The Eye of the Llama

by Gary D. Snyder

Part 8:

"Are we there yet?" asked Sheen.

"No," Jimmy answered tersely. "And for the hundredth time, stop asking that. I'll tell you when we get there."

"How are we getting there?" Cindy asked. She didn't really care, but with the entertainment systems deactivated there wasn't much else to do. After the first round of squabbling Jimmy had refused to reactivate it and had told the others that they had to find some other way to entertain themselves which led to a short but seeming interminable round of knock-knock jokes from Sheen. This in turn caused Jimmy to relent and restore power to the audio and video players again but with a stern warning that they not start fighting again. This worked well until Sheen suggested that they have a karaoke contest. At that point Jimmy, who hated karaoke, immediately shut the systems down again and refused to reactivate them.

"I determined the direction of originating signal from Felangie and used the direction to lock on to Carl's tracker.. I'm following that," explained Jimmy. "From my calculations we have about 2 light-years to go."

"Hey, Jimmy, are you sure that our parents won't catch on to our being gone?" Libby asked. "I mean, we could be away for a while."

"Did you guys put those boxes in your houses?"

"Yes," Libby answered as Sheen and Cindy nodded agreement.

"Then there's no problem. They won't even know we were gone."

"You never did tell us what those did, Neutron," Cindy said. "They aren't going to put our parents in suspended animations are they?"

"Of course not," Jimmy assured her.

"Do they project some kind of holograms?" asked Libby.

Jimmy scoffed at that. "Holograms are old school."

"And they kept shorting out," Sheen pointed out.

"Well, yes," Jimmy admitted.

"And sometimes they gave people electric shocks, and they interfered with the TV, and they set things on fire, and…"

Jimmy looked guilty at Sheen's list. "That only happened once, and it was a small fire. And the shocks didn't knock people out for more than a minute. Usually."

"Hey, did I say I was complaining about the shocks?" Sheen objected. "That was the best part of them."

"You still haven't said what those gizmos did," Cindy pointed out.

"Oh. Right." Jimmy tried to think of the best way to put it. "Have you ever had problems remembering whether you did something or only thought you did?"

Libby blinked. "Say what?"

"Well, like when you when you got a glass of milk and left the carton out but you were sure that you'd put it back in the refrigerator. That sort of thing."

"Oh. Sure." Libby thought about it. "Like sometimes when my parents can't remember whether they closed the garage door or turned off the oven."

"Exactly." Jimmy returned to piloting his ship as the others looked blankly at one other.

"Am I getting stupid, or is it actually getting harder to see where he's going with things?" asked Sheen.

"Too close to call," was Cindy's dry reply. She turned to Jimmy and said, "Hey, Brainzilla! Are you going to finish that thought or are you taking it home in a doggy bag for later?"

Jimmy looked startled. "What? Oh, sorry. I thought I'd made it fairly clear."

"Oh, it was," Libby assured him. "Right up to where you checked out early."

"Well, it's like this. The human brain stores a lot of information. Some are memories of things that have actually happened. Some are things we imagine but that never really happened. Sometimes the brain confuses the two and creates something called a false memory, which is the recollection of an event that never really occurred. Some scientists believe that the feeling of déjà vu is related to this phenomenon and occurs when the brain confuses perception with memory."

"Oh, I get it," said Cindy. "You think that what's happening is really the memory of something that happened before so that it seems familiar."

"Exactly. Well, those boxes are transceivers that are tuned to operate in the alpha wave region of our parents' brains. What they do is implant subliminal impressions of each of us in the minds of our parents. These impressions will create false memories of our having been there the whole time we're gone. Our parents won't remember anything specific about what we might have done, but they will recall we were around."

"Interesting," mused Sheen. "I don't suppose we could use that in class when school starts, could we?"

"Sheen!" Libby said in a shocked voice.

"Hey, I was just asking!" Sheen protested. Further conversation was cut short by a steady beeping accompanied by a flashing light on Jimmy's console.

