I could not believe she was gone. The world seemed so empty without her. Every spare moment was taken with thoughts of her. It was if she was haunting me. I felt so alone. It was at its worst at night. I just laid there awake. No matter how tired I became, sleep would not visit me. As the days went past, the world seemed to become a darker and darker place.
After several days of reclining on the bed without sleep visiting once, I took to wandering the streets. I thought that a walk would distract me enough to get some slumber. I had hoped that I would be relaxed and distracted enough to find sleep. I was wrong.
I would pass a person sleeping under a bridge and feel envy. With their troubles, they still managed to put it aside for sleep. I thought that perhaps I should drink until I passed out. Only then would I get some rest. However, the morning would come and I would have to function. I could not bare a hangover. Thus, I did not take that route. I just walked through the night awake -- envious of the sleeping world.
Night after night I wandered. I felt like the cat I came across nightly. For several nights the furry black creature avoided me. She was suspicious of anyone stalking though the streets at night.
However, after numerous encounters, we became friends. We were two strangers passing in the night. We had no plans to harm one another. We would just rendezvous on a bench. After a few strokes of her black fur, we would be on our separate ways.
I could feel her bones underneath that black coat. So, prepared to bring my friend some food. I think she appreciated the treats I provided. These encounters were not enough to forget, but it gave me a respite from my ever-present thoughts of the departed.
After a nights sojourn, I would arrive at home at dawn. Sometimes I would think she was there, but of course, she was not. Despite my attempts to forget, she was forever in my thoughts. I showered and headed off to work. Work was another escape. It was mind numbing work, but it kept me distracted.
Naturally, I thought of her on breaks. There was no escape from images of her. When working, my mind was somewhat freed from thoughts of her. However, when I got home the haunting thoughts returned.
I could not rid myself of of her laugh, her smell, her touch. On one particular occasion, I glanced at the calendar. It was Friday the 13th of February. The pangs of loss struck me hard with the upcoming holiday -- the holiday for lovers. This pending occasion was not the day for those of us who were alone. All of the memories of my time with her flooded my thoughts. I remember the previous Valentines Days. An enormous wave of emotions overcame me, and I became more restless than ever before. Everywhere I looked I was reminded of her. I knew that I could not stay in the house. I had to get out.
Being a Friday night, I did not have to work the next day. I could drink until I passed out. However, I would have to brave the couples enjoying themselves out on the town. If I were to drink, I would avoid the popular night spots. I would have to go a little farther afield.
Happy people was something that I thought would break me. I had to avoid those fortunate couples who had each other. Straying from my normal route, I would miss the encounter with the cat. In this mood I was in, I did not want any company. The cat would be find for a day without me.
I did not even want to encounter the sleeping homeless. I was filled with envy of the entire world. They lived in such a happy place, that I could not stand to join them. I would make a turn whenever I would encounter a sound of joy. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts.
After many twists and turns I ended up down by the river. Perhaps the sound of water would clear my head. Perhaps it would be enough to relax me. Being February, the river was frozen solid. There was no sound of rushing water. It was just a cold harsh reality of winter. A cold breeze chilled me to the bone. I gave a brief thought of shelter to protect me from the cold. However, I pressed on.
While down by the river, I discovered a series of caves. I guess I had always known they were there, but I did not give them much thought. These dark places were mostly ignored by the city. They were boarded up to prevent people from entering, but it was never enough. There were occasional reports of some kid was lost in them. There was no chance of that on this frigid winter night.
With every step, my despondence grew. My despair became so great that I did not care what happened to me. All the the fear and apprehension vanished from my normal self. The blackness of my heart matched the blackness of the caves. Thus, I entered.
The darkness of the cave was enhanced by the darkness of the night. I had a small flashlight from my phone. It did not offer much light, but it allowed me to look where I stepped. While I was dressed for the cold winter's walk, I was not prepared for the journey into the caves. Nevertheless, I did not care. I climbed through the dilapidated barricade and wandered the caves.
I had heard that the caves where a catacomb of passages. Because of this, it was easy to get lost in them. Further, you could walk for hours and get deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth. These thoughts did not push through my thoughts of her. I was undaunted in my journey. In these dark caves, I would unlikely run into anyone. I would have the entire weekend to myself. The idea of being alone with my thoughts drove me deeper into the caverns.
A person of sound mind would have turned back long before I did. The spot I found myself was dark. My phone complained about its failing battery. I shut it off, and the spot must have been as black as any spot on earth. The cool dank air hung heavy in my nose. There was a distinct smell of sulfur. Despite that smell becoming more pronounced, I pressed on. I spared the phone battery as much as I could.
Suddenly, the cool dampness turned to a dry heat. The dark fog lifted and a strange light illuminated the cavern. My phone was no longer needed. I could see enough to avoid tripping. I wondered how the cool air became so strangely warm.
Where was I? I did not know, but I had entered someplace strange. This particular cavern had a strange red-yellow glow that emanated from some mysterious place. I glanced around as the hellish smell washed over me. I looked back and noticed that I had crossed a rune on the ground.
I was at the entrance of large cavern with no other apparent exits. It appeared that I was at a dead end. It did not look like I could go any further. I would have to turn back. However, this place caught my eye.
Where was I going to go? There was no sense in turning back immediately. I decided to explore this strange place. As I looked around, I noticed some strange glowing marks upon the walls. I studied these glowing red runes. Whatever they meant to indicate was completely lost upon me. They simply did not mean anything to me. I had no idea what language it was, or who had placed them there. It seemed strange that anyone came in this deep.
I began to appreciate the warmth as I explored the cavern closely. The more I looked the larger this cavern became. It was as if the cavern held a small city. No, it was a large city. It seemed to expand as I looked around. Every corner led to another part of the cavern -- and more city. As I wandered around, I felt that this city was enormous. I did not know there could be such a city below the one in which I lived. This city's streets were as numerous as the caverns I just traversed.
Everywhere I looked, there were strange runes. However, not unexpectedly, there were no people walking about these streets. At least, I did not see any people. On occasion, I did hear disembodied voices. I could not quite make out what they were saying. I tried to follow where they came from, but they would vanish and come from another direction.
Welcome to Riley? I thought to myself. Is this town called Riley?
I kept trying to find where the voice was coming from, but I seemed to simply chase shadows. I did not see any people in this city. I could not locate where these voices came from and which direction I should travel. I just heard the voices saying things that barely entered my consciousness.
Bring the Necrinomicon to the temple, I thought I heard in a raspy wispy voice.
Were these voices in my head? It seemed strange for them to be in English when the runes clearly were not. Where had I heard the name Necrinomicon before? Why did this voice want it? I wondered where the temple was. I continued to walk and look about the city. I turned a corner, and somehow knew that the temple was on this high spot in the cave. I had never been in this place. How would I know where the temple was? My fragile mind led me on.
Kahlua awaits! I thought I heard.
I began to doubt the shadowy voice. It did not make any sense to me. What was it saying? Was it just my mind playing trick on me? Was it just echoes from the city above? It was saying such strange things.
Nevertheless, I entered the temple. Visions of a great evil flashed through my head. This was a temple for one of the great old ones. I do not know how I knew this, but I found myself in a temple of the elder gods! The pieces began to take shape.
I was not in Riley, I was in R'lyeh. Chthulu awaits -- not Kahlua. I needed to chant from the Necrinomicon in order to summon the great god. I felt my sorrow wash over me. My great adventure came to an end. It was time to turn back. I did not know how long it had been since I thought of her. The search of the city completely distracted me. Suddenly, the lonely restless nights washed over me. I nearly toppled over in grief.
At that moment the earth shook. One of the elder gods could feel my pain. It reached out to me. It grabbed at me and shook me. I knew the words! I did not need the book.
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!" I shouted.
Without her, I wanted the world to burn. A tsunami of pain and anger rushed back to me.
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!" I shouted again.
The sorrow I felt for the homeless people living under the bridge. It was not fair. The world deserves better.
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!" I shouted a third time.
The earth began to tremble. The roar was deafening. I could feel my mind slipping into the madness of power. I looked forward to the world burning. There was not a single thing on this earth worth saving. I could think was let it crumble into dust.
However, the cat that I had befriended came to my mind. The innocent creature had comforted me on several of my walks.
"Go away pitiful creature!" I shouted.
The madness continued to grow. The insane power grew within me. I could feel the entire world shake beneath my feet. I could feel the emense power flow through my entire being. Despite my concentration on the destruction of the world, the cat kept breaking into my thoughts.
The words, which once came easily, they would not come. It was a struggle to speak. The kindness of the cat fought against the spell.
The world was not fair. The innocent always suffer for the sins of the evil. The world deserved destruction. The world deserved destruction. The world deserved destruction.
My resolve wained. Sure, humanity has its problems. There is pain and suffering in the world. However, it is a much gentler place than it was just 50 years ago. Where were these thoughts coming from? I could feel the madness and my razor-thin sanity fight.
