COUNTING DOWN THE YEARS

NO WAY!

I read somewhere that chameleons are good at looking like their surroundings so that they are not easily noticed. Obviously you know about it.  Also that they have complex brains which processes information faster than humans and that's why they have eyes that can look around them like 360 degrees. They don't have to turn around. They can't anyway, but still. 

Doesn't that and some mind games with levels they call aliens or turtle smart which are both higher than humans, make you feel like life is a lie? I mean, can a turtle speak and say 'hey Annie Cavanaugh ' ? Why do people like to discredit people's intelligence. Something about ,in a life time a person only uses 8% of their brain! Then why do we have the whole thing. And how sure are they because I don't believe that for a second! 

In short I guess I'm saying, if only we could possess that ability to camouflage like chameleons would be nice. Just look like your environment and nobody notices you. Anything including getting hit by a bus from nowhere would be better than having to face and explain to Dr McGuire why and how we are actually here. Today too. 

"We'll hide. Just a tiny peek. What they don't know won't hurt them. They'll not know we are there! " Drew keeps yelling as we speed walk down the hallway after Dr McGuire who thought it a good idea to go report us to the cops, again! 

"Change of plans Drew! And Dr McGuire wait! "

What's with these men making my life difficult. The scientist keeps walking and Drew keeps yelling at me. I want to bump his head on a wall so bad. And I'd love it. 

"You shouldn't have come back here! " Dr McGuire says warningly .

You think he'd love to know we didn't want to come either? 

"I know, I know. But no need to report us to the police again. The world could end tomorrow, don't you want to spend your last day being nice. And wait, are you working with the police? Because we are but we are not supposed to be down here so you can't tell them we are here. " I resort to whining because other ways are stuck. 

Damn! Smart people are so darn difficult! 

"The world is ending alright. Without a common kill switch to end all of those robots they'll take over the country. And there is no common kill switch or code. " He suddenly stops and turns to give me a stern look, " I would rather you be not the last face I see when the world ends. " He turns around and keeps walking. Ouch! You don't just easily say that to a girl! 

Uh - oh! Section fifteen. 

Sixteen. 

Seventeen. 

Drew tsks. "It's not like the world is really, really ending though. They'll probably enslave us or something. They can't possibly kill us... "

"It's a good thing to be  enslaved by robots? " I ask in shock throwing my hands up. 

This guy keeps breaking his own records at being totally unbelievable. 

"The world is ending, they'll take down civilization after civilization. Until no nation is ruled by humans. And they'll have people make more of them ,more soldiers to their crusade  ." Dr McGuire says looking like he's got an escape pod waiting for him somewhere so he'll not be part of enslaved civilization. Maybe he does who knows. 

And then he pulls open the heavy looking door written on 'section 17' . If this were a different occasion I would be bubbling with excitement to see this famous section. I've reported about it severally, enough to develop fantasies about how it looks like in the inside. But I'm still excited to see inside even when it'll end up in Drew and I getting thrown out dragged by our ears. That would be embarrassing and painful too. 

When the doors open and the inside is displayed to us, I couldn't help but get a little disappointed. I had so much hope and faith in this section. I thought it would look like a scientific magical world. Beautiful, bold, bright and full of light. Wow that rhymes. And most importantly, angry faces of the chief and her team who didn't hope to see us here. I exchange glances with Drew. He's disappointed too. We both look at Dr McGuire questioningly. He looks like he expected our reactions. He ushers us in like the good butler he'll never be. Drew steps in first because he's never heard a, 'lady's first '.

"So this section 17?" Drew questions not hiding disappointment from his voice. 

I step in to twirling around, my hands up. 

"This is the famous section everyone wishes they could see? It looks ordinary to me. And where is anyone? They left us here to take the fall for everything, didn't they? "I question dreading the answer anyway. 

I wouldn't know where from to get answers to why I am here today after yesterday's events. Looks like they actually found use for us. I knew trusting cops who get thrilled about breaking and entering wasn't so smart and now look what they did. 

"How small is that thing because with the size of this lab I could tell it has to be small. " Drew is in his own world too. 

Dr McGuire is quiet just watching us like we are interesting specimens. Maybe we are to him. So o, he'll give us mood stabilizers like Marcus the monkey or deny us them? He looks like he'll enjoy denying us I don't know why I even asked. 

I ignore him and start walking further into the room looking around. The two men remain by the door. 

"Shouldn't a lab where you guys do illegal stuff have like tight security or something. You just pulled the door open. " I said pointing at the door behind them. "Or maybe it's because it's night time. " I conclude for myself. 

I heard Dr McGuire groan at 'illegal stuff ' so I repeat myself. 

