follow image link to fascinating, true story of man trapped by time
What does it matter
That the stars we see are already dead.
By Amy Woolard, from her poem,
“Laura Palmer Graduates”
Time Trapped
I admit Subject 2789 from Planet 23764’s soft form and sincere questions touch and amuse me. The warm, dark pools of its eyes distract me from my case-logging.
“What does it matter that the stars we see are already dead?” I respond to its cerebral cortex.
Cyclical, seasonal clockwork is a trap that binds carbon-based life forms. Those bound in the illusion of time do not see its bars; yet the bars shape all they experience, limiting the limitless. Elaborate constructions of past, present, and future keep its planet sloshing in backwater.
There’s a primitive charm about 2789 that sparks the unthinkable: could I keep it as a pet?
I think-memo Captain Pacifica with solid rationale for affirmative response.
Captain responds, “Dangerous precedent; and you know how filthy those things are. Negative.”
I stun it painlessly and throw it into the vaporizer.
[142 words]
Dora is today’s host for dVerse’ Prosery Monday. Dora says:
Write a piece of prose (not poetry) of no more than 144 words that includes the given line. You may change it with breaks or punctuation but without altering the order of the words.
Tao Talk 
Dark, Lisa. But with Rod Serling-level irony. I did not see that twist coming and was all wrapped up in a warm fuzzy feeling when you did it and that feeling? Vaporized. Well done, my friend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dora, I love your comment. It’s all your fault ;) Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Will gladly take the blame! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
:) <3
LikeLiked by 1 person
I fear we should not seek out alien forms… we should hide unless we want to end up as specimen… I do identify with 2789—-
LikeLiked by 1 person
I totally agree and also relate. I think of us at the animal shelter looking at cute puppies.
LikeLike
I enjoyed your sci-fi Prosery, Lisa, and the idea of being time trapped in ‘cyclical, seasonal clockwork’ and the way it works – how on Earth did you think of that? I love this sentence: ‘Elaborate constructions of past, present, and future keep its planet sloshing in backwater.’
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you enjoyed the story, Kim :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love the twist at the end Lisa!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Max, thanks! It almost seemed like the ET had a heart, but trapped on a space ship with a captain without one made the decision.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And off they go forever.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OOOHHHH. Sci-Fi ~ I love it. And 2789 too. Somehow I read the word “solid” as “sordid and burst out laughing. Clever and original your prosery.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Helen, lmao! Sordid could work also, but then we’d be tiptoeing into another realm altogether ;)
LikeLike
p.s. Thanks and glad you liked the story :)
LikeLike
Wow! This could be the impetus for a sci fi movie! Well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Lillian. That or a TZ episode, like somebody may have mentioned (can’t remember now.)
LikeLike
Lisa, I enjoyed how you examine the future from the starting-point of the quote. The characters, though advanced, have a technological deadness about them that matches the stars they speak of.
LikeLike
Honestly, Steve, I’m not even sure if they’re alive in a biological sense. They may be machines. Star Trek TOS has several episodes that examine space beings from different perspectives. Thank you for reading and your comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A chilling tale of the future to come!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I tend to agree with you, Dwight. I hope I’m long gone in this form by then if it does come to pass.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s all perspective…(k)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lisa, your sci-fi tale pulled me into the future and imagining future pets :) But my think-memo to the captain might get me vaporized!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing what you see here, Lynn. You just never know with AI program…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am not a science fiction lover, but your 2789 is okay. I did like major Tom and Ground Control by David Bowie in Space Oddity but didn’t like the later Caption Jack one bit. I worked with Ground Control at NASA Houston for 16 years.
..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks much, Jim. I guess when you work with science fact, sci fi isn’t top of the list?
LikeLike
Far out and fabulous, Lisa. Your writing is instantly immersive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
K, thank you very much <3
LikeLike
Aww, I feel sorry for 2789…I’d be no good in the future, warm, dark pools for eyes. It’s a pet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Di. I see us as the pets of the future, trained to serve our masters (AI or some ET.) Hoping to be long gone by then.
LikeLike
Very intriguing story Li.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much. I like how it turned out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re always welcome my friend
LikeLiked by 1 person
This prompt has taken people to some dark places…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Andrew, the line is saturated with existentialism, so it stands to reason some have gone dark?
LikeLike
Well. Damn.
One must not draw attention to oneself…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dale, in this scenario, probably difficult for the ET abductee to know the right thing to do. Maybe engaging the ET was the right thing to do but an unwinnable situation? Thanks for sharing your perspective on the story, my friend <3
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is true. I loved the introspection and the “taking matters out of his hands” so to speak!
‘Twas my pleasure!
LikeLiked by 1 person
<3
LikeLiked by 1 person
💞
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my goodness…I hope it’s okay to laugh at the end!! I also love “illusion of time”, ain’t that the truth!
LikeLiked by 1 person
V, please laugh. That makes me wonder if AI is capable of a sense of humor? Thanks so much for reading and your comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re very welcome–and what do we call you? Ms?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I prefer Li, but Lisa is ok too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Li it is–thank you so much, it’s awful when we meet someone here and don’t know how to properly address them.😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do you prefer to be called V? If not let me know who to holla at.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, since it’s a pseudonym, it hardly matters! I sign off as Vee mostly–but it’s your choice, Vee…or if you’re short on time, V works too. I’m not picky😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
k!
LikeLike
I agree with Dora about the Rod Serling twist. I could imagine this as a Twilight Zone episode. So well-done!
And I just saw the comment above. I’m sorry that I didn’t know you preferred Li to Lisa. I’ll try to remember. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Merril :) Lisa is fine. No worries.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great read Lisa, for me this sums up the human condition, we’re always curious, but so too we’re fearful at times.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks much, Paul.
LikeLike
I chuckled at the abrupt ending.😅
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, M :)
LikeLiked by 1 person