contentment and smiled. Being together with Gloria must have some effect, and if that was true, it could be a big help. They could handle more visitors and get more done. She hoped she was right, and hoped there'd be other shared effects, like a longer life span. The dark-haired woman couldn't imagine life without her true love.

The avatar let her mind wander a little until she could think of something else to talk about. For the moment, it didn't really matter who could talk to Clementine as long as they were all happy together.

"Would you like to hear more about what we'll be doing in California?" Theia asked, changing the subject. They hadn't talked much about operations in California. Their schedules kept them too busy during the day as they scrambled to find a replacement for Gloria and continued to handle all the official visitors to the avatar. What little free time they had was spent in private, celebrating their love for each other.

"Sure." The young blonde focused on her lover again and favored her with a big smile.

"Believe it or not, I've actually been able to give it some thought over the past few days. I had to change quite a bit to accommodate you, my dear." Theia grinned back.

"Oh! You must've been multitasking then." Gloria teased. "Are you sure you were ever a man?"

Theia stuck out her tongue.

"Good answer," the blonde said, getting a giggle out both of them.

"Anyway ... I've decided to create a new position: Director of Pacific Rim Operations. It's a lot of responsibility so I'm having a little trouble. Do you have any ideas who I could hire?"

"Not really." Gloria thought about all the new contacts she'd made in New York City but those people were all busy with the same type of work, and they were all needed back in New York.

"What about you?"

"Me?! Oh! You did it again! I didn't see that coming at all." Gloria looked down and blushed.

Theia laughed.

"You'll pay for that," the blonde growled.

"I hope I get a fair price then."

"Mmm," Gloria licked her lips suggestively. "I love it when you talk financially to me."

"Not with the child present," Theia pointed to Clementine and they both laughed.

The avatar got back to business and talked about their future plans together. Besides the office layout, things wouldn't be much different in California from what they were in New York. There was only one major issue that needed to be discussed.

"Sustainability," Theia said.

"Sustainable growth, you mean?"

"No. Not at all. We need a sustainable economy, not sustainable growth. Long-term growth isn't sustainable."

"Oh. Right. I get it." Gloria had been dealing with environmentally friendly business ideas long enough to understand. Growth of any kind was impossible in the long-term. Eventually, businesses would use up all of Earth's limited natural resources, leaving everyone to fight over recycled scraps. Mass expansion out into the solar system might help but resources would still dry up as long as growth continued.

"It'll be difficult," Theia continued. "It's a bit tricky to halt growth without slipping into a global recession, but I think I can handle it."

"You mean, we can handle it."

"Exactly."

***

Disembarking from the jet took a minimum of fuss. No one bothered to discuss the flight plan with the news media so only a few reporters waited to hassle them -- those few who'd correctly guessed which airport they'd arrive at. The security staff easily blocked the unwanted visitors and the avatar and company breezed to their new office building.

As they rode in the back of a hybrid SUV that matched the one they'd leased in New York, Gloria could barely contain her excitement. Her life had changed so much and so quickly, it left her breathless, but she had to speak. Being in a new state and seeing it all for the first time filled her head with questions.

"Why Sacramento?" She started with what she thought was an easy one.

"Well ... it's warm here. Clementine likes it. Don't you, baby." Theia reached down to stroke the happy python's head that found its way onto her lap.

"Yeah, but there are lots of warm places."

"True. Besides being warm, I wanted the location to be in the U.S. and Gaia thought it should be somewhere near the Pacific Ocean. Does that narrow it down enough for you?"

"No."

"Okay. I also wanted to be in a capital city for political expediency and Gaia wanted a certain tree for a special reason."

"A tree? Which one? Why?"

"The Coast Live Oak ... Quercus agrifolia. Birds and butterflies love them and they make great raw material for a desk."

"You're not going to cut one down just to make a desk, are you?" the blonde said with a horrified look.

"Nope. Gaia has done something infinitely better. You'll see."

"What? What are you planning? Come on. Tell me." Gloria pouted but it didn't do any good. Theia countered her pout by not looking at it. The blonde had to move on to her next question.

"It sounds like you and Gaia collaborated on the office building. Did you?"

"Not exactly. Remember I told you I dreamed all of this. I can't control my dreams but my desires and insight mixed with Gaia's and she displayed the results to me."

"That's really interesting." Gloria said, and then held her tongue. She wanted to continue her questioning but they'd arrived for the grand tour.

After much cajoling to remove Clementine from the comfortable black leather seats, the family of three and their security escorts left the SUV in the multi-level parking garage and approached the nearby 10 story office building. Theia looked down at the snake, coiled around her and frowned. She hated to mislead the python about the black leather couch but she had to do something. Hopefully, the couch would arrive very soon so everyone would be happy.

The new building was very unconventional but very beautiful, standing alongside the Sacramento River and surrounded by various native trees. It divided into two sections, with Theia's office taking up the entire huge atrium to the south, and the rest of the offices and other rooms taking up the northern half. The avatar's living quarters were in a lower level beneath the northern section.

The north office section was terraced on the east and west sides with all manner of native vegetation filling the outside decks. The walls were covered with gray limestone panels to give the building a more natural look and the windows were wide but fairly short and recessed. Most of the light came in through skylights and mirrored tubes to make the most of natural light.

Theia's atrium office had several outside entrances set up for her animal visitors. There were several flaps at ground level for small to medium-size four-legged animals and several small sliding windows high along the walls with platforms and motion sensors to accommodate birds and flying insects. There was also a single large underground tunnel from the river. The tunnel was added for aquatic visitors and it connected to a large pool inside. Theoretically, scuba divers could use it to arrive unannounced but the avatar wasn't too concerned. She had plenty of protection from her animal friends as well as her security force.

Animals of all species, including lizards, amphibians and insects, could be seen everywhere. Hawks, eagles and vultures soared overhead, with smaller birds perched in the oaks and larger ground birds roaming the campus. Fish jumped and splashed, sharing the river with water fowl, while several different types of four-legged omnivores stared longingly at the display but didn't do anything about it. Theia had declared the area around her building to be a no kill zone and every animal including humans were expected to honor the declaration.

