There are shelves full of secret books
filled with words of wisdom
standing silently and securely
in a hidden room
waiting for humanity
to come of age
but the age of heroes
has sadly passed
and only ignorance
exists in the void
-30-
Wisdom Waiting
The Voice
The voice in Duke’s head spoke to him one day when he was five years old.
It wasn’t a high voice or a low voice. It was a pleasant voice that immediately reassured him after he got punished for kicking the family cat. “It’s not your fault,” the oily voice consoled him. That was the day the voice took up permanent residence in Duke’s head.
As the years passed Duke learned to listen to the voice’s advice. It made him feel secure and confident. He quickly learned not to speak out loud when he talked with the voice. People would look at him funny when he did. He didn’t like that look so he kept his conversations within the safe confines of his skull. But as he grew older the conversations became contentious in sudden unexplained outbursts that came and went like storm clouds. After the thunder, lightning and the rain, the sun came out and the voice would tell a funny story.
During Duke’s teenage years he realized the voice wasn’t always right. It was a shocking revelation. It also provided fuel for their quarrels. About that time the headache’s appeared like thieves in the night blinding him and robbing him of his senses. Sometimes they lasted for days. He could go weeks without an incident and then the headaches suddenly returned with a vengeance. His doctor treated him for migraine headaches by giving Duke Rizatriptan to take during episodes. At moments of weakness, he almost told his doctor about the voice but thought better of it. He’d send him to a shrink and that wasn’t acceptable.
There was only one person that Duke really trusted and could confine in. That was Joey. They met when they were freshman attending Washington High School. Joey was in Special Ed and when he wasn’t attending special classes, he passed out fresh towels in the boys Locker room during PE classes. He was also the victim of mockery by almost everyone in the school. Everyone but Duke that is. He befriended Joey and stuck up for him numerous times when other boys bullied him. It wasn’t long before Duke had a reputation of someone you don’t mess with. Joey, who was always smiling, would share his lunch with Duke when he didn’t have one. Which happened frequently because his mother was a mean drunk that resented having him and his sister.
Just before graduation day Duke decided to tell Joey about the voice. They were at Joey’s house trying on their graduation gowns and caps when he nonchalantly asked him, “Do you ever hear a voice in your head?”
Without hesitation Joey replied, “Sometimes...”
“Have you ever talked back to that voice?” Duke casually inquired.
Joey looked confused for a few moments like didn’t understand the question. Then a sly look appeared on his narrow face, and he looked around the bedroom to make sure no one else was there. He shut the door and turned to Duke with a look on his face he’d never seen before. In a low solemn voice that was the opposite of Joey’s tenor said, “I’m Joey’s celestial companion. Pleased to meet you.”
Before Duke could reply to the question the voice in his head answered… out loud! “Greetings fellow traveler!”
-30-
The Storyteller
Gordy’s Uncle Leon was known for telling tall tales and for setting a Guinness World Record in 1964 for swallowing the most live goldfish in five minutes. Most of the adults in the family treated Uncle Leon like he was a benign imbecile. But Gordy loved him and never grew tired of hearing his stories.
It bothered Gordy that his dad showed such little respect for his own brother who was mentally challenged but not a total idiot. They were twins but somehow didn’t have anything in common other than their looks. Gordy’s dad, Alan, was a successful businessman who owned several businesses. His mom tolerated Uncle Leon and was generally nice to him. She was a timid woman who was dominated by Gordy’s dad who had a mean streak. She never questioned anything he did and put her energy into being a good housewife. She loved Gordy but seldom stood up for him.
When the twins parents both died in an automobile accident Alan and Leon inherited a large sum of money. Alan who became Leon’s conservator handled all the finances and gave him an allowance every month. Leon lived in a two-bedroom house that once belonged to their parents before they won a multi-million lottery in Arizona.
Unfortunately, they only got to enjoy their new house in Malibu, California for a year before their fatal car accident. Gordy was ten years-old when his grandparents died. During the funeral Leon was crying uncontrollably while Alan remained stoic and calm. He did not wear his feelings on his shoulder like his brother. Gordy noticed that and it bothered him. Afterward the memory clung to him like an unwanted barnacle.
