A lot of people are sharing this quote after the heartbreak in Manchester, It’s also the 50th anniversary of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.
[An image depicting Mr. Rogers with the quote: when I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. you will always find people who are helping.” – Mr. Rogers.]
Fred Rogers was from Pittsburgh, my hometown, and my generation grew up loving this man, who taught us to be kind above all. Fred Rogers was the real thing. That gentle soul? It was no act. As I got older, I lost touch with the show, which kept running through 2001. But in college one day I rediscovered it. I was having a hard time. The future seemed dark. I was struggling, lonely, dealing with a lot of broken pieces and not adjusting well.
I went to Pitt and devoted everything I had to the school paper, hoping that would propel me into some kind of worthwhile future. It was easy to feel hopeless. One span was especially bad. Walking out of the dorm, I heard familiar music: “Won’t you be my neighbor”.
The TV was playing in an empty common room. Mr. Rogers was there, asking me what I do with the made I feel. (I had lots to spare. Still do). It feels silly to say—it felt silly then—but I stood mesmerized. His show felt like a cool hand on a hot head. I left feeling better.
Days later, I get in the elevator at the paper to ride down to the lobby. The doors open. Mr. Rogers is standing there. For real.
I can’t believe it. I get in and he nods at me. I do back. I think he could sense a geek-out coming.But I kept it together. Almost.
The doors open, he lets me go out first. I go, but turn around. “Mr. Rogers…I don’t mean to bother you. But I wanted to say thanks.”
He smiles, but this has to happen to him every 10 feet. “Did you grow up as one of my neighbors?” I felt like crying. Yea. I was.
Opens his arms, lifting his satchel for a hug. “It’s good to see you again neighbor.”
I got to hug Mr. Rogers y’all!
I pull it together. We’re walking out and I mention liking Johnny Costa (he was the paino player on the show.) We made more small talk. As he went out the door, I said (in a kind of rambling gush) that I’d stumbled on the show again recently, when I really needed it. So I just said, “thanks for that.”
Mr Rogers nodded. He paused. He undid his scarf. He motioned to the window, & sat down on the ledge. This is what set Mr. Rogers apart. No one else would have done this. He goes, “Do you want to tell me what was upsetting you?”
So I sat. I told him my grandfather had just died. He was one of the few good things I had. I felt adrift. Brokenhearted. I like to think I didn’t go on and on, but pretty soon he was telling me about his grandfather & a boat the old man bought him as a kid. Mr. Rodgers asked me how long ago Pap had died. It was a couple of months. His grandfather was obviously gone decades. He still wished the old man was here. Wished he still had the boat. You’ll never stop missing the people you love, Mr. Rogers said.
The grandfather gave Mr. Rogers the row boat as reward for something. I forget what. Grades, or graduation, something important. He didn’t have either now, but he had that work ethic, that knowledge that the old man encouraged with his gift.
“Those things never go away,” Mr. Rogers said. I’m sure my eyes looked like stewed tomatoes. Finally, I said thank you. And apologized if I made him late for an appointment.
“Sometimes you’re right where you need to be,” he said.
Mr. Rogers was there for me then. So here’s this story, on the 50th anniversary of his show, for anyone who needs him now. I never say him again. But that helper quote? That’s authentic. That’s who he was. For real.
When Mr. Rodgers died in 2003, I sat at my computer with tears in my eyes. But I wasn’t crying over the death of a celebrity. I was mourning the loss of a neighbor.” — Anthony Breznican @Breznican May 22nd 2017.
Having been on a visit to Eden for certain administrative matters, Platinum was surprised to see Snowpuff. Since she’d never seen the cat before, though, she didn’t recognize them. “Oh. Hello there, little cat. Are you lost?”
Wolf smiled at the cat, who rubbed against his legs before padding back into the lounge.
“Don’t worry. He’s just not ready to leave yet. May I come in?” he asked, “And where’s other Red?”
Serina flashed into existence beside Wolf, the AI lacing her hands behind her back.
“Mr Red is currently investigating a matter in New Eden’s universe. I’m afraid he will not return for another two days.”
As Snowpuff meowed again in the background, Red(F) invited Wolf to sit down on the couch.
“Come on, have a seat since you’re here. Also, Yuuki’s sleeping right now, so please don’t disturb her.”
