But just then a very loud and booming voice issued, "He is not a toy for your amusement !"
White's movements were a sudden blur and then he had a wicked handgun in his grip. "You're overdue !"
PRESS
CTRL
= (EQUALS) TO INCREASE THE PAGE SIZE AND CTRL 0
(ZERO) TO RESET THE PAGE SIZE
Want to read
this in a different language ?
Change the TO field to your own country and
after going HERE
F
U T U R E B A R R I E R
( The
4th Novel )
Secret Technology,
Unrequited Love, Absolute Vengeance
Human. My Mom years ago laughed and said, "Who, man ?"
Today I think we know exactly who to point to as the source of our troubles. Not Mother Nature, not Father God, and certainly no space or galactic phenomenon or planetary alignments. Not even the moon with its varying fields of gravity disturbance. Not really.
No, I think =WE= are responsible for a good deal of our problems.
And today in 2021 we still have idiots around firing off their guns and shooting off illegal fireworks in celebration. And right outside your door too.
Today. I mean it was bad enough to be launching illegal fireworks back on the real 4th of July and firing off your guns I guess in exuberance. But we're in January 6th give it a rest already ! Is this something we'll see from now on ? Celebrating every single day of 2021 at the cost and danger of yourself and others ?
You know back when I was a little boy I saw my first real video game, one that I really liked anyways, it was called "Starship." And I think I was 7- or 8-years old at the time. I know I had to stand on my tippy toes to see the screen. And it was a great 3D shooting game for its time.
I especially liked when after playing (it was a timed game) text would appear that said, "Sensors detect another quarter in your pocket."
When I reached the age of 10 I was becoming familiar now with human rites and their unusual behavior. The most striking of which was people wanting attention. That stood out in my memory.
Any way they could people wanted attention. Any possible way and damn the consequences. I told my Dad that I see in the future a machine that takes quarters. It looks sort of like a flying saucer.
You step into it and there is a seat. You sit and it closes the door behind you then raises your head up inside a kind of dome and flashes all kinds of colored lights around you and weird sound effects and noise.
The sounds are whistles of varying kinds including the classic klaxon Ah-Ooga, and red arrows flash and point straight to your head as you are rotated around in the arcade for everyone to see. So they can see you and see who the heck is annoying everyone so much.
One-quarter for one-minute of annoying the hell out of others and your face can clearly be seen in the dome as the perpetrator.
After I explained this crazy contraption, Dad looked at me and smiled and said, "You may be on to something there, Andrew. Could be the biggest moneymaker since PONG."
As I've gotten older and seen more and more behavior where people are just absolutely BONE desperate for attention. I have become more and more aware of what they do to get that attention.
Recently I found out that there is something called donuts where you and I guess a friend drive on the freeway ahead of all the other traffic and start to make 'donuts' with your car, looping around high-speed, very dangerous, and blocking off all the other traffic on the freeway from getting to where they need to go.
Stopping vehicles like cars, trucks, and delivery vehicles as well as police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks.
I found out about it because it happened right where I live !
Drivers desperate for attention and putting their life and others on the line - just for a few minutes of fame, at the cost of stopping traffic completely and ultimately being arrested by the police. Was it worth it ? Are we so starved for attention today that we'll actually commit crimes JUST to be noticed ?
Is that what we say in court to defend ourselves, "Your honor. I just wanted attention."
And yet I think this backfires. I've seen instances of people commiting crimes and then they take their shirt and stick it over their head because they don't want any photographs of them as they are being led to jail.
It just sort of reminds me of an idea I had a few months back that this very sinister looking alien spaceship will come down. "Flying Cutlery" as Chris calls it. Very evil looking ship with sharp edges on all sides and solid black. And it doesn't land so much as the talons beneath the ship grab the Earth tightly - tearing at it and pull the ship down.
Then these soldiers will come out. Massive, muscular, wielding terrible weapons all for the destruction of mankind. They step out prepared to make their announcement that they are there to destroy the Earth and all its inhabitants.