Everyone had a good look around outside, and thankfully, the animals didn't mob the avatar for attention, though Clementine's presence had something to do with that. They all kept a respectful distance and waited patiently for an audience. In the meantime, they kept the grounds free of reporters and policed themselves. It was an amazing display.

Gloria noticed all the well-behaved wildlife but she wasn't surprised. She'd seen a small example of it back in New York. The only thing she was interested in was seeing in the inside of the atrium and Theia's desk. She and the others entered the building through the huge automatic double doors to the north and walked straight in. The security force spread out to get familiar with the offices, leaving her, Theia and Clementine to check out the atrium.

The first thing to catch their eye was the huge array of skylights overhead. The skylights let in nearly enough light that it seemed like they were still outside. The humidity also caught their attention, being noticeably higher inside due to two huge pools, one of which connected to the river through the short underground tunnel and the other containing saltwater for oceanic visitors. The saltwater pool couldn't hold most whales and large sharks but it was large enough for almost any other single sea creature, though it wasn't clear how saltwater visitors would arrive. Theia said she wanted it just in case.

A wide, black marble walkway led to the center of the atrium, with the freshwater pool to the left, closest to the river and the saltwater pool to the right. The start of the walkway was lined on both sides with a few soft chairs, small tables with a phone, and floor lamps, and gradually gave way to potted ferns, shrubs and small trees, just before Theia's desk. The greenery obscured part of the desk at first but as they got closer, it soon became apparent that the desk was very special indeed.

The desk was actually made from the wood of a Coast Live Oak as Theia suggested, but it wasn't assembled from pieces, it was actually a living tree. Gaia had started growing the tree at an accelerated rate a year ago and everything was built up and around it.

The tree itself was already very large and bent towards the river at a 90 degree angle to create the base of the desktop. The base stood about three and a half feet above the ground and the tree firmly held a polished slab of red granite with four branches at each corner of the slab. After the bend, the trunk curved up to grow vertically and mostly naturally, with several specialized branches growing out wherever they were needed. Theia's "chair branch" curved around and back on itself to create the seat before bending 90 degrees up to form the back. Several other branches bent in and out to create areas that could hold trays for papers and various other objects, and two smaller guest chair branches extended from the base of the trunk opposite the river. Gaia thought of everything and even added thick moss to pad the seat branches. When she was done shaping the desk, she slowed the growth of the tree to normal and would make sure everything stayed in place as the tree continued to grow. It was an impressive and very unique sight.

"Wow," Gloria whispered. She'd never seen anything so remarkable and beautiful, other than her true love.

"Would you like to take a seat?" Theia asked the blonde. "The branches that look like chairs are actually very comfortable to sit in, so I understand. I haven't been here to try it of course so I don't know firsthand."

The happy blonde bounced into Theia's chair and found that the stiffness of the back varied with where she sat. She could slide one way and lean way back with one branch, or slide the other and remain rigidly upright. Looking down she saw a large indentation in the trunk that allowed her to stretch her legs out underneath, and there were several smaller indentations to the sides for additional storage.

"It's wonderful!" Gloria gushed.

"You're welcome to sit there whenever I'm not around, or you can sit in one of these side chairs when I am."

"It's functional and beautiful," the blonde continued. "I love it!"

"I agree," Theia said. "A desk light and computer will be added in a couple days and it'll be complete." She smiled and then described the rest of the atrium since it was mostly obscured by shrubs and small trees.

The other two quadrants of the atrium contained lots of native vegetation and two large open pits. The pit farthest from the river contained sand for desert creatures and the other contained soft dirt for burrowers.

Except for the marble walkway, the entire floor would be dirt until randomly seeded native vegetation happened to take root. Most of the ground already contained sprouting grasses that the two women were careful not to trample.

The atrium could accommodate nearly every type of creature. Only the largest creatures and those from the coldest regions on Earth wouldn't be comfortable there. It was the perfect office for Gaia's avatar and she beamed with happiness.

"Couch. Want couch." Clementine suddenly reminded Theia that not everyone was happy.

"Oh, Crap!" Theia looked over at Gloria. "We forgot Clementine's couch. Would you check on it please?"

The blonde woman sprang up from the chair and trotted back out, her heels clicking on the marble floor. After several minutes, she called ahead as she came trotting back.

"It's coming! It should be here in less than an hour." She toned down her voice as she got closer. "It got held up at the airport because someone thought it was junk. I neglected to have it properly packaged because I was in a hurry. Sorry."

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to her." Theia pointed to her back where the python hung its head.

"Sorry, Clementine." Gloria turned to address the snake's head. "Your couch is coming."

"Sad. Tired. Want bed."

"Awww. Don't be sad," Gloria responded. "I know you're tired. We've traveled a long way today, but don't worry. You'll soon have a place to sleep." The blonde reached out to stroke the large snake's head.

Theia's jaw fell open. She couldn't believe what she just heard. There was no way Gloria could've responded as she did unless she understood Clementine.

"She speaks snake," the avatar whispered.

"What? What did you say, Theia?"

Hearing her name got her attention and she shouted back. "I knew it! You speak snake!"

***

It turned out that some of Theia's powers did indeed rub off on her lover. The two women spent so much time together that it became a natural process according to Gaia's will.

The blonde easily understood Clementine and most other reptiles since the various species of that ancient class of animal communicated much the same way. By staying alert for opportunities to listen on Theia's conversations, she also soon related well to amphibians and added several bird languages to her list. The minds of birds were somewhat more complicated than reptiles so they weren't as easily understood.

One of the benefits of speaking an animal's language meant she was able to approach it and earn its trust. That pleased her to no end because she didn't want to scare them. She wanted to talk with them and help Theia share the work load.

Her favorite bird to talk with was the crow. She found crows to be very intelligent and ever since one had a hand in getting her and Theia together, she had a soft spot in her heart for them.

