* * * * *
Martin retraced his route to the Beta Site. He gathered up what litter was left from his shredded suit. The return trip went much faster, without the Environ-suit. He made good time.
Martin felt sorry for ANGL. ANGL stayed on alert 24/7, watching for danger. He couldn’t enjoy the luxury of sound sleep; just ‘Stand-by’. Nor was any real emotion built into his existence. Emotion was left entirely to the human host. ANGL knew when Martin was experiencing emotion, but he could only tally it and quantify it. ANGL could detect and reflect sarcasm, but he was programmed to never respond in anger or displeasure.
Martin greatly appreciated the advantage that he was given in the form of an AI assistant such as ANGL. What he could not quite grasp was that as intelligent as ANGL was, he would never love ANGL as he loved Teal, his family, friends or even his cat, Spud. An element in his relationship with ANGL was missing, and would never be there. As amusing as their conversations were on occasion they had all the emotional validity of the computer voice on his phone. He recalled how offended he had been when he heard his phone respond to a misdial; “we’re sorry, this call cannot be completed.” Begging your pardon but you’re not sorry; you’re a damn computer!
And now he was joined at the metaphorical hip with a computer that could only respond with synthetic sympathy; he knew that ANGL was doing the one thing he was programmed to do; and probably doing it well.
As he pondered the paradoxes of his life, he included his relationship with his Lord Jesus. He had come to understand the love that was expected of him. He had even advanced to loving earnestly, without reservation. It had become a love that Martin felt he would be willing to die for because he had been witness to God’s love many times. He had come to know what God love is. He knew he would be condemned without it. He knew that he would not be cast into hell. This life was a slow burn and he would not hesitate, to trade it in for the eternal.
His flight had changed along with his plight. He had traded running from the devil to running toward his Lord and Savior. The direction was the same, but the motivating reason was no longer carnal.
Martin recalled asking, What does God see in me? What is He looking for? And now, like an answer to prayer, it hit him. God is looking to see His image in His creation. He should expect no less.
Martin was on his way home. Just what that meant he did not know, but he would do nothing to slow his arrival.
Resetting the clock seemed his best and perhaps his only hope.
By noon he had located the site and set about reinitializing the Field Realm Synthesizer. ANGL correlated the new data, and checked a few default codes.
Martin; ANGL, what about the food and water that I consumed while I was here?
ANGL: When the Realm acquisition has been made, a reset and mode recalibration will have to be made to add markers to the additional mass. That revision was also included on the Beta Realm Generator and Synthesizer. But the Gamma Site that you are destined for will have to project a mass deficit to this location, and it may cause a bit of a pop. It will probably start a grass fire. There are no people detected on the plain at this time. The danger is minimal.
Martin; Just how big a pop are we talking about?
ANGL: A crater about fifteen feet across.
Martin; I hope the EPA doesn’t hear about this.
ANGL: In a matter of milliseconds an adjustment will be made and it may mitigate the damage or eliminate it altogether.
Martin; This time we are due to land at the Gamma Site; right?
ANGL: That’s affirmative.
Martin; Are we ready to initialize the translation?
ANGL: Yes. Move about one foot forward. The process will begin immediately and you will feel the acquisition in about one hundred and twenty seconds.
Martin; What are the chances this will go without a hitch?
ANGL: Excellent. The Gamma Site data is known to six or seven decimal places; the sidereal time is correct to nine decimal places. The Beta Site data that I have gathered over the past two days are nearly as accurate. The interim delta shifts are the only relative unknowns but they can be closely estimated. Stand by! Beta Site calibration complete, Gamma Site initialization override set ON, Gamma Site acquisition complete, Mission check list 7.1.6 complete, RF signal seek to initialize in 30 seconds, UNIS-GPS synchronization signal seek to commence in 27 seconds, life support monitoring to commence at realm acquisition signal. Prepare for acquisition.
Martin braced himself for the elevator-up jolt.
