Expiration Date 2076

Chapter IX

     "Jack," FreyFrey started, "I was wondering. Have you ever traveled? I mean, have you ever gone somewhere far away, and maybe learned a different language."

     Mr. Reeler frowned. "Yes, actually I was meaning to tell tonight after dinner. Would you like to hear while you wash those?" FreyFrey was cleaning up all the discount parts, just like Septber and Beptser. 

     "Yes. It would make work less boring."

     And Mr. Reeling told the story. He was born and raised far away, almost like a different world. A long, long time ago, when he was young, he traveled. He learned a new language and met someone special. But something bad happened, and made it all history. Someone needs his help now, back where he came from. The machine will help.

     No words passed between them for half an hour, then he spoke again, this time adding details, clarity, and more meaning. 

     "My true home is in  the center of a complex network of roads. I lived in the middle of motion, ideas, change, and construction. There was always improvements to be made; always something new to build. My world thrived off of new inventions and technology. I was in my youth back then, not much older than you. I took an interest to all the machines being built, but this was normal. Everyone loved what was happening ." FreyFrey's eyes grew wide. Her thoughts romanticized every word spoken. The metal was not being polished anymore. 

     "There was one machine," he continued, "It was the new and everyone used it. A decade later is would be a household item, but when it was new, oh....." Jack sighed. "I got a job making them. I learned all there was to know. I could make one with my eyes closed. After what seemed to be ages, I had saved up almost enough money. A loan took care of the rest. I built my own for half the price. I used it right away. I was so excited, so young. 

     There are two parts to the machine. Time control and Distance control. I turned on the Distance control and went to a different world I had heard about. But I did not stop there. I went further and further. I wanted to find my own world. That is how I came here. I landed here. It was a beautiful land. It had a beautiful lady. I grew fond of her...I could not leave this new world. I told her about my traveling device, and when she told me to never use it again, I could not say no. We were married soon after. I took her father's name. I had left my old home, the one obsessed with technology, and I chose this one, the one with the beautiful woman. But his world was changing too.

     It was following the footsteps of my birthplace. It was the place in the center of change and new. Then came war. They called it the great war. I fought for my new home. I saw so many machines of destruction. My wife was killed by the war. That day, something broke in me. It cried and bled, then my heart's gears rusted. I broke my wedding vow and I used my machine again. I came here.

     I made it history; I hid from the past; I made a new home; I made my own world. I should not have done that. The future is a dangerous place to go if you never lived your past. I received a message from my home world. They need help. I do not know what they need help for, because only parts of the message came through. You and I need to build a new machine and go back there."

     Mr. Jack Reeling had a tear run down his wrinkled cheek. 

     "I understand. I think I made my own little world too. Something that has always bothered me, but I kept it bottled up, and I hid from it. I was happy, but not honest." FreyFrey bit her lip, "After we're done, could you take me back to when we first met? So that I never ran away? I have something to tell my dad."

     They both had built their own worlds to mask the past, but now they both cried from the truth. In each other's arms, in the middle of all the technology.