Secret Technology,
Unrequited Love, Absolute Vengeance
© January 2022
- Written by David
Wicker
Please do
not reprint without permission
CHAPTER 7 -
"MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP"
Slice Of Life (01-18-22)
Good afternoon. Quite a bit has happened. It always does. I guess the first thing to get out of the way is both my niece and Godfather now have the Covid. Not symptoms, not feeling like it. No, full-blown tested for positive, Covid. Wow.
You know about 6-months ago I was very surprised when Rose told me a neighbor of hers got the Covid, I thought surely that would be as close a brush to the killing virus as I could get. But no, right here, right with my best friends. Not good.
And if I didn't say, I had MYSELF tested for Covid last Wednesday, and the results fortunately were negative. So, they didn't get it from me as near as I can tell.
Katy did till me later that she met one of her friends at school and her throat was very sore, and she hugged her saying she was so sorry for that. Later Katy told me her throat was so sore that Carlos had to take her to the clinic. That's where both her and him were tested positive for the Covid.
The good news is I talk to them daily and they're not in any distress. No life-threatening signs. As I had the crud earlier, still have a bit, I recommend orange juice, apple juice, and expectorant. They should recover.
. . .
The other thing was kind of amusing. Someone knocked on my door 01-14-22 6:40pm, stated they were with AT&T. Said they had some trucks in the area and were giving one of my neighbors discount internet - would I like some ?
I told him I had Charter, he persisted, and yet doesn't your Charter connection give out from time to time ? We guarantee connection with AT&T.
I smiled slightly and met his eyes, "Look, I've been a telemarketer before. We promise many things, don't we ? I wish you the best of luck." and I quietly closed the door.
And - I've been with Charter for a great many year now and yes, they give out, they have to, especially if lightning from a thunderstorm shoots them down. You can't guarantee connection.
But I can say that I LIKE Charter and just about everything they offer. They give me internet, home phone service, and cellphone service. And I appreciate them for that.
. . .
If I didn't tell you I have a pet white mouse with red eyes I named Baby Girl. I am having so much with her.
When Katy came to visit prior to the Covid situation, when we watched a movie, I hooked up my RG-350 to her aquarium (and this is not a small aquarium), it's about 3-feet across, where she could watch, "Mouse Hunt" as we did the same upstairs.
Now whether or not she actually watched it I don't know, but I felt good giving her a chance to enjoy that timeless comedy while we too enjoyed watching it upstairs.
I've actually been spoiling Baby Girl pretty recently. I give her a little bit of everything I eat and now she's got a fat belly. I can pick her up now without her running away and she lets me scratch her ears and back.
I hate to admit but I am definitely enjoying the company more of a mouse than a cat.
While Baby Girl does indeed make a huge mess out of the aquarium and I have to clean it, with a cat you have the option of torn furniture, pooping where you can't easily get to it causing insects and disease, and howling at odd hours of the night.
With Baby Girl she has a quiet running wheel, fresh unscented tissue papers which she tears up and puts in her little house, which is a plastic covered box she sleeps in. And I can clean her domicile in less than 10-minutes each day.
And she comes out every time I give her a treat. So - yeah, I recommend a pet mouse. They're quite a bit cheaper, running at least for me, $5 each. And if you go out and get a really big aquarium, they have a lot of space to explore and enjoy.
. . .
Pico-8 is always in my thoughts. Recently I wrote a program that allows you to record you playing one of the Pico-8 games so you can play back your moves.
I wrote this specifically for people who want to record speedruns of their work - for games. Or to play back a cart to a particular area where an error can be isolated. And it's pretty smart. It doesn't just record every keystroke 30 times per second.
Instead it determines where there is a difference in keystrokes, like for instance you are holding the right arrow key and without letting go of the arrow key you press jump.
Then my program would count the number of times you are just holding the right arrow and then when jump is pressed, that's a difference in keys so it records the amount of time you are holding BOTH of those buttons.
It may sound complex but it was actually pretty easy for me to write. I was inspired by Cadaeib65 who mentioned speedrun, where someone goes through a videogame as quickly as possible - and then I realized it didn't yet exist for Pico-8. For those curious, here is the code I wrote:
function btn(p)local b=_b0()if _bm==1then if b!=_bl then if _bd>""then _bd=_bd.._bt..","else _bd=""_bt=0_bp=1end _bl=b _bd=_bd..b..","_bt=0else _bt+=1end if _b0()==15then printh("btnpb={"..sub(_bd,1,#_bd-1).."}n","@clip")stop()end return _b0(p)elseif _bm==2then if _bt>0then _bt-=1else _bs=btnpb[_bp]_bt=btnpb[_bp+1]_bp+=2if _bt==nil then _bm=0end end if p==nil then return _bs elseif band(_bs,2^p)>0then return true else return false end else return _b0(p)end end
I sorta smooshed it like this so it doesn't take much space as you only have 64k of coding space in Pico-8. Artificial limitations set by ZEP himself. And I can't fight that so I just have to work with it.