Shiori sat down right next to her mother, cuddling close. If Wolf were to focus on magical signatures in the area, he would find that both Shiori and her sister Hanamori bore the unmistakable aura of Astrid’s divine protection.
Not even Majora or the greatest Bouzaculan deities could touch them without being irreparably harmed.
“Thank you, Serina.” Wolf said, “It probably isn’t hard for him to find something to do with his time off.”
Wolf came in once Red(F) invited him in, and nodded to what she said.
“Thank you for letting me know, Red. I won’t disturb her.” Wolf said, “I’ve got a lot on my plate, lately. Still trying to requisition material and manpower for the war effort. Even with the excavation of the Beasts and the Guardians, the losses and costs still mount up.”
Wolf looked tired, but not overworked.
“I’ve been trying to maintain a regular schedule to keep myself from getting overburdened, and Seraph keeps me in the loop of what’s going on out there.” Wolf said, “Any news I haven’t heard that you have?”
“Well…there is one thing.” Red(F) admitted.
Holding her daughter close, she looked at Wolf. “There’s been some faint, brief sightings of the Black Angels. That fleet which took out the pirates all those years ago, that’s what we call them now.”
“These sightings were scattered, mostly across the Coalition universes, and only one or two ships at a time. Lately some have been spotted wandering in your universe, outside Bouzac space. They’ve always kept their distance.”
Red(F) lowered her voice. “Gotta admit, we don’t know what this would mean. They haven’t responded to any hails, and they clearly have some kind of advanced cloaking tech, beyond anything we currently have.”
“Not trying to sound self centered or anything, but they seem connected to a few things involving myself.” Wolf said, “I mean, it’s probably just coincidence…”
Admittedly, he was very creeped out.
“What do they want with me…” Wolf muttered, “First, the Pirates… Now this.”
Red(F) shrugged. “Just coincidence, I think. They’ve increased activity somewhat in New Eden and Citadel space as well.”
“We haven’t found any vast swathes of fleet wreckage, so I don’t think they’ve blasted anyone to pieces. Probably just observing us, so best not to disturb them.”
As Snowpuff gave a meow and climbed up to Red(F)’s lap, she patted the cat’s head, then stroked his back.
“Anyway, Snowpuff here seems to like being around me a lot. Why’s that?”
“After seeing what they did to those pirates, I’d rather not provoke them. They did trigger me to have a blood attack.” Wolf said, “And I don’t know why he likes being around you so much.”
Snowpuff meowed and purred again, the cat eagerly rubbing his head against Red(F)’s hand.
Shiori looked at the cat, then Wolf. “How’d you get Snowpuff as your pet, Wolf? Did you buy him from a pet store, or was he found out in the streets?”
“I actually adopted him from the pound when he was a kitten. He was this tiny little puffball back then.” Wolf said, “Now he’s even more fluffy. Then again, I’ve always been a cat person.”
As if in agreement, Snowpuff gave a meow. Unable to resist, Shiori reached out to pat the cat that was still enjoying its spot of warmth in Red(F)’s lap.
“Have to say, Snowpuff’s adorable. He’s a good cat, doesn’t scratch anything.” Shiori said while looking at Snowpuff’s fur, fascinated by how the cat’s tail was swishing here and there.
“He’s a very good cat.” Wolf nodded, “He knows where to and where not to scratch.”
At the same time, Snowpuff rolled, as if urging them to rub his belly.
Smiling, Shiori did so along with her mother, both of them rubbing Snowpuff’s tummy gently.
The cat made a few low purrs of contentment, enjoying their touch.
Red(F) smiled again, looking at Wolf. “So, I’ve always wondered. Was Snowpuff this smart when you found him, or did he grow more intelligent over time?”
The Initiative welcomed the Embrace openly, their greeting message incorporating the voice of trillions.
The designated representative of GDI was Senior Ambassador Tarais Joral, a distinguished Romulan.
His own diplomatic corvette met the Embrace in orbit around the Initiative’s city planet of Artemis.
“In the words of my people of origin, Ambassador, Jolan Tru. As the representative of the Initiative, I welcome you to our space.” Joral said in the hailing transmission to the Embrace.
Once they met, the Sayaritan-Azen Ambassador Test nodded and smiled. She said in reply
“Thank you. And in the words of my people, the Sayaritans, I greet you with Sayanarr Istulii. And as representative of both Sayaritans and the Azen New Republic, I am grateful to be welcomed into your space. May I request that the Embrace be allowed to dock at any station or port on Artemis?”
