(Story One)

This story is based on a dream I had in a 3 hour car trip to Murfreesboro. It didn't make any sense at the time, but I felt I had to make it into a story. So, hopefully, I've done a good job of that. If not, tell me, please! The original version of this s

They woke me up yesterday. A routine thing, of course, but as it was my first waking, it was a novelty. The stasis clerks gave me the clothes I had worn when I came in, along with a newspaper. Had it really been 15 years?

I was the greatest scientist of the age (but of course, too noble to brag about it), and the only man to solve humanity's greatest puzzle: the Cube of Heracles. Discovered by the Greeks, the Cube was said to hold the answer to all humanity's questions. For two millenia, the mystery of the Cube remained unsolved. And It was I who unlocked it's secrets...

They led me through the Institute. People turned and stared, but this was a generation that had grown up with the thought of me as a celebrity, who had seen me in history books and news programs. I tried not to notice their stares. After I decided I couldn't I decided not to get a big head about it.

"Is it really him?"
"Yeah, the Cube of Heracles..."
"Humanity's greatest mind..."

I began to wonder how much of the mysteries had been deciphered. I only found the key to read it; and 15 years is a long time...

Of course, they all recognized me. The stasis chamber is humanity's... second greatest accomplishment, after my work on the Cube, of course. You enter, and sleep for a period of time, although it isn't exactly sleep, as all your body processes stop. Those chosen for sleep are among the best and brightest mankind has to offer. Humanity's greatest would enter and rest, skipping across years without aging a moment. Sleep is the key to immortality. And they let me sleep for 15 years...

We stopped at a door, which a tall man opened. He had inordinantly short hair, but I guess fashion changes in a decade and a half...

The room was filled with students, in the traditional uniform of the Institute. They sat at a table which went around the wall of the room, leaving room for a podium in the middle, which "Tall" escorted me to. He removed a microphone from it's supporting clip and began to speak. I assume he was introducing me, but honestly, I wasn't paying attention. I was looking at the students, staring at me.

He handed me the microphone, and the students applauded. Not wasting time, I started explaining my breakthrough.

Tall interrupted me and asked me to look at the terminal. The characters were... Cryllic? I was speaking in one of the many foreign language classes in the Institute, apparently. No large matter, even though I didn't speak the language I could use the keyboard.

I opened the drawer and, using the touchpad, opened the translator program. Looking at the keyboard... the keys weren't marked! Just blank buttons...

Trying to remember, I attempted to type my lesson. I started missing keys, getting more and more flustered. The student's eyes bore into the back of my neck, and I started getting worse and worse. Feebly, I explained that the keyboard was malfunctioning.

The normal instructor, an old lady in a vaguely yellow dress, got up from a spare desk around the table and offered me her terminal. I accepted, quickly moving to her computer, stalling for time.

I didn't do any better with her keyboard. I tried to continue as if nothing was happening. The sweat ran down my hands, making my fingers slip on the keys...

Tall then appeared next to me, holding a pair of handcuffs...
****

I sat in an interrogation room, tapping my fingers on the steel table in the room. Tall approached through the only door, a cup of coffee in his hand, a military uniform on.

"You almost got away with it. Right after you came out with your theory, we all wondered how a nobody at the Institute solved the puzzle that has been unsolved by the best minds humanity had in over two millenia. Naturally, we were suspicious. We didn't accept your "It-came-to-me-in-a-dream" theory; it was just too unlikely. You do own a firearm, don't you, a Walther? Don't bother answering, we already found it at your house..."

I interrupted, choking out a feeble, "So this was all a setup..."

Which didn't even phase the big man. "We planned it out, see? For you to even be a scientist means you have experience with computers. Most can type over 90 words a minute, barely missing a keystroke. You, on the other hand, stumbled with simple words and could barely make 30. Your stumbling was enough of an indicator for us to arrest you. But you should be careful who's identity you steal. You were a janitor in the Institute, you killed a prominent scientist and stole his breakthrough, submitting it as your own. Unfortunantly, he was Russian, so you had to read the report and understand it to even fool us for a second. The auto-translator you accessed earlier...
"We were able to recover the original files, see the original Russian. But we still weren't sure... hence the final piece of the puzzle. If you could have read the Cryllic characters, you would have known that you were giving a speech on sex-ed."

He got up and tried to leave. I wouldn't let him go that easy. I shrieked, "At least I got Sleep for 15 years!! That's better than you'll ever do!!!"

He just smiled as he replied, "Oh, that was a set-up, too. You took a three hour nap. But if you think 15 years is a long time, I'll arrange with the courts to have you sleep forever."

Author's Note

The first story I wrote... I know it has a small problem with "realistic plot", but it was based on a dream I had, so... it's not exactly supposed to be compeltely realistic. Some of the stylistic excesses bother me a little bit, like exaggerating the guy's pride. But... it was a pretty decent start :P