"She was gone!" I shouted.
I felt that the world should pay simply because of that fact.
"Not everything is about you!" I retorted. "The world should not pay because you are alone!"
"The pain and suffering can end tonight," I said as my resolve began to break down.
"What about the good things?" I asked.
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu..." I shouted but caught myself as I looked down.
The cat had followed me into the caves. Rubbing against my leg, it seemed to say, "What are you doing? Where is my treat?"
I realized that I was taking my pain and transferring it to the world. Should I take my pain out on the world? What of all the happy people? Perhaps, happiness will come to me again. The world should not suffer because of one coincidental day. Good thoughts of her flooded my brain. I almost saw myself walking hand-in-hand with her.
I could not bear to see all of the happy lovers in a mangled heap because of me. With the summoning one of the old ones, I could destroy the good with the bad. My anger, fear, and all my negative emotions drained from me. I felt at peace for the first time in weeks. I grabbed the cat and began stroking her.
"Good kitty," I whispered and the cat purred.
I heard a bell chime midnight. It was Valentine's Day. I smiled. I collapsed on the steps of the temple. I slept. For the first time in a long time I slept. I do not know if I moved. I just slept. It was a long hard sleep. Nothing could disturb me from it.
]]>It had taken quite a while and a lot of planning for our camping trip to come together. My work schedule only had me off every other weekend. Wes had black out dates from his job that he could not take off and Doug was scrambling to finish remodeling his kitchen. So by the time we all finally got together it was late October.
The one thing that worked for us was the weather. The days were warm, the mornings and evenings were cool. Only the nights were cold. It was actually quite beautiful to be camping in the fall as the leaves turned. Another plus was that we were secluded in our campground as most campers had packed it in for the season long ago.
We made sure that we stayed at a public campground especially with hunting season in full swing. Nothing invited getting an unwelcome bullet in the body more than running through the woods during deer season. Most hunters were cautious and made sure of their target. However, there were always a couple of first-timers usually from the big cities. They tended to shoot anything that moves, whether it is wearing hunter's blaze or not.
So it was on one of the last nights of our stay we were sitting around the fire. Wes had placed a pot of water on the flames to heat so that we could enjoy some cocoa before we turned in. We were telling tales of past camping adventures/mishaps as well as ghost stories and having rather good time.
Doug was again regaling us with the story of being attacked by a gull while in his canoe when he approached its chicks he thought were albino beavers. We were all laughing pretty hard when we were surprised by the "Excuse me" spoken by a stranger standing next to us.
None of us noticed the man approach us. He was in his mid-fifties and wearing an old red and black checkered jacket, a hat with earflaps, and laced black boots. Needless to say, we were all pretty dumbstruck as we fought to put our hearts back into our chests.
"Sorry," the man apologized, "I did not mean to startle you. I only wanted to warm myself by your fire."
"Sure," I said as I offered a vacant log he could use as a chair.
"I just don't see many people out here this late in the year," the stranger continued.
"Well, one thing led to another and by the time we got out here it was nearly winter," Wes replied.
"Would you like some hot chocolate?" Doug asked already pouring some hot water into a metal cup.
"Mmmm, I can't rightly say the last time I had cocoa. I would love some," the stranger said accepting the cup offered by Doug.
"Well, my name is Jason Bitner," the man said.
We all exchanged our names and shook hands as the firelight flickered upon our faces.
"So what brings you out here?" Doug asked.
"I like to walk these woods this time of year," Jason replied. "I have been doing it for many years. I guess it is a habit seeing as how I used to hunt around here many years ago."
"Really," I said. "I thought you couldn't hunt in this area."
"Oh, this was a long time ago. Before this became a campground. In fact, it was about this time of year the last time I hunted here," Jason stated as he stared fixedly into the fire.
It felt like there was something in the air that compelled us to sit there and listen. Afterwards we all realized that we were entranced by Jason's story and we could do little but listen as he told it.
"I was doing some deer hunting. I had my pack and rifle and I have always had good luck in this area. Of course, back then you had to be wary of the mountain lions. They could sneak up on you that would be that.
"I had started early in the morning so I could get the most of the daylight to use for my hunt. My initial optimism was starting to fail when by afternoon I still had not found anything. No tracks whatsoever. Nothing.
"Now, not many people know this, but over in that direction," we all looked over to where Jason pointed, "there is a wonderful clearing. It has a small waterfall that cascades down into this chasm.
"I figured I would head over there eat a small lunch before I circled back and called it day. That is what I did. I set my rifle against a tree and I ate my sandwich. Afterwards I decided I'd take a look into the chasm. The sheer drop is about fifty yards into a shallow river. If you ever lost you balance and fell in...Well, that would be the end of you."
The firelight bathed Jason's face in an eerie orange glow as he stared into the snapping flames. The three of us waited, barely breathing for our guest to continue his narrative.
"That's when it happened," Jason finally said. "I was looking down into the chasm when I heard the sound of soft footpads behind me. I slowly turned and there a few yards in front of me was a mountain lion. I stood there frozen with fright; I fought to get my mind to function again.
"I glanced around and I finally remembered I had a rifle. However, it stood resting against the tree I ate my lunch under. Unfortunately, the lion was between me and it. The lion gave a most bone chilling cry you can ever experience. I frantically looked for an escape.
"The chasm was behind me and the lion blocked any escape into the woods. I had to do something. The lion then began to slowly creep near me. I knew I only had moments left if I were to escape. I had to do something."
Jason again stopped his story and stared hard into the flames. His eyes were not focused on the flames but instead on an incident years past. The seconds past slowly and finally I could stand it no longer.
"What happened?" I asked.
Jason snapped back to the present and smiled as he looked at us. "Well, I died," he said with a laugh.
"Thanks for the cocoa. I better head back. Good night," and with that he retreated back into the shadows from where he came.
"Well, he got us pretty good," Doug finally said.
The next morning we thought we would locate that clearing Jason mentioned. There weren't any trails and there was a lot of underbrush, but by noon we thought we located it. There was a small waterfall that fell into a deep chasm. We looked down at the small river Jason told us about and were about to head back when I noticed something.
"What's that?" I said pointing to a tree.
We ran over and there on the ground at the base of the tree lay a rusty rifle and tattered backpack. We quickly rushed back to the chasm and stared down.
"I think I see something down there on a ledge," Wes said excitedly.
Doug quickly pulled out his cell phone and called the Park Service.
It was not long before the place was a buzz with deputies, rangers, and rescue teams. We stood back from the action and watched from a distant as some rangers finally hauled up the skeletal remains that Wes saw on the ledge.
A ranger finally approached us. "Good work guys. It looks like you did find a body. According to his driver's license his name was Jason Bitner. He must have fell down there sometime around 1949."
]]>Date: 525.3.47
I sat there staring at the robot for quite a while. Eventually, I gathered myself up enough to speak.
"Besides Alexa," I began. "I have seen no others. So, there are others?"
"Each housing unit contains a single individual. Each one has been given information and personality programming in order to aid in the survival of the colony. Further, there are several redundant systems. For instance, you are Dr. Hypatia's mathematical backup."
"You just said personality programming. What does that mean?"
"Each individual here is based upon an actual person whose personality was encoded into our computer system. While you do not have their memories, you have an encoded framework for your personality."
"I would ask how that is possible, but I don't think I really want to know. So, there is a Dr. Pergamese on Earth?"
"Not exactly. Your name was assigned to you. Galen of Pergamon is an ancient physician on Earth. All names given had ancient Earth origins. In this way, you were stripped of your ethnicity. The design team did not wish to have any racial or ethnic issues crop up in the colony."
"Okay, let's back up for a moment. Did I have an analog on Earth?"
"Not exactly an analog. You have a personality framework of someone on Earth. Because of your experiences, you will definitely turn out to be completely different. However, your particular framework was that of a medical doctor. It was hoped that you would enjoy your job with this particular set of personality traits."
"That makes sense. Now tell me where the name Alexa Hypatia came from."
"Hypatia of Alexandria was a famous female mathematician from ancient Earth."
"There is a lot to take in here. You may have noticed that I have been in the company of Alexa. Are we assigned -- um -- procreative partners?"
"Each individual will have the opportunity to choose and build their own relationships. The societal structure is completely up to the individuals making up this group. No one has been assigned a mate."
"So, my attraction to Alexa is not a part of this personality programming?"
"Not at all. It is a natural extension of who you are. Her feelings might not reciprocate."
"I think they do, but I will not take that for granted. Thanks!"
"The program designers struggled with the relationship problem for quite a while. They debated upon the number of females and males. They wanted the proper number to ensure survival. It was decided to revive an equal number of each. However, what occurs will be derived from natural processes."
"So, monogamy is not programmed into us?"