But then they see a teenage girl busy on her cellphone. Texting away. Not even aware Earth is being invaded by sinister alien beings. She is so completely caught up in the digital conversation with her friends.
The alien soldier watches this for a second, scratches his chin thoughtfully, sighs, looks a little disappointed, then motions for his troops to return to the ship. They do so. And take off back into space.
Why ? Because they can see that we are already doing a marvelous job of destroying our Earth and what we used to hold dear with it - through all this infernal technology that separates real human contact between family and friends, such as cellphones, such as services as Twitter, Facebook, and others.
Such as taking dangerous selfies, such as creating deliberate disturbances and causing fights amongst others just for the sake of recording it on video and posting it on a social site - and anything else we use to once again - bring attention to ourselves. At the complete and utter fall of mankind and the world around us.
So very terribly sad the world has gotten to this level ...
Anyways, that's kind of what was "Grinding My Gears" to coin a phrase from Peter Griffin, so let's return back to Future Barrier.
I nodded.
He continued in a more serious tone, "Good, because now I'm going to ask you some questions regarding the plugin and I want you to be completely truthful with me, can you do this for me, please ?"
I nodded again. "Good. First question."
He clicked on an audio recorder, "Where did you initially get the plugin from ?"
"From Darvin. A friend of mine. He was in the hospital for complications of his heart despite his young age. He said he received it as a gift but inside the box it said, "Send to Dev."
"So before you received the plugin, it already had your name on it ?"
"Yessir."
"Okay how did you find out - what did you do to find out that this plugin could do what it did ?"
"When I plugged it in my computer it came with some initial programs."
"What were those ?"
"Umm ... They were all uppercase and 8-characters."
"DOS files do you think ?"
"Likely. Let me think. There was DATA2MAT, DNA, ENVIROS, FORCFILD, MAT2DATA, MATTRDUP, and of course SIM."
"Why do you say, of course, SIM ?"
"SIM later turned out to be an artificially intelligent program that merged itself with me."
"Merged, how ?"
"Darceon."
"Who or what is Darceon."
"Darceon is ..." and I had to pause in thought. Who was Darceon ? What was he ?
"He appeared to me. And made the plugin part of me."
"Why ?"
"He said he wanted me to be his acolyte, his pawn. That - he had plans for me."
"What are these plans ?"
"I'm not sure."
"You're certain ?"
"Yes, I don't know."
Mr. White paused for a moment to look at the screen on the side of the mechanical bed which had been writing down in text everything we conversed about so far.
He continued, "Ok. What was one of the first things you discovered about the plugin ?"
"A forcefield."
"Forcefield ?"
"Yessir."
"Can you make one now ?"
"I think so."
"Go ahead. Make a small one, here, if you will." And he tapped his foot to the side and retracted it.
I concentrated for a moment and a small blue cube appeared much like it did on the first day of me exploring the plugin.
There was some mumbling of interested conversation above in the upper decks. Mr. White looked up and there was silence.
"Impressive, Dev. You are the real deal. For a moment there, I thought all of this had been just speculation."
I was silent not sure how to answer this.
"What else did you do ?"
"I duplicated paperclips."
"You made many of them ?"
"Yessir."
Mr. White reached in his pocket and pulled out a small safety pin.
"Do with this pin what you did on that day." and he set the pin on the floor.
I concentrated for a moment. Then I said the word, "200." and tiny and bright yellow lines suddenly encircled the safety pin, scanning it, then duplicates of it started to appear.
Before I got to 200 like before he stopped me early. "That's fine. Cease."
He then took out a single dollar bill from his wallet.
"Give me one duplicate of this, please."
I glanced at the dollar and then there were two.
He picked them up to compare. "Ah, same serial numbers. So it is a true duplicate."
Mr. White seemed elated now. He was murmuring to himself, "I can duplicate the world's most expensive items and never have to take from any museums again !"
But just then a very loud and booming voice issued, "The boy is not a toy for your amusement !"
Mr. White's movements were a sudden blur and then he had a wicked looking handgun in his grip, faster than most people could've retrieved it. "You're overdue !" White said with a grin.
