Screen Out of Time

As it descended through the swirling vortex of time, the time machine trembled and groaned, its steel frame ripping apart one screw at a time. Inside the cramped cockpit, Benjamin and Nora held onto each other.

"We're almost there," Benjamin said over the cacophony of sound.

Nora nodded, her knuckles white as she gripped the edges of her seat. The maelstrom outside the window seemed to stretch on for eternity, a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes that danced and twisted with dizzying speed.

And then, with a sudden lurch, the chaos ceased, replaced by a blinding flash of light and the sensation of weightlessness.

The machine hovered in the air, and with a bone-jarring impact that sent sparks flying, the time machine crashed back to solid ground, shuddering to a halt amidst a tangle of underbrush and foliage.

Benjamin and Nora sat in stunned silence, their ears ringing and their minds reeling from the shock of their arrival. They untangled themselves from their seats and stumbled out into the unfamiliar landscape.

"Where are we?" Nora asked.

Benjamin shook his head, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

"I'm not sure. But wherever we are, it's in the past. There is no sign of civilized life anywhere,” he said.

They examined the time machine.

“This thing is fried.” Nora said.

Nora nodded, her gaze sweeping over the dense forest that stretched out before them, its towering trees casting long shadows in the midday light.

"We'll have to explore," she said, her voice resolute. "We need to find out where—and when—we are."

As Benjamin and Nora pushed through the dense underbrush,  they stumbled across an old stainless-steel fence, partially overtaken by encroaching foliage. Beyond it, buried beneath a mound of earth and vines, lay a weathered sign that read "San Diego Zoo."

Their hearts sank as realization dawned upon them. This was not the past they had aimed to traverse—it was the future, a future where nature had reclaimed what once belonged to humanity.

"We've gone forward in time," Nora said, her voice barely audible above the rustling leaves. "But how far?"

Benjamin shook his head, his mind racing with a torrent of questions and uncertainties. "I don't know. But one thing's for certain—we're not going back the way we came.

“They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their situation pressing down upon them like a leaden blanket. Around them, the forest seemed to hum with life, a testament to the resilience of nature in the face of humanity's absence.

"We need to figure out where we are," Nora said, her voice firm with determination. "And how we're going to survive in this world."

Together, they set off in search of answers, their footsteps echoing through the silent forest as they ventured deeper into the unknown. With each passing moment, the reality of their situation became clearer—the world they knew was gone, replaced by a wilderness untouched by human hands.

As they walked, they encountered signs of life— Animals of all shapes and sizes roamed through the clearing. Creatures that should not have coexisted in the same area. descendants of those that had once roamed the enclosures of the San Diego Zoo. 

Among them lounged a pair of Andean bears in the grass, while a herd of antelope grazed nearby. 

Australian Brush-turkeys strutted about with an air of confidence, and armadillos scurried through the underbrush.

But perhaps most startling of all, the chimpanzees watched Benjamin and Nora with curiosity and suspicion.

Just as they rounded a bend in the path, they stumbled upon a woman stranding off in the distance.

"Looks like we're not alone," Benjamin said.

 "Hello," Nora said.

“Yu gaf gosik?” She asked in a language neither understood.

When they gave no clear answer, the woman gestured for them to follow her.

“Kom,” she said.

Nothing about her seemed threatening, so they did.

"I'm Benjamin, and this is Nora," Benjamin said, gesturing to himself and Nora in turn. "We're travelers from another time."

The woman again, said something they couldn't understand. It seemed that English evolved—or perhaps devolved—into something altogether different in this distant future.

"We don't understand," Nora said.

But the woman seemed to understand their plight, and with a gesture of reassurance, she beckoned Benjamin and Nora to follow her deeper into the forest.

Finally, they reached a series of trees lined closely together. The woman moved a set of branches aside and gestured for them to follow her.

What they saw was a fully functional town. Out of place but somehow right where it belongs. Among otherwise destroyed remains of human life.

As they passed each property, the feeling of familiarity intensified. Among a row of houses, there was a house that boasted a quintessential 1960s design, with its clean lines, pastel hues, and a welcoming front porch adorned with potted plants.

It was recognizable, with its two-story facade featuring large windows framed by white shutters. A neatly manicured lawn stretched out from the front porch, dotted with vibrant flowers and trimmed shrubbery, adding to the idyllic charm of the property. Thinking the lawn was too perfect, she took a closer look, and sure enough, it was fake grass.

Unsure where they were going, they continued on. They came across what looked like an attempt at a coffee shop. Again, there was something about it they felt like they knew.

They stopped to pause to look through a window made of plastic. Plastic, one of the worst things humans ever created, they assumed would be plentiful.