Speaking to animals turned out to be very useful but she also received an added gift. Her strength greatly increased. Theia added a recreation room with lots of exercise equipment and Gloria found out about her strength quite by accident one day when she tried lifting weights. She was as surprised as the men she out-lifted, going on to lift three times more than the strongest man in the room. She wasn't nearly as strong as Theia but she was easily strong enough to try something she'd wanted to do for a long time.

"Clementine! Where are you?" the blonde called as she entered the atrium and approached Theia's desk.

"Here. On bed," the snake answered. The black leather couch sat behind the desk where it got a little filtered sunlight in the late afternoon.

Theia looked up from the computer screen, wondering what was up but she didn't say anything.

"Hi Lover," Gloria said, stopping to plant a kiss on her girlfriend's lips before quickly moving over to Clementine.

"Hi yourself," the avatar said with a smile before returning to what she was reading. She wanted to finish while the light was still good. Artificial light bothered her eyes.

The blonde hurried over and stood in front of the python, looking down at her. She wasn't sure how to start so she just copied Theia.

"Clementine want a hug?" she asked.

"Hug. Warm. Yes."

Gloria lifted the snake and waited as it coiled around her. Then she squealed with delight.

"Theia! Look! I can hold Clementine!"

Theia turned and tried to hide her surprise but failed miserably. "What? How?" She liked to think she was in control but Gaia occasionally threw something new at her to keep her on her toes.

"I'm really really strong," the young blonde said proudly. "I can hold our child now. Isn't that fantastic?"

Theia agreed, and they talked about what the enhancements might mean and how they could be used. They also wondered what other abilities Gloria might gain. The avatar hoped a greatly extended life span was included but they'd have to wait a dozen years or so to tell for sure.

***

Several years passed and the two women made a lot of progress in their life's work. They got a steady stream of human and animal visitors and occasionally traveled to see some of the more serious problem areas, helping out the local inhabitants when they could. Everything looked good but they still had a long way to go.

Gloria sometimes went off on special assignments by herself or with Clementine wrapped around her. She liked to travel more than Theia and jumped at the opportunities. It would've been preferable to have her lover join her but she recognized that the avatar was too busy for a lot of travel. As long as she could always return to Theia's loving embrace, she was happy.

Their business model changed and evolved as they learned what worked and what didn't. They ended up integrating a lot more environmentally friendly business practices and drastically altered the office landscape in more ways than one. In addition to the 'reduce, reuse, recycle' mentality, they added infinitely more greenery, similar to Theia's office building. Thanks to the richest person on the planet, going green was the wave of the future.

Theia left her office for the moment, letting a gardener tend to her desk. It needed occasional pruning and the moss needed misting. Gardeners became as important as janitors in the new office style and they were paid well.

She had a little business to attend to anyway. She had to make up for a slight oversight on her part so she made her way to her lover's nearby office.

"Gloria?"

"Yes?" The blonde sat at her desk and busily typed away while trying to entertain her very first mammal visitor, a playful young river otter. The otter sat on her desk in a small pool, chirping and lightly splashing her with water. It felt she wasn't paying it enough attention.

"Now now," Theia mildly scolded. "That isn't nice. She's trying the best she can."

"Hungry. Fish?" The otter asked hopefully.

"Sure. Just a moment." The avatar reached into a refrigerator to the side of Gloria's desk and pulled out some fingerlings for the otter. The fingerlings, along with lots of other fresh game for animal visitors and residents, had been mercifully killed outside the no kill zone around the building so they were fair game.

She slipped the fish into the pool and let the otter pretend they were still alive. It happily chased them around, trying to get them in its mouth without using its front feet.

"Sorry," Gloria finished her typing and looked up. "Sorry to both of you. I had to get that finished."

"It's okay," Theia said with a loving smile. "I've been working you too hard."

"Only because I've let you. There's so much to do!"

"Yes, there is a lot to do, and you need help, just like I once did."

"Oh?" Gloria looked suspicious. "What did you have in mind? You're not going to promote me again, are you?"

Theia laughed. "No. Nothing like that. I'm getting you a personal assistant. Ah, and here he comes now, right on time."

A tall, good-looking young blonde man walked through the open door of the office. He looked around at all the vegetation and the otter and smiled before he faced the two women.

"Welcome, Derek," the avatar said. "Meet your new boss, Ms. Gloria West."

"Hi. Thanks. It's good to be here. I love this building and I can't wait to get started."

Gloria liked his enthusiasm, but she wondered why Theia chose him without consulting her. She hoped he had a good résumé and made a mental note to check it out later. First though, she had a little discussion she wanted to have with Theia and she didn't care to wait to have it in private.

"This is a surprise. Why wasn't I asked about it?" She turned on the avatar with a little fire in her eyes. She didn't like being left out of the loop.

"I'm sorry but you just said it. I wanted it to be a surprise. I hope it's a nice one. I hired Derek based on the same criteria I used to hire you so I think he'll make a fine assistant."

"Okay, but I'd still like to be involved in the hiring process."

"You were very busy and I'm trying to help. I'm sorry."

Gloria couldn't fault her lover for thinking of her but there was a little flaw in the avatar's logic.

"You're very busy too," the blonde woman accused.

"True, but Derek just so happened to be one of my appointments. He came to discuss the waterways around here. It seems they're having some problems with water rights because agricultural interests insist on sucking up the majority of the water."

"Oh." Gloria blushed.

"Derek and I talked about his background and I realized he'd make a good fit so I offered him a job on the spot."

"And I accepted," he suddenly cut in. "I hope that's okay with you. I'd love to work here."

Gloria liked his manners and his forthrightness, if not his gender. Having a man for an assistant would help keep her from getting distracted at least. She wasn't attracted to men, only women, and she found it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes off other women in the office. It made her wonder if her sex drive had been affected along with all of the other enhancements that she shared with Theia.

"Sure," Gloria said. "I think you'll do nicely. Welcome." She held out her hand and he shook it gently, though she was the one who had to remember her strength. He'd find out in time. She didn't want to scare him away.

