Chapter 1

As I sat contemplating my fate, a shimmering glow took place across the table from me, it soon solidified into a gray four foot high, big headed bald man, with big black eyes. My first thought was that those Roswell conspiracy nuts were right; this was definitely not a local boy! My second thought was that no way was there going to be any anal probing. As I slid my hand under my seat for the weapon I kept there, he spoke, “You will not need that firearm, I intend no harm, and as a matter of fact I have an offer that will solve your problem.”

“Who are you, what problem, and how will you solve it?” I said.

He cocked his head to one side and said,” Come on, we both know that you will soon die; I can prevent that and give you many more years of interesting and exciting life. Oh, and call me Fred, you could not pronounce my name so Fred will do.” He went on to explain, “Our civilization is thousands of years more advanced than yours, and thanks to scientific advances, our life expectancy is unlimited. We only die as a result of catastrophic accident or if we tire of life due to boredom or ennui, for most of us, there are no challenges left to make life interesting. In recent years this has developed into a real problem, and that brings us to the reason for this meeting.”

“Ah,” I said as I took a big gulp of my beer, “now we’re getting to where the tread meets the dirt. What exactly do you want from me, and what do I get out of it?”

He looked at me for a few seconds; he was obviously collecting his thoughts. Then he said, “We have developed a method by which one person can experience everything that another experiences, both in real time and from recorded experiences. We would simply insert a postage stamp sized chip under the skin on your head and it will record everything that you experience. I’m what you would call a producer; I make my income from rental fees charged on those recorded experiences.”

“But,” I responded, “My life at this time is boring and going to be damn short. How do you hope to make anything from recording it?”

“By changing both of those things,” he replied. “We’ll use nanotechnology to reverse age you to your mid twenties and the nanites will keep you at that age indefinitely, and maintain you at the peak condition your DNA will support. We will then use a temporal transporter to place you in this location in 1867. We’ll supply you with weapons, supplies, animals, and information to start you on a quest that should give us a great market share. The up front cost will be massive, but our projections show a great profit potential. So, do you want in, or do we look for another star for our show?”

“Considering my other option, I’d be a fool not to buy in, so let’s do it,” I said.

“Good,” he exclaimed, “our experts have arranged for two horses that are large enough to carry you and your weapons, they will not be the fastest around for a short distance but will still be going strong when faster horses are down. They have received the nanite treatment so they are, and will remain, in great shape. The nanites also programmed them to bond with you. We did the same for two mules and two German Shepherds. Now, all you have to do is pick the weapons and supplies you want to take with you. The only restriction that our authorities insist on is that everything has to look like it fits with what is available in 1867 or at least a reasonable approximation. For example, the horses and mules are shod with what looks like normal shoes, but the material used is much harder and will last for the lifetime of the animals. You will be provided with one more item, a 12 inch diameter keg that is 18 inches high. It looks like a wooden water keg but in reality is a replicator that is charged by the covers over the packs on the mules. It will reproduce whatever you place in it or whatever we program it for before you leave. So, what do you want to take with you?”