Lost in Plain Sight

My parents always talked about this and how this was their dream or maybe they meant the dream of the general populace. They thought, “besides teleportation, you could go anywhere you wanted at a much faster rate”. They didn’t think they’d see this in their lifetime, it was already seemingly impossible for the previous generation from my parents’ to have an electric car but when I was born, that was the first thing they purchased. “Safest on the market at the time,” my dad would say. As I kept aging, I guess the leaps and bounds in technology was just standard for me. My parent’s said they were alive when the Internet started which I found hard to believe until I looked it up. On road trips, I would watch shows anywhere we were and it was just a norm for me. On this day, even I did not believe it to be a norm.

As usual, I started with my breakfast, morning caffeine, today I chose lemon bark coffee and I swear, it tastes like regular coffee but it doesn’t make me all nervous and junk. Anyway, went off to the store in preparation; I love road trips since my parents would always take me on them throughout my growing years and now with this car, I was able to visit them every month. My mom was scared of my car and my dad was so excited and wanted one. The only bummer he felt was he had no idea how to work on it, fix it, or tune it up so it felt like a distant invention rather than a project when something would go amiss. I prepped with groceries, too many snacks, I had enough of my pills for a little over a week-long visit, and plenty of drinks. My car had enough to make it to my usual stops before needing more juice. There were stops I often made along the way in the same towns but today I felt adventurous. I had more time off and I figured it could be fun. 

Takeoff time is much easier because after getting what you need for your vehicle, each type of vehicle used a different fuel source, you could just drive far enough away from the juice station to clear a path and float until you reached a safe height before flying off. Traffic is not as much an issue as I’ve heard it was in decades past but we do rely heavily on computers of each system to talk to one another to direct properly. Mine ran on electricity; I chose this because there were more stop options versus other kinds such as juiced grass, gasoline (only the very rich and pompous really got those), and the like. I chose this because just like the option to stop often if needed, my dad drilled safety into my head. I tried my absolute best but in the end, the unpredictable can never be planned.

I have only four stops before reaching my parents’ if I don’t rush and allow the car to cruise along it’s destination. I made one stop shortly before entering the state north of my own, got some snacks (yes I stocked up before leaving but I’ve got a problem with road trip snacks), used the restroom, and got some incredibly strange looks. I am not normally the type to be full of myself, I am very aware that my car would be considered a luxury in the past but it was a middle class item in my day and age. I had been to this stop many times before and it was so strange to encounter people who looked like they were upset with me. My car was done charging and I set the next stop and took off.

This new stop was the first new one and the town looked awful compared to my usual places. It was a tad creepy with it’s dilapidated structures surrounding the gas station and roads that seemed to go on forever without facilities in sight. I didn’t try to focus too much on it and stopped to charge. I didn’t feel like walking around this location and decided it was best to wait for my next stop before exploring again. So much for adventurous, I know. This was just not what I was thinking when I was planning on new places.

Stop three seemed to have gotten worse and although my onboard computer claimed there was a charger, I couldn’t find one. The place was better maintained but felt so dated. Thankfully, I just wanted to stop to use the restroom and I had enough charge to make it another stop. I did my business, asked if I was headed the right way and got a very excited confirmation. It was eerie, as though this person were more a creature, a robot of sorts created for the sole purpose of excitement building for the customer. I shook it off and went on my way. I wanted to have fun but also wanted to keep my parents in the know of my progress. I sent them a message and took off again.

Stop four seemed so retro. There were buildings around from the 1960’s and they were well maintained. I took out my personal charger and plugged in to a nearby outlet since, again, there were no official chargers around. I had to report the computer in my car as it seemed to be on the fritz. I probably should stick to stops I knew to work for the trip from here on out. An adventure could be had when my arrival wasn’t anticipated by the biggest worry warts of this generation. Don’t get me wrong, I love when my parents show how much they care but I do not want to make them worry. People were really nice in this part anyway. They had all sorts of puns around hinting at aliens being a big attraction. Suddenly, when putting my hand in the “touch an alien” box, I heard loud screaming and ran outside. Someone had tried to unplug my car, no doubt trying to either take the juice for their own or my cord. I bought the protective add-on which heated up the cord to unbearable temperatures should it be handled without my approval. My alarm was going crazy as well and I went up to it to shut it off. The man began yelling at me, saying I was stealing his power. I assumed from that encounter that this part of the country hadn’t approved free electricity. I apologized, phased my newly purchased items into the trunk grid and hopped back in. As I took off, I could see cars galore coming and going through that location, all driving from long distances away. I assumed from this as well that they wanted to stick to their dated technologies. That would definitely explain the electrical predicament.

My final stop before reaching my parent’s would have to be skipped. I was feeling uncomfortable and my parents would let me charge. I did not know my fifth stop so it wasn’t worth the weirdness I might encounter. Still, even with the skipping of stops, the strangeness grew. I landed onto the street a couple blocks from my parents’ and began the short drive on wheels. I knocked on the door and some tiny boy answered. I recognized him but couldn’t place from where. I know my parents work a day care from their home and figured I must have seen him on one of my video calls. I introduced myself and he ran off excitedly to get my parents as requested. When he returned, I was enjoying the sight of times past when I heard, “I didn’t know I had an older brother!” I turned back and fear set in… the little one was me. My parents were about twenty years younger by the guess of my age from the little one. I did not have a memory of this event but I was suddenly dizzy. I stepped back and fell off the small step leading to the door. Sirens came ringing into my skull and I saw police pull up. Retro car, a Crown Victoria. I remember my father talking about this dream car of his when I was little. The officer pulled his gun and demanded that I state my business… I had never been threatened and I could not understand why it was happening now. It was too short a time for my parent’s to make the call.

My parents looked at me and quickly let the officer know I was using an experimental aircraft from the Air Force whose base was a couple miles away. The officer looked reluctant but pulled his gun down and called on his radio… on his shoulder, not his neck device. More confirmation, I was somehow in the past. My parents brought me water and a chair. They were consoling me and told me I looked so much like them there was no doubt of who I am. My mouth refused to move the water down my throat, my hands would not stop trembling. 

***

It has been a full day since I landed and I have not yet ceased to exist. I write this as a memento, if needed, I need this knowledge so the boy will grow up and avoid the mistake I have made. I do not know what to do from here, whom to speak with or where to turn. If I spawn an idea, I will journal it so someone may know of what has transpired. If these are my last words, I may have disappeared whether by time-space conflict or I may have been kidnapped. I suspect I may be the one heard of long ago that was experimented on, a man that came from the sky. No one knew of his fate and no one cared to ask enough to find out because he sounded to be of myth. Wish me luck and please, save the boy from this fate.

***

Fully charging still didn’t take long as my vehicle didn’t require very much. I had hoped that driving back might be what could return me to my time. My father worried it could make things worse but I couldn’t imagine what I could possibly do now as it is. I flew off and kept flying following my onboard computer until I felt it was safe looking enough to land. Unfortunately, it never felt safe enough and I kept getting worried so, not paying enough attention led to my computer blaring, warning me that landing was necessary. I landed in what looked like a fairly populated area. These men with big blocks ran over and held them to their face. Lights flashed when I stepped out of my car. Everyone was dressed in suits and uniforms, even more dated than what I had seen previously. Guns came up and aimed directly at me. I raised my arms in surrender and asked more out of fearful confirmation than curiosity. Everyone looked confused like they couldn’t believe I was speaking to them. One man finally stepped forward and offered the newspaper, seemingly curious if I could understand. It was from the previous day… The date written was Monday, July 7, 1947. If I would have paid more attention and not let fear get to me, I might have been able to avoid landing in Roswell.