Jimmy studied his instrument panel. "It looks like were entering the Felangian star system," he commented. "I should be getting some readings now. Hmmm." He rubbed his chin as he considered some numbers appearing on a display screen. "It seems that Felangie is a little larger than Earth and has a higher average density, giving it a higher surface gravity than we're used to."

"What does that mean?" Sheen asked.

"It means as soon as we land the girls will weigh about 40 pounds more than they did on Earth."

This did not sit well with Cindy and Libby. "What?!" they shrieked.

Jimmy couldn't help laughing. "Relax," he said. "You won't actually have changed. It's just gravity."

"A lot you know," Cindy said angrily. "Gravity is a girl's worst enemy."

"Wrinkles," said Libby, looking worried.

"Bagging," added Cindy.

"Sagging," Libby went on.

"Okay, okay, " Jimmy relented. "I'll figure out something. I'm actually more worried about Carl. He must be having a lot of problems getting around. It must be exhausting just for him to stand." He resumed his check of the readouts coming in. "And the oxygen is lower than on Earth." He shook his head. "Carl is not going to have an easy time fighting on this planet."

"Are you kidding?" Cindy remarked. "Wheezer wouldn't have an easy time if he were fighting back on Earth. I just hope that this Vermax kid he's been matched up with isn't too big."

Jimmy shrugged. "I'm sure that he'll be fighting someone in his own grade for it to be a fair fight. Otherwise, what's the point of having the fight at all?"

"Why would any fight with Carl have a point?" Libby observed. "Even Butch and Terry didn't pick on him much."

"Who knows?" said Sheen. "Maybe someone saw him when he was on Intergalactic Showdown with the rest of us and thought it would be a good human interest angle." He thought for a second before adding, "Or would that be 'alien interest'?"

"Maybe Sheen's right," Cindy commented, but her experience with other races had taught her to be more suspicious. "But just the same I think we ought to keep our eyes open. There's something about this that doesn't add up to me."

Girls, thought Jimmy in disgust, but turned his attention to landing the bus at the spaceport on the edge of the city from which Carl's tracker signal was emanating. He didn't have to do much, as the spaceport's automated landing system caught the spacecraft in a tractor beam and gently guided it to a vacant landing site. Once down Jimmy and the others debarked, staggering a bit from the greater gravity, and were surprised to find two large Felangians waiting for them. Neither appeared to be wearing a uniform or any visible symbols of authority but both acted as though they were used to having their wishes obeyed.

"Excuse me," one of them said politely, "but we are seeking a certain Earth party."

"Aren't we all?" said Sheen. "But I haven't been to a party for months. Good luck getting invited to any."

The speaker seemed confused, but pressed forward. "Allow me to clarify. My associate and I were informed that one Chummy Norton was arriving from Earth today. Would any of you be he?"

The Earth kids looked at each other before Cindy asked, "Do you mean Jimmy Neutron?"

The Felangian appeared to relax and said in a somewhat apologetic tone, "I beg you pardon. That could indeed be the name. My pronunciation of names is sadly deficient."

"I'm Jimmy Neutron," said Jimmy. "Is there something I can do for you gentlemen?"

Jimmy's reply seemed to please the Felangians but Cindy sensed that it had nothing to do with the polite nature of Jimmy's response. She almost felt that Jimmy was being led into a trap and was disturbed to see both Felangians slipping hands inside their outer coverings. "That is quite good to hear," said the Felangian. "There is a most urgent matter that requires your immediate presence and attention. Would you come with us, please?"

"What about the others?" asked Jimmy. He too was beginning to feel uneasy.

"They will be quite safe, I assure you," the large extraterrestrial replied. "Only you are needed, so if you will come with us all will be well." He and the second Felangian began moving in on Jimmy in what he immediately recognized was a flanking maneuver. The cold efficiency of their manner and movements frightened Jimmy and the others and there seemed little that they could do to stop them.

"I – I think I should check on my friend here first," Jimmy stammered. "After that we can –"

The Felangian shook his head. "I'm afraid that will not do," he told Jimmy quietly. "We have very specific instructions. You will come with us." He and his associate each reached for Jimmy with their free hands, their other hands still hidden inside their outer garments. "Now."

End of Part 8.