"Criminals who do illegal things like to hi... " I don't get to finish my sentence before bumping my head into something. 

What the hell? And suddenly an alarm is off with a voice saying, "warning, warning, unauthorized persons. " over and over. 

That can't be good! 

"Sweet! " Drew exclaims. 

It sounded more like, 'sue wheat ' . Not the point because I on the other hand started panicking. But I don't even have that long before whatever wall thing I bumped into opens revealing a pissed off female detective. I wonder what her name is. She looks more than ready to bite my head off. I guess the open sesame thing is what Drew is thrilled about. I would know because I'm the girl he pushed away to get in. Lucky for me the scientist caught me before I face planted on the floor. Such a gentleman. Oh scratch that! 

He looks uncomfortable doing it though so there is that. I regain my balance to turn and see Drew held back. I wish to yell to him, 'Yeah pick someone your own size, loser '. All because he almost fell me down. I'm not a mean person and it's why I don't yell that at him but I had to think it. Cause he almost fell me. 

"You are supposed to be up there. Dr McGuire why did you bring them here? " 

"I did not. Found them by the elevator. You are the ones who brought them here. She shouldn't even be here !" Dr McGuire says impatiently walking past the female detective. 

"That's pretty specific! " I yell to his back which he ignores, "He was talking about me or you... " I trail of waiting for a name. 

None comes forth. She narrows her eyes at us. 

"Can't stay out of trouble for a minute? " She questions.

"Oh come on, it's been like half an hour ," is what Drew says. 

"We'll take just a tiny peek then we'll be out. "Is what I say. 

And they both take a moment to watch me getting hopeful to dejected to shrugging it off. 

"There is a reason you two were to remain up there miss Annie and Mr Andrew. "The chief says suddenly peeking over the female detective's head. 

I feel like I'm in kindergarten again and a teacher caught me eating other kids' food from their lunch boxes during napping lessons. I was humiliated that day. I will never forget it. And now I can relate to that because of the tone the chief used. My brain tells me to bring up the 'taking just a tiny peek ' but my mouth refuses to cooperate in things that bring shame for once. Like I appreciate you mouth but you are so many years so late. So late. 

"Come in, take your tiny peek and return to your post. " The chief says with a sigh. 

Now that is some reasonable woman right there people. I could shake her hand but I'd come out as a weirdo so I'm good. 

The female detective looks like she's about to question the chief but bites down on her teeth from how her jaws twitched before stepping aside. Drew of course almost knocks the woman down because he's on a roll with sweeping ladies off their feet. 

My mouth hangs open when I step in and take in the surroundings. This is so much tech, so much money, so much brains, so beautiful and spacious. You could hold a ball dance in here with like three hundred people. Then there is the machine. There is no mistaking it and I don't need be told it's the one. It's the future. The last hope. That's kinda hard but it's beautiful so get over it. 

"It's magnificent! " Drew marvels walking towards the center of the room where some people wearing white aprons are working on them. 

"Don't touch anything and stay where you are. "Dr McGuire scolds. 

Harsh! 

"Aren't done with the tiny peek anyway? "Female detective asks looking annoyed. 

What's with these people's attitude. It's not like we're eating anyone's food or stepping on anyone's toes. They just need to chill out. 

I give the thing my attention again and just like Drew I might have an orgasm just standing here and watching it a few strides from me. I don't know if it's almost airplane shape of it, or the beautiful turquoise blue  color of it, or maybe it's how it's suspended by heavy duty wires so that it hangs in the air and it's wingless unlike an airplane, but whatever it is got me tongue tied. Oh scratch that part of it looking like an airplane, it might as well look like a giant egg. A turquoise blue giant egg. So smooth looking like the paint job was done with all of someone's heart. Then there is the screen looking part which seems to be covered in opened files or whatever. 

A someone's form is in there swiping and typing. I wonder how it looks and feels inside. Must be really magical. Then suddenly everything starts picking up speed. People are uneasy as they is a warning siren in the lab. Then whomever was in the machine steps out jumping from it. My jaw hits the ground. I knew the guy back in high school. He was that typical nerd and interestingly once said to me he'll build a time machine. When you think it's just my jaw on the floor then think the guy doesn't have one anymore. 

"Peter? "

"Annie. "He says my name like he's scared to pronounce it or something. 

What's up with that? And just hold up, Peter is the evil scientist traveling people across time without illegally? Someone must have put him up to this. 

"Told you she's not supposed to be here. "Dr McGuire hisses. 

Really! 

But we don't get time to react any further when someone screams 'duck ' and we are all sent flying across the room because there is an explosion. I didn't even get to duck! Then nothing is clear.