Monthly Archives: September 2014

The Intruder

From the Mind of Muggington,

I’ve tracked it since it left the blue sphere. It is headed straight for us. I am not sure what to do. It is not possible to discern its intentions and it has not communicated with us. It is a rather ungainly object. I can’t understand why they would send it to us. I do not think we can allow it to land. After all, this is our home. Who knows what havoc it might wreak. I suggest that we deflect it instead of destroying it. That way whoever sent it will believe that it malfunctioned. We must keep our existence secret.

Agreed.

My turn

From the Mind of Muggington

It’s cold. My body is turning reddish orange. I’m pretty dried up and my veins are sticking out. I’m almost ready. The wind is blowing me back and forth and I can feel the abcission layer weakening. There it goes.

What a view. I’m floating on currents of air. I see my buddies coming down also. I am headed for a beautiful green patch. I make a perfect soft landing.

What a great ride.

The busker

From the Mind of Muggington

He wore a shirt with black and white stripes. His beret gave him a jaunty look. While the crowds milled around he shifted from foot to foot in a pathetic dance. The bucket on the ground in front of him contained a few coins.

On and on he danced with an expression of utter boredom on his face.

…

Aha! Let the game begin. I see a big brute with blonde hair holding hands with his petite girlfriend. He looks harmless. I sneak up behind him and begin to imitate his walk. The crowd wakes up. I hear the whispers, laughs and titters. He looks back and I change into my dance and give him a warm smile. He smiles, turns around and keeps walking.

I step it up. I openly mock him now with funny faces and gestures and the crowd is roaring. I bet that will get some coins in my bucket. The girlfriend notices me and starts to laugh. She elbows her boyfriend and whispers in his ear. His face turns bright red. The girlfriend tugs on his arm. He whips around and confronts me with a tight smile on his face. I murmur apologies and shake his hand. The crowd applauds.

I walk back to my spot and dance.

Down

From the Mind of Muggington

They sent me down to meet the leader. I know this is crazy but it seems to be our only hope. I’m on my nanoraft rushing to the left axillary node. They insisted on meeting there even though I explained the dangers.

I saw it ahead perched casually on a membrane. It didn’t look alive. I wondered what was in that alien mind. I had been sent to make a truce. This is crazy. How am I supposed to communicate with that thing? I saw it moving. It looks like an ancient lunar lander.

It pushes a molecule toward me. Ah, that’s the game. I push a polymer back at it. This goes on for some time.

I think we are making progress.

Got it

From the Mind of Muggington

“Keep going. You’re not even close,” I said. The machine is emitting a high pitched hum as I watch the monitor. “Remember, we have to hit 10 to the 24th in order to get to yottahertz frequency.” The technician fiddled with the machine and the sound got louder.  “We’re almost there,” the technician said.

…

“Those two guys are a real pain in the ass,” One said.  The crowd agreed. Everyone watched the two men. “Do you think we should stop them?” Two said. “No, it was inevitable that this day would come,” Three said. The pitch of the noise increased to a painful level. “I think they have penetrated,” One said.

…

The air in the room shimmered. “Hey I can see shapes in the room. They are moving around,” I said. “Sir, I think they are watching us,” the technician said.

The irritant

From the Mind of Muggington

I am walking across the parking lot. I knew it would happen. I just knew it. A pebble the size of a pea hopped into the side of one of my sneakers. Damn, I hope it doesn’t get under my foot. I feel it wriggling down the side of my shoe. It’s like it is rappelling down my sock in an urgent quest to get to solid ground.

There it goes. Right under the most tender part of my heel. Ouch. With each step I imagine a tiny assailant with a dagger repeatedly stabbing the thick skin. I hesitate and continue walking. Of course it gets worse. Now it feels like an ice-pick is being pushed up into the fatty pad that protects my calcaneum. The pain is excruciating. It must have hit the bone.

I reach the car and sigh. I stand motionless hoping the pebble will shift to a less painful position. No such luck. Balancing like the world’s worst ballerina I unlock the door. I sit sideways on the seat and fumble to get the shoe off. The pebble is making a last ditch effort to permanently cripple me. I curse and try to untie the knots in the laces. Success. I stick an arm out and shake the shoe. I am certain that the vicious monster that savaged my foot will now reveal itself.

It was so small I almost missed it. It looks like a dirty piece of rice.

How can such an insignificant, tiny object cause such agony?

Home repair

From the Mind of Muggington

It starts three feet from one end of the porch. There is a ragged hole in the wooden planks that gets bigger every day. I placed an old piece of plywood over it for safety reasons.

Who knows what lurks down in that pitch black pit.

I’ve got to get it fixed.

…

He’s up there again. I hear him walking. Each step bends the planks and I think he is going to come down on top of me. I heard him say he wants to fix the hole. If he does that he might see me. That is not going to happen. This is my home.

 

We’re back

From the Mind of Muggington

How about that? I saw it on the news last night. Blue whales are no longer in danger of extinction. It’s about time there was some good news on that damn television.

…

“I say we do the Japanese first,” Cete said. “I disagree. In my opinion the Norwegians are particularly bothersome,” Leen said. The other members of the pod milled about waiting for the elders’ decision. “What about the Native Americans? They do it too,”  Cete said. “That is true but honestly, they are a minor annoyance. I propose we send two armadas to engage our main enemies. It’s sad that they made us do this but our survival is at stake. We have no choice,” Leen said. The members of the pod whistled and keened in agreement.

…

I’ll be damned. What a thing. I never could have imagined this. I was watching the latest news about another oil rig that got destroyed. It seems that pods of whales have been attacking oil rigs in the North Sea. They knocked another one out of commission last night. Somehow they didn’t spill a drop of oil either. The oil workers all got off safe. It’s almost like the whales wanted to teach us a lesson. I’ll be damned.