Main Street, Villeville, Ohio--Saturday, May 3, 1986
8:30 am
"Well, now what?" C.J. complained. "We can't find William Miller anywhere."
"Oh, stop complaining," said Al. "It's not like you have anything else to do."
"You know, if you have any ideas, they would be greatly appreciated right about now."
"Hey, Fibber McGee!" shouted a passer-by. "Do you have an imaginary friend now, too?"
"What's he talking about, Al?" asked C.J.
"Um, let's move out of sight first." suggested Al. The two stepped into an lonely alley.
"Well?"
"Well, you see, Ceej," Al explained, "right now, I'm a mental hologram to you, specifically tuned to your brain, and all of this is a hologram to me. I'm actually in the imaging chamber, in 2002. Nobody else in 1986 can see or hear me."
"Don't you think that's a pretty stinkin' important fact to tell me before I make myself look like a fool in public?"
Al looked at his hand link. "Whoa, it's worse than that. Steven's folks are thinking about taking him to see a psycho-ologist about his lying. If they get reports that he's got an imaginary friend, well, uh, you're gonna be studying ink blots for quite a while. I'm thinking it would be a good idea to be a wee bit more subtle when we talk from here on out."
"Okay, then, that problem's solved," noted C.J. "So how exactly do we find William?"
"Hey, you know what? I just remembered Ziggy can lock in on individuals and give me the appropriate visual. Hey, Gooshy! Center me on William!" Al punched a few more buttons and disappeared.
"That's great, 'cause it's so easy for me to hear you when YOU'RE NOWHERE NEAR ME, HAYFEVER!!!" Just then, Al reappeared. "Oh."
"I'm sorry, were you saying something? Come on, I found him. He's tied up at the high school. Just follow me."
"On a Saturday?" asked C.J. as they ran off. "Oh, boy."
(Proceed to next chapter.)
"Well, now what?" C.J. complained. "We can't find William Miller anywhere."
"Oh, stop complaining," said Al. "It's not like you have anything else to do."
"You know, if you have any ideas, they would be greatly appreciated right about now."
"Hey, Fibber McGee!" shouted a passer-by. "Do you have an imaginary friend now, too?"
"What's he talking about, Al?" asked C.J.
"Um, let's move out of sight first." suggested Al. The two stepped into an lonely alley.
"Well?"
"Well, you see, Ceej," Al explained, "right now, I'm a mental hologram to you, specifically tuned to your brain, and all of this is a hologram to me. I'm actually in the imaging chamber, in 2002. Nobody else in 1986 can see or hear me."
"Don't you think that's a pretty stinkin' important fact to tell me before I make myself look like a fool in public?"
Al looked at his hand link. "Whoa, it's worse than that. Steven's folks are thinking about taking him to see a psycho-ologist about his lying. If they get reports that he's got an imaginary friend, well, uh, you're gonna be studying ink blots for quite a while. I'm thinking it would be a good idea to be a wee bit more subtle when we talk from here on out."
"Okay, then, that problem's solved," noted C.J. "So how exactly do we find William?"
"Hey, you know what? I just remembered Ziggy can lock in on individuals and give me the appropriate visual. Hey, Gooshy! Center me on William!" Al punched a few more buttons and disappeared.
"That's great, 'cause it's so easy for me to hear you when YOU'RE NOWHERE NEAR ME, HAYFEVER!!!" Just then, Al reappeared. "Oh."
"I'm sorry, were you saying something? Come on, I found him. He's tied up at the high school. Just follow me."
"On a Saturday?" asked C.J. as they ran off. "Oh, boy."
(Proceed to next chapter.)