Martha and John Higgins first appeared in a hollow near a hill on the outskirts of Waverly, Australia during the early morning hours.  Holding onto one another, they quickly searched the skies but the beamship had already disappeared. They were now quite alone.  Their eyes still straining skyward caught the sun rising in the azure sky.  A sudden sense of comfort and pure pleasure allayed their fears.  They looked to see where they were.  They were struck by the stillness and beauty of their surroundings.  Martha and John checked the hollow as they walked toward the nearby hill silently drinking in the wonder of it all. 
     Martha stopped, bent down and snapped off a blade of grass, "Look John," she said gently, "there's dew on it."
     "Dew?" John echoed.  "Haven't seen that in years."
     "I know, isn't it marvelous," Martha laughed.
     As they moved closer toward the city admiring their surroundings, they suddenly realized everything was taking on a new dimension.  The towering buildings ahead were made of glass and steel.  Hovercrafts flowed in and out of the city, airborne rocket sleds were zooming overhead and by the time they reached the city, the streets were filled with people going about their daily pursuits.  "This isn't the Waverly we knew," Martha said glancing all around her.
     The jumbled thoughts of the passers-by flooded John and Martha's minds.  Holding onto each others' arms they made their way along the crowded walkways.
      "...it malfunctioned.  The damn sled had to malfunction today..."
     "What did you say Martha?"
     "I didn't say anything..."
     "Yes you did, I heard you."
     "I thought it was you."
     "Now why would I..."
    "...wonder what Phil meant last night..."
    "Phil?  Phil who?  Martha!"
     "I didn't say anything."
     "...should have called..."
     "Martha!" John called out as she stumbled.
     "John, stop it, please."
     They stared unbelieving at one another as they pushed forward and shook their heads in an effort to clear them.  But the unspoken thoughts of passing strangers continued unabated.
     "...I'm telling him today..."
     "...Maribelle said she was leaving, well let her..."
     "...didn't get a chance to hear the news this morning..."
     "Martha!" John said as she stumbled again, "Hold onto me."
     "John, what's happening to us?"
     "I don't know."
     The relentless saturation of unwanted thoughts, they were powerless to block, now coming from all directions sent them both reeling against the nearest building.
     "...those idiots jamming up the airways that way..."
 John looked at Martha, "It wasn't me."
     "...they'll kill us yet..."
 Leaning against the wall and holding on to one another, Martha cried out, "John, do something!"
     "I can't control it.  I can't stop them!"
 Unable to cope they appeared confused, terrified and disoriented.  A young couple passing by stopped.  "Is anything wrong?  Are you sick?  Is there anything we can do to help?"
     "Someone call the Constables, these people need help," the young man said calling out to the crowd that was quickly gathering.
     "No," Martha protested.  "We'll be alright."
     "Don't think so," the young man said.  "Don't worry folks, the Constables will look after you?"
     The Constables, along with police and ambulance hovercrafts, arrived before Martha and John could utter any further protests.  They were bundled into the hovercrafts and whisked away to Queen's Hospital in Sydney, where they were immediately placed in isolation.
     "Please don't keep us apart," Martha said.
     "Now, now, don't you worry," the Nurse said as she prepared Martha for the Doctors.  "The Doctors will be with both of you soon.  They'll get to the root of your problems.  You'll see."
     "Where is he?"
     "He's nearby, don't worry.  Now don't go away," she smiled brightly, "I'll be right back."  Martha nodded.
     "John," her thoughts cried out, "where are you?"
 His thoughts came back to her, ìNear as I can tell, I think I'm next door."
     "They're coming back.  What should we do?"
     "Tell them the truth."
     "About how we got here?"
     "No, just that we can hear other people's thoughts."
     "They'll think we're crazy."
     "I know."
     The door to John's room flew open and a team of doctors pushed their way in.  Martha heard her husband's thoughts as he answered the questions put to him, and answered in kind to her doctors.  Hours later, the doctors having completed their first round of examinations left shaking their heads.  They convened in a nearby consultation room to go over the details of the examinations.  "Couldn't shake him," Bill Wilson, John's doctor said.  "He actually believes he can hear other people's thoughts."
     "So does his wife," Ed Doolan, Martha's doctor said.  "Maybe we should call in a team of parapsychologists.  Maybe they can get to the bottom of this."
     "Physically, they both appear to be in good shape, but mentally," he shook his head;"I don't know what to think."
     "I concur," Dr. Doolan said.  "They tell such a bizarre but convincing story.  Both of them," he added looking around the room at the other doctors.
     "Yeah, that's one of the problems.  They tell the same story, word for word."
     "Maybe they can read each other's thoughts," Doolan said, and laughed nervously.
     "Don't you start," Dr. Wilson said. "I don't think I could handle that.  Maybe we'd better move them to the psychiatric ward just to be on the safe side.  And," he added thoughtfully, "Letís keep them apart for awhile.  I think it would be a good idea to keep them in isolation where we can observe them more closely until we know more."
     "Yeah," Doolan agreed. "I hate to do it, they seem so vulnerable.  But I think it would be best for all concerned.  We don't know what we're dealing with here.  It could be contagious."
     "You know they think we're crazy, don't you Martha?" John's telepathic message came through to her.
     "Did you see the look on their faces when we told them?  At least with my doctors.  I tried hard not to laugh," her thoughts flew back. Then her thoughts turned sober, "They're not going to let us leave, you know."
     "I know, Martha," John said appearing in Martha's room dressed and ready for travel.  "Get dressed quickly we've got to get out of here."
     Martha wrapped her arms around John's neck.  "I was afraid they were going to keep us apart."
     "How could they," he smiled at her. "Now hurry, Martha, please," he admonished removing her arms, while kissing her cheeks.  Hurry!"