From Day Dreams of a Spaced Out old Man comes

[Deleted54170User]

If you were to look at the cabin from the outside it's logs all jointed correctly with a small door and wooden shutter halves closed both covering a three by two foot window, a little stone chimney sticking up a few feet from the peak in the wooden shingles on the roof with a trap door on the roof in case of a severe snow storm. A pile of split wood stacked neatly six rows high, next to the back door. A metal ash dump flap outside on the wall at the base of the fire place. In all it looks quite rustic and old fashion. Just a log cabin in the woods with a little dirt and stone walking path to the road and another path to an old wooden outhouse.

 

On the inside.

 

Picture windows camera on!

 

Enlarge thermometer readout!

 

Chimney 360 camera on!

 

Set car ramp and walk path heaters on! Monitor them on low melt heat!

 

Garage camera on! Show electric car's panel! Run diagnostics! Update check up!

 

I'll have eggs over easy, two slices of bacon, two slices of toast, and orange juice.

 

Be careful Doc. The table is extending from the wall. Setting breakfast plate, placing fork, knife, spoon on napkin, coffee saucer, toast plate, butter dish, small tumbler of orange juice... Would you like a bowl of granola cereal today?

 

Yes! Thanks. Table is ready, Doc.

 

Your coffee. Doc.

 

A robo-arm extends from the kitchen counter holding out the cup filled with 105 degree F. coffee toward him.

 

Thanks Sophie.

 

 

You might be wondering where the cabin is getting all the electricity to keep everything working. Look outside at the woods. There in the morning light you can see sparkly dew drops on the leafs covering the trees. I like the big one with a tree house in it. It's branches extend out fifty feet from the trunk. Wind moves the branches, leafs waving in the wind.

The branches gyration transmit electricity to the storage beneath the roof as the leaf on each branch collects the sun light. A gentle hydroponic pumping stations in the well gathers more from the rise and fall of the water in the well. The tree house?! You thought it might be the storage area for the electricity. Or maybe for children. Nope. I like the tree house just for what it is. A place to do my day dreaming excellent for crafts and a music section too.

The tree and tree house is modeled after the Swiss Family Robinson's little home, only with all the modern amenities.

[Deleted54170User]

Ah! Readers.

My cognitive ability seems powered up to write and conjure a visage to see what Dr. Basque is up to. It seems like I am day dreaming too much. Hunger is barely getting noticed. I sense the times when my day dreams seemed just so too. So fun! And then from outside the realm through the trees, vines, and clouds above a voice calls out.

Time for lunch! Put your toys away and come and eat!

I'll be back at play. As soon as I find a way to escape the cooks clutches. It could be a trick. She might be planning to catch me so she can add me to the menu.

The cooks really my Mom. But don't tell anyone!

[Deleted54170User]

Chapter 26

Dressed, groomed, fed, and readied for the new job Dr. Basque looked at the mirror. Smiled. Teacher! He turned away from the mirror. Walked to a circular carpet next to the coat rack.

One by one he collected his outdoor weather gear. Coat, neck scarf, gloves. The folder with his knew job information seemed to call to him. He picked up the new job assignment folder. The weather outside was cool for the first week of January. Decembers chill brewed colder weather, although January seemed cold outside up in the mountain area it was warmer in the nearby city in the plains not far from his cabin. As he stepped away from the coat, hat, and glove stand he raised his right arm and with his hand he patted his heart, "All set".

The circular pad he was standing on slowly descended.

When it stopped it was twelve feet under the cabins floor and he was inside a clear glass like tube. The round tube turned to allow him exit. He added the tube in the elevator beneath the floor provide a bit of security in case wild life found a way into the area. He stepped into the hall leading to the underground garage. Twenty feet ahead was a customized sliding shield door to it. His favorite sound occurred as it opened for him.

The car door on the control panel side of the car opened to accept him. Turning himself sideways he slide in, down onto the warmed seat. The car's HUD with window facade cameras lit up the interior. The ramp lift rose putting the vehicle on the exit pad next to the paved ramp on a short bit of paved fenced road leading to the main freeway. The guard rail fence swung off to the right opening the path for the car to exit the port.

The car checked traffic, the onboard camera he could see outside from showed no traffic. The car set time for arrival, on the mapped out screenie, engaged the drive, and crept out on the freeway. The silver gray metal dart reached 100 mph in 3.7 seconds. At full speed the vehicle would travel twenty miles in two minutes and forty nine seconds. Using wings for the roads curves and adjustable airfoils to keep on the ground he would arrive at the office garage in four minutes nine seconds.