“There are indeed several orbital stations we could use. For the sake of convenience, might I suggest Sentinel Station?” Joral proposed.
A separate information window opened up, pointing out the most impressive-looking station that was hanging in orbit.
Many vessels of all types were leaving or docking with it, a never-ending stream of ships. The local GDI patrol group of 5 frigates, 3 destroyers and a cruiser was vigilantly keeping watch as well.
The Embrace received it. And the Embrace responded
“Very well, Senior Ambassador Joral. The Embrace shall dock at Sentinel Station. We will be approaching the station in 10…15 minutes. Please stand by for our arrival and docking.”
Those minutes passed.
Soon enough, they were closing in on the station, in a docking maneuver. The Azen ship had her weapons deactivated as the ship sent a message
“We are approaching. Please assist our docking.”
The station’s local AI, Xena, smoothly replied.
“Docking permissions granted, Embrace. Please stand by for guidance.”
As the Embrace entered the safety zone around Sentinel Station, projected tractor beams guided the ship into a safe docking zone within the station itself.
Once secure, an enclosed docking passage connected to the ship, but not before actively reconfiguring its connector to fit the docking port on the Embrace.
Xena transmitted again. “Docking complete. You are clear for disembarking, Embrace. Welcome to Sentinel Station.”
As the Embrace was being docked and guided, the captain of the ship did whatever she could, adjusting whenever it was necessary and giving simple, short instructions to her technicians, officers and crew members close to her. Once they all heard the docking was complete, the captain sighed and nodded to herself and to the crew for a job well done. She gave herself a few minutes.
Once those minutes were over, she encountered the representative of her country, Azenyanistan and spoke to her after nodding and kissing her hand
“Ambassador Test, I must thank you again for choosing me and my ship. It is so much of an honor, I cannot stop thank-”
The Ambassador blushed and told the captain
“Oh please, darling, it is all right. No need to thank me over and over again. I appreciate it. And it was also because I wanted to see how my dear friend’s daughter was doing as a captain. Especially of the Embrace! My, how I wished to see you perform.”
The captain scratched her head, grinning out of embarassment. She giggled then and said
“Very well, Ambassador. Shall I escort you?”
Test nods and says
“Yes you may, Captain Alliiyyah.”
And together, they were further more escorted by seven marines and four riflewomen. All of them were equipped with either Caller main battle rifles or Kaiteriza light machine guns. They flanked the two officials and disembarked with them.
As the Azen diplomatic team exited the docking passage and found themselves in the docks proper, they were met by Ambassador Joral and his own escort.
The 6 soldiers escorting Joral had their helmets collapsed, showing them to be all of different alien races. Only one was human. Still, they all cradled their Guardian rail-rifles close.
Joral gave a calm, welcoming smile. “As Xena may have told you already, welcome to Sentinel Station. Please, follow me. There is a diplomatic lounge for us to officially discuss matters.”
The marines and the riflewomen also had their helmets collapse in just a moment. The marines were all women from Azenyanistan while two of the riflewomen were Sayaritan and the rest were Rasurrian. The Azens were humans while the Sayaritans had three skin colors and the Rasurrians looked reddish. Ambassador Test smiled back at Joral and said
“Very well. And thank you once more, Ambassador Joral. We shall faithfully follow.”
And so they did, the marines and the riflewomen going after their ambassador and captain. The security details of the two women allowed their weapons to be lowered and they kept their fingers off the triggers, their safeties on but with rounds already waiting in their chambers. If anything went wrong, they were to respond to threats very quickly, according to muscle memory. But as it seems that things would go well and it would be diplomatic, the Azen, Sayaritan and Rasurrian guards kept quiet, their face masks or their scarves still hiding their faces but not their eyes.
While proceeding through Sentinel Station, the Azen delegation were greeted with the sights of how life was like in the Initiative.
Dozens of races mingled, going about their days in peace. The voice of Xena could be heard, conversing in multiple instances with various GDI citizens. Turbolifts ascended and descended near-silently throughout the station interior, ferrying people to their locations.
The glow of haptics was everywhere, from personal screens to fairly large advertisement displays.
From what could be seen, entertainment and similar things were the most prominent services available.
Sophont machine individuals could be seen as well, apparently possessed of the same rights as any normal being.
