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(90 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Alpham awoke to his mother knocking on his bedroom
door. Alpham lived with his adopted parents in
a bad part of town. The streets were narrow and covered
with graffiti. His adopted dad barely eked an existence
selling fresh baked breads.
The door swung open and his adopted mother leaned in.
"Up up up, lazy bones," she called. "We're pulling
you from school today and taking a trip."
Alpham had just turned ten, and was still heady from
his party. He . . . |
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(89 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Doug Goshkin heard a boom from the back of the railroad museum. Because
he was a kid, he looked around to see if his folks had heard the boom.
But they hadn't, or didn't seem to, because they kept on arguing.
Doug wandered toward the back of the museum to see what made the noise.
To his annoyance, his younger brother, Joey, trailed along. "Go back," Doug
said.
"No," Joey said.
"Stay in sight," his mother called from behind.
Doug arrived at the b . . . |
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(87 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek met Firstboy under the shade of porticos that
had been constructed on the lake's shore. They provided
an area of meditation, nearest the first dome.
Creek had been startled when he found out originator humans
only lived for a paltry sixty or seventy years. Creek continued
to look young despite the past sixty years, whereas
Firstboy was now old. Creek would live for a thousand
years, or more, yet.
Firstboy limped up using a cane. "Creek! My f . . . |
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(87 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek Fire and his large dog Pebble arrived surprisingly refreshed
at the next landing. "That meal must have been really fine,"
Creek said to Pebble.
This time, instead of an arched doorway, Creek found a simple open door
and in front of that, a pretty, young woman.
"Hello", Creek called to her. But she ignored him.
She appeared to be tapping her foot and waiting.
Pebble spoke a decisive, "Woof." He trotted up to the
woman.
She smiled and greeted . . . |
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(87 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek Fire walked but a single day to find another opening.
A small room opened off the corridor, warmly lit inside.
Creek stepped in and looked around.
Three fences of some kind of thick wire net formed a wall
around the enclosure. Beyond the fence were plants as far
as he could see, which wasn't far.
In the far corner an open box stared back at Creek. It
was an ugly green, overgrown with weeds, and appeared
empty. Creek approached it and reached . . . |
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(84 views)
Creek Fire had been walking since he had become a man.
His hunting dog, Pebble, trotted along, always on the
side opposite his walking staff.
Creek had been traveling for two years and had visited dozens
of villages. Because Creek had also been trying to map his
travels, he soon discovered that all villages in his world
were laid out on a perfectly square grid. He'd once counted
his steps and decided one village was always fifty thousand steps
from the next. Always seven day's travel by foot.
. . . |
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(81 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek Fire awoke as usual just after dawn. He wandered out of his cabin and found
his large dog Pebble already up and supervising the children.
A year had passed since the first child appeared. The snow covering the glass
dome was almost totally gone. The once dead field under the dome was now filled
with towering green plants.
As usual, the first boy waited for Creek to emerge. "Today?" he called.
"Is it today? Will you give us names today?"
Cre . . . |
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(81 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
The new assistant grew into a young woman, living up
to her name, CloudLining, because she always offered all
she met a profound hope. Creek spent many hours talking with
her and eventually asked her to marry him.
Word spread of the wedding and thousands of well wishers
came to visit from far and wide. Some, who did not know the
system, brought gifts. All such gifts were politely refused.
A great feast was followed by a splendid wedding. And that
. . . |
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(81 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Today, Creek Fire stood on another bridge in another alcove. He leaned
over and watched a road underneath. Thousands of huge machines streamed
underneath. He looked carefully and noticed a single person sat in, and
controlled each. The smell and the noise made him feel sick to his
stomach. Sometimes a giant machine would pass under and he'd feel the
floor vibrate.
"Too late," the voice in his head spoke. "Too late we found that our
values were inve . . . |
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(81 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek Fire and his large dog Pebble rested for a day. The
second afternoon a man opened the door and leaned in.
"All ready for your next step?" he asked.
Creek stood, but didn't go forward to greet the man. Creek
had learned that everyone down here were projections.
Pebble, who had been napping, lifted his head to look at
the man, then yawned and lay his head down again.
The man strode through the room. "Okay everyone, rise and shine."
He approac . . . |
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(81 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
For the past four hundred years Creek had continued to name every child born.
But as the humans increased in numbers and as they spread far and wide
over the land, visits to any given town became longer and longer between.
At first he was a couple months late. Then half a year. Then a year late.
At almost five hundred years old Pebble was beginning to feel stiffness
in his hind quarters. The loyal dog accompanied Creek on all his travels.
Just as l . . . |
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(81 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek asked the projection, "Why do the children understand Pebble, and I
do not?"
The projected woman said, "One moment." She vanished.
Another projection appeared. This time it was a young man, fancy dressed,
with a small device pressed to his ear.
"Yes," the man said into the device. "Okay." He looked up at Creek.
"Yes, twice the DNA, four times the brain power. Got it."
The man folded the device an put it in his pocket. The he addressed
Cree . . . |
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(81 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
The train ran for two days and two nights before at last stopping
at a platform much like the first. Creek and his large dog Pebble
emerged from the train rested and feeling good. A new man-projection
appeared and called to them.