"That is correct. It is hoped, but that circumstance would be quite difficult with the number of individuals involved. The chances of getting a proper mate for each person is quite long."
"You have been talking about the design parameters, etc. for a while. How do you know so much about these things?"
"I was designed to interface with all of the computers on this planet. Thus, I am responsible for aiding in the survival of this colony. I can order the robots to perform any function. I am the only one with this functionality, although there is a manual on converting one of the others to my functionality."
"Do you have knowledge of what is happening on Earth?"
"I have at my disposal the accumulation of Earth's knowledge. It is updated daily from Earth."
"We can contact Earth?"
"The Earth sends us a daily signal and we do the same. Their signal updates our knowledge base. We send them mission updates. It should be noted that this knowledge is approximately 50 years out of date because of the great distance."
"So, they do not know Alexa and I are awake."
"That is correct."
"I assume that since the incubation and raising of us has proceeded according to plan. So, what is the status of our mission?"
"The mission is performing within acceptable parameters."
"Even though Alexa and I woke up early."
"It is not a completely unexpected event. The mission was designed more than 1500 years ago. The designers would be quite pleased that we have only experienced minor incidents like this."
"Everything has gone well?"
"It took quite some time for the soil bacteria to adapt to their new soil. This did not fit within design parameters. Once they adapted, they have been doing quite well."
"Hey! That is why the fruit does not rot."
"The bacterial biomass on this planet is quite a bit smaller than on Earth. However, it is within guidelines for more complex organisms."
"What other animals are here? I thought I saw a cow the other day."
"We have a stable population of cattle, sheep, and goats. They have done quite well in this environment. They have successfully reproduced for several generations."
"I have not seen any birds."
"There are a few chickens, but the food supply for a population of birds is not currently adequate."
"Why is that?"
"The program designers did not want the colonists to compete with pests. Thus, there are few insects here. The insects that are on this planet perform helpful functions. For instance, there is a healthy population of bees here."
"So, no birds or insects?"
"Insect pests comprise a majority of the diet for many of Earth's flying creatures. It was deemed contrary to the long term survivability of the colony to introduce pests just to give birds something to eat."
"What about aquatic animals?"
"The water on this planet has not been found suitable for aquatic life."
"So, this did not go according to plan."
"There was a contingency plan for this. The situation is similar to the birds. There simply is not enough food to support this type of life. However, if circumstances change, embryos are available."
"Are there other human embryos?"
"Yes, there is several more humans that can be raised."
"I have so many more questions."
"I hate to cut this short, but I do have things that I should attend. If you have further question, your biobed will answer them."
"Thanks for your time."
That was a worthwhile conversation. I learned a great deal, and I no longer fear the robocalypse. For now, I will discontinue entering items in the journal. Thanks for reading!
End of Entry.
End of Log.
]]>Date: 525.3.47
"Dr. Pergamese you should really return to your bed," stated the robot.
Clearly this robot was different. It used different words than the others. Perhaps this on had the answers.
"Why should I return to bed?" I asked.
"The bed will answer all of your questions."
"I am not interested in having the bed supply my unconscious with answers. I want you to answer my questions?"
"It is much more efficient for the bed to answer them."
"I am not interested in what is most efficient. I am looking for answers and I want them now."
"As you wish. May we take Dr. Hypatia to her bed?"
"So you can use your mind control to put me asleep? I do not think so."
"That is not an accurate assessment of my abilities."
"You put her to sleep did you not?"
"I can induce theta wave activity in the human brain. Is this of what you speak?"
"You put Alexa to sleep, but you did not affect me. Is that because you can only hypnotize one of us at a time?"
"It is true I can only affect one brain at a time, but I will not induce sleep in you if you do not wish."
"First of all, I do not wish it. Secondly, can I ask if you are programmed for telling the truth?"
"I may not lie."
"Nevertheless, I do not know if I trust you."
"Like you, Dr. Hypatia will have questions if she is not returned to her bed. It will be very inefficient."
"Very well, I will trust you. Let's go."
We walked the short distance to her house. The robot went in while I waited outside. I peeked inside and noticed that her home had an identical arrangement to mine. The homes must have been built with a process in mind. Even the fruit set out on the table looked identical to mine. Clearly, the robots did things in an orderly fashion. Thus, to me it was obvious that the robots were in charge.
While I was not sure I trusted the robot I had been speaking to, I prepared myself for its return. I did some exercises to raise my heart rate. If he attempted to put me to asleep, I did not want it to be easy. If I had any stimulants, I would have taken them. However, I did not find any among the rations. I also thought about things to keep my mind active. I was ready for its return when it exited Alexa's house.
"Dr. Pergamese, are you sure you do not wish to go to bed?"
"I am certain."
"Very well, where should I start?"
"At the beginning."
"Could you be more specific?"
"Why are there so few people on Earth?"
"Dr. Pergamese, we are not on Earth?"
"What? Where are we? How did we get here?'
"We are approximately 50 light years from Earth. The project coordinator called this planet New Earth III -- as we are the third such colonizing mission."
"How far removed are we from Earth?" I interrupted.
"It took 1000 years just to travel to this planet. We have given them daily reports and received reports from them. However, they are more than 50 years out of date because of the distance."
"How long have we been on this planet?"
"If you look at your device, you will note that the date is 525.3.47. That is the length of time all of us have been on this planet. 525 years, 3 months and 47 days. We robots spent 500 years preparing the world for the frozen embryos that would become the planets residents."
"500 years?"
"These housing units were constructed from the space crafts that were used to bring us here. That was our first project. The ship was designed to be separated into such house facilities. Thus, each of the homes has a wall that has been subjected to interstellar travel. Nothing was left to waste. For other raw materials, the robot force has been mining this planet. Thus, the daily utensils, chairs, and other items were constructed on this world. It was hoped that we have constructed everything required for your survival."
"Why is it that I know I am a doctor?"
"The biobed had provided you with everything that was required."
"The biobed?"
"The biobed has provided you with everything required since you were an embryo."
"Wait! I was just an embryo on the ship?"
"That is correct. Space and weight were a major concern. It would be very inefficient and difficult to transport mature humans. Furthermore, they would most likely not survive the long journey. However, keeping embryos alive is quite easy."
"That is why I do not have any memories!"
"The science team did not think it wise to imprint specific memories into you. They hoped to give you enough information to where you would accept the situation. However, you would have to spend the entire term in the bed."
"So who are my mother and father?"
"Technically, they have long since died on Earth. We did not keep records of specific individual's parentage. However, both of your parents were medical doctors. This is why you were selected to be the colony's medical resource."
"When was I born?"
"All of the current adults were implanted in their respective biobeds 25 years, 3 months and 47 days ago. With all of the information required to be instilled into you by 525.3.50. However, you are up early."
"Hence, some information is missing."
"Correct."
"That is why I have been told repeatedly to return to bed."
"Correct. However, it is apparent that your bed is malfunctioning. During you last venture out, I had attempted repairs. My repairs do not seem to have resolved the situation. You bed is still unable to keep you in sleep mode. I hope that your medical training has not suffered."
"I do not think it has. I have dreamt of medical issues even while not sleeping in the bed."
"Nevertheless, it would be prudent to sleep in the bed. It will reinforce your studies."
"Agreed. So, Alexa is a mathematician?"
"Dr. Hypatia is responsible for the mathematics education and usage on the planet."
"Wait! Mathematical use?"
"Dr. Hypatia will be the chief economist, treasurer, accountant, and have several mathematical duties of this type. She will use her actuarial training to increase the colony's survival. Most of the residents will have multiple duties -- except you. The project leads felt that the medical profession would be kept busy enough."
It was a lot to take in. I had to sit down for a moment to comprehend what was happening.
]]>Date: Date: 525.3.47
I once again awoke in the bed. I remember that I encountered a robot, but I simply fell asleep. I can only assume that this robot had some sort of hypersonic sleep signal. This would explain why I felt relaxed instead of panicked. Further, it would explain why I slept the entire afternoon, and on through to the morning.
I do not know what to think of the robot's capabilities. On one hand, much of my suspicions of the robots are simply gone. A night's sleep in the bed will apparently do that. On the other hand, I worry about their mind control capabilities. After all, if they can put me to sleep at will, what else could they do? I do not know if they realize that the more these events happen; the more suspicious I become. I think it is clear that the robots and this bed have some sort of brainwashing capability.
On the plus side, I know more about my life here. While I have no direct recollection of my medical studies, I know more about physiology and anatomy. I think the visit to the hospital must have jarred something loose. I feel like my medical training has been quite thorough now.
The events of the last few days have given me a new found boldness. It seems that the worst thing that will happen for my actions is a nice long sleep. I will perhaps have to endure a session in the bed, but I feel that I am easily fighting off those brainwashing sessions.