"I set up a temporary station for him in the lobby closest to your office." Theia broke in. "It should do until we can get a more permanent arrangement. I hope that's okay." She said, turning to the man.

"Sounds great," he said with a broad grin, causing Theia to stare a little too long before she led him out to show him around. She seemed very friendly towards the man, more so than usual.

Gloria recognized her lover's behavior and didn't like it because it was normally reserved for her. She thought she might have to have a little discussion about their relationship if it kept up, but for the time being, she had an otter to talk to.

She gave her little visitor her undivided attention before moving on to the next, and the next after that. The visitors continued to trickle in, and a pattern slowly started to form. Some areas that originally showed progress reverted to their former states and even got worse. It didn't draw too much concern for the present time because so much progress was being made elsewhere, and because they were so busy.

So peace reigned over most of the planet for several more weeks and Theia and company relaxed into a comfortable routine. But it wouldn't be long before Gaia brought her avatar back down to earth to deal with a few loose ends.

*** to be continued ***

 © 2008 by Terry Volkirch. This work may not be replicated in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the Author (copyright holder). All Rights Reserved. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental.

In this last part, Theia ties up some loose threads and deals with a couple serious personal issues before she finally learns the ultimate meaning of life.

WARNING: If you have a fear of snakes, then this story isn't for you. A large nonpoisonous snake figures prominently in this story.

NOTE: Votes and comments have been disabled for this story. Please just relax and enjoy it if you care to read it. If you do read it and feel moved to comment, private messages are always welcome.

Gaia's Avatar
by Terry Volkirch

Part 4

The good times never last. Suffering is mankind's lot in life. It's one thing that ties everyone together, ties every living thing together. We all experience it at some time in our lives, and some experience more than their fair share, thanks to the more unscrupulous among us.

Those who pursue profit and power over everything else sometimes never learn, but that doesn't mean they're not capable of changing. Sometimes they just needed the right incentive.

Theia had worked hard and finally arranged a very important meeting. Even though she controlled a major interest in most of the companies of the world, she didn't get them all, and more than a few holdouts continued to be a thorn in her side. They also generally happened to be some of the largest multinational corporations in the world.

She'd be seeing CEOs from those renegade corporations and hopefully put a stop to their wasteful, harmful ways once and for all. So far, they'd resisted all efforts to curb their growth. They totally ignored the avatar's plea for sustainability and they needed to be stopped.

She knew it'd be a battle. They wouldn't be happy with the erosion of profit and the corresponding reduction in power. They wanted to continue exploiting people and natural resources for their own gain and they didn't care who or what they stepped on to reach their goals.

She had her own goals though, the hardest one getting them to meet with her, and that had been accomplished so everything was going according to plan. Gloria led all the guests into the atrium and made herself scarce so she wouldn't distract Theia. The rest was up to the avatar, and Gaia.

The men came dressed in very expensive suits, dragging their retinue of all male bodyguards along with them. They ranged in age from mid-thirties to seventies, and they all reeked of self-importance and self-indulgence. Just looking at the testosterone saturated men before her sickened the avatar, but she hid it well.

"Thank you for coming, gentlemen." She managed to smile after reminding herself that they were all still living beings. They were all creations of Gaia.

"Okay. We're here," said one indignant older executive. "Now call off your army of wild things and let us continue running the world." The man didn't exaggerate. In his own mind, he truly believed the men in that room ran the world. It didn't matter that Gaia sent animals of all different species to swarm the factories and offices of those multinationals. The pests could be exterminated with enough time and money. The only thing that stopped them was because it was cheaper to agree to the meeting.

Theia suppressed a retort. She could've crushed the corporations if she really wanted. They'd have been picked off one by one, falling like dominoes, but that would've disrupted too many lives. The cost in terms of global suffering was too high so she backed off, and the visiting CEOs had been emboldened by her inaction.

"I'm sorry but that ain't gonna happen," she told them, her smile replaced with a stern look.

"So what is going to happen?" A tall dark man with greased back hair challenged her on her own turf and she almost admired him for it, but she'd had enough.

"I'll tell you what's going to happen. You're going to cease your wicked ways or Gaia will be very angry."

"What happens if we refuse?" a worried looking middle-aged executive piped up from the back of the group.

"I'll show you," Theia said.

All of the men in the room, including the bodyguards, started glowing brightly, and several gasped, recognizing the effect. They had to be more accessible for Gaia to work her magic, and now they were.

"I'm sure some of you know what's going on. For those of you who don't, listen up. Gaia has just blessed you with the transformation of womanhood. In 8 to 10 weeks, you'll all be women, unless of course you start treating Earth with respect. How's that for an incentive?" She realized it wasn't actually a terrible thing to turn into a woman, but she knew the men well enough to know they wouldn't be pleased about it.

The men all started shouting at once, and some of the bodyguards moved forward to threaten Theia. That was a big mistake. Several flying insect swarms had been lurking around the room and they easily handled the men, leaving Theia to continue with a satisfied smile on her face. She then got their attention by blowing into a loud metal sport whistle that had been hanging around her neck.

"You can play nice and keep your jobs, and your balls, or you can continue as you are for several weeks until your transformation is complete. It's your choice." Theia's eyes narrowed as she quickly added, "Oh, but don't think you'll get younger or gain any special abilities like I did. That ain't gonna happen."

"You can't do this!" several men shouted at once.

"Oh? Well ... technically, you're right. I'm not doing it. Gaia is."

"Turning us into women won't solve anything," one tall, fat executive blustered. "We can still run our companies any way we want."

"True. I won't stop you, but assuming you all stubbornly maintain your current course of action and become women, your next lower level of management will be given the option of getting the company to treat the environment better or they'll share your fate." She conveniently neglected to inform her guests that she'd need to trick the others into coming to make the change. "The transformations will continue down the chain of command until all of the managers in your companies are women."

"And what if we're still operating as usual?" The tall, fat executive sneered.

"I'm confident you'll change direction and work in harmony with the planet long before you're all entirely managed by women. As women, enough of you will have changed priorities to work things out for the better. It happened to me and it'll happen to you. Trust me."