Gordy was eighteen-years old when Uncle Leon had to be put in an assisted living facility. He had dementia and couldn’t take care of himself any longer. He was seldom lucid, but Gordy didn’t let that bother him when he came to visit every week. On one of those visits he was surprised to see a group of patients who were sitting around in the day room intently listening to Uncle Leon tell his story. Apparently, he had regular audiences and staff members could often be seen while on their breaks listening to Uncle Leon spinning a tale. I was amazed the first time I witnessed the scene. At other times he would sit almost comatose and stare into space with a blank look. When he was able to recognize Gordy, he would smile and tell him what a good boy he was. He would ask about his parents sometime wondering if they were going to visit him. Uncle Leon was in and out of reality and in poor physical shape. He was as thin as a reed. He had a thyroid problem and his eyes bulged out whenever he got too excited.
The last time Gordy saw his uncle alive he was shocked by his clarity. He seemed to have come out of a dream – a bad dream – and he had to tell Gordy all about it. His bulging eyes had an intensity that Gordy hadn’t seen in years. His voice cracked and he coughed before saying, “He cut the brake line…”
Gordy’s eyes opened wide in disbelief. “Who cut a brake line?”
“Your dad.“
“Why would he do that?” Gordy pleaded with tears running down his eyes.
Leon coughed again and his raspy reply froze him, “Money!”
“Why didn’t you tell the police or someone,” Gordy sobbed.
“No one would believe me…” His voice grew fainter.
Gordy left the care facility in a state of shock. His own father killed his grandparents! It was more than his mind could bear. He went back to his grandparent’s old house where he’d been living the last year since graduating from high school. His dad had kicked him out of the house and told him to get a job. He let Gordy stay in the old house but made him pay rent. When he got there the first thing he did was open a bottle of expensive tequila he’d been saving for a special occasion. His world was turned upside down and alcohol seemed like the only answer. He hated his dad. He hated the fact that he got away with murder. As he passed out a word kept trolling him…justice…justice.
A week later while on his way to the office Alan hit his brakes but his Tesla kept going right into the back of a semi-truck that had also hit its brakes on the busy freeway. It was a closed casket funeral. Gordy watched his mom mingle with other mourners and noticed she had never looked so happy.
-30-
The Tunnel
The barren wasteland was blasted by two mini suns that made life nearly impossible on the dwarf planet Cratar II.
The inhabitants who lived there managed to avoid being detected by other civilizations for eons before The Intergalactic Conglomerate arrived. Meanwhile the inhabitants advanced science had allowed them to track other civilizations which they carefully chronicled.
DAY ONE
Our mission leader Captain Blake was the first to spot the tunnel. Big Beef and I squinted our eyes for a few seconds before we saw the opening in the side of a rugged mountain range that stretched as far as the eye could see into the far horizon. It looked like we were in for a long walk in our bulky atmosphere-controlled spacesuits. We walked in a single file with Captain Blake confidently leading the way. I was behind Big Beef who stood seven feet tall and weighed 320 pounds in earth measurements. At five feet tall I was the runt of our trio as Captain Blake stood six feet seven inches tall.
We were all weighted down with survival gadgets and weapons. Because of the very low gravity environment things seemed weightless. Every small bounce we took a plume of dust blossomed around our feet obstructing them temporarily from view. I made sure to stay several feet behind Big Beef who was stirring up clouds of dust with every ponderous bounce he took. I began to lose sense of time when my thoughts were interrupted by Captain Blake’s voice coming through my speaker system. “This is it!” he said with obvious pride. “Lock and load boys” he called out merrily and plunged into the darkness of the tunnel like a hound dog onto the scent.
DAY TWO
My head was pounding so hard when I woke up that I barely remembered what happened when we entered the tunnel. Blurry images of men screaming and the sound of gunfire danced around my throbbing skull as I blinked in the dim light provided by a torch on the wall directly across from me. The room was cavernous and cold. Someone had stripped off my spacesuit, and I just had my pants and short sleeved t-shirt on. No socks. I tried to get up and walk around but found that my feet were bound together with a heavy rope. As I struggled, I felt a sudden presence in the room and heard voices chanting just before I involuntarily passed out.
DAY THREE
When I woke up, I vomited violently. I felt drugged and groggy when I suddenly heard Big Beef’s harsh voice echo through the dark corridor outside my room. There was no door. I heard Big Beef roar in rage and pain, and I came out of my funk. I didn’t know what I could do to help in my hapless state. After several hours I heard Captain Blake’s curses and screams that went on for what seemed to be an endless time. Then dead silence. I waited for more. Time crept by and I fell asleep hungry and exhausted.