Since the robots I have encountered do not appear to be able to answer my questions, I have decided on a brash action plan. I have decided to go up and down the street knocking on doors. I am going to see who comes to the door. In this way, I hope to find out what I can from my neighbors.
From my own experience, I am going to assume that everyone has a similar experience to my own. That is, I think they will all have limited memories. I think no one will have memories that go farther back than a few days. I want to test this theory.
Before venturing out, I ate a morning meal. I found that my pack from yesterday's adventure appears to have been undisturbed. Thus, some of the provisions I had packed have survived without harm. For some reason, I think it odd that the food did not decompose in any way. Perhaps, there is something special about these crops. They may be resistant to rot. Even the fruit on the tables appears to be fresh.
I grabbed the pack and put some more food into it. I am heading to Alexa's house because I think she will answer the knock. Further, she may want to visit her neighbors as well. I made my way to her house, and she answered her door after a brief wait. She too seems to be very suspicious of our circumstances. I am sure she wants to know what the robots are up to. I explain to her what my plans are and she put her fears aside.
We walk away from the town square. We are both pretty sure there are robots doing work in the other direction. We go from house to house. Naturally, we skip my house. However, no one comes to the door at any of these houses. We make our way to the end of the line. No one at any of the houses answered to our call.
"What do we do now?" Alexa asks
"We could open up the doors," I suggest.
"We should not..."
"Why?"
"It just seems wrong."
"Why?"
"It is an invasion of privacy."
"If I am correct, they are being harmed by robots. We should do something."
"What if you are not correct?"
"I guess I ask for forgiveness."
"I will not help you in this."
"Perhaps you are right. However, let us knock on the doors on our way back."
That is what we did. As before, no one answered their door. We made it all the way to Alexa's before deciding to continue to the last group of houses. As with the rest of the houses, no one answered our knocks.
As we approach the town center, we once again encounter a robot. As was the case with the others we encountered it said, "You are up early Dr. Pergamese and Dr. Hypatia. You should go back to bed."
Alexa attempted to run, but I held her firm.
"I have some questions," I replied. "Please contact an entity that can answer them."
"You are up early Dr. Pergamese and Dr. Hypatia," it said in its mechanical voice. "You should go back to bed."
"Do you understand my request?" I asked continuing to keep Alexa from running.
"You are up early Dr. Pergamese and Dr. Hypatia," it repeated. "You should go back to bed."
"Thank you for your concern," I said. "Please continue with your work."
With that, the robot walked away. Alexa was in quite a shock, so I took her to a park bench. I thought it was a fine time for a little picnic. I opened my pack, and gave her some food. I was surprised at how well she accepted it.
She relaxed and we chatted for a little while. Then I saw the robot from the previous day. I felt my anxiety rising. That was different than the other day. Alexa, on the other hand, fell fast asleep. Something different was definitely happening. Perhaps now I would get some answers! ]]>
Date: Date: 525.3.46
When the robot told us that we should return to bed, Alexa ran. I remember the fright I felt when I first encountered a robot, so I assume that she returned to her house. I will check on her later.
"What is going on?" I asked the robot.
"You are up early Dr. Pergamese," it replied. "You should go back to bed."
"Why?"
"You are up early Dr. Pergamese. You should go back to bed."
"Why are you interested in me going back to bed?"
"You are up early Dr. Pergamese. You should go back to bed."
It became clear that it was not equipped to answer my questions. I was hoping to get some answers, but it simply repeated the same phrase. This robot was incapable of giving the answers to my questions. I am a little crestfallen about it.
However, I have no interest in returning to bed. I was not finished exploring for the day. After all, it was still early in the day. Thus, I decided to walk away from the robot.
The robot noticed that I was not heading back towards my home. It attempted to intercept me, but I easily avoided its stance.
"You are up early Dr. Pergamese. You should go back to bed," it repeated as I walked away. I do not know what it did after that, but I hope it just went about its business.
Since I was alone, I could go anywhere I wanted. Thus, I decided to explore the buildings in the public square. My first stop was the hospital. If I was a doctor, this is where I would work. Like everything in this place, it seemed strange to me. First off, it was really small. It appeared to be more of an aid station than a full functioning hospital.
There was an admitting station in front of a short hallway. As I walked down the hall, it appeared that there were just three rooms for in-hospital patients. Naturally, if our little town was small enough, I would be doing house calls. There was no need for anyone to stay in the hospital. I wondered why have a hospital at all?
I walked a little further and noticed the dispensary. It had a large assortment of medical treatments. Hence, it appeared to have whatever I would need for medical emergencies. I was surprised by the number of supplies in that room. This place was clearly prepared for anything. Its emptiness told an oddly different tale.
The last room in the hall was a single operating room. There was an array of medical equipment, and it was too equipped for any type of scenario. If I was the only doctor, I would have anything I needed at my fingertips.
However, what was the need without any people. I have been looking around for a couple of days, and I have only encountered one other person. What is the reason for all of this medical technology?
The hospital had the same sort of cold calculation that the rest of the place had. It had a cold functionality with no signs of personality. It seemed to me that the robots built the place. They had a set of plans that they followed to the letter. Thus, it was a strong, sturdy place, but it did not have any touches of humanity.
My tour of the hospital did not take long. My next stop was the school. Oddly the school seemed normal. There was no one in it, but it seemed ordinary for a school after hours. There were classrooms along a central corridor. At the end of the hall, it appeared to have some sort of administration offices. To me it seemed to be like every school.
I looked in one of the classrooms. It was small as it could only accommodate perhaps 10 people. It had a few rows of desks and a chalkboard at the front. The chalkboard seems strange to me. Usually, there were whiteboards at the head, but they went with chalk.
Other than that one oddity, it appeared to be a normal classroom. The entire building was the first thing that I encountered that did not make me feel odd. It was like an every school. That alone made me feel uncomfortable about the place. For some reason it seemed too perfect.
With that feeling, I went into the library. At least, that is what the sign on the building read. There were lots of shelves and other equipment you would find in a library. However, besides the lack of people using the building, it was also missing books.
This building appeared larger than the hospital and the school. This could be because it was not divided up into rooms. It was a single large room. There were shelves lining every wall. There were lines of shelves interrupting the open space. Perhaps this was an illusion that made the building seem bigger. However, all of the shelves were empty. I looked around and all of the shelves were empty.
Scattered here and there were desks. If there were books, a person could read at these desks. These desks were clearly meant for research as there were terminals of some type on each one. I had hoped to find some things out from them. Sadly, they were not currently functioning. Despite my best attempts to fix that situation I was unable to get the terminals to work.
The robot I encountered earlier was no help, and these terminals were not going to be able to answer my questions either. I was being thwarted at every turn. With this setback, I decided to enjoy my provisions while I was in the library. I found a comfortable chair and ate some of the food I packed.
It was a satisfying meal, and the chair was quite comfortable. I did not even stir when I heard someone or something enter the library. I was just in a relaxed state. When I saw the robot coming towards me, I did not even panic. I simply drifted off to sleep.
End of Entry
]]>Date: Date: 525.3.46
Once again, I spent the night on the floor. I still think that the bed means trouble. However, I need to find something more comfortable. The hard metal floor is just not conducive to a good nights sleep. I need a mattress or something.
Today, I am going to look for life. The object in the field has given me hope that there is life here. There must be some sort of animal. If there are animals, then there may be people. There cannot be only robots here. Thus, I am going to try finding people. If I do not run into any people, I may start knocking on doors. I do not care about the consequences.
I had more fruit for my morning meal. Its weirdness has worn off, and I find it delightful. It is far superior to the reconstituted meals I have been eating. I hope I get another basket of fruit soon. In any event, I put some into a bag for my journey. If I am gone all day, I will want something to snack on.
I went outside without concern for robots. I just went. The previous day must have been some sort of work day as the hustle and bustle was gone. The odd thing in the distant field was still there. However, I wanted to explore other areas. Thus, I will find out what it is later.
Today, I am going to walk on the walkway. I am going to see where it leads. I have explored the grove of trees and the farm fields a little bit. I want to see what else is in the area. The activity yesterday indicated to me that there was more to this place than just these visible housing units. Apart from finding life, I hope to find out the lay of the land better.
For instance, I noticed that there is a high concrete wall behind the housing units. I did not notice this before, but it has been there quite a while. This wall makes it appear that we are in some sort of zoo. Perhaps it is to keep hostile forces out. Was there a war? The wall could be for many purposes, but I thought I would note it.
I am continuing past some housing units. I may come back and knock on doors, but for now, I am just walking. I want to know what is past these houses. Where were those trucks going? Where is the storehouse?
"Hey!" I hear a voice say interrupting my thoughts.
I look around and a young woman is approaching me. I do not know if it was instinct or what, but I rushed to her and gave her a big hug.
"I thought I was the only one here," I told her.
"I thought the same thing," she replied.
"My name is Galen. Dr. Galen Pergamese."
