Psychological fiction; Science fiction; Short stories; Space travelers -- Fiction
In the weird moonlights, a huge flying monster dragged itself from the
topmost pinnacle and came in a banshee wail toward Harvey. He put down
his fear and aimed the Matter Disorganizer carefully. The huge yawning
mouth gaped out at him as he pulled the actuator. The banshee scream
stopped abruptly; the monster vanished. Dana fell to her knees sobbing.
"You've killed him! You've killed Timothy," she cried.
Harvey turned back to the ridiculous rectangle of white radiance
suspended in mid-air and adjusted the MD's energy span. The solid metal
walls of the rocket reared into the night sky.
"All right, Dana," Harvey said coldly, turning to the kneeling woman.
"Where am I, and what's going on here?"
"I--I suppose I should tell you now," she choked out, standing without
his help. Harvey felt suddenly cold. The night wind had ceased, and a
blue heatlessness settled over the yellow field. Even the moons lost
some of their giddy fervor.
"Go on. I'm listening." He felt his voice soften, and rebelled. He had
been subservient for too long in this crazy world, he realized. He felt
something else was necessary. "I remember now," he stated.
* * * * *
Dana sucked in her breath and stared at him longingly. "Oh Harvey,
darling. I've lost you so many times already. Must we go through it
again?" she said sadly. Harvey said nothing. Her shoulders sagged.
"Very well. It isn't a long story. You remember Earth, Harvey? Your
Earth?"
"I remember."
"You know why you came ... here?"
"No."
"Look at your ship, Harvey. It's old. It is _very_ old. I'm going to
tell you something. Something you already know, but won't admit to
yourself...."
A frightened look appeared in Harvey's eyes.
"Well, go _on_. _Tell_ me," he shouted impatiently, fearfully.
"After your ship left Earth, Harvey, it jumped the Light Barrier. But
you and the others hadn't counted on the forces involved; everything
but the _man_ was designed to take that jump. _You never came out of
Overdrive, Harvey. You're still in that ship, and you'll never wake
up!_" She laughed/cried at Harvey's twisted face.
"You're crazy!" he roared hoarsely. "You're crazy! I re_mem_ber! _I_
know where I am, _and_ how to get back!"
"Take a look around you, Harvey Crane," Dana laughed at him
hysterically. "Do you think a world such as this _could ever really
exist_?
"All this, Harvey," she gestured at the chunk of land, the Castle, and
the moons--"They're just symbols. This island: your mind; the world
edge is the end of Reality. Out there, the moons--_they are insanity_."
"But you _wanted_ me to stay here. Why did you change your mind?" He
stared at her accusingly.
"If you wish, you can ascribe motives to my actions," Dana said
tiredly. "But they are your motives, not mine. Harvey, I'm just 'real'
in your imagination. In Reality--the only Reality--I'm back on Earth,
waiting. Harvey ... go back. _I want you so!_"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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