I made this fictional story up for an assignment from World Literature course (ENGL 1405) of my Computer Science bachelor program (University of the People). This is the 2nd version of a fiction originally written as a horror story. I’m Brazilian, so English isn’t my mother-tongue. I hope you enjoy reading it!
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Although out of his hibernation chamber, John was sleeping peacefully until the moment he woke up due to a loud noise in the house followed by a light gleam seen through the window curtains. He didn’t want to bother his wife since it was her time to sleep properly, while he was sleeping as used to be in the good old times to be attentive to the baby needs overnight. For that reason, he stood up and wore his shoes to check what was going on. When he was ready to go to the baby’s room, his hand went automatically straight to the nightstand, clearly searching for something.
“Maybe I forgot my temporizer in the living room”, thought John, yet aware that wasn’t usual since the device is like part of people’s body nowadays. Everyone uses it to communicate, to surf on the internet and alike, all through holographic experiences. However, John’s intention wasn’t leisure this time. The main function which the temporizers made possible since when they were invented was teleportation. Above all, that’s the technology that conquered a considerable piece of the current customers within society. The teleportation — also known as temporization — solved for good all the urban traffic issues providing fast travel for everyone, erasing the practice of the past when so much time was wasted on packed highways. John was intending to use it just to get there faster, consequently walking was his only option.
The child room was right in the other extremity of the upper corridor that connects it to the parents’ room. A few more steps later and he was right in front of the baby room, and that’s when he realized something was wrong. From the door, he rubbed his eyes with the back of one of the hands to adjust the vision and saw the blanket sat aside on the floor, away from the crib. Then he turned the light on, and rushed himself closer to the crib, to make sure it was completely empty in exception of the comfy bedding set. John tried to stay calm, striving to figure out what happened to his missing son.
Feeling more awake than minutes earlier, he remembered about the gleam that woke him up relating it with the lost temporizer. “He certainly got my temporizer, I’m pretty sure. Jimmy has been trying to grab it all day, so he did it and now is gone somewhere else”. Before freaking her wife out with the circumstances, John went down to the living room looking for the device again, yet unsuccessfully. Thereof, came back to the bedroom to get her wife’s device to make an emergency call. Without disturbing her sleep time, John checked the emergency instructions in the back of her temporizer and activated a tiny button placed to communicate with the CTA (Central Tech Authority).
— CTA attendant on duty, may I help you?
— Is it possible to track down my temporizer? This is my wife’s.
— Of course, did you try to locate it using the tempo’s app on your laptop?
— Not really, I called directly because it’s an emergency.
— Well sir, we surely can do for you through us, but only when the morning team employees got here, alright? ’Cause I can’t leave real emergencies unattended, spending my time doing something you could do for yourself. We got just a few attendants in the night shi — she was interrupted abruptly:
— Wait, wait, wait! Listen, I got an emergency. My baby son temporized himself to some unknown destination that I have no idea where is. I really need your help.
— Oh, dear! I’m sorry to hear that! But don’t worry, this is more common than you think. Give me like… 30 minutes! I’ll locate your child and send an agent to bring him home right away.
— You have no idea how that sounds relieving to me. Hopefully I’ll have him back before my wife wakes up.
— Probably. Safe and sound, since the procedure is quite quick. Let me just get your personal information to make sure we find the right device…
* * *
Meanwhile in a distant place of the galaxy, two weird humanoids discuss about the earthly race in their way home.
— Did you capture our sample?
— Sure. I’m one of the best researchers from our planet. Did you forget that?
— Just making sure you’ve succeeded in your seeking. It’s a very important project that we are directly involved. They are counting on us to know more about our closest neighbors and potential treats. So it’s fundamental to keep our discretion while in the field.
— Unquestionably, my friend. I even took an earthly tech device to make it look like the subject vanished for other reasons than extraterrestrial visit. I never leave a trail behind.