"You remember your name?"
"Well -- no. It was on a placard outside my home. I just assumed..."
"Oh..."
"You do not remember anything either?"
"I have no memories before waking up yesterday."
"Well, it says here that your name is Dr. Alexa Hypatia."
"It does not ring any bells, but it appears that we are both doctors."
"From what I have been able to surmise, I am a medical doctor."
"Hmmmm. I do not think that is true for me. I want to say mathematics."
"I wonder if that means we have a university around here somewhere."
"Perhaps. Where are you going?"
"I am just exploring."
"My I join you?"
"Certainly."
Alexa and I begin walking along the walk path to see where it led. I began to hope others would join us, but it was just the two of us as we reached the end of the row of houses. We may still knock on doors, but first we are looking at what lies beyond the houses.
We first came to a series of stone buildings. We assumed that this was the heart of our little area. There was a school, a hospital, a library, and several other buildings. They were all arranged around what could be described as a public square. There was a raised platform in which speeches could be made. It appeared well planned.
Further down, there was what appeared to be the storehouse. It was a large nondescript metal building. A walkway led to a set of doors in the front of the building. We could see in and there were shelves of goods visible from our vantage point.
Some trouble had been made to dress it up. There is what could be described as a park in front of the building. There were benches, plantings, and winding walkways. It looked as though there were expansion plans. Perhaps for children's play equipment.
Behind the storehouse, there was a driving space and parking space. Some trucks, which I likely saw yesterday, were parked alongside this storehouse building. The building was not very wide, but it was quite deep. Perhaps to give them room to do other things such as process raw materials without exposing the process to the customers.
Past the storehouse was a series of smaller buildings. They had front doors, but they appeared empty. These were much smaller than the storehouse. Alexa and I discussed it, but we could not decide what was their purpose. We could not figure out why you would build structures with no purpose. Why did they build empty buildings?
The last structure we encountered was a factory -- a robot factory. It did not appear to be too active. Nevertheless, we could see a small collection of inactive robots standing out in front of the building. They looked like they were ready for activation. However, before we could get a closer look, we encountered a robot.
"You are up early Dr. Pergamese and Dr. Hypatia," it said in its mechanical voice. "You should go back to bed."
]]>Date: Date: 525.3.45
I awoke in a panic this morning. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep in the orchard. I had not slept well for the last couple of nights, and I was tired. Sitting in the sun under a tree was really nice. I did become very relaxed. I found the situation quite nice. It could be as simple as that, but I do not know.
On the other hand, I may have simply lost the events of the afternoon. I have a big gap, and it could be a relapse. However, I remember the last few days in pretty good detail. It is just that most of the day yesterday is a blank. I remember things up to a point, then they all went black. Was it the apple? Did a robot shoot me with a tranquilizer dart? Did I just fall asleep and sleep through the night? That was a great deal of sleep if that is the case. I just do not know what happened.
Nevertheless, I have no memory of getting into bed, but I awoke in the bed. Further, it was morning. So, it makes sense to me to assume that a robot found me under that tree and brought me to the bed. Whatever the case, I spent an unknown number of hours in the bed. It was likely at least 10.
This fact makes me wonder about how I feel. Suddenly, I have a positive view of the robots. I think the bed is there to brainwash me. At least, it is attempting to do so. I suddenly have strong feelings that the robots are here to help. I did not have that feeling before last night. This feeling seems new.
As a matter of fact, I have only known about the robots for a few days. While they have apparently done me no harm, I do not know that for certain. Why would I suddenly have positive feelings for them. It has to be that the bed is having an effect on me. I still do not trust the bed or the robots despite their efforts -- perhaps more so now.
On the other hand, I feel quite rested. I guess sleeping most of the day and through the night would make a person feel that way. I would say I slept longer than one day if it were not the date on this device. I also feel strangely content about my situation. This bed is completely not to be trusted. It is more than just a place to sleep.
After I got out of bed, I checked the house. My stores have been refilled. Yesterday's dishes were washed and stored away. Perhaps I did that in the missing afternoon. I may have visited a storehouse and refilled everything during my missing hours. It does seem odd to forget such mundane events. Furthermore, I have no memory of where such a storehouse would be. It may be that someone or something has been here.
I opened the inner door to look outside. Suddenly, the place is awash with activity. There are robots everywhere. Dozens of them. I do not see any people. There are just robots taking care of several tasks.
One robot has a hose and is watering the plants in my yard. I do not think he saw me. He was busy doing his tasks. Farther out, there was a robot placing a gate to the entrance for the road. There was even traffic on that road. Robot controlled trucks were traveling to and from some unknown location. It was a huge change from the previous day.
After quite a while observing the robots, one headed for my door. It had a basket of fruit. I do not know if it saw me, but I was not taking any chances. I ran into the bedroom and closed the door. I heard it open the door outer door. It clanked and squeaked a bit. After a few moments, I heard the inner door close.
I waited a few minutes before I peaked out. The room was as I left it, but there was a fruit basket on the table. It was like it was feeding time at the zoo. I could not resist the tempting fresh fruit.
The taste was the same as it was the day before -- odd but refreshing. I did not feel the drowsiness that I had the previous day. I thought that was a good sign. At least, it indicated to me that it was fine.
I looked around the house. I thought that if it was feeding time at the zoo, someone should be watching. I did not see anyone. Cameras came to my mind, but I was unable to locate any. I have no recollection of what a camera was or looked like, but for some reason I thought the place was free of them.
The skylight was clear of viewers as well. It was a regular scene of clear sky. There was nothing unusual to my mind. I opened the inner door again. There was still a large amount of activity happening. The gate building robot had finished mine, and moved down the road. The same for the watering robot with its hose connected to a large truck that sat on the road.
There was no way to get out of the house without being noticed. My planned exploration of the neighbor's house would have to wait. I thought about interrogating one of the robots. If it had the ability to communicate, I am not sure if it would answer my questions. Besides, they were busy. It was likely best to let them do their work.
Among all of the activity, I think I saw something different. The robots had precise movements. They were very regular -- in a fashion. Past the grove, there was something that moved differently -- oddly -- irregularly. To me, it looked like some sort of living creature. In addition, it was not a biped. It moved on all fours. It was also bigger than any of the robots I have seen. Was it something alive? Or was it just a different kind of robot. That too would have to wait.
End of Entry
]]>Date: Date: 525.3.44
Robots! The only thing that I have seen moving around here was a single robot. No birds. No squirrels. No dogs. Nothing. Did the machines rise up and kill all of the biological organisms? How many are there? Did they let a few biological specimens live for some kind of experiment? What is the nature of that experiment?
Why me? Just how many people are still alive? There are houses similar to mine. Did that mean there were other people living in them? Are there animals living in them rather than people? Are we in some sort of zoo for robots? What is going on?
As you may have guessed, it was a restless night. I tossed and turned. The floor is hard, but I still do not trust the bed. It is even more true now. What are the robots doing with those beds? Are they attempting some sort of mind control with them? Is that the reason for the wires and tubes? In any event, my uncomfortableness during the night was magnified. The hard floor and the robocolypse weighed heavily on my mind as I attempted to sleep.
I hope my leaving the house did not set off any type of alarm. I hope to get out early today. My fears of going out have turned into a steely resolve. I must find out what is going on. To my mind, the only way to do that is to explore out there.
The sky had just turned from its inky blackness to its predawn gray. I ate a light meal as the sunlight slowly turned the sky from gray to its purplish blue. I was surprised that it went through some other colors. It had touches of yellow and red. It was like a normal sunrise. Although, I do not really know what that means.
Like the day before, it is cloudless. There are no birds to greet the morning. Nonetheless, I am going out there to see what is happening. I just hope my leaving the house yesterday does not cause problems for me today. It could be a short foray if they are displeased with me.
I am opening the inner door. I do not see anything moving at this early hour. I looked out for several minutes before I opened the outer door. I peeked out, but I did not see anything, but I closed the door right away. It was just a peek.
I want to go to the neighbors to find out more about them. Are they humans or something else? I think I will wait on that as it is pretty early. If they are human and sleeping in the bed, they won't know about morning for a while longer. Perhaps they are in the same situation as I am. I may meet them out there. I want them to see me.
I have decided to cross the street. I do not see the robot working in the distance. I think I will explore what it is doing. I am just glad that I have this device to talk to. It would be quite lonely here by myself. This device is bringing me some peace. Okay, here I go.
I am back in the house. My heart is racing. I ran into a robot. It was maintaining my yard.
"You are up early Dr. Pergamese," it said in a strange mechanical voice. "You should go back to bed."
"I will," I lied and walked back to the house.
That was close. Luckily he did not make any sudden moves or try to apprehend me. He just told me to go back into the house and get into that bed. I am now more resolved than ever to not enter that thing.
It knew who I was. That could spell trouble. Nevertheless, I am glad it spoke in a language that I could understand. Perhaps that is by design. Perhaps they took my memories and in that way learned how to communicate with me.
Despite the risk, I am going back out there. I will look harder to avoid that robot. I do have a lot of questions for it, but I do not want to stir up trouble by asking a lot of questions. For now, I think I want to find out what was happening in the distance. I will get to my questions later.
I do not know where that robot was as I left my house. I looked around carefully as I entered the road. As I anticipated, there was no traffic. In a hunched run, I crossed the road and I jumped the wall on the other side. I stayed there in my prone position for a few moments before I continued.
I snuck up to the grove of trees. I was as stealthy as I could muster. I do not think anything noticed me. However, they could have sensors all over this place. They may be well aware of my presence. I was just going to continue on with my investigations until I was confronted. My resolve seems pretty strong at this point.
This grove of trees was bigger than I thought. It looked much smaller looking out at it from my front door. At least, I do not think I could how big it was from that vantage point. In any event, it took me longer than I anticipated to get to the other side. I was a bit out of breath walking all that way.
Once on that side, I could tell what that robot was up to. It was tending some farm fields. It was raising food. I wonder if it was for us. It appeared that some of the crop was ready for harvest. It was beginning to feel like we were in a zoo. They were raising food for us to keep us alive.
I turned back to the grove. I noticed that while some of the trees were in blossom others had fruit on them. The fruit appeared ripe to me. I made my way to an apple tree. After a few days of reconstituted food, fresh fruit had a great appeal to me. I could not help myself. I picked an apple -- or two.
It does taste a little odd. I do not recall ever eating an apple before, but this one tasted weird to me. It is like everything else. I just get this strange feeling that this place is odd.
After eating the apple, everything seems so calming to me. Eating fresh fruit has greatly relaxed me. I am just going to sit under this tree for a while. This is nice. It is comfortable. I could sit here forever and sleep.
End of Entry
]]>Dwayne MacInnes and I have created an e-book entitled Terra Mortis. To give you a taste, here is the entirety of the first story read to you by that master thespian -- me:
Date: Date: 525.3.43
Another night, and I remember everything from the last two days. The days prior to that are still blank. Whatever caused my condition persists. Nothing has been jarred loose. I simply do not remember anything before two days ago.
I avoided the bed last night. With its wires and tubes, I am uneasy about using it. It just seems so strange. Hence, I slept on the floor in the main room. I feel a little stiff, but at least I slept. I think my anxiety would have prevented any sleep on the bed.
During the night, I did not get any revelations. I had no thoughts of the anatomy of the human body. Thus, while I still think I am a doctor, I did not gain any new information on who I am or what I do. It could be the less comfortable surroundings. It could be because I got up rather than lingering in bed. My sleeping situation was strange, and perhaps I did not get as restful a sleep as needed. Hopefully, I will progress some more tonight. We shall see.
Today, I am going to attempt to go outside. I have explored every corner of my house. There is not much left inside to explore. Further, there is nothing in the way of memorabilia around the house. There are no vacation pictures -- no souvenirs -- no nick-nacks of any sort. Thus, I do not have anything to stare at in order to not help jar loose any memories. The house appears to be very generic. It seems like it is a one size fits all type of thing.
I am hoping that exploring outside will change things. However, it is going to take a great deal of courage to step out my door. If the anxiety I felt by opening the door is any indication, I may not be able to venture out for long. I definitely will not wander far from my home. Despite its Spartan appearance, it still seems like home to me. Although, it is all I know at this moment.
I am going to take it slow. Right now the door is open. I feel the nervousness wash over me. I am not even looking out, but the mere knowledge that the door is open is raising my blood pressure. Venturing out is going to be difficult.
Right! I just have to take it slow. That is why I am sitting at my table with the front door open. Each time I get enough courage, I look out for as long as I can. I have looked into the distance, and there is definitely some movement there. I cannot make out what it is, but there is some sort of activity in the distance. I do not know if I can venture close enough to discover what it is, but I think that it can wait until at least tomorrow. I need to take small steps.
I am back at the table after looking out of the door for quite a while. There seems to be such little activity near my home, that I should not be afraid of going outside. The movement in the distance is far enough off, that I do not think that whatever it is will be able to notice me. All of this is bolstering my confidence. I definitely think that after my midday meal, I will be able to open the outer door and step out.
That is right, after I eat I will go out. I keep giving myself markers, but I have not ventured out yet. I am still sitting nervously staring at the world outside. I can do this. I just need to get up and go. I need to just go. Unfortunately, I am not getting up to go. It is silly that I am writing this instead of going out. Okay, I am now putting this thing down and walking out that front door. No, I am going to take this thing with me so I can note everything. One deep breath and out I go.
I am now outside. My heart is racing. The air smells strange. I cannot describe in what way it smells strange. I do not know how it really is supposed to smell. It just seems odd. The air is very dry and it seems almost sterile. I only made it as far as the oak in my yard. I then rushed back into the house, but not before noticing it.
My name is Dr. Galen Pergamese. At least, that is what the placard on my house indicated. I need to calm down a bit before I can determine if that sets free any memories. Currently, it seems very unfamiliar. It has not freed any memories. It has not shaken anything out, but my heart is still going quite fast. I may lie down to regain my composure.
Apart from the placard, I also noted several houses similar to mine. I did not see any movement in them, but they fill me with hope. I am not alone. At least I hope that is the case. The walkway connects a row of perhaps 20 houses all about 30 meters apart. It would take some doing to walk over there. I am resting here, and I am going to make another trip outside in a little while.
After perhaps an hour of resting, I am heading outside again. The rest did not bring about any memories, but I have a lot on my mind. In any event, I am walking down the walk to the street in front of my house. My curiosity of the movement is over-riding my fear. I must know what it is. I have now entered the road. I am on the other side.
Oh ....
Okay, I am back in my house. I can barely type this. The door is closed and secured. My heart is racing. The movement was not a living thing. It was a robot! The only moving thing in this world seems to be a mechanical man. Where are the people? Have the robots taken over? That would be one explanation of the weirdness that I have experienced. Has the robocalypse occurred? It will have to wait until tomorrow. I cannot go out again.
End of Entry
]]>Date: Date: 525.3.42
When I awoke this morning, I remembered the previous day. I, however, still do not remember the days before that. I slept in the bed to make sure that its apparatus was not responsible for my memory loss. Nonetheless, I am suspicious of the bed. The tubes and wires running into it do not seem normal to me. I may sleep elsewhere tonight.
During the night, it came to me that I am a medical doctor. I do not know why I think that is the case. In my dreamlike state, a few things came to mind and I can think of no other explanation for them. For instance, I can think of no reason why I would know all of the bones in the body. I am also very familiar with the organs. Again, I do not know why or how I know these things, but I do.
During the night, I left the door to the sleeping chamber open. In this way, when the sun rose, the light would enter the sleeping chamber and wake me up. This is exactly what happened. Again, the sun and sky appeared to have an odd color in my estimation. I do not know why I would think that, but this world seems quite odd to me.
I am planning to look at the sunrise more thoroughly tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow as I am still uncomfortable with exiting my home. I do want to look at my surroundings more closely, but I will do it in the safety of my home for now.
After my morning meal, I got down on the floor and observed the sky through the skylight. My intent was to just lie there looking up for a few hours. The purplish color of the sky still seems odd, but then I thought it might be the window altering the color. I will no more once I go outside.
The other odd thing was the lack of clouds. For some reason, I think there should be clouds. There simply were none to be seen. I thought that perhaps I live in the desert. It is quite possible that clouds are rare at this time of year. Being almost half way through the third month, it may not be in the rainy season. The clouds may come along later.
At that moment, I realized that I am becoming aware of my ability to rationalize these various types of occurrences. I do not know why I think these things, but for some reason, I notice things and then rationalize why they may be. I could be way off on all of it. In any event, I am recording them. At this time of year, in my estimation, it should be about time for the farmers to start planting. That way, we will be able to make it through the driest part of the season. That is, if I am on the right track about the desert.
The other strange thing about the sky is the lack of animals. I have not seen or heard a single animal. No birds flew over my house during the entire time I looked at the sky. The airtight nature of the building may be the reason for not hearing any animals. Nevertheless, I think I should have seen something in my view out the skylight.
In fact, during the few hours I looked up, the sky was a constant purplish light blue. Nothing flew over my house -- no animals -- no flying machines -- nothing. It was simply a constant clear sky. It was hard for me to concentrate on the sky without anything changing. Nothing caught my attention the entire time. I find that weird.
After my adventure with the skylight, I decided to look out my front door. This was quite an experience. I was nervous about opening the airtight seal of the front door. At first I did not think I could manage it, but, I gathered up my courage and pulled open the door. It made a sucking sound as the seal broke.
