For Your Eyes Only

#54 - Ricky woke up early after getting home too late for a good night’s sleep.

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BADWATER – MY WORST AND BEST RACE – part 3

This week’s song - “My Love and the Blues” - from my CD - REMNANTS *******************************************************************

For Your Eyes Only 

Ricky woke up early after getting home too late for a good night’s sleep. He thought he’d go for breakfast at the new diner, True Grits, just down the street from his office. Maybe eat something substantial before work. Something besides his usual coffee and toast. 

Driving to the restaurant, the morning star, Venus, or what he took to be Venus (those planets move around fast), hung low on the eastern horizon. It shimmered in all its glory. In fact, Ricky had never seen it so bright. And green. And it vibrated ever so slightly. It was odd. 

“It has to be the atmosphere,” he thought out loud. He repeatedly glanced at it until he pulled into the café's parking lot, and it disappeared behind trees.  

He parked next to a candy apple green sports car, the likes of which he’d not seen before. He saw no insignia. Nor a hood ornament. Maybe foreign made. It looked costly. That was not unusual, the area was now drawing in many well-paid IT professionals as the area had become a new technology hot spot.

Entering the café and moving toward a seat at the counter, his eyes met those of an attractive brunette sitting in the last window booth. She was smiling at him. Ricky had never seen her before, and at first glance, he thought she was “out of his league”. He smiled back at her. 

The waitress took his order of eggs, sunny side up, and bacon, with pancakes, and a side order of grits.  

He looked over at the woman and she was again smiling at him. She buttered a piece of toast and sipped her coffee. 

Well. This is awkward. He thought, ”I should go up and introduce myself.” He wasn’t shy, but he was still hesitant. He was attracted to her, yet she unsettled him as well. He hated when that happened. He knew he wanted to meet her.  

He dove into his breakfast when it arrived as a welcome means to divert his attention. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her getting ready to leave. The waitress arrived with her bill. He thought he would call the waitress and pick up her check, but she was ready with cash and settled up. She laid down a tip, gathered her purse, and made her way for the exit. She would have to pass him on her way out. This was his chance.  

As she neared him, she stopped, smiled, extended her hand, and said “Hello, Richard. I’m Jennifer.” 

She caught him by surprise, a half step ahead of him. How did she know his name, he wondered. He stood up wiping his lips with a napkin and said “Hello! - Jennifer”.  

They shook hands.  

* * * 

Ricky looked out from behind the steering wheel of the candy apple green vehicle he was now in to his car parked at its side. He had no recollection of how they got there. 

As they left the parking lot of the diner, he asked, “Where are we going?? How do you know my name?” 

“I’ll tell you as we go.” Jennifer answered, “and I’ve known your name for a while now.“  

“How? We’ve never met. I’ve never seen you before.”  

“Well, you saw me, actually, you saw this car, this morning on the way to the café.” she smiled. “Remember seeing Venus shimmering green? That was me. I positioned myself between you and Venus. You were seeing this vehicle.” 

“What?!” Ricky tried to reason what was going on. 

“We both work for Tech Future. I’m in the new department on the other side of the building from you. I’ve been here two weeks.” 

She continued, “But before then, I knew of you. We will marry and raise a family.” 

“What are you talking about?” Ricky laughed. 

“I’ll explain. I want to show you something.” 

Jennifer reached over to the display dashboard and tapped in a code.  

* 

They were now five hundred feet above a large body of water.  

She said, “It’s the Atlantic Ocean, and we are above the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. More specifically, above what is called the “Lost City”. Watch this”. 

Jennifer tapped on the display. 

Multiple vehicles, or vessels, some like their own, transversed the sky. They darted in and out of sight as they arced up into the heavens, or dove full speed into the ocean, only to see more emerge from the water to do the same. 

“This is not possible!?” Ricky exclaimed. 

“Sure it is. We are just in another dimension. Or frequency. But off the human scale of sight, sound, and radar. It’s similar to echolocation. We’ve been here forever. We plant humans just as humans plant crops. We’ve done so throughout the universe. Let’s go see.” 

Ricky half-smiled and to himself he said, “What?!” 

Jennifer tapped on the display. They plunged down and through the ocean surface to the bottom of the Ridge, two miles down in the darkness. Nestled in the dark but clear water against undersea mountains stood a large well-lit modular complex. It looked city-like.  

Richard and Jennifer advanced slowly into a large garage, or hangar. Numerous craft of sizes, shapes, and colors were parked at the far end. 

The ocean water thinned, or diluted, until only air remained. They stepped out of their candy apple green chariot onto the dry tarmac. “People” were coming and going. 

They entered a mall-like plaza of shops and restaurants, which transitioned into office space and laboratories and a labyrinth of halls and elevators leading in all directions.  

Everyone and everything appeared vibrant. Colors, people - all appeared to shine from within as opposed to being reflected upon. 

Jennifer nodded or said hello to passersby who by all accounts seemed friendly and happy.  

Ahead of them, a man stepped out of one of the windowed labs and met them in the hallway. Jennifer smiled and shook hands with him. Jennifer introduced Ricky to him. 

The man’s green eyes focused deep into Ricky’s eyes. Ricky felt like the man was looking inside his brain.  

He said, “I am pleased to meet you, Richard. I hope you will enjoy your visit here.” With that the man smiled, Ricky thought approvingly, and said to Jennifer. “I will see you again before you leave, I’m sure.” He bowed goodbye and returned to his lab. 

“Who is he?” Ricky asked. 

“Mr. Weiser is my boss. He is the director of Research and Planning here at the station. He first brought you to my attention.” 

Ricky stared at Jennifer blankly. He thought, “This has to be a dream, or I’ve lost my mind.” He wanted to laugh. 

Seeing his consternation she said, “Come on, let’s take a walk.” 

They got into an elevator, then went down a hallway and stopped in an observation room, or deck. Vehicles, vessels? made their way through the deep sea no less like cars navigating city streets. But in three dimensions. It was like watching a large video game display. 

They continued walking. Then Jennifer stopped and said, “Here we are.”  

“Where?” A green number seven identified the room. 

“This is my condo.”   

Ricky looked at her, a question mark on his face. 

“You’ll like it.” Jennifer reached up with her hand and tapped his forehead with her fingers. 

* * * 

Ricky was unaware that time had passed. They were back at the observation deck. 

“We’d best be getting back. We must go to work,” Jennifer smiled. 

They made their way back through the bustling facility, through the plaza, and onto the tarmac.  

Once inside their green machine, Jennifer tapped in the necessary data, and they taxied into position for the flight. The air transitioned again to water, and they glided easily into the sea. 

Jennifer tapped instructions on the display.  

They were again hovering over the ocean at five hundred feet. 

“No one is going to believe this,” Ricky said. 

“You’re right. No one will,” replied Jennifer. “Though many have seen us, it’s too much to believe. There is no proof, only speculation and another far-fetched story. Why should they believe it now? It is best kept to yourself. The day will come when they know. It is enough for now that you believe.” 

Tap, tap, tap - and they were back in the True Grits parking lot next to Ricky’s car. 

*  * * 

While shaking hands, Jennifer gave him a note with her number on it.  

“I’m due in at work early today. Call me this evening, okay, Richard?” 

“I will - Jennifer.” 

Ricky watched her as she walked through the lot to her car. She got in a powder blue Lexus and drove off. 

“Where’s the candy apple green - - ??” he said. 

“What??” said the waitress. - - “Would you like more coffee??” 

part 2

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