"You were expecting me ?" the voice continued.
White nodded, "But of course. I wanted to see how far you would let me go with your - pawn - before you arrived to stop me."
"I am here now." the voice boomed.
"You are called Darceon ?" White asked.
* * *
"I am."
"Then show yourself to me. That I may know this is not merely a trick or illusion."
And then a type of blue-hazy mist washed over the group on the lower levels. My Mom, Dad, Tyr, her Mom, and Lilly. They couldn't keep their eyes open and sleep quickly overcame them. They slumped down in their chairs in blissful rest.
The mist quickly darted upstairs quicker than anyone could to try to escape and avoid it and they too were put into a deep sleep.
Mr. White quickly touched a control on the side of his mask.
"I said show yourself !" White repeated.
Darceon spoke a little quieter, "Interesting. You must have a filter in that mask of yours ?"
White shook his head, "That is not important. I want to see you !"
"Are you prepared to see an angel of the Lord ? Will you not be blinded by my almighty brightness ?"
White scoffed, "You're no angel ! You may be beyond other people's understanding but let me assure you. I know you. To take the boy and use him as your instrument of destruction - you are definitely no angel."
"Very well." and then a very bright vertical light appeared and Darceon stepped straight through it, almost as if it were a crack in reality. He was dressed in his usual form, very heavy and black metallic trenchcoat, needles on his fingers, and a mask that augmented his sinister face.
White nodded respectfully, "You are much as I imagined you."
Darceon laughed and spoke in deep sepulchral tones, "And you are nothing I expected you to be. I knew it would be a matter of time before Dev came into contact with the person with all the questions. The one who could make use of the plugin, of Dev."
White seemed momentarily confused, "Then you approve ?"
Darceon took a serious tone, "To a point. So long as you do not use his abilities merely for personal and capital gain. Then, yes, you are free to make use of my 'pawn' as you see fit. I understand you want to reshape the Earth with this newfound discovered power ?"
"I do. I have big plans. Very big plans."
"Then you are welcome to do so. Know now though that I am fully aware of anything and everything that happens to Dev." Darceon tilted his head a little to the chairs of where everyone else on the lower was sleeping.
"And these people. It would be in your best interests not to harm them as they are linked to my acolyte. Nor should you block them from where they want or need to go, nor should you ever attempt to double-cross me or it will spell your demise."
Darceon continued, "You do these things, and you and I, in time, we may call each other - friends. Reshape this Earth in your own image if you like. I am not against this. But do so in the manner of an almighty god, not of mortal man."
With that the very bright fissure appeared and Darceon stepped through it again. The gentle blue mist was suddenly blown away and everyone earlier effected by it were roused to attention not even aware they were put to sleep.
"In the manner of a God, not of man." White repeated to himself. He looked at me. I still had my eyes closed in a bit of a trance. He spoke, "When I snap my fingers you will be fully awake and refreshed."
"1 ... 2 ... 3 ..." *SNAP*
I jerked awake and smiled feeling good all over. I yawned as if I had a most refreshing sleep. My Mom was first out of her chair to come to me. "Are you okay, honey ?"
White then picked up the microphone to be heard louder, "That's all ! That's all for now." He glanced up, "Those of you who paid to be here will receive a video copy of everything that has happened in this amphitheater."
Dr. Seisbee rose from his chair in anger. "What ? All we have seen is - a few tricks that could easily be done in the right setting - by any novice magician !"
Mr. White raised his voice on the microphone, "I believe if you check your watch you will see that there are 15-minutes unaccounted for of which you were not conscious."
Seisbee looked at his watch and his face paled. The masked man was right ! He looked back at White for an answer to this.
"I was visited by the 'caretaker' of the plugin and it was recorded on your video. So, yes, I think I am being more than generous to give you a copy of this for which you were all put asleep by this being. We had an interesting conversation. And that is now at your hand and viewing pleasure."
So saying White went to the wall and pressed a button. There was a sudden hissing and whirring sound as if something very speedy was moving. Then upstairs there was an electronic serving tray which shot out a copy of the video each with their names indelibly written on it.
