Some People Are Like Trees
Mattresses • Stranded On A Deserted Island - Part 6
One Minute Wit
Some People Are Like Trees
Some people are like mighty oaks.
They stand unwavering through almost any storm.
Others are like Weeping Willows.
Often sad.
Some people are like Maple trees.
Full of sweet and syrupy goodness.
Others are like rubber trees.
Always bouncing from thing to thing.
Some people are like Longleaf Pines.
They needle you to no end.
Others are like palm trees.
Always looking for a handout or help.
Some people are like Birch trees.
Flaky.
I say it is high time people quit acting like trees and start acting like people. Stop being trees!
Wouldn’t It Be Nice?
Mattresses
Wouldn’t it be nice if you pulled the “Do not remove under penalty of law” tag off your mattress,
and the stitching ripped open,
and you discovered that your mattress was not stuffed with foam,
but was actually stuffed with $100 bills.
A Serial Story Of Adventure And Surprises
Stranded On A Deserted Island • Part 6
The Final Countdown
When we left off last time, Amelia and Jake took Jake’s ship out to the shipping lane and were eventually rescued by a container ship. Who promptly handed them over to an American naval carrier, where they discovered they were not in 2018 but actually in 1976. The Captain of the carrier found Jake’s cell phone, and they were forced to tell their story and reveal Amelia’s true identity. Then suddenly, another time storm appeared.
Captain Bonaventure turned to us and said, “We will deal with this later. Stay here.”
He left the room.
There is no hiding from a time storm. It appears out of nowhere and gives you no time or place to run. The storm hit the Nimitz moments later. We grabbed the table and held on as the ship rocked. Then as quickly as it started, the storm was over. I was surprised, seeing that I had been hammered for days when the time storm hit my sailboat.
The Nimitz was instantly sailing on smooth seas under blue skies. Amelia and I remained locked in the meeting room. Once the ruckus had died down, and things were put back in order, the Captain returned.
“Tell me more about this device,” Bonaventure said, holding up my phone.
“I will answer all your questions as best I can. But first, let me ask you about the storm. Have you ever encountered anything similar?”
“No. But quickly arising and passing storms are not uncommon in the ocean.”
“Captain, I believe this was no ordinary storm. I think it was a time storm. The same kind of storm that sent both Amelia and me to this time.”
“And you expect me to believe you are both time travelers from different times?”
“Hand me my phone, and I will prove it,” I said.
“This device stays with me until you explain what it is and how you got it.”
“Alright. Sit next to me, and I will explain how to use it.”
Bonaventure looked at me suspiciously.
“I simply want to show you some photographs from my time,” I added.
“This device has photographs in it?”
“In a way. They are not on film. They are on the screen. Like television.”
“Hold on.”
Bonaventure sent one of the crew to get his best technology guy. Once Tech Specialist Barns was in the room, they sat on either side of me.
“Explain to me how to access the photographs. Slowly,” Bonaventure said.
“Hold up the phone like you want to look at the screen.” The phone woke up the screen lit up. “I need to enter my unlock code or use my thumbprint to open it. This is for privacy and theft deterrent. Only I can access it.”
Barns said, “You can unlock this device with your thumbprint?”
“Yes. Or by typing a code.”
“Show me.”
I placed my thumb on the home button, and the phone unlocked, showing the first screen of app icons.
“What are these images?” Barns asked.
“Those are called icons. They represent the computer programs on the phone.”
“Where is the code?”
“It is hidden. You only see graphical images.”
Tell me what each one does,” Bonaventure ordered.
“The one labeled Phone is used to make telephone calls. But it won’t work in this time. The one labeled Music will play music. Try it. Touch the icon.”
Bonaventure looked at me, trying to decide if he should trust me. Finally, he touched the Music icon, and the Music app opened.
“Touch the word Songs,” I said.
He did.
“Touch any of them.”
He touched on Dream On, and the Aerosmith classic started playing. Both Bonaventure and Barns were visibly startled and looked at each other in disbelief.
“Touch the double bar icon to pause the song,” I said.
“How is this possible?” Barns asked. “It is too small to hold tape. And where are the speakers?”
“The songs are digital. They are stored in computer code and converted to analog for playback. The speaker is inside.”
“Not possible,” Barns said.
“Not in 1976. But it is commonplace in 2018,” I replied.
“Show me something else,” Bonaventure said.