It's not the first tool I've written for Pico-8 nor likely it will be the last. There is another that's going to be a major hit but I don't wanna say what it is until I make more progress - so someone doesn't see that's a good idea and write their own competing against mine.
. . .
I don't know if I talked about ASMR yet. It stands for, "Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response." Big words, basically it's that RUSH you feel shoot up your spine when you hear good music or see something that you really like. It's kind of hard to describe.
What's odd about this thing is apparently it's brought about in MOST people by hearing fingernails tapping on toasted bread or whispering up close to a microphone.
And no, for me that does nothing at all. No for ME - I get this effect quite easily by watching Star Trek The Next Generation. In fact I wrote down all the times I was affected by strong ASMR and the episodes I was watching:
5:02pm 12-13-21 Watching a Star Trek The Next Generation opening scene.
5:42pm 12-13-21 Watching episode, "Firstborn." Klingon was talking about his Father. Reminded me of Dad.
8:19pm 12-13-21 Watching episode, "Emergence" New form of life made from computer vanishes into light.
9:02pm 12-13-21 Watching episode, "Preemptive Strike" someone uses teleporter, the sound got me.
11:13pm 12-13-21 Watching episode, "All Good Things" the enterprise comes up across a white hole in space.
5:52pm 12-14-21 Watching episode, "The Last Outpost" they show a 3D hologram of a translation program.
6:08pm 12-14-21 Watching episode, "The Last Outpost" they show the mist form an old man's face.
7:11pm 12-14-21 Watching episode, "Lonely Among Us" Picard talks about expectations beyond human understanding.
7:40pm 12-14-21 Watching episode, "Justice" Me looking at the spaceship that represents God.
9:48pm 12-14-21 Watching episode, "The Big Goodbye" listening to Data talk about Dixon Hill from 1934.
12:12am 12-15-21 Watching episode, "11001001" watching an empty hallway with red alert flashing.
So, yes, it does affect me, but no toast or scratchy microphone is needed. Just - good ideas, sights, and sounds. And often enough from any Star Trek episode, the Next Generation or otherwise.
I also found out recently it is not Seroquel, the anti-psychotic medication I take, that is causing stronger ASMR, no, in fact, it is suppressing it.
I did not mention I was out late with Carlos one time, later than I normally take Seroquel, and I started to freak out. I felt ASMR all over for everything and I started laughing crazily and really couldn't stop.
So whatever is going on in me, my tactile and memory senses today are at a very high level of measure and pleasure. And missing out taking my anti-psychotic, I just sorta flip out with ASMR and whatever else I had hitting me from all sides.
. . .
Closing up the SOL for today, so yeah, I won't be seeing Rose tomorrow as we had scheduled. Not with Carlos having the Covid. In fact I - I believe I was quite polite - and asked him to please get tested to negative before we get back together.
While they can have the Covid and not show any bad signs - as I was getting over the crud myself, in my weakened state, the Covid could do some real damage to me. We do talk on the phone every day though.
. . .
In any case, let's return back to the story, Dev's adventures in 5th century England.
. . .
No sooner had I said 'meow' there was thunderous noise all around.
My eyes grew wide in panic until I realized it was deafening laughter. They all thought what I said was hilarious.
I looked all around and it was a whole room of catkind pointing at me with leers on their faces like that single word was about the funniest thing a human could ever say.
So to try to fit in I started laughing, too. But that didn't go over well, in an instant the room was quiet and now it was angry looks all over. I was still laughing though, too nervous to stop.
Suddenly a very large catkind, a man wearing a fur jacket stood up to face me, "Shut up, hume."
I did. Then he turned to address the room, "Folks, it seems to me like this little Hume got lost. And - " he leaned forward to sniff me, turning up his nose, "clearly he's dirty. He needs a bath."
The room hooted with approval to this. He looked at me savagely. "You're ah, not going to lick me, are you ?"
His eyes got wide and his words, deep and burly, "You think I'm going to clean you by licking you ?"
I shrugged, I honestly did not know at this point.
He grinned and putting a strong arm behind me pushed me forward. "No worries, stranger. No, we'll get you cleaned up the right way." So saying he urged me onward.
We were rapidly approaching two doors. One of which had pink paint showing an outline of a cat with the tail raised and the other, blue, showing the tail lowered. At the time it didn't make sense to me. Then I realized, he was pushing me in a bathroom !
Before my mind could comprehend the danger I was in he was already slamming my face into the edge of a 4-foot diameter hole in the ground, the equivalent of a toilet for that time period. And it wasn't just water, it was pee mixed with poop and everything, it was about as nasty as you could get !