Most interesting were the various conveniently placed replicator stations, where citizens could requisition whatever they needed or wanted and had those things appear in a flash of blue particles.
All in all, the environment of Sentinel Station showed the incredibly high quality of life and hyper-advanced technology enjoyed by the people of GDI.
Having been on a visit to Eden for certain administrative matters, Platinum was surprised to see Snowpuff. Since she’d never seen the cat before, though, she didn’t recognize them. “Oh. Hello there, little cat. Are you lost?”
Wolf smiled at the cat, who rubbed against his legs before padding back into the lounge.
“Don’t worry. He’s just not ready to leave yet. May I come in?” he asked, “And where’s other Red?”
Serina flashed into existence beside Wolf, the AI lacing her hands behind her back.
“Mr Red is currently investigating a matter in New Eden’s universe. I’m afraid he will not return for another two days.”
As Snowpuff meowed again in the background, Red(F) invited Wolf to sit down on the couch.
“Come on, have a seat since you’re here. Also, Yuuki’s sleeping right now, so please don’t disturb her.”
Shiori sat down right next to her mother, cuddling close. If Wolf were to focus on magical signatures in the area, he would find that both Shiori and her sister Hanamori bore the unmistakable aura of Astrid’s divine protection.
Not even Majora or the greatest Bouzaculan deities could touch them without being irreparably harmed.
“Thank you, Serina.” Wolf said, “It probably isn’t hard for him to find something to do with his time off.”
Wolf came in once Red(F) invited him in, and nodded to what she said.
“Thank you for letting me know, Red. I won’t disturb her.” Wolf said, “I’ve got a lot on my plate, lately. Still trying to requisition material and manpower for the war effort. Even with the excavation of the Beasts and the Guardians, the losses and costs still mount up.”
Wolf looked tired, but not overworked.
“I’ve been trying to maintain a regular schedule to keep myself from getting overburdened, and Seraph keeps me in the loop of what’s going on out there.” Wolf said, “Any news I haven’t heard that you have?”
“Well…there is one thing.” Red(F) admitted.
Holding her daughter close, she looked at Wolf. “There’s been some faint, brief sightings of the Black Angels. That fleet which took out the pirates all those years ago, that’s what we call them now.”
“These sightings were scattered, mostly across the Coalition universes, and only one or two ships at a time. Lately some have been spotted wandering in your universe, outside Bouzac space. They’ve always kept their distance.”
Red(F) lowered her voice. “Gotta admit, we don’t know what this would mean. They haven’t responded to any hails, and they clearly have some kind of advanced cloaking tech, beyond anything we currently have.”
“Not trying to sound self centered or anything, but they seem connected to a few things involving myself.” Wolf said, “I mean, it’s probably just coincidence…”
Admittedly, he was very creeped out.
“What do they want with me…” Wolf muttered, “First, the Pirates… Now this.”
Red(F) shrugged. “Just coincidence, I think. They’ve increased activity somewhat in New Eden and Citadel space as well.”
“We haven’t found any vast swathes of fleet wreckage, so I don’t think they’ve blasted anyone to pieces. Probably just observing us, so best not to disturb them.”
As Snowpuff gave a meow and climbed up to Red(F)’s lap, she patted the cat’s head, then stroked his back.
“Anyway, Snowpuff here seems to like being around me a lot. Why’s that?”
“After seeing what they did to those pirates, I’d rather not provoke them. They did trigger me to have a blood attack.” Wolf said, “And I don’t know why he likes being around you so much.”
Snowpuff meowed and purred again, the cat eagerly rubbing his head against Red(F)’s hand.
Shiori looked at the cat, then Wolf. “How’d you get Snowpuff as your pet, Wolf? Did you buy him from a pet store, or was he found out in the streets?”
“I actually adopted him from the pound when he was a kitten. He was this tiny little puffball back then.” Wolf said, “Now he’s even more fluffy. Then again, I’ve always been a cat person.”
As if in agreement, Snowpuff gave a meow. Unable to resist, Shiori reached out to pat the cat that was still enjoying its spot of warmth in Red(F)’s lap.
“Have to say, Snowpuff’s adorable. He’s a good cat, doesn’t scratch anything.” Shiori said while looking at Snowpuff’s fur, fascinated by how the cat’s tail was swishing here and there.
Initiative Archival Network 