The men grumbled but no one had any more challenges. They knew the right thing to do. They just needed a little more time to overcome their own stubbornness.

Theia smiled and gave the group one last chance. "Your decision, gentlemen?"

They all turned to talk amongst themselves, and after a surprisingly short time, they agreed. They'd curb their corporate greed, at least for the time being.

"A wise decision. You won't be sorry, or at least your future generations won't be sorry. You may go now."

One man started to speak up to ask about the glowing but was cut short when they were all suddenly returned to normal. They came as men, and left as slightly better men.

Gaia was pleased.

***

More than a dozen years passed from when Theia transformed into the avatar, and neither she nor Gloria appeared to have aged much at all. It was one of the many gifts of Gaia that the avatar was able to share with those closest to her.

Communication, strength and longevity were all shared gifts, and there were yet more. As the blonde woman suspected, her sex drive did greatly increase, as did her feminine curves, but those additions were accompanied by something else that kept them from being an annoying distraction. Her capacity to love increased too.

Gloria would never forget the way she and Theia started accepting other lovers so many years ago. It started in a very unusual way.

***

Theia sat at her living desk, reading over something on her computer screen while Gloria sat at a guest chair and practiced one of her many new animal languages with a Calliope Hummingbird, the smallest bird in the US and Canada.

Speaking to the little bird was a challenge because hummingbirds talked very quickly. They did everything quickly. Females were generally more agreeable and would slow down when asked, but the aggressive males had very little patience, and Gloria was trying to speak to a male of the species.

The male Calliope flared angrily when the blonde woman wouldn't answer all of its questions so it often buzzed Theia to get what it wanted and annoyed everyone.

"Would you please slow down?!" Theia finally shouted at the little bird in a very rare display of anger. He stopped abruptly and she thanked him nicely before going back to her reading.

The little hummingbird flew off with a mixture of fright and bluster after being shouted at, and he went off to sip some nectar from one of the several hummingbird feeders that hung high in the branches of the tree desk. He needed nectar to soothe his nerves.

"Theia, why did you shout at the poor little guy?"

"I'm sorry but I'm checking into some serious flare ups of pollution. So far, I can't find anything online."

"What flare ups? I haven't received any reports."

"I got an advanced warning from one of my visitors a little while ago." The avatar reached over and plucked a big green seedless grape from a cluster on a vine that stretched across the surface of her desk.

Gloria was surprised. She didn't see any vines before. Reaching over, she picked one of the grapes and found it very tasty.

"Is that what the Calliope was talking about?" the blonde asked after she'd swallowed. "I couldn't understand most of what he said."

"Nope."

"But I've been here for over 30 minutes and I haven't heard or seen any other visitors."

Theia got a sly look then. She leaned over towards her girlfriend and whispered. "I heard it through the grapevine." Then she winked and looked towards the vine on her desktop.

"No way."

Most people had trouble accepting the possibility of speaking with animals, let alone plants, even after witnessing all of the odd public events surrounding the avatar. Talking animals were like something out of a fantasy novel and talking plants could only be found in bad science fiction movies. The few people that were told generally didn't react well so Theia kept quiet about it.

Gloria herself could speak to a fairly large number of different animal species. That wasn't so difficult to accept after seeing how easy it was to "read" the visions and body language. Plants were another matter though. They had no memories, no visions, and definitely no body language. They were completely at the mercy of the elements and the land where they sprouted. What was there to understand?

Theia tried to explain what she understood. Some plants did actually communicate to other plants through chemical signals, and they were alive so they had a bioelectromagnetic field surrounding them. But she ran into a roadblock and took the easy way out by attributing her ability to Gaia's divine wisdom.

The avatar hadn't been able to speak with plants until recently. She wasn't quite sure yet how she did it. It was too early to tell, just like when she first started talking with animals. It took her a long time to figure out exactly what she was doing.

Once Gloria understood that her lover was serious, she shook her head in wonder. Her new life never ceased to surprise and amaze her, and she wouldn't have it any other way. The surprise of learning that Theia was literally speaking with a plant was compounded by another event though. That's why she remembered the day so vividly, and why she'd always remember it.

Only a few minutes after the grapevine discussion, two middle-aged women walked in, holding hands. They timidly approached the front of the desk and the slightly shorter one politely asked for an audience with the avatar. Then, once Theia granted that audience, they both shyly requested a favor.

"Would you please marry us?" was the simple request. They explained that they'd given up hope on ever being married legally in the eyes of the state but they figured it would mean a lot more if they could be married in the eyes of Gaia.

Both Gloria and Theia cried when they heard that. It was a beautiful idea, one they hadn't thought of but felt they should've long ago. There was a slight catch however.

"I'm not sure I want to perform a marriage between two people," Theia told the couple, who hung their heads and turned to leave.

"Wait!" the avatar shouted. "Please. Don't leave. I'm not done yet. I just meant that I can really only see marrying everyone together. That's how Gaia sees us. Each individual of any one species is strongly interconnected with every other member of that species. All humans are bonded in Gaia's eyes. We all belong together and should all love one another. That's what Gaia has taught me and that's what I firmly and truly believe."

"Wait a minute, Theia." Gloria cut in. "Are you saying we should all marry everyone?"

"According to Gaia, yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

"What about us?" she said, her eyes filling with tears.

"Gloria, we share something special. We know and appreciate each other better than anyone else knows us so of course we have a stronger bond. I'm just talking about relationships from Gaia's perspective."

"Oh. Right. So what should we do then? What can we do?"

The two lesbian couples talked at length and realized it wouldn't be practical to hold a wedding ceremony for the whole world. All they could really do was try to respect and love those they come in contact with.

"Well, it was nice meeting you," the taller middle-aged woman said as she turned to leave with her partner.

"Hang on," Theia suddenly said, earning a questioning look from Gloria. "I'm getting an idea."

The two women stopped and turned.

"Gloria, don't you think what these two women share is beautiful?"