I was coughing and gagging while I could hear more than just him in the bathroom. I knew they were all hooting for him to continue to drown me in there.
Then the pressure was let go of the back of my head and instead was on my shoulders now, pushing me down lower. It was clear he was urging me to lean forward hoping I'd be stupid enough to fall headfirst in the hole with all the pee and poop !
Then there was a sudden cracking sound, I couldn't make out. I was let go of but because of the stench I didn't have the strength to pull my head out completely. Then I heard a woman's voice, "Get your head out of there."
That was Nikki ! I did so and slumped to the side, all the energy drained from me from the mere nasty fumes of the thing. I looked around to see she had apparently kicked the stuffing out of the one that was swirling me and he was in the corner of the bathroom breathing hard and ragged.
She looked at me for a moment with a terse smile. "You look like s**t."
I agreed, I probably did. I probably smelled like it too. Fortunately it was just my face, my clothes had miraculously not been soiled or wet by the inners of this makeshift toilet.
Nikki came close and hugged me hard. "Welcome to Catkind village."
I nodded. She looked at me for a second pulling very close to me indeed. "Don't take this the wrong way." she said.
I had no idea to what she was referring when she suddenly started to lick my face with her tongue - and just like a real cat it had barbs on it - so it was actually a little painful. But I knew what she was doing. She was cleaning me from the terrible smell and lingering bits of human and non-human waste.
After a few minutes of this she turned her head to spit the horrid flavor out and with her tankard of milk nearby drank deeply. Then she faced me again with her curious cat eyes.
"If you're done playing in here, I need you upstairs. She held out her hand/paw. I took it in mine and started to exit the bathroom when other Tommies, male cats, started yelling back.
"Get back in that shithole, where you belong ! "
"Yeah, swim your way home, little fishy !"
Which of course brought raucous laughter. To this Nikki held up a paw in the air to get everyone's attention. It grew quiet. Then she spoke, "This Hume you tried to drown is the Dev I spoke of earlier ! How dare you treat him with such nasty disrespect !"
Everyone in the room grumbled. One of the catkind, a Molly, female, grumbled, "We had no way of knowing."
Nikki was furious, "Well now you know ! You just about wrecked whatever chance for peace we're trying to have with these humans !"
No-one had anything to say to this. Nikki looked back at me, "Come on, Dev. Let's talk upstairs."
I followed her and the room was now silent. The other catkind were watching me. From the looks on their faces I had to wonder if they really did want peace, or better yet, war. War with the Humes, with us, the humans. It looked like some really wouldn't like me no matter what I stood for.
As we entered the room there were two other catkind here. Both were old. One was male, the other female. And while the group downstairs literally looked drunk and disorderly, there was a quiet sense of authority I felt in here. At once I bowed.
"You know me ?" the female catkind asked me, curiously.
I shook my head. She inquired, "Then why the respect ? Especially considering what just happened to you ?"
I shrugged, "I don't know. It just seems - like you're important somehow."
* * *
She nodded back, "Indeed I am. I am Tyree With my husband here Tyger, we are the law in this village. And we want to end the slavery you Humes have inflicted on us. As everyone believes you are a time traveler from the future, we may use this to our advantage."
With my head still bowed I felt it important to speak, "First off understand that I never enslaved anyone ! Nor would I."
Tyree was not impressed, "Nikki told me that you DID enslave others back in your world, Dev. This is an inescapable fact of your kind."
I raised my head for a better look, "Yes, well, it wasn't me, specifically." I didn't know how to approach this.
Tyree pressed, "If not you, your ancestors. Slavers."
I agreed to that, "Yes, likely my ancestors were. But we eventually got over it. I'm - not an authority on American history but I believe it was a gentleman named Abraham Lincoln who freed the slaves. He himself later was assassinated."
"A true Martyr." Tyger commented, admiringly.
I nodded, "Yeah, I think he was. In any case, he abolished slavery."
Tyree came close and we were literally whiskers to face. "So what can you do to help us now - man from the future ?"
At this point I was not certain. "Well, the argument to end slavery back in my world was that we shared a human heart. That all of us were Humes - I mean human. That we should not enslave our own kind - since we were all human."
Tyger spoke, "And how would this help us ? We are not Humes, we are Catkind and do not remotely share a human heart."
I turned my head slightly in thought, "I'm not sure. I think we need to make a pact or - "
I was cutoff suddenly by a yell outside, "Humes ! They're here ! They broke through the barrier !"
Then I heard Sir Pelinoire's strong voice downstairs booming. "You are holding a Hume here hostage, you mangy felines ! Release him at once or we'll burn down your village !"
I mumbled to myself, "They had planned to burn it down anyways."
This was news to Nikki and the other two ! They both greeted me with wide eyes, "What can we do to stop it !?"
I was afraid though. I never was a hero nor a leader. I always followed the path of least resistance - which could be why I was bullied so incessantly back in school.