The drive to the city gave his car no trouble. The crisp cool air found no seams to enter to disturb the seventy degree F. inside the quiet interior. No snow on the freeway was anywhere to add worry the cars thin layer of material on the body providing it with sensory perception.

On the way up to the mountain where his new job at the company would begin today, he suddenly realized he had never explored the building. All the vacation senses still tempted his curiosity. Just a bit more adventure.

After the vacation time hiking the mountain trails of Glacier National Park he was still mentally prepped. Exploring being part of his past experience at the company it occurred to him, that until he plopped down in his new office chair he was still an explorer. He compared the building where he works to the ancient tunnel he hiked through. A man made tunnel people dug. They bored through the mountain near the top.

The comparison he made strenghtened his desire. The new job in the building with rooms in mysterious hallways. Hallways: manmade tunnels.

Doc. Prepare to exit the vehicle.

Thanks Sophie.

The car door opened. He looked out. The seat raised and turned him toward the door. Hallways with doors he had never opened. The soles of his shoes on the floor the auto seat lower enough to allow him to lean forward and straighten up.

As he walked toward the elevator another spark of curiosity occurred. HIs eylids widdened as his imagination started plotting his next course.

As his childlike imagination sparked the magic and worked he stepped up to the carport elevator door.

The elevator doors opening with their slight hiss added more excitment. Snakes. Had he tried to pick that old rusty lock he might have found an aged room filled with many wonders. Probably no snakes though.

Inside the elevator he knew he truly wanted to open up that door in Ptarmigan Tunnel and see what was behind it.

Inside the elevator everything seemed frightfully still. It reminded hiim of his first daring step he took into an unknown cave entrance. He looked at the panel with buttons. Key slots for different purposes. One by one he pressed the buttons so at each floor he could at least peek out into the mysterious tunnels in the building. As a confident explorer he felt no prior fear to spoil his reality. Even though, it was his mind at play, and no harm could come from his plan. He knew he might find existing gems that might delight him. Almost like a treasure. Trouble may be awaiting too. But Trouble was his middle name.

He pressed 1, skipped the lobby button and the second floor, 3, 4, all the way up to 9. The key slots reminded him of a padlock he saw.

Ptarmigan Tunnel was painted on the sign at the entrance to the trail. He calculated the time it would take the old fashion way. Reading the map. It took him four hours to get to the base of the path of the mountain. The path at the base of the mountain zig-zagged up to the entrance. Half way through the tunnel he saw a steel door that was locked with a huge padlock. He remembered how strange that padlock seemed. It looked like it was from some ancient time when the wizards used metal to make armor, spears, and swords. It was huge!

It was nothing like the video game locks he had ever seen. No lock pick, bobby pin and screw driver, would unlock that Titanic sized lock. The slot reminded him of one of those skeleton key's hole. Nothing like the elevator key slots that were just as tempting at the moment. Employees, Emergency fire dept., service floor, basement. All locking him out. No way to open them without several tools. They were just as daunting as that big lock.

Too big for those bolt cutters they use in movies. Maybe a welding torch could have handled that old padlock?

It was such a strange padlock he deduced that old fashion locks like it weren't in existence anymore. Which increased his desire to become more familiar with it and see what wondrous things might be on the other side of the thick steel door. Machines? Tools for digging? Lumber or mortar mix for stone masons? Furnishings? For; maybe, a lodge that was never built? The panel in the elevator seemed to glow warmly because of his day dreaming.

[Deleted54170User]

Chapter 27

As the car garage elevator doors closed he thought; Maybe he was glowing, because of the adventurous delight luminating the inside of the elevator from his brain? The lift rose. The lobby light blinked on and then off.

The number 1 glowed.

Ding! First floor.

The halves of the door opened. The people he saw had on uniforms that reeked with the cleaning fumes smell of the lot who work in maintenance. Pressing the close door button the elevator continued. 2 lit and turned off as his old floor passed by.

The number 3 appeared.

Doors split open.

He saw a few people walking out of doors, some walked along around in the hall. Regular clothes hinted that they were not restricted to any scientific research that he might find being there could get him in trouble. He stepped forward to exit the elevator. Paused to reflect on his childlike action and fought down his adult present sense of professional authority.