"Of course." Then the blonde whispered so only Theia could hear. "What are you getting at?"

Theia ignored her and continued. "And don't you think these two women are beautiful? I do."

Gloria turned and gave the women a good look. They were slightly overweight with some gray in their otherwise dark hair. They would never be lusted after by hordes of young men or young women, but she had to agree with Theia.

"Yes," she said, tears of joy filling her eyes. "They are beautiful. I see it now." Tears rolled down her cheeks and moved the other couple to tears also.

"We can't all marry everyone, all at the same time," Theia said to the couple. "But perhaps we can start a new tradition and marry one by one under the watchful eyes of Gaia. Would you be willing?"

Gloria nodded, even though she wasn't being directly spoken to, and the other couple saw the sincerity and love. So the tradition was started. The two women, Susan and Val, joined Theia and Gloria in Gaia's divine union, and all but Theia gasped when the four of them briefly glowed to show that Gaia was listening and approved. Then they all kissed. They started by kissing as original pairs but they got caught up in the moment and moved on until everyone had kissed everyone. It made a beautiful scene.

The avatar explained that the glowing meant they'd all been sanctified to add anyone to their divine union at any time without all members present. Any one of them could continue to add members, and they might not get everyone to join, but they wouldn't stop until everyone who wanted to would be part of something very special.

After the ceremony, the four women continued talking and sharing information about themselves. It got quite late by the time they were all talked out and Theia couldn't help herself. She invited Susan and Val to stay the night in their subterranean living quarters under the north offices.

Gloria quickly seconded the notion and the other couple looked at each other. They didn't say anything aloud but their eyes spoke for them. They eventually nodded to each other and agreed to spend the night with their two new partners, even though they'd never shared themselves as a couple with others before. The four of them ended up in the avatar's large round bed and showed one another how four women truly could share something beautiful, and Gaia smiled upon them.

Theia and Gloria continued marrying and sharing women lovers, and they often slept together in groups of three or four. They all fit comfortably in the large round bed so visitors spent many nights before moving on and trying other combinations in other beds.

Gloria predicted that extra lovers would end up in the avatar's bed, but she had no idea she'd be such a willing and enthusiastic participant. Theia's readiness to love others rubbed off on the blonde woman just as much as her sex drive. They both had more than enough love to go around.

There were still some problems. Even though she was Theia's favorite, she still battled a little jealousy and guilt, but she relaxed when Theia assured her that other lovers would come and go, but she'd always be the only one to stay.

***

Love was in the air of Theia's office building, affecting all employees in some way. The avatar gave off an energy that made love and sexual attraction very difficult to ignore. It was one of many of Gaia's gifts to her, and like all of those gifts, it tended to rub off on the women who were close to her.

Eventually, all women in the office had joined in Gaia's union, as Theia called it, though not all shared the avatar's bed -- at least not right away. Some didn't find themselves attracted to women. They just liked the idea of being part of a grand loving union that would slowly but surely spread across the surface of the planet. There was still a chance their sexual preference would be expanded to include women, but they'd have to spend more time in the avatar's presence before that would happen.

The heterosexual women were the first to add men to the union. That was expected, and the men generally liked the idea of being part of a global loving whole. It bothered a few of the men when they found out only women were sanctified by Gaia to add members, but they got over it. They could always find a woman who was happy to add someone new.

The women who did occasionally share the avatar's bed, benefited just as Gloria did, though to a lesser degree. They became stronger and hornier than the men in the office, and many were bisexual or leaning that way thanks to the avatar's influence. The situation created some interesting new dynamics between the genders with men being the weaker sex.

The last surprise came when the first transgender man was added to the group. He glowed during the wedding ceremony and continued glowing for several weeks as he slowly transformed into a woman. Theia and Gloria weren't surprised but the rest of the office was, and it made some of the men a little nervous until they found out the new woman welcomed the change.

Animals tended to be affected by Theia's presence to a small degree. The lack of suitable mates and wrong time of month or year for mating kept them focused on delivering messages to the avatar for the most part. The shortness of their visits and other priorities, like food, also kept them from obsessing with sex.

Only rare cases of bad timing created any problems with animals, with the most notable being incited by a scurry of gray squirrels. A dozen or so squirrels -- it's hard to count them when they jump around so much -- invaded the office one day in search of food and fun, thanks to Theia's desk.

The living oak desk had been well cared for by Theia and the office gardeners. It thrived and the healthy tree produced a huge number of acorns, acorns that had ripened a little early and attracted the squirrels like a magnet. The squirrels swarmed the area around the tree and unfortunately, they bothered a certain python that lounged nearby.

Being nocturnal, Clementine snoozed in her usual spot on the old black leather couch on the afternoon of the squirrel invasion. She'd also recently shed her skin, so she wasn't in a good mood. After the careless squirrels dropped acorns left and right and hit the large snake on the head, she woke up and scolded them.

"Tired. Stop. Leave." She tried to get the squirrels to leave but they didn't understand her language. They only spoke squirrel of course. She'd gotten used to being understood so it irritated her even more when she was ignored.

Theia sat at her desk and tried to ignore the feeding frenzy, but when Clementine woke up, she decided to intervene.

"Here now. What's this? You! You there! And You! Come here!" She pointed to a male and female squirrel and they obeyed. They scurried down the tree and sat next to each other on the avatar's hand while she asked them nicely to calm down and give all their friends the same message. The two squirrels stayed and listened attentively the whole time so she rewarded them with some treats before she sent them on their way.

The squirrels behaved fairly well for a short time, but it wasn't long before the female squirrel started feeling quite amorous. She was small and her brain wasn't nearly as well-developed as a human so she was easily affected by direct contact with Theia. It also didn't didn't help that it was only a little after their second mating season of the year. She craved some male attention and wouldn't take no for an answer. She chased a male all the way under Clementine's couch before she caught him and tried to force herself on him. Her behavior surprised the little male.

The snake was also amazed, though for another reason. She'd never witnessed mating between any two species and seeing it dredged up some primal urges of her own, forcing her to make a difficult decision. She started realizing just how much she'd sacrificed to stay with Theia and Gloria.