"We need someone who can make bold decisions !" Tyree said and then suddenly the door behind me exploded outward and there was Pelinoire.
He saw me and grinned, sighing in relief, "Ah, here you are Dev. I'm glad you're safe." He removed his chainmail gauntlet to reveal his weathered hand outstretched to me. "Come now, boy, get away from these dirty cats and I'll see to it they never lay a thieving paw on you again."
I shook my head, "No no. Sir Pelinoire ! You have it all wrong. I'm here by choice ! These - catkind - they are just like Humes - they have a - " and I paused in thought.
I couldn't say human heart. "They have a SOUL just like you. They have dreams, they have wishes and fears. They raise their young. Is there any reason they must be persecuted ?"
Fortunately Pelinoire was in a conversing mood. Nonetheless he laughed. "What crazy talk is this, Dev ? Catkind are catkind. To be slaves, or to hunt mice. They serve no other purpose. Why they - "
And I bravely interrupted, "They serve no other purpose because YOU have not GIVEN them any other purpose !"
Now I took a bold step, "What if I told you that catkind are just as organized if not more than humans are ?" I looked wildly around the room for signs of intelligence. I saw a bookshelf and a painting. That was enough.
"Why they can read and write books ! They can paint - beautiful paintings ! They are an intelligent species, just like we are, and are not to be hunted or enslaved. If anything we owe them a great big apology for treating them as bad as we have all these years !"
Now Pelinoire took an attitude and not a good one. He nodded, grumbling to himself. Then he returned the chainmail glove to his hand, "I see you've been bewitched by them, boy. It is not too surprising. They do dark arts and have hypnotized other people in the past - to say such ludicrous and insane things."
He reached for his sword easily clearing his scabbard in less than a half a second.
He pointed it straight at me where I swallowed hard in fear, "I won't hold you liable to this boy, but you're standing in the way of my liege's sworn and solemn duty."
I shrugged, not sure what to do here. He sighed and turning his head for an instant, reached back and punched me fully in the forehead with his chainmail gauntlet. I at once fell over in a dead heap. Not yet unconscious but clearly unable to rise.
Two guards were standing by Pelinoire. He spoke to them, "Bring the boy with us. His head will clear once we are free of the air of these bewitched - cats." He spat the word out as if it was a curse in itself.
The guards came to me. One pulled on my arm and I was completely limp. With great strength he hoisted me up and over on to his massive back.
Pelinoire then spoke angrily, "As for you ! It's not enough that we feed and clothe you and give you a purpose in life, to serve us. Here you are - refusing it, plotting against us, and turn the one good advantage we have, this boy, warping his - "
But new words were spoken now, not by Catkind which clearly must've vacated the premises, but additional guards Pelinoire brought to storm the tavern. "Dragons ! There are dragons in the village !" it yelled from downstairs.
Dragons ? I wanted to see that ! I struggled to open my eyes but they remained shut. Whatever part of my head Pelinoire hit it was just enough I could barely stay conscious.
So I couldn't see anything. Then words got murky as I started to slip into unconsciousness. I heard Pelinoire yelling something. There was the sound of wood breaking and - a sound I had heard before but could not quite make out. Not with my hearing going underwater as it sounded. But it was familiar ! I had heard it before.
I felt my body being placed back on the floor. Apparently Pelinoire and his knights were going to fight dragons !
Then I felt myself lifted back up again, this time by someone not quite as hefty. Someone furry. It had to have been Nikki !
There was an explosion of fragmented wood then a strange loping feeling as if someone was running with me hoisted on their back. Left. Right. Left. Right. There was no way I could fall unconscious now with all the bouncing around I was doing as Nikki was clearly running on all fours.
Then I heard that sound again. Familiar. It was ... it was. My head ached from trying to remember. Not just because I couldn't but I suspect when Pelinoire whomped me one, it made it difficult to think straight.
Then my eyes opened, slowly at first. I saw that I was on Nikki's back. She had strapped my two hands around the front of her neck with something leather and she continued to take off in the opposite direction - top speed on all fours.
She continued her rapid run away from the danger. "Wha - where are we going ?" I asked.
She spoke, "Shush now, Dev. We have a long way to go yet. I have a map. There is another Catkind village - but it's far from here, far from this cursed kingdom. Just sleep. Sleep. Sleep."
And - did catkind have magic powers ? Did Nikki ? I mean that's impossible. But the way she said, "sleep" I felt my eyelids grow heavy until eventually I was asleep. And it was a fantastic sight to see if I could see it.
Nikki had kicked it into high gear and she was running as fast as a cheetah, no ! Faster than that. She dodged through a forest in record time and was now out in a sandy region where vegetation was sparse. And on all fours she still ran on with only the sinking sun to challenge her incredible stride.
END OF CHAPTER 7
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