Chapter 2

Did I really want to start over as a young man? What about my beloved wife, do I want to postpone being with her again for this thing, which I must admit sounded interesting. I had always wanted adventure, I had lived through several already in my life. Did I want to really go adventuring again? I guess I needed to think about it some more. Then I had a thought and tried hard to think ‘Barbara, I have a question’ and instantly she appeared again.

“Yes Bob, what was your question?”

“What happens to me if I do go on this adventure, I mean does a duplicate of me go on living here in this time and place or do I just have another heart attack and die here as I go on living wherever you send me?”

“Very good question, Bob; what we do is essentially clone you and leave that you here, and then like you said, provide that you with a heart attack and massive stroke. The you, that will stay here, feels nothing, he would go to sleep in your chair and not wake up. After you leave, two days later Steve will come in and find you dead. End of the problem for your family. They keep everything and mourn your death.”

“Your real body will be transported to our ship and reconstructed as I described earlier. You will undergo some retraining and then we would set you down in your new home. Does that answer your question?”

“Yeah, I figured something like that. I’ve still not made up my mind, but I am leaning towards that adventure. I’ll get back to you if I have any other questions. Oh, by the way how do you just appear and disappear without any sound or physical motion?”

“That is something of a trade secret, but I am just a projection into your mind that you perceive as real and standing in front of you. I know that doesn’t really answer your questions but that is how it is done.”

“Yeah, I guess that doesn’t answer me, but in a way it does. I think I can understand the principle but not the actual how. Thanks for the explanation anyway. I’ll call you when I have made up my mind.”

Again, just like before she was just gone.

If I’m serious about this then what skills would I need that I don’t already have? Let’s see, horse wrangling, taming and knowledge of harnesses, saddles, how to make them. Dig up information about prehistoric animals, their traits, skills, size and what it would take to kill them. Food preparation and storage, not to mention how you tan a hide, how do you butcher an animal that hasn’t been seen in several thousand years? I need to know how to stretch a hide, how do I scrape it out, so it doesn’t spoil? Should I take only enough tools, guns, and ammo for just myself or how many do I plan for in my tribe? Do I be selfish and only trying to take enough for me or do I take enough for 25, 50 or a hundred people? I guess I have more questions than answers.

Barbara seems very accommodating, so maybe I can work it so if I need stuff they can re-supply me, say every six months or a year. How much am I limited to take, can I take people or plants or pets with me or must it only be me and seeds and maybe books. Maybe I can speak to them about allowing a computer with all the earth’s knowledge on it. But then, what about power, water, or gas? How can I power a computer without electricity? Can I take a windmill, solar panels, how about some way to get around, a truck and an ATV, a wagon that can be used by the truck and horses once I have some trained? This is getting complicated. Am I really thinking of going through with it? I guess I am, provided I can get some concessions and certain conditions I want as well. I think I need to sit down at my computer and start a list of things I need and want and what I would be willing to accept and what I would not.