Chapter 4. Now and then

Max woke to find himself on a bed in an unfamiliar room, it was not a very big room, the bed took up most of it with just enough room to walk around it. There was, in one corner, what he thought to be a door which appeared to be made of wood and on closer inspection he realised the whole room was made of wood. There was a window in the wall opposite the bed that looked out over green paddocks.

The door opened on to a hall way, Max with some trepidation walked along the hall which opened onto a larger room. There were few chairs along one wall and the opposite wall was made from rocks with a recess in it. There was a fire burning in the recess which seemed to be for heating. He continued into the next room which seemed to be for cooking food, it had a door that took Max out of the building.

He stood there looking out over the green paddocks and wondered how he got there. A woman appeared from around the side of the house, she was startled to see him and dropped the wood she was carrying. She just stood there looking at Max.

“I’m sorry but do you know how I got here? For that matter, where is this place?” asked Max.

“I found you leaning against my back door,” said the woman.

“How long have I been here?” asked Max.

“Two days,” she replied.

“My name is Max,” said Max.

“I’m Helen,” she replied.

“Where is this place?” asked Max.

“I have know idea,” replied Helen.

“Are you alone?” asked Max.

This question seemed to unsettle her and she took a few steps back before saying, “yes I’m alone.”

“Don’t worry I mean you no harm, I just don’t know were I am and how I get here,” said Max.

“Would you like to come in and have something to eat and drink?” asked Helen.

“That would be nice,” replied Max.

Once inside sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea Max asked, how long have you lived here?”

“It’s hard to say, it feels like a long time,” replied Helen.

“Always been alone?” asked Max.

“No, at first my husband was with me but he died,” replied Helen.

“I’m sorry,” said Max.

“What was the last thing you remember?” asked Helen.

“Well, I’m not sure, given your level of technology, that you would believe me,” said Max.

 “Alien abduction was it?” replied Helen.

“What makes you say that,” said Max.

“That is what happened to me, we were driving along on our way home one night when there were these lights in the sky and then the car started shacking and the next thing I known, we were here, is that what happened to you?” asked Helen.

“Well sort off, yes,” said Max, he then continued, “I might go for a bit of a walk, you know just to have a look around.”

“You want find a way out,” said Helen.

“No harm in having a look,” replied Max.

“Would you like me to show you around?” said Helen.

“That would be nice,” replied Max.

They both walked out of the house via the back door and then across the paddock.

“How much area do you have here?” asked Max.

“Not as much as it looks,” replied Helen, she stoped, bent down and picked up a small stone and then added, “watch this.”

She through the stone but after a few metres it bounced of a wall that did not seem to be there.

“Some sort of force wall,” said Max.

“What ever you want to call it, it keeps us in,” replied Helen.

Helen continued showing Max around following the force wall till there completed the circle and returned to the house.

“Where do you get food and water?” asked Max as they walked towards the house.

“There is a well just over there,” replied Helen while pointing and then went on, “I grow some food but most of it just appeases in the fridge and pantry.

“I see,” said Max before continuing, “have you come to any conclusions about were we are?”

“I think we are in some sort of Alien zoo,” replied Helen.

“You might be right or they may be just collecting specimens.” said Max he then added, “however you look at it, it’s not good.”

“Do you think they will return us to Earth?” asked Helen.

“Earth, what’s that?” replied Max.

Helen stoped and took a backwards step and said, “planet Earth.”

“Is that your home world?” asked Max.

Helen started walking away towards the house saying, “go away, go away.”

Max followed and said, “what’s wrong?”

“You, what are you? Are you one of them?” asked Helen.

“No, I’ve been captured just like you, but I am not from this Earth I’m from the planet Terra,” said Max, he then continued, “I can’t explain it, all I know is I’m here in a cage just like you.”

Helen just looked at Max before walking into the house, Max followed.  Helen walked into the lounge room, put some wood on the fire and then sat in a chair next to the fire

“Is this house representative of your level of technology,” asked Max.

“Yes,” replied Helen.

“I see,” said Max, he then continued, “OK, we are in a very large space ship, I was court while trying to evade another space ship. Before that I was living on a planet by myself as before that my ship was damaged and I was put into cryogenic sleep for I don’t know how long.”

Helen looked at him as if he had two heads and then said, “sounds like an episode of Star Trek to me.”

“What is Star Trek?” asked Max.

“A TV show,” said Helen.

Max looked puzzled but did not say anything.

“You don’t know what a TV show is do you?” asked Helen.

“No but if I was guessing I would say it was some sort of fictional entertainment,” replied Max.

“And you would be right,” said Helen.

“It may sound like fiction but it’s the truth, now if we can get out of this cage and find my ship we might just be able to escape,” said Max.

“Escape to were,” asked Helen and then she continued, “and anyway we have it good here, we have food and shelter.

“That’s true and fine as long as this is a zoo but what if it is a lab and we are the lap rats?” replied Max.

“I’ve been here for a long time and I have been treated well,” said Helen.

“But that was when you were alone, now that I’m here they might be expecting us to reproduce,” replied Max.

“They will be disappointed then, wont they,” relied Helen.

“Well yes,” said Max.

“I have tried to find a way out but there is no way out,” said Helen.

“I have more technical knowledge and back on my ship there is a lot of help in the form of small robots that with a bit of luck will be working away at finding me.” replied Max.

Helen looked puzzled but said nothing.

“I will start working on the problem tomorrow,” said Max.

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