The old familiar adult inhibition entered his thought detouring his plan as he leaned forward to plant his foot outside the door. He felt the tug on his mind. That feeling that the vacation is over followed and blocked his progress. Feeling his boyish desire again for adventure, fading, failing him for that moment of brief curiosity. He leaned back into the elevator.

He boldly announced; One more time. That's all. Last time I'll ever feel like doing it. The struggle with his spirit adult to child turned him off. A spark of devilish childish pleasure stroked his adult inhibition. He stepped out.

He whispered. Just going to have a look around.

No one paid him any attention. Not even a look or friendly hello. A few peeks into different rooms merited his curiosity discovery with boring office spaces. While reasoning with another opened door he was looking in suddenly got an urge to run back to the elevator. He looked back toward the elevator to see how far he would have to sprint in case of an alarm. The elevator door suddenly shocked his attention.

The hall seemed longer then his old work floor. Compared to it the length of the building outside, from where he was seeing it, this hall was strange. He looked about and then realized the floor had a very slight slant to it. He turned around to look back again and saw the elevator door was only visible about three quarters of the top down to where the floor arched making it seem to have sunk into the floor.

He ventured on another twenty feet and turned to look and only half of the door was visible to the top.

His little adventure became more exciting. He thought to himself; There be mysteries ahead.

After a few more yards he looked back and another mystery. The hall had another twist. The illusion that occurred caused the hall to the elevator to disappear. The discovery that the hall turned left inch by inch so he could no longer see back to the elevator gave him reason to ponder his next move. Turn back or go on?

He decided it was time to turn back. He took a few more steps to get a peek further along the way. A counter stuck out in front of him to his left. Suddenly a man stood up from behind the counter. Holding up his right hand he aimed something at Dr. Basque.

[Deleted54170User]

Chapter 28

The guard held up his right hand with a scanner and asked for his identity card.

Dr Basque looked at the folder for his new job, as a teacher in his left hand. He lifted it up and then realized it was probably not what the man wanted.

In his excitement he blurted out. I just got promoted!

The guard looked at him. Gave his folder a glance. He made the doctor feel a little nervous adding more to his boyish adventurous excitement.

The guard looked him in the eye. Good then. You'll be needing a new ID badge. He pointed at a sign. Look at the little camera. Expression? Maybe a smile? Steady! Ok! Got it! What's your name?

Dr. Basque turned to look back at him. Doctor Darius Angelo Vincent Edur Basque.

The guard blushed. That's a lot of names. What do people call you?

Doctor Basque! My friends call me Dave.

How about if I just put Dr. David Basque? There's not enough room on the card for all those titles.

No! He blurted out very bluntly. Dr. Basque started to explain why he has so many titles. Stopped talking. Began again. He gave his new encounter a once over and said. Dr. D. A. V. E. Basque would be fine.

The guard heard him say the periods after each declaration of a capital letter. I get it! Do you really want all that?

Yes! Remember to capitalize the letters with a period following so we don't get me confused with anyone whose name is Dave or David. Ok?

Got it! The guard entered the letters. Carefully capitalized and put a period after each letter. When the card appeared on the side of the machine the guard lifted it up so Dr. Basque could check it. After he nodded in agreement the guard put it down and had another machine laminate it. Lifted it out of the gadget, that also added a metal clip for his pocket. Then put it on Dr. Basque with a look on his face like a proud partner giving him a badge of honor. The guard began to turn his head to look back at his monitor.

Thanks! What is your name?

The guard returned his gaze back to the doctor. Blushing. Quickly regaining his composure. Folks call me, Mike. Mike O'Malley. Welcome to the Temporal Terminal Department.

While Mike talked the computer screen continued to post information about Doctor Basque. He missed the information about Dr. Basque's assignment status as the information scrolled down until the machine set up the list of all the names of people on the floor.

After replying to the kind Doctor for asking the third floor residents names were all Mike saw when he returned his gaze to view the monitor. He flipped it back to the main menu. He gave Dr Basque a grin. Pointed to the left down the hall. Have a good day Dave.

Doctor Basque smiled. Thanks! You too Mike. His feet twisted and made him fumble and almost stumble. He reminded himself that people like him often appeared uncoordinated. He turned strutted down the hall.

Underneath his startled grim look he was smiling to himself as his childlike spell of adventure received another spirited boost.

Walking along he spoke quietly to the anxious small boy he used to be. I wonder what they do here; in the Temporal Terminal Department?

[Deleted54170User]

Chapter 29.

