Chapter 5 SALLY

I woke at about seven the following morning. My head was throbbing like the sound of a bass sub-woofer in a low-rider car parked on top of my skull. Extra Advil during the night had not rescued me and I accepted my fate for the start of the day. It was Thursday and as per usual I had nothing more important that day than to make sure I was fed and lubricated.

I hadn’t thought anything during the night about the events of Wednesday, due to my self-inflicted stupor. As I fixed a pot of coffee in the kitchen I began to recollect the words of Ka-el and craziness that had now seeped into my life. Instinctively I felt for the belt around my waist. It was still there, comfortable and inert. Perhaps I could remove it and bury everything in the garden, but I knew there was no chance I would do such a thing. Whichever way I twisted things around in my head I couldn’t escape the fact that so far all the espousing by Ka-el had been born out by my actions in finding the container, with its bizarre contents. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my fists and tried to forget just for a minute and re-enter the real world. The aroma from the coffee pot inspired me enough to elicit a slight grin across my mouth. It was quite simply unbelievable. At that moment in time I had no possible conception of the magnitude of what actually was happening to me and the effect it would have on the people of planet Earth.

I needed a walk. I needed to clear my head, to think carefully about what I should do next. I slurped down the final dregs of my coffee and threw some clothes on. Showering could wait, I often skipped the chore, wondering why our society had felt the need to wash so often. I’d heard that peasants in China only washed once or twice a year. I guess that would change when the soap, deodorant and perfume companies got their teeth into them.

The sun fought hard with the clouds to brighten up the dank air that covered Golden Gate Park. But it was losing, rain clouds were closing in from the west and the impending storm was emptying the joggers and strollers in all directions. I headed to a coffee shop, checking first that my tiny umbrella was in my pocket. The clientele were cold, and mostly old, I saw myself in their eyes. It felt wonderful to be away from my family room and amongst normal people. My head had stopped throbbing and the madness of the past day was beginning to assemble itself in neat sections in my mind. Why me? kept looming up on one side. From what was I supposed to be saving the world? That I pigeon holed as my next question. And then the technology. The 3D screen, no doubt common in their world but in its infancy on earth. What else was there? Ka-el had said it would take many days to master the system. What was the system? What were eye-buds? What technology were they giving to me? I thought of the container and its weight. Light as a feather to pick-up, yet the contents were heavier. As if gravity worked in a different way on the various items. I ran all this through my head realizing that the answers were back in my family room. The desire to discover those answers battled with the comfort and normalcy I felt in the coffee shop.

I reached home with little need for my umbrella. The container sat peacefully on the carpet, its contents strewn over the coffee table. I sat down in my usual spot and took a deep breath. Time to take it to the next level. Then somewhat self-consciously I said, “computer on.” The business card-like object on the table lit up. I picked it up and placed it in mid-air, quite expecting in to drop to the floor. But, there it remained, instantly reminding me that what I was dealing with had no semblance to the real world.

“How do you do that?” I said.

“Do what?”

The voice was female, I gasped prematurely and pushed back in the sofa as if I was trying to get away from it.

“Stay there!” I exclaimed.

“Oh, you mean in mid-air?”

“Yes.”

“Anti-gravity,” was the reply, the voice sounding like she was talking to a child. I guess she was.

“Who are you?” I said and before she could answer, quickly added. “Why the female voice?”

“I thought you’d figure that out?” I didn’t reply. “Intuition, plus eighty-seven percent of men in America chose the female voice on their car GPS.”

Made sense, I thought. My GPS was female.

“Eighty-seven percent, how’d you know that?” I said.

“I just added them up. I might have missed some that haven’t been turned on for a while, but it’s close enough.”

“Added them up!” I exclaimed, my voice rising with skepticism.

“Yes.”

I wondered whether to pursue this, recognizing that I had drifted away from my initial enquiry. “Tell me about the anti-gravity trick.”

“No trick,” she replied, matter-of-factly. “Just technology.”

“I see.” I guessed that would be the answer for a lot of things. I sat back a little and wiped my hand across my forehead, the perspiration dampened my palm. I removed my sweater.

“Do you want to see me?” she asked.

“I’m sorry?”

“Would you prefer it if I had form?”

For a moment I was confused, but then I stumbled out a reply. “I guess.” For some reason I was thinking of R2D2 from Star Wars.

“What would you like me to look like?”

“You chose.” I said, not really thinking.

Almost instantaneously the likeness of a young Bridgett Bardot appeared in front of me, dressed in a leather mini-skirt that was way too mini.

“Oh-my-god!” I exclaimed. My mouth gaped open, my eyes wide with amazement. I felt a swelling in my groin and my face reddened with embarrassment. I had to adjust myself.

She pouted, “you don’t like me?”

“No… no… I mean yes! Wow!” She smiled. “How did you do that?”

“Technology.”

I should have guessed.

“How did you know?”

“You had a black and white picture of her on your wall astride a motorcycle when you were a kid. I guessed you liked how she looked.” She smiled.

“How could you know that?”

Again she smiled, but didn’t say anything. Technology. But then I thought for a moment.

“That’s not technology. How could you possibly know about the picture?”

“I know everything.”

“Everything?”

“Well everything for the last two hundred and forty-eight million years.” She said, as if it was nothing.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No, actually I’m not.”

“That’s incredible, it’s ridiculous, nuts, impossible.” I was dumbfounded and speechless for a while. I gazed at this gorgeous image in front of me and felt my heart race with excitement. My blood seemed to be surging through my body, I could feel a glow and a pulse over my entire being. My brow creased and I glanced out of the back slider. My house was not overlooked but if someone was to get into my backyard they would see everything.

She saw me look around. “I’ll keep an eye on the backyard.” She knew what I was thinking.

I was frightened for a minute. “Can you read my mind?”

She grinned, showing pearl white teeth. “No, I saw you checking the glass to the yard and guessed what you were thinking.”

“Oh, okay. But I think, maybe you should tone it down a bit.”

I think I confused her for a split second. That felt like a win. I smiled. The mini skirt suddenly disappeared and a black, demure pant-suit took its place. I breathed deeply, indicating my concurrence with the change.

“What are you?”

“What do you mean?” she replied.

“I assume you’re not real, but you look… well you know.”

“I’m a hologram within your understanding. Just a creation by the computer based on data and pictures that I reviewed.”

“Can I touch you?”

She smiled, as if she was truly a woman and I’d been rude. Then she reached out with her hand. I leant forward to touch her hand, but there was nothing there. My hand moved right through hers. She was a mirage. I was startled and withdrew my hand quickly.

“Weird.” I said, then became quiet. I stared at her, disbelieving. I felt frightened yet excited. What was happening here? Or was this really happening? Was I dreaming all of this? Too much Scotch maybe? But I hadn’t been drinking. Was I about to wake up and rejoin my world? I continued to stare.

“I need a name?” She said.

“What? Oh! yes, I guess that would be right.”

“Well?”

I stared at this goddess standing in front of me. I thought of my wife Mary and mentally said sorry to her. What for? she would have asked. Not Mary or Bridgette. “How about Sally?” I said.

“Bit boring, I was thinking more of Honaria or Scarlette, something down that line.”

“No!” I said, taking charge. “Sally. You are Sally.”

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