CaptainWacky
I want to smell dark matter
Charles Horse lay in bed knowing that he was going to lose an hour. He would have spent that hour lying in bed trying not to think about things. So it was almost a relif to know that it would be gone. Maybe he'd get to sleep faster, knowing that it as an hour later than normal. Then he would wake up and try not to think about things again.
He looked at the clock but it still wasn't 1am. Still not time to sit up and set his clock forward an hour. He wondered if he'd have the energy to do so. What an exciting challenge it would be. He could hardly wait...
He waited.
The robot was at his bedside and Charles Horse didn't know how it had got there. He didn't know what to say at first. Maybe if he ignored it the robot would go away. But no, it was still there.
"Good news, sir," it said, for the robot belonged to him, obviously. "They've cured death!"
"What..." said Charles Horse. Oh yes, the aliens.
"The aliens!" said the robot. "They've finally come up with the cure for death. Everyone will live forever."
"I...I don't know," said Charles, feeling dread. "It's already bad enough having to think for hours each night, even on nights when I lose an hour. If I lived forever...I'd have to think forever. I don't think I want that. I don't think I want to take the cure for death."
"You have to!" said the robot. "It's mandatory!"
"What?" asked Charles.
"The aliens conquered Earth while you were lying in bed," explained the robot. "They're imposing wonderful laws onto humanity. I have to inject you with immortality now."
"But what will I do with my life?" asked Horse.
"Anything you want!" said robot.
"ButI can't...I can't..."
"Injection time!" said the robot, holding a huge needle.
"No, NOOOOOOO," said Horse. He shut his eyes. He shut them tight.
He did not feel the needle going.
It was a dream. It was always a dream. There was no robot. No aliens. No cure for death. He wouldn't have to live forever.
But maybe if he had been able to live forever...he would have been able to find something to do.
He looked at the clock. Still not 1am.
It was going to be a long night.
He looked at the clock but it still wasn't 1am. Still not time to sit up and set his clock forward an hour. He wondered if he'd have the energy to do so. What an exciting challenge it would be. He could hardly wait...
He waited.
The robot was at his bedside and Charles Horse didn't know how it had got there. He didn't know what to say at first. Maybe if he ignored it the robot would go away. But no, it was still there.
"Good news, sir," it said, for the robot belonged to him, obviously. "They've cured death!"
"What..." said Charles Horse. Oh yes, the aliens.
"The aliens!" said the robot. "They've finally come up with the cure for death. Everyone will live forever."
"I...I don't know," said Charles, feeling dread. "It's already bad enough having to think for hours each night, even on nights when I lose an hour. If I lived forever...I'd have to think forever. I don't think I want that. I don't think I want to take the cure for death."
"You have to!" said the robot. "It's mandatory!"
"What?" asked Charles.
"The aliens conquered Earth while you were lying in bed," explained the robot. "They're imposing wonderful laws onto humanity. I have to inject you with immortality now."
"But what will I do with my life?" asked Horse.
"Anything you want!" said robot.
"ButI can't...I can't..."
"Injection time!" said the robot, holding a huge needle.
"No, NOOOOOOO," said Horse. He shut his eyes. He shut them tight.
He did not feel the needle going.
It was a dream. It was always a dream. There was no robot. No aliens. No cure for death. He wouldn't have to live forever.
But maybe if he had been able to live forever...he would have been able to find something to do.
He looked at the clock. Still not 1am.
It was going to be a long night.