Dr. Basque took a couple of deep breaths to regain his calm adventurous composure. He stood up straight and walked with a look of authority until he was out of Mike's sight. His familiar swaggering returned as he continued along looking in on all the doors. Any who asked what he was doing he told he had just been given a new assignment and was on his way to his office.

He started to get a sense about the 3rd floor layout. A long curved hall that spiraled downward. After two coils a two way split ended his descent. Looking at the signs he chose to walk around to the right.

He thought he likely would find he walked around the hall to a point where it might go back to the point of origin. A little more hiking and he found that the hall surrounded a cylindrical room. A door appeared in front of him so he could not go any further.

A light scanned him. A clicking sound occurred. The door opened. He stepped through into the space. With two more doors. One three or four steps to the left and the other door ten feet ahead. He turned to his left and saw the entrance to the room. After a moment of study he concluded the other door in the three way doors space must open to the hall and go around back to where he first saw the two way hall split. He could hardly fathom why he thought that would be though.

Hey! You! Dave?!

Dr. Basque's heart lept.

His adventurous composure slipped away. Who? Whose there?!

Dave! It is you! GREAT! Dave, there's a large pen on a table near you. Get it for me! A tiny flap on the wall in front of him opened offering a drop box inside it. When you get it drop it into the delivery slot. When you see... I mean when I see you, I can explain. Get it! Then we can talk.

The person's voice sounded familiar. He looked around and saw a rod. Didn't look much like a writing pen. He looked around some more.

Have you found it yet?

There's a rod here, No pen though.

That's it. It's not for writing.

Yeah! I found it. He picked it up. What's it for?

It's my key for getting around.

Oh! He walked over to the flap on the deliver box and dropped it in.

The metal flap closed.

YES! Thank you. Come around to the door to the right. I'll meet you there.

He walked up to it. Stopped. The door opened. A man stood inside holding the rod. He pressed one end. A sound came out of it.

It is you?! I wasn't absolutely sure. Come on in Dave.

You keep calling me Dave. It seems odd, but you say it like it's my actual first name, not like anyone else that I know.

Dr. Basque noted the floor inside was carpeted. Two chairs with soft cushion seats and padded arms. A desk made out of wood. A lamp on it had a long thin curved neck to a dome hanging down. The rooms light was bright enough to see the panel walls were wood. He found himself wondering about some of the places his Merm trips took him. The room seemed familiar to others, which in the past were all wood. The desk chair behind it was thin material. Trimmed metallic edging around the crescent shaped back support. A couch whose style he had never seen outside of pictures stood on four sturdy wooden hand carved legs. It was a cushioned flat bed with one end rising up like a place to lay your head.

As soon as he stepped all the way inside the man waved the pen and the door closed behind them. The slender six foot tall blonde haired with an oval face, square jaw, with almost pure white skin in silver and orange suit of clothes turned to face him. A young man. He reached out with his left hand and placed it on Dr. Basque's right shoulder. Turned to face him. Dr. Basque muscles tensed since it had been a long time since anyone entered his personal space and gotten so close to him. Their feet were separated only by a foot between the toes of their shoes.

Noting the tension in Dr. Basque's shoulder the young man immediately looked Dr. Basque straight in the eye. I know don't you know me now, because I am a bit different now from the last time you saw me. Let me explain.

Your voice... Your voice sounds strangely familiar.

Yes! Yes. I know. Take a seat! I'll clear things up for you.

[Deleted54170User]

Chapter 30

While we were doing the experiments on the mind virtual life I realized what the worst was that could happen if you awakened and nothing was familiar. I mean; nothing. People from our time needed to be with us when we awakened.

With the new cryo containers we built I realized I had to modify one so it would start an automatic release. Testing it on myself. Reviving me to the fittest health as possible too. I tested the special tech. Until I knew absolutely it would work so all my fears were removed I wasn't putting myself into cryo. I began ill.

The people who were in charge the last time were becoming less skilled at their jobs. Because of the decaying mental state of my fellow workers I feared I wasn't going to make it through another rejuvenation.

I had to depend on the new people who replaced the staff members who still refused to use the CNB: Cryo Nap Bed. The new people who took over the laboratory, because of the obvious fact, that, they might not be learned enough to revive me safely had to be trained with a bit of old fashion psychology.

After several reverse psychology tricks many attuned to the superior mental state I needed. But no. Oh. No! I still wasn't taking any chances. I was going to redo all of the cryo containers with the new medical auto doctors for people with curable and repairable bodies.

