“Due to the chemical and physical make–up of the boundary, that would be impossible. A space craft entering close to the limit of your universe would find itself moving tangentially to the internal surface, it would continue around in the enclosed space, never reaching the periphery.”
“This is so hard for me to understand,” Johnny said exasperatedly
“I know it is, Johnny,” Roberterian said somewhat sadly.
“Why did you have to bring me here to talk with me?”
“This realm directly interfaces with my laboratory, so it is much easier for me to communicate and cause certain actions through here.”
“I guess we will never meet face to face.”
“No, I’m afraid not, Johnny; but I will have a replica of you, here at my level.”
“Why are you telling me all of this?”
“I know that you are an extremely bright boy with a high IQ. You like science, perhaps someday you will study celestial mechanics. What you do with this knowledge is entirely up to you.”
“Will we speak again someday?”
“That is probable, but not likely anytime soon.
“Al now needs to return you to your own realm. It has been such a pleasure talking with you even though I know you feel distraught. Please don’t talk about Al or myself with anyone, okay?”
“I’ll try.”
“Goodbye, Johnny.”
“Goodbye.”
Johnny wanted to say “Goodbye, Father.” But he just couldn’t bring himself to it.
Epilog
“Come on Johnny, wake up! Breakfast is almost ready, and then we are going to choose up teams for paintball.”
Johnny sat up, trying to shake the sleep from his head. One of his bunk mates, a boy named Brian, had awakened him.
“Johnny, it looks like you slept in your clothes all night. Are you okay?” Brian asked.
“Yes, I’m okay,” Johnny responded.
“Well, hurry up,” Brian said, as he dashed from the cabin.
“What a crazy dream,” Johnny thought.
The flashlight was still lodged in Johnny’s right pocket, but his left pocket was empty.
“The hand watch, where is it?” Johnny thought sleepily.
A cursory search revealed that is was not among Johnny’s possessions.
“Well, who cares, it was nothing but trouble anyway,” he said out loud to himself.
Johnny smelled the odor of bacon and eggs wafting into his cabin. His stomach rumbled in anticipation. He quickly changed into a pair of blue jeans and an old tee shirt.
“Yes, paintball! I love that game. I hope that Al guy leaves me alone, I don’t need any help for this.”
Johnny ran out to join his camp companions.
“After camp is over, Mom promised to take me to someplace really neat. I am going to hold her to that bargain,” he thought excitedly.
At a moderate distance away Al smiled as he watched Johnny devour his bacon and eggs and get ready for the paintball competition.
“My time here is done for now,” Al thought. “The boy needs to enjoy his youth.”
Back in the laboratory, Roberterian and his fellow associate Verius looked upon the twenty foot diameter sphere of the miniature universe.
“You know,” Verius pondered, “maybe we are also in an enclosed universe with other beings looking on and manipulating us.”
Roberterian replied, “Interesting concept, Verius; that could be possible.”
“And maybe it goes on and on into infinity, a universe within a universe within a universe and so on,” she replied.
“I am hungry, let’s have dinner, Verius.”
“Okay, my treat this time!”
THE END
You Can Call Me Al Page 4