"Gather up everyone. This way. This way. Follow me."
Creek and Pebble followed the projection to the end of the platform
then up a long ramp. At the top of the ramp were glass doors that opened
when they approached. Like . . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek Fire found many more side rooms in this corridor. The stone texture of the corridor
walls prevented him from noticing any until he was upon one. Then he would stop.
Each time he would wonder, Should I go in this one. The last one was kind of interesting.
But the one before that was a little frightening. But no matter what he thought, his
curiosity always overpowered his reason, so he went in.
This time he found himself on a metal floor that . . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek had found some packages labeled, "Instant coffee." Mixed
with warm water the taste was bitter, but had a similar effect
to the purple drink he'd had earlier. Feeling energized, Creek wandered out to
the field of dead plants. His large dog, Pebble, followed.
Near one of the few green areas, Creek looked up at the hanging
lamps. He judged the distance, then picked up a large stone and
threw it. The stone arced and fell, far short of the lamp.
. . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek was somewhere around eight hundred years old. He lost
track of his exact age a while back. Because his legs were
beginning to ache, he tended these days to remain at home.
Creek used to wander the land of humans, visiting them where
they lived and helping them solve their problems. Today he
sat in a chair and waited for humans to come to him.
Many humans volunteered to help him. They fed him, they did his laundry,
they screened others who wa . . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode, copyright 2008 Bryan Costales, continues yesterday's story
At last, Creek and his large dog Pebble made it up into
the library on the third floor. The floor was filled with
large black pods, some tall and some short. Pods also hung
from the ceiling. The appeared to be some sort of machines
with inviting openings.
Creek stepped into one of the tall pods and sat in a comfortable
chair. He looked around for Pebble and saw his dog enter a short
pod.
A series of images presented . . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode, copyright 2008 Bryan Costales, continues yesterday's story
Creek walked among the children naming them. He would stop
by each where he and the child would study each other. Then
he would announce, "Red," or "Fresh," or "Rose," or "Snowball."
Creek had no problem remembering each name after it was
given. In fact, he was surprised that by naming each child,
he now could more easily recognize them.
A child was listening to his dog Pebble. The child laughed.
"What's so funny, . . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek walked into the cool, shaded room to see how Pebble was doing.
The old dog was six hundred years old, and near the end of his life.
He had been running a fever for the past couple days.
Young women in colorful robes worked in an endless stream. The brought in
fresh cloths soaked in alcohol to cool Pebble's paws, and removed the
old spent cloths.
Creek knelt near his old friend and scratched him behind his ears.
Pebble opened his eyes and sa . . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek thought that perhaps one of the larger children was napping
in the answer room again. Half heartedly, he accompanied Snowball
up the stairs in the main building of their dome.
They entered the room and found Pebble already there. The large
dog lay on the floor and studied a man sitting in the chair. The
man, Creek saw, was unusually tall and thin. He appeared to be dressed
in a soft flowing fabric that glowed subtly inside.
The man noticed C . . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode, copyright 2008 Bryan Costales, continues yesterday's story
Creek led Firstboy and Pebble through the now-abandoned
first building. It was dark and smelled damp.
"How can I fight words?" Firstboy asked. "Ideas can be so
persuasive. It is hard to maintain the peace."
"When I was a young boy," Creek said. "My dad told me about
a man in the river who was asked, 'Catch any fish?' The man
held his hands wide and said, 'One this big, but it got away.'
Now if the man had a history . . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode, copyright 2008 Bryan Costales, continues yesterday's story
Creek stood looking at the birds flying over the
glass dome when Snowball pulled on his
sleeve.
"A door!" Snowball said gleefully, bouncing with excitement.
"A door has opened into the outside." Snowball pointed.
Creek looked and sure enough, a large door stood open letting
sunlight in. He took Snowball's hands and walked
together with him out the door.
Below them, in a shallow valley, Creek saw a wide lake.
Over i . . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek Fire came upon a room that, at last, appeared restful. A chair and
small table sat against a wall under windows covered with horizonal
sticks. Outside the windows Creek saw the warm, but indistinct,
glow of other buildings.
Creek sat in the chair.
A drinking glass appeared on the table. Creek pick it up and smelled.
"Hmmm," he said. "Another purple banana smoothy." He drank the
cool liquid and leaned back to relax.
His arms became mired in . . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode, copyright 2008 Bryan Costales, continues yesterday's story
The first Council of Elders set in law three main concepts.
Killing, even in war, is a crime. There shall only ever be
one language. And the number of children allowed a person is based
on the good they do.
Over the years these rules were added to and evolved into codes
of conduct. And for seven hundred years there had been peace.
A town on the far side of the vast desert decided to become a fort.
They surrounded th . . . |
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(80 views)
Today's episode continues yesterday's story
Creek Fire walked the long corridor for what felt like days.
Whenever he became hungry, he just thought about the fish
meal he had eaten and, like magic, his hunger was gone.
Whenever he felt tired or discouraged, he just thought
about the purple drink and his energy returned.
Creek was walking at a steady pace down the boring corridor,
when he found himself in fog. He stopped. He looked around
but could see no details. So he took a step back and f . . . |
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