Memories | Invulnerable - Epilogue 3

Whatever happened to that other amazing device.

INVULNERABLE

Epilogues

3 - Memories

Her recitation of the alien memory scrolls completed, she hangs around with the crowd a while, being thanked, asked the usual questions about things she'd just explained, smiling and nodding and working her way toward the door.

Walking home through a light mist with a couple of younger, admiring girls. They chat about the recitation, learning it by rote by passing the story back and forth among each other, turning to her now and then to clear up or affirm some point.

As they pass a corner, catercorner from the ruins ("New building project by blah blah" says the sign), they look upon it in silence.

One of the girls broke the silence.

"Your Telling always moves us all so. We're so wrapped up in what happened to Paul, and everything, that…" She paused. Too long a pause. I think I know what's coming. I hate lying. Hate Hate Hate Hate HATE! Lying! "…that I never stopped to wonder…" (here it comes!) "…whatever happened to that other amazing alien I-Pad?"

I had to laugh at the comparison with the paper thin telepathic communicator. She laughed. We all laughed. It helped cover up my lie. My lying. Hate it!

"Dr. Tom asked me that when I first told him the story! It was just… They just turned to, like, you know, dust, smoke, vanished before I left the ruins." I hate lying!

As we move along, they talk a bit about how the devices could have been teleported back, or dissolved because they were too far from the mother ship computer. They decided the devices had some kind of self-destruct safety built in, just in case they fell into enemy hands.

They giggled and talked about blogging their ideas.

"Please, no. Bringing that up makes people focus on the wrong things. Like religious icons." After some "aww!" pleading, they agreed.

Talk moved on to another topic.

We came to my door.

We said our good-byes and hugged.

I went up the steps as they walked down the street.

I heard one of them say, "Mission Impossible!"

Up the steps, through the outer door. Check my mail, through the inner door. Up the stairs. Unlock the apartment door (how strange to use locks!). A can of food and some hugs for the cat. A sandwich and a glass of some fruity soda pop. A quick wash-up. Pet the cat. Down the little hallway to the bedroom with the cat following. Take off a few things. Open the closet door. Move away some of the clutter and reach inside a box, underneath old school books and papers.

With kitty curled up next to me, I curl up in the clutter of clothes on the floor of the closet. A familiar nest. My eyes go wide and I enter a different world. I gently touch the screen and I wake in the dark.

Tears rolling down my face.

Staring off into memory.

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