Thanks to her long exposure to the avatar, her life span had been increased, and her thinking processes had been improved far beyond pythons in the wild. Those two gifts had been all she needed to help her fit in with her two humans, and everyone had been happy for many years. Her sex drive had remained dormant for whatever reason, even though she was mature enough to reproduce, but now she finally heard the call of the wild. It sent a powerful message.

Early that evening, after she fully woke up and had some more time to think clearly, she decided.

"Mothers. Talk to me." Clementine said. She saw Theia at her desk and knew Gloria would most likely be near enough for Theia to call her.

"Just a moment," Theia said. "I'll get Gloria."

The avatar had a chat window open on her computer. She typed a quick message and the blonde soon arrived from her office. They knelt on the soft grass in front of old black leather couch and waited nervously for the python to speak. They had a feeling that Clementine had something important to say.

"I go now."

"What? Go where?" Both women said.

"Go home."

"You are home!" Gloria said.

"This is home." Theia affirmed.

"No. Want mate. Want little snakes."

The two women turned to look at each other. They'd discussed the possibility that their adopted child would someday leave home but Clementine's decision still surprised them. They weren't ready for it.

"We can find you a mate and bring him here," Gloria suggested hopefully.

"Yeah," Theia agreed. "You don't have to leave."

"No. Not good. I go now. Find male for me. Lay eggs. Make Gaia happy."

That was the longest speech Clementine had ever given, and it's length and content surprised both women, but Theia found her voice. Gloria was too upset to say anything.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Theia helped Gloria up and assured her loyal snake friend they'd make preparations to leave as soon as possible.

Clementine approved, but her feelings of sadness and longing confused her.

***

Theia started planning right away for the python's return to the wild. She tried to involve Gloria but all the blonde woman would do was nod or shake her head at whatever suggestions she heard. Neither of them were happy about losing their cherished python but they had to honor her request and let her go.

Clementine's final destination would be Kalimantan, formerly known as the island of Borneo. The government there had made great strides in restoring the rain forests so it should make a good home. Theia wished she could show pictures so the python could make her own decision but that was beyond the snake's ability.

The python's last speech still amazed the avatar. She'd wondered what kind of affect, if any, she had on Clementine after all the years they spent together. Now she knew. She hoped the snake would be able to adjust to life in the wild after having been pampered for so long, but she suspected Gaia would look after her.

They flew out that same night in a chartered jet for privacy and arrived at Sepinggan International airport in the city of Balikpapan. The city was actually a quaint fishing village that had slowly mixed in more modern features such as hotels and shopping malls. It might have made a nice place to visit if it wasn't for the current mission.

After a few minor hassles dealing with a very large python, the family of three caught a local flight north to Tarakan and rented a small boat to go up the coast towards Sebuku Sembakung National Park, where they planned to release Clementine. They had no idea exactly where they'd release her but the large snake assured them she would let them know when and where.

The release came sooner than they expected. As they passed a small island, Clementine surprised them yet again.

"Here. I go here. Good smells here."

It looked as good a place as any. Pythons were good swimmers so she could always move on if she wanted. They pulled the boat up through a bit of mangrove forest and Clementine prepared to slip over the edge of the boat. First though, she had to say her good-byes.

"I miss couch. Miss you soon. Love you always."

That was all she had to say. She slithered over the edge with two pairs of loving hands caressing the length of her body. Then she swam a short distance and soon disappeared into the lush undergrowth of the island.

"Good-bye Clementine!" Gloria suddenly shouted. "I love you too! I'll miss you!" She wanted to shout more but Theia stopped her.

"She can't hear you now. She's out of range."

"What do you mean? She's not that far away."

"Pythons don't have external ears. She didn't exactly hear us when we spoke to her."

"Then how ... how did she understand us?"

Theia shrugged. She never did figure that part out. "Telepathy? Visions? Who knows?"

"But I didn't get to finish saying good-bye!" Gloria started to cry.

"It's okay, my Love. She knows how we felt."

Theia held Gloria and they both cried their eyes out, earning a puzzled expression from the owner of the boat. He'd never seen such a sight. He didn't recognize either women so he didn't have a clue as to what was going on.

As soon as the avatar composed herself a little, they immediately reversed course and set off for home. Neither of the women were in the mood for sightseeing. All they could do was talk a little, hug a lot, and console each other as best they could.

One of the main topics of conversation was Clementine's good-bye message. Gloria mentioned that she didn't expect a python to be able to express love. It really surprised her. It seemed too advanced and too human an emotion for a reptile, and Theia actually agreed. The avatar didn't expect it either, in spite of the way her abilities seemed to rub off on those near her. It made their parting that much more difficult and both women continued to cry like mothers grieving for a lost child.

Clementine got her wish, though she'd gradually lose her enhanced intelligence and start aging normally. The two women would never be able to find her again, never see her again, and it was so hard to let her go.

So much was lost during the course of people's lives, and so many things were never experienced in the first place. It saddened Theia to think about all those who never felt as close to another as she did to Clementine. She couldn't imagine ever replacing the beloved snake, but she'd soon surprise herself. The python's departure triggered yet another new phase in Theia's life, and the avatar would find that she'd been missing something very important.

***

One fine spring day, in trotted a large stallion with a glossy black coat, his tail proudly held high and his unshod hooves softly clip clopping on the stone floor. After so many animal visitors and so many unusual activities surrounding the avatar, no one thought it odd for a horse to show up seeking an audience, and since no one other than Theia could understand his motives, the beautiful beast was allowed to enter unimpeded.

Once the animal entered through the huge automatic double doors of the office building, his excitement grew and became clear for all to see. His masculine member wobbled slightly from side-to-side as he trotted, and by the time he reached Theia's office, the avatar couldn't stop herself from blushing and she had to look away.

The horse stopped just short of her magnificent live oak desk and waited patiently to be addressed. He had a very important message to deliver but he was in no hurry. Soaking in the atmosphere of the Gaia's divine essence more than made up for the slight inconvenience of his visit.