The interior had exposed stone walls, rustic wooden tables and mismatched chairs that were scattered throughout the space.

At the center of the coffeehouse stood the orange velvet couch. To the side of the couch was a counter where a man stood in front of a chalk board menu.

Blaken Bonen

Blaken Az

Was all it said.

They nodded to the six people sitting on the couch and moved on.

As they crossed the street the atmosphere changed. The facade was different. Gone was the bright colors of the homes and coffee shop. Now there was a more serious, almost dramatic feel.

They looked at one of the buildings. It resembled a New York City courthouse facade with imposing columns and a grand entrance. It had stone or brick architecture, tall windows, and a sign that read, KOUD EN HEDON.

Their self-appointed guide noticed them looking.

“Taingeda,” she said.

They continued their walk until Nora stopped when she noticed a bench that seemed so familiar she stood staring waiting for the memory to come to her.

It was a simple, rustic structure. It consists of a basic shelter with a wooden bench, surrounded by lush greenery typical of the Southern United States. With tall trees providing shade and a sense of seclusion. It looked like a bus stop, but there were no cars or buses.

“Trigeda Gump” the guide said.

“Gump?” Benjamin asked?

Suddenly Nora understood.

“Forest. The Bradys. Central Perk. Law and order,” she said.

She pause for a moment, looking around at all the other clues.

“TV and movies” she said.

“Huh?” Benjamin asked.

Everything in this town looks like something from a tv or movie.

Mark looked around and now understood. They had somehow stumbled upon a community that had recreated the world of television and film amidst the remnants of human civilization.

As if a switch was turned on, Nora, got the gist of what the woman was speaking.

“Ai Nora en dison Benjamin” she said.

“What?” Benjamin asked.

But Nora and the woman continued on.

“Hei” the woman said.

“Uh, chit yiron oso ona?” Nora asked.

“I asked her what year we are in” Nora said to Benjamin.

“Oso hod kyon trei hasta thauz yiron kom kon” the woman said.

“What did she say?” Benjamin asked.

“She said they stopped keeping track….about a thousand years ago,”

They both sat down on the bench, exhausted.

In the aftermath of humanities near extinction, the remnants of civilization clung to the fragments of knowledge and wisdom that remained. With the potential to rebuild and forge a new beginning, the survivors held the keys to a brighter future. Yet, they succumbed to the insidious influence of their screens – relics of a lost world, now their only solace and companion in the desolation. They told stories from tv shows and movies, and over time they became like folklore. With every detail of the stories known since one was a child.

Everything from the homes, stores and even the language they spoke was influenced by a screen. A screen, presumably all the living people have never laid eyes on for themselves.

As centuries slipped by and they surrendered their potential for progress, entranced by the hollow stories that emanated from the lifeless devices. Instead of cultivating new knowledge and innovation, they chose to pass down the superficial distractions of their ancestors, perpetuating a cycle of ignorance and stagnation.

A thousand years crawled by, and a new civilization emerged from the ashes of the old. But it was a civilization built not on the ingenuity and resilience of humanity, but on the hollow echoes of a bygone era. The foundations of this new world were laid upon the crumbling remnants of obsolete technology, a monument to the folly of those who came before.

Nora and Benjamin couldn't help but wonder if whatever had brought humanity to the brink of extinction should have finished the job.

ars ago,”

They both sat down on the bench, exhausted.

In the aftermath of humanities near extinction, the remnants of civilization clung to the fragments of knowledge and wisdom that remained. With the potential to rebuild and forge a new beginning, the survivors held the keys to a brighter future. Yet, they succumbed to the insidious influence of their screens – relics of a lost world, now their only solace and companion in the desolation. They told stories from tv shows and movies, and over time they became like folklore. With every detail of the stories known since one was a child.

Everything from the homes, stores and even the language they spoke was influenced by a screen. A screen, presumably all the living people have never laid eyes on for themselves.

As centuries slipped by and they surrendered their potential for progress, entranced by the hollow stories that emanated from the lifeless devices. Instead of cultivating new knowledge and innovation, they chose to pass down the superficial distractions of their ancestors, perpetuating a cycle of ignorance and stagnation.

A thousand years crawled by, and a new civilization emerged from the ashes of the old. But it was a civilization built not on the ingenuity and resilience of humanity, but on the hollow echoes of a bygone era. The foundations of this new world were laid upon the crumbling remnants of obsolete technology, a monument to the folly of those who came before.

As they sat in silence, their thoughts filled with the bitter realization of their own insignificance. 

Nora and Benjamin couldn't help but wonder if whatever had brought humanity to the brink of extinction should have finished the job.