My heart was racing, but I was somewhat comforted by the still sealed outer door. The outer door was transparent, and it opened out. Hence, I could have pushed it open and ventured outside. I did not have enough strength to do that. I just stood there looking outside.
While I could not see far, I could get a better look at the terrain. Once again, I did not see any movement during this time looking out the door. However, my anxiety prevented me from looking out too long.
Outside my door was a walkway. The cobblestones were roughly rectangular and placed tight together. On either side of the path was a sandy lawn. This fact reinforced the idea of being in the desert. I somewhat expected green grass. I do not know where that expectation came from, but it is what I anticipated.
There was a tree in the yard. For some reason, I think it is an oak. It was a relatively large tree surrounded by a raised bed. The bed was filled with some sort of substance that I suspect to be mulch. The raised bed was flanked by a line of what I would describe as prickly desert shrubs. These plants did not look like they required much water -- or got much.
Past the walkway that led towards the house was a walkway going in both directions. This seemed to indicate that other people could walk to my house. I could not see any other houses, but there were several indications that other houses and people existed. I just have not seen any direct evidence of this.
There was a wider path past the sidewalk. I assume it was for some sort of vehicle. It was much wider, and there was a formidable wall separating it from the walking path. The wall has a slight opening to allow pedestrians to enter the street, and drivers to walk up the path.
Past the road there appeared to be a grove of trees. Some of them were in bloom. They were well trimmed. In my mind, someone had taken great care of these trees. I have not seen anyone yet, but there were clear indications that someone maintained those trees. For that matter, my yard seemed also maintained. Did I do that maintenance before the memory loss?
As a doctor, it seems unlikely that I would have time for that type of thing. It was just another indication that there were others here. Tomorrow I will gather up my courage and venture out of the safety of my house.
I did think I saw something moving in the fields past the grove of trees. I am not sure. It would be the only sign of life that I have, but it could have been just my mind playing tricks on me. I will explore tomorrow.
End of Entry
]]>I remember as a child, when visiting Grandma and Grandpa O'Brien's, there was this old bottle that sat over the mantle piece of their fireplace. It was made of clear glass in the shape of many bottles of supposed medicinal purpose from an earlier part of the 20th century. It was a quarter full of some brownish liquid. It had a cork stopper which prevented the liquid from escaping. The simple paper label on the bottle proclaimed the liquid as "Dr. Harrison's Elixir".
This was an odd item to be found in my grandparent's home. Especially since Grandma O' was a devout teetotaler and alcohol was forbidden in the house. Whenever I asked about it, grandma would mention that it was a reminder to Grandpa O' of his past. Grandpa O' was just as elusive when I queried him. He responded to my questions that it "had changed his life forever".
So, there the story stood for decades, a mysterious bottle sitting on a fireplace's mantle full of unanswered questions. However, I noticed that not once in all those years did the contents of the bottle change. It was always a quarter full.
It was about a year after Grandma O's passing that my grandpa caught me unawares one day by saying, "Jimmy, my boy, do you want to hear the story about that bottle of elixir?"
I of course nodded my head. I was sure the story was not all that great. But the fact of it remaining a tantalizing mystery all these years only added to its aura. I sat down on the couch as grandpa reclined in his chair. He looked up at the bottle and pointed at it as he began speaking.
"There was a time in my life when I was out of control," he said as his eyes took on a glassy look. "I was a slave to anything that would get me drunk."
He glanced over at me and smiled, "Now this was before I met your grandmother. She would not tolerate any drinking as you well know. But over the years in trying to mask my drinking problem I turned to elixirs. It was easy to say I had a scratchy throat or some pain in my shoulder.
"It is well known, that elixirs were just a gimmick to help a man sneak a drink. That bottle there represents my favorite choice, Dr. Harrison's Elixir. It had a nice smooth quality and tasted a bit like cherry brandy. Well, to be truthful it probably was just cherry brandy," Grandpa O' chuckled to himself. "Sometimes I miss that taste, but my love of your grandmother was one of the two reasons why I never went back to drinking."
I was now leaning forward on the couch trying to catch every word that grandpa spoke. He looked over at me again and smiled.
"I will now tell you the second reason why I gave up alcohol. It was back in the forties and I used to stay out late visiting all the bars in town. Now for me to get home to my place outside of town, I had to pass by the cemetery on Rosehill. You know by the old Picken's place, right?"
I nodded my head. The old Picken's place had been this old abandoned mansion on top of Rosehill. It was abandoned even when my grandparents were children and it -- of course -- was said to be haunted. I suppose it didn't help that it was directly across the street from the Rosehill Memorial Cemetery.
"So, I was stumbling home one fall night. The wind was blowing the leaves around my feet and the full moon lit my path down the broken road. I had my coat pulled close to my body to help keep in the heat. I would occasionally take a slug from that bottle to help fortify me against the elements and then I would shove it back into my coat pocket. My sole purpose was to get home and to bed.
"That was when I heard a large crack emanating from the cemetery. I figured it was a tree branch breaking but as I turned I saw this coffin sticking out of the ground. It was standing upwards as if the caretakers left it there leaning against the headstone.
"The wind blew the lid open to reveal that it was in fact empty. I was about to turn and continue my trek home when suddenly the coffin 'hopped' towards me. In surprise, I stumbled backwards and fell on to my rear. What I saw could not be real. I have seen many things in my drunken state including a pink elephant or two but never a hopping casket.
"With a bang, bang, bang the death box hopped towards me. I jumped up to my feet and ran. The box continued to follow with its bang, bang, bang. I unconsciously ran through the old gate leading to the Picken's place. I figured that I would be able to secure myself inside the house. The casket never gave up its pursuit. I would look over my shoulder and see the box hopping after me. Its lid flapping as if the welcome me into its interior.
"Soon I had pushed myself through the old door, its rusty hinges protesting against being open. I quickly shut the door and secured it with the old chain-lock. I could still hear the bang, bang, bang of the casket hopping up the walkway. I looked across the musty and abandoned room for anything to reinforce the door. However, before I could find anything the front door exploded in a cloud of splinters. The coffin was in the doorway, again its lid opened to reveal its empty interior.
"With a scream that would put any of those horror movie girls to shame, I bolted up the old rotted staircase. Occasionally, my foot would break through the steps, but I was moving so fast that I am almost certain I was flying. When I reached the top of the landing I looked down and watched as the death box hopped up the stairs with a bang, bang, bang. It was destroying those steps that remained intact after my ascent.
"I was completely frightened and my mind raced through a cloud of horror and alcohol for a way to escape or stop this supernatural monstrosity. I grabbed the newel post and tossed it at the coffin. It bounced harmlessly off the lid not even leaving a dent on the wooden surface.
"I ran down the hallway and into a large room. I again quickly shut the door. However, there was nothing to secure it. I frantically, looked around the room for anything that I could use to stop the box. However, it continued its hopping with a bang, bang, bang, down the hall towards me. All I found was some rocks on the floor that kids over the years had thrown through the windows. The moonlight filtered in through the broken windows and a quick glance out them revealed a sheer drop of over twenty feet to a stone strewn ground below.
"With another crash the unholy sarcophagus had exploded through the door. In a frantic state I began to throw the rocks at the box as it now slowly slid towards me. The lid creeping open as it relentlessly approached. I retreated back to the window and continued to throw rocks. They only bounced harmlessly off the casket.
"As the box was a mere five feet away I ran out of rocks. I was now faced with the choice of jumping out the window or being consumed by the casket. I unconsciously retrieved the bottle from my coat. The box was now almost upon me. In desperation I threw the bottle at the death box it flew past the lid and landed inside the casket. Suddenly it stopped.
"I must have fainted because when I came to in the morning I was on the floor of the old bedroom. There were rocks all on the opposite side of the room and my bottle of elixir on the floor where the coffin was before I past out. However, there was no sign of that evil death box.
"The first person I ran into when I left the Picken's place was your grandmother coming home from church. I can tell you honestly that I have never let a drop of alcohol past my lips since that night."
I was a little shocked by my grandpa's story. It was too much to believe. He must have noticed the look on my face because he got up from his chair and walked over to the fireplace. He grabbed the bottle of elixir and looked at it for a minute.
"But, how did your bottle stop the coffin from getting you?" I finally asked.
Grandpa tossed the bottle to me and I caught it. "Read the label," he stated.
The label simply said, "Dr. Harrisons' Elixir: a Coff Re-med-die." The words were written phonetically. In finer print below, with a folksy type of grammar, it proclaimed: "Gar-un-teed to stop you a coffin."
]]>Date: Unknown
Greetings to anyone who reads this. I have just awakened from sleep, and I cannot recall anything before that moment. In fact, I do not even remember going to bed. As you can see, I know how to write, but I do not remember learning this skill. I do not know my name, or where I am. I am a proverbial blank slate.