Recovering from her slight embarrassment, Theia soon turned to the large stallion. "What brings you here, noble steed?" she said, her voice breaking slightly. Though she controlled great power over every living thing on the planet, she felt a little intimidated by the horse's power and masculinity.

The stallion had received vague instructions to be discreet, at least as discreet as a stallion could be. Though his excited body language somewhat gave away the content of his message, and though no one but Theia and mostly other horses could understand him, he still thought to give it so that only she could hear. With that in mind, he gestured with his head to come closer.

The avatar got up from her chair to move a short distance around her desk and stopped, too far away for her visitor. He wanted her closer but she was still wary of him.

Again and again he bade her to come closer, each time having her edge only a few feet around her desk and stop out of fear and wonder, until at last she could feel his warm breath on her face. Then and only then would he deliver his message. He whispered quietly in her ear using whatever language horses spoke, and Theia went pale.

She acknowledged the message and the horse turned and trotted out the same way he entered, proud and very, very masculine.

The message was simple: Procreate. The avatar needed progeny to help with the Earth Goddess's work and carry on after she passed away, and even though only girls could hold the divine spark, boys were always welcome, all new life was welcome.

It had to happen. It was a logical progression, really. Theia wasn't exactly sure how she felt about it but she wasn't revolted at least. She'd grown accustomed to her body and even liked it, loved it really. She'd noticed more than a passing fancy for some of the men that roamed her office building too. It seemed the gift of the Earth Goddess had been kind enough to make her gender identity match her body and blurred her sexual preference to cover both genders. Maybe being the avatar for Earth wasn't so bad after all. Maybe having children wasn't such a bad idea either.

She smiled then, and the few nearby clouds parted to allow sunlight to illuminate the large office, and her heart.

***

Lying on her back under her sky blue silk sheet in her huge round bed, basking in the glow, Theia smiled. It was a good day for sex. Every day was a good day for sex she decided. She didn't care if she had a hundred children if sex with men continued to please her like Derek had last night.

The avatar still felt a little guilty, even with Gloria's full approval and encouragement to be with him. The blonde had shared various women with Theia but she didn't care for men -- at least not yet -- so she conveniently arranged to handle a special assignment while Theia worked on motherhood. Children were greatly desired by both women.

The content woman rolled on her side to place a hand on her new lover's firm, tight butt cheek and asked if he was awake. She was answered by a light snort. After a quick shake, she tried again and was rewarded with a smile.

"Hmmm? You ready for round 4?" The blonde man smiled proudly. He might have been in his late 30s but he kept in very good shape and didn't look his age.

Life there in the office agreed with Derek. He started out as Gloria's personal assistant and lasted for almost 10 years before moving on to manage his own projects. He'd been and would continue to be a great asset, and most importantly, he'd been added to Gaia's union by one of the women in the office. Technically, Theia and Derek were already married and were long overdue to consummate their marriage.

"No, I was just hoping for a little cuddling and some pillow talk," she said, then added, "Sorry," when he frowned. She did crave a lot of sex, but there was more to life than that. She felt a great need to talk and share her life with someone she cared about. Derek might have been an easy conquest, but she still cared for him, still wanted to know more about him.

"It's okay. For you, I'd walk a hundred miles to cuddle you, I'd climb the highest tower to lie by your side and talk, I'd ...."

"Please. Stop. You're embarrassing me."

"Yeah, it sounds corny to me too." He grinned to show he was only joking after all.

"So let me get this straight," he continued, bringing up a rumor he'd heard around the office. "Is it true you were ordered to have sex?" He wouldn't mind if the rumor was true, especially since the sex was so good. He just asked because he was a very curious person.

"No! It's not like that." She blushed. "I receive a lot of messages from all different sources, but none of them are really orders. They're more like warnings and wise suggestions."

"Oh. So you wanted to have sex then." That got a big smile out of him.

"Well ... to be honest, I hadn't thought about it until it was suggested. And sex wasn't really the message."

"Okay. Now you're confusing me."

"I was told it would be a good idea to have children," she said, blushing.

"Right. I still don't understand. Who would suggest such a thing?" Derek wasn't the brightest man on the planet but to be fair, not many knew about Theia's ability to communicate with plants and animals. She didn't like the unfavorable reactions she'd received when she dared mention her unusual communication abilities so she generally kept quiet about them. In Derek's case, since she already shared her body with him, she felt safe enough sharing other intimate details with him.

"You know how I can speak any language of the world, right?"

He nodded.

"Well that includes animals, and even plants."

He frowned.

"It's true! Their language isn't nearly as complex and clear as ours but they speak clearly to me, clear enough that I can understand their simple messages. Why else would there be so many animals around here? They're obviously not pets. They come and go as they please."

"Okay ...," he said. He felt a little uncomfortable about the subject of talking to plants and animals so for the moment, he went back to one of his favorite subjects. "You should have children. I got that part. But don't you have to have sex to have children?" He waggled his eyebrows.

"Obviously not," she blushed again. "There's such a thing as artificial insemination ...," she trailed off.

"But?" Derek asked.

That one simple word led her back to her first thoughts of the morning. She thought of conjunctions of a physical kind and a familiar homonym, and she couldn't help herself. She slowly licked her lips.

"Yes, butt," she purred, reaching over to caress his butt through the sheet that covered them both. "I'd rather do it the old-fashioned way."

Pillow talk officially ended. She threw herself at him and they locked lips to begin another round of lovemaking, but not before Derek had to ask his one nagging question. His curiosity wouldn't let it go, and with a supreme effort of will, he very briefly interrupted their kissing.

"So who told you to have children?" he asked again, shrugging off the possibility that the messenger could be a plant or animal.

Theia smiled coyly and said, "Let's just say I got it straight from the horse's mouth." Then she quickly got back to business.

*** The End ***

 © 2008 by Terry Volkirch. This work may not be replicated in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the Author (copyright holder). All Rights Reserved. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental.