by Roger Bourke White Jr., copyright 2010
"Just as parasitic disease is an inevitable consequence of the evolution of organized multi-cellular life, I suspect we will find that every civilization carries within its evolution the seeds of its own destruction.
"And in some cases those seeds must succeed in growing and bearing fruit."
Professor Rojero De Blanco
University of Fornax
Chair on Extraterrestrial Civilizations, 1991
The great ape was advancing on me -- slowly, carefully, ready to spring at any moment. I stood there, longknife in hand, ready to meet its ferocious charge with a single life-draining thrust. Behind me the princess was clinging to my bare back, her arms wrapped about my chest. She was waiting for me to overcome this final obstacle as we fled from the evil priest who had kidnapped her. The monster looked fierce, but with her soft body pressed close to mine, I felt I had the strength of ten.
The ape closed. He was about to spring when he slowly raised his great paw and said in a soft, feminine voice, "How many fingers am I holding up?"
"What?" I squinted at his massive paw. I couldn't tell. Was this some sort of trick?
"How many fingers am I holding up?" it insisted.
His paw was fading. The princess was fading. I opened my eyes. In their place I saw a dimly-lit room. There was a female human there holding a hand in front of my face. She said again, "How many fingers?"
I didn't care. I felt miserable. I'd lost the princess. I looked around to see where she might have gone. But reality was intruding. I focused my eyes on the hand again: I concentrated hard on it... God! I'm not sure I can count that high.
"Three," I finally croaked.
"Good; you're coming out in a satisfactory fashion. You may go back to sleep, John."
Mentally, I thanked her for nothing and went back to see if I could find the princess.
To see more of this story, head for White World > Technofictionland.
http://www.whiteworld.com/technoland/stories-techno/stories2008-/LB-50-00.htm
-- Roger
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