If my memory is erased every night, how would I know? Thus, I am writing this diary of my experiences. If I awake tomorrow without memory, I can refer to my writing here. I will explore my environment with you and note the things that I see.
First off, I have a nice portable electronic device on which I am able to take these notes. Thus, I have some sort of experience with this type of device. I guess that is a plus. There is a date noted on this device, so I will include it in future entries. I will assume that it is correct, because I have no reason to doubt it.
My living space is rather small. It consists of a tiny sleeping chamber which accommodates a bed for a single person. The room is slightly larger than the bed itself, and it contains no windows. With the door closed, the chamber is completely dark. The bed consists of a lying surface and a lid. There are a series of wires and tubes running to it from a receptacle in the wall. I was covered with a blanket when I awoke, and the lid lifted easily. I was not strapped to the bed in any fashion.
There is a separate living area. It is spacious in comparison, but by no means is it massive. There is a crudely constructed small metal table in the center of the main room flanked by two chairs. I find two chairs to be odd. From the appearance of the bedchamber, there does not appear to be room for another person to live here. Thus, why would I need a second chair? In my brief search, I have not discovered anyone else; although, I have not ventured outside my living quarters. Perhaps, I will have a visitor later.
Along one wall are storage places. The cabinets and drawers are built into the wall, and sit on each side of a wash room. I searched through them and they are mostly empty. I did find a few articles of clothing in one of the drawers next to the wash room. Upon this discovery, I washed myself and put on some clothes. These clothes were made of some sort of synthetic fiber. They were soft to the touch. Further, they fit my quite nicely. It appears that they were made for me.
The washroom was quite small. It contained a tiny toilet built into one wall. It would barely accommodate someone sitting upon it. There was a very small sink on the wall across from the door. Behind the door was a very small showering space. The bathroom door doubled as a door for that space.
After washing I continued to explore the storage area. I found another drawer which was not empty. It contained some eating and food-preparation utensils. All of the utensils seemed very crudely formed; however, there were enough eating sets for two. Everything appears to be arranged for two people, but as of yet, I have not seen another individual. I am becoming hopeful that someone will show up soon.
On the opposite side of the storage area, is the kitchen space. Directly across from the wash room sits a small counter with a sink in the center. On one side, there is a cooling device. Currently, this device is empty. I wonder what its use is if there is no need for food to be chilled and stored. It does have a dispenser of cool water and ice if desired. I went back to the cabinet with the eating utensils and found two glasses. I filled one of them and placed it upon the table.
On the other side of the sink is some sort of cooking device. It has two burners on top and warming cabinet beneath. Above this stove hang a few crudely formed metal pots and pans. Obviously, these would be used to prepare meals. With the refrigerator empty, I looked for something to eat.
I found some sort of freeze-dried food in the cupboards. I was capable of reading the instructions on their packages, so that is what I prepared. The instructions were simple and I could follow them without difficulty. The meal itself was not noteworthy.
At the top of the wall, is a glass ceiling. This lets in the daytime light and allows me to see out. In my opinion, the sky seems odd. It seems a little more purple than I remember. However, I do not know why I think that. It could just be my brain playing tricks.
There are lights that line the walls when the sun goes down. Thus, I do not have to rely solely on the sun for my light. I tested the fixtures, and they do work. Hence, my home is equipped with functioning electricity. How and why I know this is a mystery. I find this entire situation interesting.
In my state, I dare not venture outside my house. There could be untold dangers outside my front door. I am going to wait to see if my memory is wiped out the next day. If I retain my memories, I may open my door. I am not sure if the outside environment is suitable. It appears that my home is sealed against the elements. If my memory is gone, then I will know I am not alone. Someone or something is removing my memories, and I will investigate why. For now, all I can do is wait.
End Entry.
]]>Alias Daniel Wesson was now on Earth, but he did not know what to do next. He did not know anyone. He was alone in a strange place. He only had his pack of vials which were filled with water. He had no identity. He had nothing. On the other hand, it was not like this was an unusual circumstance for him. He ended up on The Rock because of his actions to get money. Once again, he would fall on his old ways.
Daniel crawled out of his pod. It was more difficult than he thought. He was used to micro-gravity, and he could not just pull himself out. He had to struggle against the Earth's gravity.
The treatments continued to make him feel odd. His brain felt a little scrambled. Further, with every movement he had to wrestle with this strange thing called gravity. It all felt very strange. After crawling out of the pod, he had to rest. He wanted to attempt to stand, but it was going to take quite an effort. His muscles felt strong enough for the task, but he simply was not used to using them.
After a short rest, he pushed himself up to attempt to stand. He realized that so many things he would have to relearn. He thought about the last time he stood or walked or any of it. It had been over 20 years. He was simply not used to making his muscles push against Earth's gravity. They just would not work like he wanted.
With the help of his pod, he finally stood. He felt a great triumph, but he fell as he attempted his first step. He used the pod to get him up again. He held onto it as he attempted to hark back when he used to walk and run and wander around on Earth. He could not remember how it was done. It had been a long time. He told himself that it would be just like riding a bicycle. He could not remember what that was like either.
He took another tentative step while holding onto his pod. His arms were used to holding onto things. Further, they were strong enough now to fight against gravity. Thus, he managed to take a couple of steps while grasping the pod. He decided not to celebrate until he could walk comfortably.
Walking started to come back to him. His muscles responded naturally, and he began walking independently of the pod. His head began to clear. He hoped that it was a good sign. He did not need to have his muscles revert to their micro-gravity state. That would be bad.
For several minutes he did not stray far from the pod. He wanted to be sure he could get up without it should he fall. He practiced simple actions. He sat on the ground. He stood up without the pod. He jumped. He ran in place. He did all of the activities he could think of. Once he was done, he did them all again.
He wondered what the people would think if they saw him doing these things. Then he thought it must be common here. He would not be the only one coming back from space who needed to get used to gravity again. Then he realized what he was wearing. The simple lightweight smock did not conceal much.
He looked in his pack and found that his space suit was not among his effects. Instead, there was a pair of pants and a shirt.
Damn! he thought. That suit was very hard to come by.
He realized that the clothes provided would be much more useful on Earth. Further, he had no intentions of returning to space. Thus, he finally welcomed the switch, but he did not feel it was an equitable switch. Then he noticed a credit voucher in the bag. He had money! Now, he smiled broadly at the exchange.
The next order of business was to put the clothes on. Getting dressed was another adventure he did not anticipate. Nonetheless, he finally was dressed in Earth-like clothes. He was ready to face Earth.
Daniel did his list of actions in his clothes. He felt ready to go, so he jogged away from the pod. However, he was struck by some anxiety and raced back. He chastised himself for treating the pod like a security blanket. He would need to free himself from its siren call. When he felt comfortable again, he decided to walk away from the pod slowly and to not look back. Before he knew it, he found himself in the center of New Vegas.
He wandered around the city looking for opportunities. However, the citizens were very guarded. They clearly did not trust strangers. Further, he could tell those that were not afraid of him were looking at him as a mark. The city had changed a lot in the years he had been in space. So, he continued to wander around.
Eventually, he found himself at a little diner. He was hungry. He talked to the waiter, and heard that Zephenia Smith was the richest man in town. He confirmed that with a few others. Therefore, he decided to make Zephenia Smith his target. With enough money, he could lose himself somewhere a long distance from the space elevator.
It was dusk when he found himself at the store. He laughed when he read the sign Protected by Smith and Wesson. He chuckled as the Wesson name he had chosen was from that very firearm manufacturer.
No gun would help Mr. Smith, he thought.
The store was still open, but it would be closing soon. Daniel walked in confidently. He closed the door and began pulling down the security gates.
"What are you doing?" asked Zephenia.
"I am helping you close up," Daniel replied.
"Why?" asked Zephenia with a quizzical look on his face.
"Oh that?" answered the escaped convict. "Well you see this is a robbery!"
"What?"
"Oh yes, I am going to take your money from you."
"Smith! Wesson!" shouted Zephenia.
Daniel heard some dogs barking. He thought to himself that Smith and Wesson must be dogs.
"Ha ha!" Daniel laughed. "Your dogs won't help you!"
"Dogs?" inquired Zeph.
Just then, two robots shot out from nowhere and grabbed Daniel. He tried to struggle against their grip but was unable to free himself.
"Let me go!" he shouted. "If you don't you'll be sorry!"
"I will? Hmmmm." Zeph responded. "I really do not think that is true."
"I have connections! I can get things done!"
"Once again, I doubt that to be true. If you had connections, you would not be wearing such shabby hotel clothes."
"I..." Daniel began but could not think of anything further to say.
The police arrived. They took a blood sample from Daniel. They were astonished that his identity was not in their records. After some checking, they found out he was 235218. A prisoner who was presumed dead. He was returned to his cell.
That is the story of the only person to successfully escape from The Rock.
The End