“Push the small button at the bottom twice,” I said. “Now touch the icon labeled Photos.”
The Photos app launched, and the screen filled with a grid full of photographs. Again, Bonaventure and Barns were shocked.
“Now touch the bottom of the screen and slide your finger up.”
As more photos came into view, I said, “Keep doing that until I tell you to stop. Stop. Touch that one.”
A photo of the Manhattan skyline appeared and filled the screen.
“That is New York City in 2018.”
“It can’t be. I am from New York,” Barns said. I don’t recognize these buildings.
I showed him several more photos of New York, including the Brooklyn Bridge.
“That’s the Brooklyn Bridge, but those buildings are wrong.”
“That is what New York looks like in my time. Look at the cars. Have you seen cars like those in this time?”
“No.”
“Keep sliding your finger up. Stop. Touch the one with the number on it.”
A video of a carnival taken at night from the top of a Ferris Wheel began playing.
Bonaventure and Barns were dazed.
“I don’t know what to think, Captain. This way beyond anything I’ve seen before,” Barns said. “The Russians are not capable of this level of advanced technology and miniaturization. No one is. And we can’t be getting a television signal out here. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but time travel seems to be the only explanation.”
Bonaventure looked at me and then looked at Amelia.
Amelia, who had also watched the demonstration, said, “I was just as stunned as you are when I first saw it. I was also stunned by your helicopter. Everything that has happened since I crashed my Electra has been unbelievable. Speaking of unbelievable, I am dying to see your jet airplanes up close.”
A sailor entered the room and handed the Captain a note.
“It appears we have visitors. Both of you come with me to the bridge. I am getting tired of making the trip back and forth.”
We headed up to the bridge of the ship. The technology on the bridge appeared dated to me, although I knew it was cutting-edge for the period. My phone probably had more computing power than all the ship’s technology combined.
“Captain, we picked up a ship on the radar where there shouldn’t be one.”
“Send out a scout. Let’s see what it is.”
One of the fighters was dispatched. Amelia watched in awe as the jet rocketed off the carrier’s deck and quickly soared into the sky.
“Unbelievable,” Amelia said. “Thank you, Captain, for allowing me to see that.”
“I don’t know if I believe you, but if you really are Amelia Earhart, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
When the fighter spotted the ship, the pilot radioed in.
“Copy Nimitz. I have a visual. It is a small naval carrier. Captain, you are not going to believe this. It is covered with what looks like Japanese Zero fighters.”
“Falcon 1, return to the nest.”
The Captain looked at me.
“If it was another time storm, it is possible we went back in time. Maybe before World War II. It would explain the Japanese carrier,” I said.
“The only reason a Japanese carrier would be this far away from Japan is if they were heading toward Pearl Harbor,” Bonaventure added.
This was starting to sound like that cheesy 1980 movie, The Final Countdown. Except, no one but me had seen it.
“Captain, we both know the history. The attack on Pearl Harbor nudges America off the sidelines and into the war. If we stop the attack, America may continue its isolationist policy and allow Hitler to win the war in Europe. If we don’t stop the attack, the American navy will be devastated. It is a no-win situation. No one should know the future.”
“Let the politicians debate the politics. If we really are in 1941, and the Japanese fleet is about to attack the US, it is my sworn duty to respond. And I will. Battle stations! This is not a drill.”
As sailors scrambled everywhere, I noticed something approaching in the distance. A storm.
“Not again.” I thought.
I woke up back on my sailboat. Except it was in perfect condition. I looked at my phone. The date said July 05, 2018. The day I left on my solo sailing adventure.
I checked the ship, looking for Amelia. She was not there.
Was it all a dream? I couldn’t have been. It seemed too real.
I turned around and headed back to port to buy some extra sails.
The End
Did you enjoy the serial? Would you like to read more serial stories in Monday Morning Mark?
Happy Monday. Thanks for reading and responding. You make it fun.
Mark
Cool! You made it back. I had no idea how you could do that -- and If you write like I do, YOU didn't know either. ha ha ha! Nice work.
Some People Are Like Trees - People should act like people and less like trees, but here’s a counterpoint; trees don’t have to go to work. They can just relax in the sun all day!
Mattresses - You’d be rich with all that mattress money, but then the law would be after you!
Stranded On A Deserted Island • Part 6 - The time storm came back because it realized that the timeline was going to get very VERY messed up!