F
U T U R E B A R R I E R
( The
3rd Novel )
Secret Technology,
Unrequited Love, Absolute Vengeance
© July 2018 Written by David Wicker
Please do
not reprint without permission
CHAPTER 61 -
"We Are Not Amusing"
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This chapter is Rated: TEEN
Murphy looked at this seemingly gentle giant who waited for a reply.
He spoke carefully, "No. No, I'm afraid not. We do not understand, well, anything really. Let's start with - why you are here, Mr. Hum ?"
"About that lemonade ?" Hum asked.
"Lemonade !?" Murphy said in a slightly disgusted tone.
"Fresh lemonade, to be precise. Real lemons. Lots of sugar, lots of ice. In a tall glass. Oh, and one of those fancy paper umbrellas on the top if you have one. I do collect them as a hobby."
Murphy shook his head, determined a moth had climbed in there and was rattling his brain. Finally he shook himself from the reverie and spoke to Learby nearby, "Can you handle the - ah - refreshments ?"
Learby nodded. He went to a control panel and spoke, "Kitchen ?"
"Kitchen here. Mr. Learby ? Yessir ! What can I get for you sir ?"
"Send someone down to Transport EK-483 with a tall glass of lemonade. Made from real lemons, lots of sugar, lots of ice, and fabricate one of those old time paper umbrellas to put on the top, you know the ones I'm referring to ?"
"Yessir. Is this for you ?"
"No, we have a - guest - here, special request. Make it happen."
"Yessir, I'll need just a few minutes." with that the voice clicked out.
Learby then took over the conversation. "Okay, your - refreshment - is on the way. Now tell me, why are you here ?"
"The lemonade first." Hum insisted. Hum looked around for a moment to see where he was and seeing that he was quite a bit taller than the average human, sat down between two transport pads.
Learby motioned Murphy over. He then whispered in his ear. "You think he's human ?"
Murphy whispered back, "We can run a test while he's here. I doubt he'll notice."
Learby nodded, "Okay, go do it."
Learby then looked at Mr. Hum whose face was still white as ash. He sat next to him and spoke absently, "Lovely weather we're having here."
Strangely, Hum replied to this random sentence, "Yes. It's not quite as warm as it was yesterday." He looked up to the cold steel ceiling, "We could sure use a good rain though."
Learby blinked his eyes in disbelief. Was it possible that Hum was a robot ?
Murphy was feeding codes into the computer on the wall to scan Hum. He was just about ready.
Learby, curious to see how far random patter would go added, "Did you see it the other night ? How about them Dodgers ?"
To which Hum bizarrely replied, "Yes. They seem to be a good team. I think they have a chance of winning it all if they'll only work together."
A quick almost unnoticeable violet light shone over Hum's head, readings appeared, and Murphy motioned for Learby.
"If you'll excuse me ?" Learby said politely.
"But of course." Hum said equally polite.
Learby went back to Murphy, "What do you have ?"
"Nothing." Murphy said in a solemn tone.
"What do you mean, nothing ? Is the scanner damaged ? What do you mean ?"
"I mean nothing. Look." and he pointed to the screen. "It's showing you and me - but no-one else is here. No energy, no feedback, nothing is coming back from where he is sitting. To the computer, he doesn't exist."
Learby scratched his chin for a second, "That's useful."
Murphy inquired, "How so ?"
Learby smiled, "It means I doubt he could really hurt us then. He apparently is nothing more than a 3-dimensional hologram. A probe, if you will. And not a very bright one. He looked up to the ceiling telling me how nice it would be if it rained."
Murphy grinned, "We could make it rain for him, you know ? Set off the sprinklers."
Learby frowned, "Be serious, Murphy. If we don't handle this correctly, we COULD be invaded by something that WOULD register on our scans. Something wicked and dangerous and something we won't be able to fight against. We have to play this very cagily."
Murphy nodded, "I'll stay here at the controls and record how he handles the lemonade."
Learby started to return back to Hum, "Good idea."
As he did so, a courier had arrived and on a copper tray was indeed a nice looking glass of lemonade, the water clouded by the crushed ice and a small paper umbrella on the top in a splash of pastel colors.
"Lovely." Hum said, standing, and towering over the courier (who looked rather pale himself in fear), handed the tall man the drink.
Hum lifted the diminutive umbrella, pocketed it, and took a deep drink. And that's all it took. He slaked the whole glass in one gulp.
"Ahhh !" he gasped in delight. "That was delicious - I feel much better. Thank you so much." and returned the empty glass to the Courier.
The courier was still feeling shaky with fear but accepted it, "You're welcome, um ... sir."
* * *
Learby behind him flagged him to leave, which he did.
"Now, Mr. Hum -" Learby began.
"Now indeed." Hum said interrupting him. "Let's get down to why I'm here, shall we, hmm ?"
Continuing to stand he spoke, "I am an emissary of an organization that deals with time travel. But we do not make use of the ability ourselves. No, we have taken it upon ourselves to prevent time travel by anyone as it invariably causes ripples that disrupt all flow of time on all levels. And we're tired of cleaning up after every 'successful' experiment."