He was on his way. The realm would lift him back to his entry elevation before beginning the translation.
The field below began to look like an ocean with wind swept waves of brown grass. The air was clear and the distant hills looked deceptively close. The crystal clear air let the sky show deep blue as though the stars could shine. He hoped that his footprints here would quickly disappear and life would continue as before.
His vision began to blur then gray out as the ringing in his ears began. Idaho, here I come.
ANGL: Tracking acquisition FAILURE, time signal acquisition FAILURE, UNIS-GPS signal acquired, life support monitoring switched to emergency mode and initialized, EMERGENCY SYSTEM PROTOCOL override initiated. Stand by!
Martin; ANGL why is it so dark? I can’t move! What’s going on?
ANGL: It is not clear. It is not clear that there has been a failure. The system is in emergency mode and looking to verify inconsistencies.
Martin; Where am I? I don’t see any stars and we aren’t above anything.
ANGL: Your oxygen supply is less then predicted but it is stable.
Martin; Am I floating in space. How much time do I have?
ANGL: Unclear. Unclear. The sun is not in view. No fix on any stars. Oxygen should last for several minutes. Return to Beta Site might be accomplished; initializing emergency return sequence.
Martin; It’s getting hot in here. I can’t breath. Are you sure there is air in here. I’ve got to get back to Teal. Oh my God help me? ANGL!
“Breath, Marty! Live! Live! Wheels down, feather the prop, flaps down, flare out, prepare for a ground loop. You’re going to hit hard! You’re going to hit real hard! YOU’RE GONNNA DIIE!!”
“NO NO ANGL!!!”NOO, NO I CANNN’T!!!”
“Of course you can, dear. But you’re going to have to put it off ‘till morning.
Whaa . . .Teal! Teal, what are you doing here?
She hiked her brow “I beg your pardon. Were you expecting someone else, the housekeeper, perhaps? Sorry I had to fire her; she refused to iron your shorts.”…
“No, no . . .yes. No, I mean I thought you were . . .?”
“Gone? No that was you. You were on another planet. I wanted to vacuum in the morning so I dragged you in here; out of the way. How was I to know you weren’t done with this body? Boy you must have had a doozy of a dream. Of course sleeping with a hangover, a major hangover, and the covers over your face doesn’t help.”
“I’m so glad to see you. I . . .”
“I thought we covered that.”
“I just . . . . what day is it?”
“It’s still Saturday but don’t worry about the garbage; I put it out.”
“What year?”
“What year did I put it out? Last year, silly. It’s Sunday 2011; yesterday was Saturday 2010 and tomorrow, that might just be Monday of what year, I’m not sure! How’s your headache, champ?
“Headache? Oh man is that gone! I’m okay. Now that I got some air.”
“Hey, why don’t you just go back to sleep? Martin please, when you see me in the morning, don’t have that look of horror on your face. I love you, Smurf. Go back to sleep?”
“I love you too, babe. Sorry, just a dream . . . I guess. Oh man, am I going to sleep.”
“Martin.”
“Yes.”
“Who’s Ange
l?”
? ? ? ?
* * * * *
About the Author
Taylor Strop lives in rural Idaho. He grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended San Jose State College. He passed on an opportunity to become a programmer for the early commercially viable UNIVAC computer. In his thirties he married a like-hearted Christian woman. They moved to the Colorado Front Range where they both embarked on careers in contract drafting/design.
Taylor participated in state-of -the-art commercial and DOD research and development projects, projects such as automated medication delivery devices, aircraft head-up displays, computer disc drives, space shuttle payloads, Hubble telescope and cloak-and-dagger electronics. Long immersed in an environment of innovation he developed a love affair with the "what ifs".
Instead of investing his retirement leisure in entrepreneurial pursuits, Taylor chooses to express himself through his writing.
In this novel, Taylor attempts to entice his reader into narrowing the gap between the tangible and intangible, and at the same time, into broaden their view of reality.
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