Dempsey, Pritchart, Petrov, Umeya, and Dr. Seisbee. As the other visitors, the girl archeologists did not pay to be here, they did not receive a videotape.
But Seisbee spoke, "It's okay. Danielle, Margot, we can view the tape together back at my lab."
A large metallic door slid open to allow the upstairs viewers to leave.
With their videotapes in hand, the group above left asking each other many questions as they did.
"Dev ?" My Mom repeated having not gotten an answer to her question.
I spoke, "Oh, me ? Yeah, I'm fine. I - think I was asleep."
She nodded. Then turned her attention to Mr. White, "Sir. You said you were visited by the 'caretaker' of this thing that's infected my son ?"
He laughed, "I wouldn't use the word 'infected' dear. What he has is a grand and glorious gift that - "
She interrupted, "Which you are of course welcome to all of it. I just want back my son before all this - this madness ! You did say you were going to transfer it from my son to you. You promised !"
White rose his voice slightly in anger, "I never promised dear lady ! I said I will TRY to do this. But understand that Dev is not on his own. This 'caretaker' this Darceon fellow, he wants me to move in the way Gods move, not as man."
Mom shook her head in confusion, "And just what does that mean ?"
White shrugged, "I have no idea. But I'm going to. I'm going to find out. For now the best I can do is, take you all back home. Let you relax for a bit and - future sessions with Dev will likely not require hypnosis. And who knows ? You all may have a chance to meet this Darceon yourself."
Mom's voice took a hard edge. "I'd like that. I'd like to tell him off. Honestly ! Taking my dear sweet innocent Dev and turning him into some kind of - terrible military weapon or raygun ! That's the worst thing anyone could've done !"
White held up a hand apologetically, "Indeed. If I can transfer the ability from him to me - I will do so in a heartbeat, and your Dev will indeed be back as he was. A normal human being, your son, that you can love and cherish for the rest of your days. That I will promise you."
He turned his head to the exiting door, "For now though, let us retire back home."
Indeed, we are often the source of our own problems. I try not to complain too much about my problems because I know that I could solve most of them if I put my mind to it, but I have other priorities in life. I've chosen which things are important to me, and therefore I consider my life full.
Posted 3 Years Ago
1 of 1 people found this review constructive.
3 Years Ago
>> Personally, when I want attention, I just go over to my husband and say, "Female want attention, .. read more>> Personally, when I want attention, I just go over to my husband and say, "Female want attention, female need attention, female want attention," and that always works.
https://i.imgur.com/SlM0mWx.jpg
Kari, I don't know if Rose was ever like that. I know when she visited she barely cleared the doorframe before docking on to me. Yes that's as crazy as it sounds. :)
>> There's a group of kids around here that plays chicken with cars on their bicycles for fun. My husband has reported them to the police a couple of times, but they are still roaming around as far as I know. We saw them a week ago on the way to one of my prenatal appointments.
Kids do all kinds of things to get attention. Negative if they can. And it's sad when they do too because at one point you want to or have trusted them in the past to behave and then they do something completely stupid or rude to break that trust. And if it's done enough, you never really trust them after that.
>> I think technology is more beneficial than harmful these days. People will do stupid things and seek attention with or without technology, and technology provides safer ways to seek attention. Also, it's helping us keep in touch with family and friends during the pandemic. I miss all my friends, but I'm not seeing any of them in person right now.
I think you're right there. I know I went to Mayfest years ago. A fellow I think he was 12-years old found a tower with a ladder at night. He climbed the ladder, retracted it back up, and found a microphone there. Then he proceeded to give us a rendering of Ode To Joy using his armpits - for over an hour at maximum volume.
That is until someone finally had enough of this pipsqueak ruining the peace and brought their own ladder, climbed up and BOY did that kid scream to high heaven when he was brought down.
But once he was everyone was applauding and cheering for the brave man to get that idiot out of there. Yes it is very possible to be a complete a$$hole and not even be aware of it. Although I think some people are aware but don't care - so long as they can get 1-second of camera time. I feel sorry for them ...
