The Neverchanging Story

by Gary D. Snyder

Part 2:

After school Jimmy and his friends gathered in his laboratory, with Carl and Sheen entering with Jimmy through the door of his clubhouse and Cindy and Libby dropping in somewhat later through the trap door beneath the mat.

"You know, Jimmy, you could put a mattress or something under that thing," Cindy complained as she rose painfully from the floor.

"Yeah, I know," Jimmy agreed. "Did you get the book?"

"Yes, I got the book," Cindy grumped, pulling it from her backpack. "You three owe us $5.35 each."

"But that includes the sales tax," added Libby.

"Gas planets," grumbled Jimmy as he, Carl, and Sheen handed over their share of the money. "What did they print the thing on? Dollar bills?"

"It's only the most popular young adult book series ever," said Cindy. "It's a bargain at any price." The three boys just stared at her. "Don't tell me you losers have never read any of the Larry Fodder series."

Sheen fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well, I tried," he said, "but it was written is some strange language that I couldn't quite understand."

"It's called English," Cindy commented dryly. "It's what they speak it in England."

"Well, whatever it is, it wasn't American. I tried for a fortnight to fathom it. A whole fortnight, in sooth!" he cried, clenching his fists.

"A fortnight is two weeks, Sheen," said Jimmy, who was busy securing the book in one of lab's gadgets. "It's short for 'fourteen nights'."

"Oh, really? I thought it was short for 'for tonight'. Or until the Ultra Lord show came on."

"I tried to read it also," said Carl. "But there weren't any llamas in it and I got tired reading after that part about the chapter names and page numbers."

"And what about you, Neutron? What's your excuse?" Cindy asked.

"No excuses. Just sound, scientific conclusions from basic research."

"Which are?"

Jimmy stopped what his was doing and began ticking off his fingers as he spoke. "First, it's about some kid trying to learn to be a wizard and as I've said before there's no such thing as magic. Second, there's nothing in any of the books that hasn't been done before in other books. And finally, the books are all pretty much the same plot with a little window dressing. The story never changes. Just the time, the place, and maybe the people." He turned back to the device he had been working on. "I'd hate to ever be stuck in one of those situations."

Cindy shook her head in disgust. "You boys are totally hopeless," she said. "At least Libby and I can appreciate popular culture. Right, Libby?" When Libby didn't answer Cindy turned to face her. "Libby?"

Libby smiled sheepishly. "Actually, for the price of each of those books I can get three CDs with some kicking jams. I don't know, Cindy…maybe if they were movies with some rocking tracks –"

Cindy let out a groan of despair. "Et tu, Libby?" she cried, feeling betrayed.

"Done!" Jimmy called.

Cindy forgot about her brewing quarrel with Libby and turned her attention with the others to Jimmy. While they had been discussing the Larry Fodder series Jimmy had been rigging up pieces of equipment and was now standing by what appeared to be five reclining chairs with complicated hair dryer attachments. Cindy was the first to speak up. "I'll bite," she said. "Is this how you style your hair when your mom's mixer isn't working?"

"Laugh if you will, she-hyena," retorted Jimmy, "but this is what is going to save us all from a fate worse than a 'B' grade average. Behold the miracle of the Virtual Instantiator 2000!"

"What does it do, Jimmy?" Libby asked.

"It's quite simple. Basically, Vox will scan the book and translate the words into virtual concepts and images. Those entities will then be transferred via these cyberhelmets directly into our brains, giving us all a complete knowledge and understanding of the story. Puerile as it might be," he added for Cindy's benefit. Cindy made a face at him.

Carl looked nervous. "I don't know, Jimmy. I don't know if my mom likes things that tamper with my brain."

"Yeah, Jimmy," agreed Sheen. "Remember when we had to sort out your and Cindy's memories? I think that maybe there are things in life better left untouched. Kind of like the bottom of restaurant tables."

Jimmy let out a gasp of incredulity. "Come on, guys. This is nothing more than an advance form of sleep learning. What do you have to lose?"

"Besides our frontal lobes?" asked Sheen.

"Fine," said Jimmy, sitting in the leftmost chair and adjusting the cyberhelmet on his head. "I'll do it myself. The rest of you will have to take your chances on being able to read, comprehend, and summarize the story before morning. Good luck to those of you without speed reading abilities or photographic memory."

That did it. The others looked at Jimmy, at each other, and back at Jimmy again. Then with a collective shrug of resignation they climbed into the remaining recliners and adjusted their own cyberhelmets. "I have a bad feeling about this," muttered Sheen in the rightmost seat.

"What about?" asked Libby, who was sitting between Sheen and Carl.

"About not coming back."

"But we're not going anywhere," Libby pointed out. "Are we?"

"I don't know," said Carl. "Am I going anywhere, Jimmy?"

"Not unless Miss Fowl has been wrong all this time," commented Cindy who was between Jimmy and Carl.

"Enough talk," said Jimmy. "Let's light this candle. Vox!" he called. "Activate the Virtual Instantiator!"

Instantly the cyberhelmets hummed to life as complex circuits within them powered up. For long seconds nothing more appeared to be happening. Then, without warning, the world seemed to explode with a flash and roar that blinded and deafened them all.

End of Part 2.