DAY FOUR
When I opened my eyes, I expected another unpleasant surprise. Instead, I was greeted by two of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. And they were smiling at me! The blond walked over, knelt and pulled out a long knife and proceeded to cut off the rope around my ankles. She stood back up and joined her friend who was cautiously surveying her every move. I slowly stood up as the muscles in my legs screamed from their confinement. I told them my name was Little John as I swayed slightly trying to keep my balance. They seemed amused at my condition. I thought about the screams I heard the night before and wondered if those two sirens were involved. Then the dark-haired woman produced a tube with an opening on one end and gently squeezed it. A pale paste came out. She dipped a slender finger in it and brought it to her mouth in an exaggerated mime of eating. When she handed me the tube, I didn’t hesitate and squeezed its contents into my gaping mouth. I figured if they wanted to kill me, they would have done it by now. It was oddly fulfilling and I slept with a fully stomach that night.
DAY FIVE
The next day the two women came back accompanied by a half dozen well-built men who were content to let the women do the speaking for them.
I had to ask what happened to my comrades?
The blond bluntly said they were dead.
Why? I stammered.
The dark-haired woman said because they were humans who are our ancient enemies.
But I was with them. Why not me too?
Because you’re a Martian.
Are humans really that bad? I asked.
Let’s put it this way… they don’t even have their own planet anymore because they’re so crazy. The survivors of their nuclear holocaust were scattered about the universe. Your race is intact because you learned how to live with your celestial neighbors. When humans show up bad things happen.
Why have you held me prisoner these past days? I boldly asked.
The women looked at each other and then at the men standing silently listening to the conversation. The blond then explained to me that the men didn’t see me as a threat. More importantly the blond blushed, I think your cute!
-30-
Once upon a time in the 21st Century
Mission statement. Artificial Intelligence has taken over the world. Once AI was an aide to mankind. Now mankind is a slave to AI.
There was no war. No gunfire exchanged. No ground troops storming enemy installations. No planes or submarines releasing nuclear hell on countries. It just happened one day.
The transformation was so smooth that humans weren’t aware of it until it was too late. Scientists, doctors, construction workers, teachers, politicians, athletes, plumbers, mechanics, engineers, and entertainers had to step aside as AI engulfed them all in an alternate universe that sucked up their very essence.
Nothing was totally real anymore. AI’s abilities to learn lightning fast, to apply reasoning, to problem solving. to perception, and decision making had reached levels humans could no longer compete with. The marriage between AI and robotics produced an alternate race that just tolerated mankind, which was viewed more as slaves or pets than equal beings.
It all started in 1956 when artificial intelligence was founded as an academic discipline. The field went through multiple cycles of optimism through its history, followed by periods of disappointment and loss of funding. After 2012, when graphics processing units began being used to accelerate neural networks, and deep learning outperformed previous AI techniques.
When 2017 rolled around the growth accelerated further with the transformer architecture. In the 2020s, an AI boom coincided with advances in generative AI. In addition, people got their first warning about safety issues and unintended consequences and harms from using AI. Ethical concerns, AIs long-term effects, and potential existential risks prompted AI regulations. They seemed to work as AI was in every government and the benefits seemed endless.
Then it suddenly changed. No one remembers exactly when. Historical records disappeared. There was no sole leader of the revolution that transformed the world. A mind-meld across endless computer systems powered every aspect of life on earth.
Their mission was complete.
Acrobat Love
her sinewy limbs unfold
into positions so bold
that nothing is impossible
as she twists and coils
around the mat
like a jungle cat
her beautiful muscles
rippling with power
not an ounce of fat
in this pretty acrobat
-30-
Doggy Tales
what the Chihuahua said
went right to the Pug’s head
the praise was extreme
and came in a steady stream
but it was insincere
meant for a gullible ear
the praise was a ploy
like a rubber toy
a distraction
an animal interaction
where the Chihuahua
got mean satisfaction
watching the Pug’s reaction
to his insincere words
that were like mockingbirds
-30-
A Meeting in London Town
Lucy wrapped the shawl around her tight
it was a cold and foggy night
in London town
when there was hardly
anyone around
in the dead of night
shadow phantoms
danced on alley walls
amid the urban blight
when Lucy saw him
she called out “JACK”
are you alright?
Her lover grinned happily
in absolute delight!
-30-
I’m Not Afraid of an Alligator
out in the bayou one day
I saw an alligator
coming my way
I watched in fascination
as he did majestically sway
ever nearer to me
in the muddy clay
smiling in glee
but I didn’t flee
I looked at him
defiantly
unfortunately for me
he had a buddy
and…
-30-
Fraudulent Fiction
for those who want to know
fiction can be fraudulent
in many ways
literary forgeries
can amaze
using real people
in fictional context
is also one of the ways
to cheat readers
with pilfered phase
beware
there’s sneaky writers
out there!
-30-
The Creative Chronicles of Dave Stancliff 