Chapter 1

My name is Steve Erickson. About ten years before I got sick, I moved to Roanoke, Virginia after my wife divorced me. She said it was because we had both changed over the years. Whatever.

I was 45 years old at the time. Believe me, I knew I didn't want to go through that marriage thing again any time soon. Relatively speaking, I got out unscathed, not like some others I knew. So, yeah, I was single for the following ten years. There were too many willing and free women to choose from. Being alone was less hassle than dealing with lawyers and courts.

Before I got sick, I was so active, so healthy. I was so athletic, I could eat anything. Well, maybe that was the problem. You see, I developed sugar diabetes from my poor eating habits.

After having diabetes for so many years, the complications started to cause me some big problems: high blood pressure, swelling in my legs, failing eyesight. Finally I had a stroke which partially paralyzed my left side.

Every few days I was hauled somewhere for a test, but other than that I was stuck in bed. The inactivity of lying in a bed all day was driving me nuts. The doctors were always talking about therapy with their stupid long faces and that condescending tone of voice. Damn, I was sick!

Here's the part you're not going to believe. Let me tell you about it as I experienced it.

One day, I wake up, just like I do every day. I open my eyes. The lighting is dim and I know — the way you just know - something is not right. I sense that I am lying on my back, vertically and horizontally centered in the space, but I have no idea what is holding me up at this height. I look around, and I'm in a very small, very colorless room. This is not my room! Where am I? How did I get here? Why am I here?

"Please, do not be alarmed." It's a voice I don't recognize, but at least it is a kind and gentle voice. I sense that someone - or something - is standing near me. "We are here to save you. My name is Kemon."

"Your planet is being destroyed by another race even as we speak. We needed someone for a great task and you were our best candidate, so we have taken you from your Earth. We will heal you and later take you to your new home on a planet which has progressed to a level similar to your Earth's Neolithic or Stone Age era. In this way you will continue to live while being of service to us," the voice says.

"You will heal me? What's happening on Earth? Can't you stop them from destroying it? You can't let them do that!" I am slurring my words, and the left side of my mouth is not responding well.

"We can and we must leave them be. It is not our place to intervene. The ones who are doing this are very powerful and not to be trifled with. We are not allowed to meddle in the affairs of your Earth. Stealing you away from your Earth was a dangerous but very necessary task, and we hope you wish to help us. We will not send you back to your Earth and a certain death," says Kemon.

"So what you are saying is you can't go back because they will kick your ass?" Yeah, I'm a little upset.

"Yes. This is not a war vessel. Its use is more transportation than anything else. We are a peaceful race preferring to not start interstellar wars."

"So you plan to heal me and then drop me onto a Stone Age planet. What do you get out of this?"

"Think of it as an experiment. We wish to observe you in your new home. We can't tell you exactly why; that would influence the outcome of the experiment. I can tell you this: It's not the first time we have done this. There is another man where you are going. He is many hundreds of miles to the east of where you are going. Some of us are not happy with the way things were progressing in that experiment. We will handle things differently this time. I am not at liberty to tell you how we will do that, but you are going into a primitive age with basic hand tools and subsistence items only."

"Are there people there? What's this place like? Will I have weapons and tools?" I am afraid and curious at the same time.

"The area you are going to is similar to southeastern France 35 thousand years ago. There are Cro-Magnon people as well as Neanderthals. Cro-Magnons are early humans and quite similar to modern humans. They originally traveled up from Africa and have coexisted with the Neanderthals for the last five thousand years."

"The ones destroying your planet are the same ones who seed planets and occasionally visit to see that things are on track. We are not sure why they are destroying Earth, but you humans do seem to have overrun the place and have been killing everything off besides yourselves. In the case of Earth, we took a special interest because you are somewhat similar to us, just not as far along as we are today," he explains.

Tell me something I don't know, I'm thinking. "Well, like you said, there are too many people on Earth. Hmmm. I guess this proves there is a God. A somewhat neglectful and vengeful one, but a God after all. That sucks."

"So, does this mean you will do it?" Kemon asks.

"Like I have a choice; my planet is being destroyed. "What, instead of going back to take my medicine with the rest of mankind? No, thank you. I think I would like to go forward. I would like to think we can learn something from this experience." That's another thing. I don't remember thinking this way. I vaguely remember my old persona: go, do, get, me, me, me. What have they done to me? They just got me here, and I feel — different.

"You are going to sleep now. When you wake you will be healed. See you soon." Kemon says, as lightly as he can while covering me with this glowing light.

I don't remember falling asleep, but I guess that's what I do next, because I later awaken with a start. Wow! I haven't felt this good in years. I arise from the platform and look down to inspect my body. My perfect body.

"Welcome back. While we were healing you, we took your body back to 20 years of age so that you would be healthy and strong. I hope you don't mind," Kemon said.

"Not at all. Not only am I healed, but you have given me a new life as well. I can't complain about that." My world is turned upside down, and I don't seem to mind at all. Weird feeling.

"We added one more thing. We added an implant that ties you into a computer system. This will give you improved vision and the ability to contact us from anywhere, mostly for information purposes. To operate it, think 'computer on' and it will begin operating. Think 'computer off' to shut it down. It won't really turn off, the display will just disappear. This implant is also set up with the language of the local people. You will speak their language and understand them just as you do your English now."