He turned his wide gray eyes to Murphy. "I sense in you what we all feel. That time travel should not be done. It is dangerous and always will be. I have no business nor quarrel with you."
He then turned his gaze to Learby. "From you, however, I sense that time travel should be available. That it can be used to give you the upper hand, military, strategic, or otherwise. Well dear sir, I am here to make corrections."
Learby smiled weakly and backed up, pressing a button to call security, "Wha - what do you plan to do to - as you say - make corrections."
Hum reached into his back pocket, "We can do this one of a few ways. You can sign a contract here stating that unequivocally you will never ever tamper with time or attempt to travel through it."
"The other way," he continued, "Is to level your city, your population, and of course, you. Both will serve our purposes as with - if you are dead, hah, you will not be able to tamper with time either. I can certainly do this all and entirely by myself. The process would take less than 3 of your hours."
A dangerous red fleck appeared in Hum's eyes as he continued his offer to Learby. "In which of these ways would you like us to proceed ?"
"Contract !" Murphy yelled out, suddenly realizing how frightened he sounded.
Learby nodded in agreement however. "Yes, Mr. Hum. Please - let's do the contract. No need for unnecessary violence."
Hum smiled and ribbed Learby in the side, "I agree. It's such a pain to get blood out of this fine outfit. Oh the cleaning alone, you wouldn't believe !" and he laughed to himself as if it truly were something amusing to him.
"Very well." He then handed Learby a pen to sign. Learby looked over the contract and, as he suspected, it was written in some complex alien language. But he wasn't about to sacrifice the population over this little issue. Strangely though, the pen did not write.
Hum approached and taking Learby's hand in an iron grip, depressed the pen to the side of his finger where a sharp incision was made and blood was collected as ink in the fancy pen.
"It should write now." Hum said, returning the pen to him.
Learby signed the contract properly now. Hum plucked it out of his grip and read to confirm it was a valid and binding signature.
"Very good." he said. He then took the contract and peeling from the top divided it into two contracts, but signed. He handed the lower copy to Learby. "Now, I must go."
Learby shook his head, "Wait. Please. You have to understand why we chose time travel at all."
Hum rolled up the contract in a tight cylinder and placed it back in his pocket. "Very well, your words will be recorded on your society's behalf."
Learby told Hum the story of the plugin that Darceon had given a human boy, me, one million years in the past, to present time where we were, and that their mission was to retrieve it as signs indicated that every life on Earth would be forfeit if the device were not retrieved.
Hum sat down on the steps of the transport and took the paper umbrella from his pocket to chew on thoughtfully for a moment.
Finally he stood, "It is not my position to make this decision. I am only the right arm."
Learby did not understand, "What ? Don't you mean you are the right-hand man ?"
Hum held out a hand and explained, "Hum is my surname. I am actually called humerus."
Learby shook his head remembering Hum's awful laughter earlier, "You don't seem all that amusing to me."
Hum smiled, "No, humerus. As in the bone. Based on our creator's greatest accomplishment."
Learby looked around, "What you mean, you're made of star matter ? Or galaxies ?"
Hum shook his head. "No, the creation upon which all living and non-living is based."
"All life is based on this. From the smallest unseen creature to the largest unseen creature. All of these creatures, wherever they may be, wherever you can see them, wherever you cannot, they are all based in one way or other - entirely on the design of our creator's greatest creation."
"That of MAN."
Learby reeled his head. That was quite a bit to take in. But he went back on subject, "So regarding retrieving this plugin ?"
Hum stood and directed his feet until he stood on top of one of the transporter pads. "I will have to check with my superiors. You will have an answer within 24 of your hours. With that, I bid you, be well."
And then Hum started to sparkle and wink in and out just as if the transporter were engaged for him, which it wasn't.
Just then the door burst open and two armed security guards appeared. They saw Learby, saluted and spoke, "You called for us sir ?"
Learby sighed, "It's just as well you were late. No telling what would've happened had Hum seen your weapons."
One of the soldiers fidgeted nervously, "Your orders sir ?"
"Return. I'll call you again if I need you."
Both saluted, "Central !" and left.
"I find that hard to believe." Murphy said once they were gone.
Learby asked, "Oh ? What's hard to believe ?"
"That this kindly old gentleman really could destroy our cities and lay waste to our towns and population - all by himself. He seemed so frail and - likeable !"
Learby bit his bottom lip, "I don't agree. You couldn't tell but when he took my hand in his, to sign the contract, his grip was like stone, well, stronger than stone. It was like if I had a molecular drill or something I wouldn't be able to shift one atom of his being. He was that strong and solid to me."
"So what do we do now ?" Murphy asked.
Learby picked up his copy of the contract. "We need to get this translated. Let's head over to Laboratory three. Dr. Aikens there, she is an expert on this sort of thing."
END OF
CHAPTER 61
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