>> Also, you never know whether someone is on their phone because they are texting/twittering or whether they are reading a novel, reading the news, or doing some other sort of activity which we as a society generally consider admirable. I still bring physical books with me for entertainment because I don't have a smartphone, but I spend a lot of time on my computer.
It's possible I suppose. I mean when I'm waiting in a long line somewhere I pull out my eBook and start reading. What ? Frank Herbert's DUNE. Very deep and engrossing science fiction. Not texting. Although on my main cellphone I do have all 50-digital comics of Barbie and sometimes I will spend time looking at those. :)
>> Also, yesterday's events were quite something. I'm rather impressed with how Congress stayed up late into the night to certify the election. My husband wound up watching the thing live all the way up to bedtime. I heard bits of it here and there, but he was just glued to the feed.
I think they had other concerns I was going to address next Tuesday - the storming of an American capitol building. Wow. I guess the good news is Trump has finally been put into a corner and can't so much as say boo to any of his fans. They took away his messaging once he earlier and verbally approved of the vandals actions - but couldn't bite it back quick enough later.
>> Indeed, we are often the source of our own problems.
I think more human interaction is just about a prime requisite in order to learn human behavior and how to behave around them. It's when we're by ourselves either through choice or condition that we get to scheming and wrecking other people's good times on this Earth.
>> Wow, this story keeps getting more intense. Awesome to follow it!
Ah, glad you like it, Kari ! As always I certainly do appreciate your comments as they give me time to think about even more things that I wouldn't without your input.
3 Years Ago
That armpit things sounds like it took a lot of musical talent combined with bodily awareness. In th.. read moreThat armpit things sounds like it took a lot of musical talent combined with bodily awareness. In the right setting, such as a talent show or street performance, I think that would be awesome. It's all about finding the right audience.
Well there is this:
https://youtu.be/w1rkXYGK6Ls?t=144
The world we live in ... :) read moreWell there is this:
https://youtu.be/w1rkXYGK6Ls?t=144
The world we live in ... :)
3 Years Ago
Ah, watch out for that ":" and ")" at the end of a sentence, it truncates the text sometimes.
.. read moreAh, watch out for that ":" and ")" at the end of a sentence, it truncates the text sometimes.
In any case adding, yeah I don't think the kid was quite as talented as Benny was. Mostly just rude noises to annoy others.
We live in a day and age where you always want to think twice before handing ANYONE a public microphone.
That attention machine could indeed be a great idea. Personally, when I want attention, I just go over to my husband and say, "Female want attention, female need attention, female want attention," and that always works.
There's a group of kids around here that plays chicken with cars on their bicycles for fun. My husband has reported them to the police a couple of times, but they are still roaming around as far as I know. We saw them a week ago on the way to one of my prenatal appointments.
I think technology is more beneficial than harmful these days. People will do stupid things and seek attention with or without technology, and technology provides safer ways to seek attention. Also, it's helping us keep in touch with family and friends during the pandemic. I miss all my friends, but I'm not seeing any of them in person right now.
Also, you never know whether someone is on their phone because they are texting/twittering or whether they are reading a novel, reading the news, or doing some other sort of activity which we as a society generally consider admirable. I still bring physical books with me for entertainment because I don't have a smartphone, but I spend a lot of time on my computer.
Also, yesterday's events were quite something. I'm rather impressed with how Congress stayed up late into the night to certify the election. My husband wound up watching the thing live all the way up to bedtime. I heard bits of it here and there, but he was just glued to the feed.
Wow, this story keeps getting more intense. Awesome to follow it!
Indeed, we are often the source of our own problems. I try not to complain too much about my problems because I know that I could solve most of them if I put my mind to it, but I have other priorities in life. I've chosen which things are important to me, and therefore I consider my life full.
Posted 3 Years Ago
1 of 1 people found this review constructive.