I realized it was only going to work with our latest new machine. I proved my plans worked. The other doctors and I planned to move everyone out of their old containers into the new models. But! While we were moving along a serious problem occurred.

Dr. Basque blurted. War broke out.

Yes. You actually were on liberty at that time. I had one chamber working successfully with the automatic thaw and a new automatic doctor. I fondly named, "Dr. Dave". While deep down here in our vault war stalled our work.

Several doctors moved into CNB; trusting I would recover. Then, restore them, so we could continue.

The one thing that was becoming really apparent was that as we aging scientists evolved; more and more people could not achieve our mental quality of laboratory skills. Especially the skills needed to understand how to preserve and protect us. Part of the reason for the decay in institutions finding people who were the kind we needed had become dependent on things called video games. Truth be known they were plugged in giving us data we needed to perfect the latest invention. CCL: Conscious Cryo Life. Virtual lives. Time was changing everyone.

TTD...

What?!

Temporal Terminal Department. That's where you're going with this.

Yes! Of course. You're correct Dave. May I continue?

Yes. Dr. Basque smiled. I believe I've got all the time in this virtual world you need.

[Deleted54170User]

Wow! My house is getting so smart.

The new washing system that talks, the new refrigerator that tells us when we need to restock stuff, it also can call the store to have food delivered.

Then there's the new bathroom.

I mean I never thought the day would come a household product would be so helpful.

I got up to leave and it told me; you missed a spot. Before I could leave it bidet it out of me.

[Deleted54170User]

I was inspired. Now I'm feeling warm and cozy. When the thoughts in my creativity zone get fired up the propeller on my thinking cap starts moving.

[Deleted54170User]

Chapter 31.

Dr. Basque realized he didn't have a real job to be concern about. He looked at the virtual image of the man while he was pausing. Suddenly memories that were occasions he recalled crossed his mind and faded quickly. He remembered being told that when we die our life flashes before us. Memories of another time appeared and disappeared quickly. Worrying he was dying and that was what the other man was going on about he took a deep breath as another mental image passed he struggled to regain his focus. He remembered a memory skill he had learned. He tried hard to recall what the man's face looked like. As it began to take form, and when it did, he held it in focus. He thought of that man like he was a vital point of importance to associate to. When he imagined he had him right where he wanted him his eyes saw a shadow of the form of a man. He cleared his mind staring at the image. Squeezing with his finger on his right hand.

Immediately after he completed the act he realized he remembered that training, so clearly, and a couple of questions occurred to him. His eyes cleared. He saw the mans face, he heard the words from his mind fill the room. Sir. What about my real life memories? Do I still have any?

The man's face appeared with a look of shock on it.

Darius beheld what he might have seen if he had actually done what he thought to do, to get his focus back on the man in front of him.

The man seemed to have been aware of what Darius did. The questions Darius asked appeared to have been like bullets fired at a target.

The man's eyelids widened. The images of Darius's present view blurred like a movie suddenly speeding up. When focus returned the man had regained his comfortable composure.

Yes. Dave... Yes, I imagined you might wonder about that. I want to get through what's important for you to understand out on the table first. I'll get to your questions when I've finished.

Dr Basque stared at his eyes trying to detect any signs of discomfort. One more question... How do I know you won't just shut me off?

Ahem! Dave. That is your real name. Remember that; for the moment. You're still a part of this program. Two reasons. One very important reason is you've been invaluable to the program. Another reason I found out is the second reason. I found out there wasn't anything wrong with you upstairs. I think you already may suspect. I found out that you were set up to get you out of the way of an important person's plan. With the technique we learned with the Merm TTD I found out you were never a threat to his plan.

The man paused.

Dave let the information sink in. Dave's mind swam through memories again. He felt suspicious. No danger. Then a tinge of fear he might be dying. His eyes cleared. Was I just having death flashes.

No! Dave. You have good reason to be suspicious. I assure you though, you're in good hands. You are just experiencing emotional flight at the moment. May I continue?

Dave thought to rub his burning eyes. They suddenly became moist and cool.

Do your eyes feel better?

What?! Frightened by the realization the man knew his eyes were hot he closed his eyelids. Yeah. They do.

While I am bringing you up to speed you'll feel other sensations return to your body. Listen to my voice. Everything is just fine.

Am I being thawed?

No! You are in a modern system. You weren't frozen like before. It's more like a warm bed... You'll be able to see for yourself in a short time. We're almost there.