3 Years Ago
>> Personally, when I want attention, I just go over to my husband and say, "Female want attention, .. read more>> Personally, when I want attention, I just go over to my husband and say, "Female want attention, female need attention, female want attention," and that always works.
https://i.imgur.com/SlM0mWx.jpg
Kari, I don't know if Rose was ever like that. I know when she visited she barely cleared the doorframe before docking on to me. Yes that's as crazy as it sounds. :)
>> There's a group of kids around here that plays chicken with cars on their bicycles for fun. My husband has reported them to the police a couple of times, but they are still roaming around as far as I know. We saw them a week ago on the way to one of my prenatal appointments.
Kids do all kinds of things to get attention. Negative if they can. And it's sad when they do too because at one point you want to or have trusted them in the past to behave and then they do something completely stupid or rude to break that trust. And if it's done enough, you never really trust them after that.
>> I think technology is more beneficial than harmful these days. People will do stupid things and seek attention with or without technology, and technology provides safer ways to seek attention. Also, it's helping us keep in touch with family and friends during the pandemic. I miss all my friends, but I'm not seeing any of them in person right now.
I think you're right there. I know I went to Mayfest years ago. A fellow I think he was 12-years old found a tower with a ladder at night. He climbed the ladder, retracted it back up, and found a microphone there. Then he proceeded to give us a rendering of Ode To Joy using his armpits - for over an hour at maximum volume.
That is until someone finally had enough of this pipsqueak ruining the peace and brought their own ladder, climbed up and BOY did that kid scream to high heaven when he was brought down.
But once he was everyone was applauding and cheering for the brave man to get that idiot out of there. Yes it is very possible to be a complete a$$hole and not even be aware of it. Although I think some people are aware but don't care - so long as they can get 1-second of camera time. I feel sorry for them ...
>> Also, you never know whether someone is on their phone because they are texting/twittering or whether they are reading a novel, reading the news, or doing some other sort of activity which we as a society generally consider admirable. I still bring physical books with me for entertainment because I don't have a smartphone, but I spend a lot of time on my computer.
It's possible I suppose. I mean when I'm waiting in a long line somewhere I pull out my eBook and start reading. What ? Frank Herbert's DUNE. Very deep and engrossing science fiction. Not texting. Although on my main cellphone I do have all 50-digital comics of Barbie and sometimes I will spend time looking at those. :)
>> Also, yesterday's events were quite something. I'm rather impressed with how Congress stayed up late into the night to certify the election. My husband wound up watching the thing live all the way up to bedtime. I heard bits of it here and there, but he was just glued to the feed.
I think they had other concerns I was going to address next Tuesday - the storming of an American capitol building. Wow. I guess the good news is Trump has finally been put into a corner and can't so much as say boo to any of his fans. They took away his messaging once he earlier and verbally approved of the vandals actions - but couldn't bite it back quick enough later.
>> Indeed, we are often the source of our own problems.
I think more human interaction is just about a prime requisite in order to learn human behavior and how to behave around them. It's when we're by ourselves either through choice or condition that we get to scheming and wrecking other people's good times on this Earth.
>> Wow, this story keeps getting more intense. Awesome to follow it!
Ah, glad you like it, Kari ! As always I certainly do appreciate your comments as they give me time to think about even more things that I wouldn't without your input.
3 Years Ago
That armpit things sounds like it took a lot of musical talent combined with bodily awareness. In th.. read moreThat armpit things sounds like it took a lot of musical talent combined with bodily awareness. In the right setting, such as a talent show or street performance, I think that would be awesome. It's all about finding the right audience.
Well there is this:
https://youtu.be/w1rkXYGK6Ls?t=144
The world we live in ... :) read moreWell there is this:
https://youtu.be/w1rkXYGK6Ls?t=144
The world we live in ... :)
3 Years Ago
Ah, watch out for that ":" and ")" at the end of a sentence, it truncates the text sometimes.
.. read moreAh, watch out for that ":" and ")" at the end of a sentence, it truncates the text sometimes.
In any case adding, yeah I don't think the kid was quite as talented as Benny was. Mostly just rude noises to annoy others.
We live in a day and age where you always want to think twice before handing ANYONE a public microphone.