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Invitation To Breakfast

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The focus of attention switched back to
JOSHUA

I asked, “Any more?

Yvette said, “Nope. No homeless close by. We’re running short on SSmoke too. Time to call it a day and stock up?”

I replied, “Sounds reasonable. Pick a motel and we’ll head that way.” Though it was none of my doing I’d had had bad luck turn to good. I figured that I couldn’t do much to repay whoever had helped me so I was paying it forward. I was helping people that could not help themselves. Not to brag on myself but I was an Uber-Geek in school.That turned out to be a good thing. My curiosity for all things technical had led to Yvette and I spending many a sleepless night poring through the library and learning about the SSmoke. Now we were using it.

Yvette went online, found a motel, reserved a room and paid. Then she modified the ‘yellow brick road’ in my HUD. She said, “Notice the way point? It’s an auto parts store. We can pick up a case of motor oil.”

I replied, “Works for me.” I rolled on until I came to the auto-parts store. The store clerk didn’t blink an eye when I asked for a case of 10W40 but he was definitely curious when I carried the case of oil outside into the parking lot and set it on the pavement. I’d left a tiny ‘no-see-em’ insect drone behind to watch him...just in case. I’m not the world’s smartest guy but I CAN learn from my mistakes. My mistake in the past had to not have adequate situational awareness, not to ‘watch my six’.

Never again. A swarm of tiny, almost invisible cyber mites surveilled the area around me now. I watched the clerk watching me.

“What the hell?” the clerk said. “I hope he’s not going to spill oil all over... now how’d he do that?”

I watched him watch me step aboard my unicycle and ride off. The case of oil had followed me like a puppy. Soon I was out of sight.

“What the hell?” the Clerk said in silent awe “ don’t THAT beat all?”

---

A few hours later, Yvette and I were relaxing in a motel room. I was reading while Yvette was busily converting the motor oil into SSmoke.

Unexpectedly, a text appeared in front of my eyes. It was oddly like text messaging on my cell phone but without the cell phone. Even more oddly was that I suddenly knew how to use it. I’d known all along but I hadn’t known that I’d known, until the need had arisen. How strange. The TM was from Shelby Winslow.

Shelby to Joshua
.
Hey Bud.
The Orc’s and I had gone to the Hospital to see you several times.
Each time they said that you were ‘resting’ and should not be disturbed.
.
We wanted a ‘face to face’ to prepare you for what you are experiencing if you are reading this, so that it would not come as a shock.
.
No luck getting to see you.
.
The last time we went, rather recently, they professed ignorance of your very existence.
.
“There is no one here that matches your description” they told us “ and there has never been.”
.
Odd that. I think you scared them.
.
At any rate...what’s done is done.
.
We haven’t heard from you in a while.
If you’re still alive and reading this. Consider it to be an invitation.
We’re having a little breakfast get together
tomorrow.
If you could come we’d appreciate it.
Mage Biz.(we’ll explain ALL about it)
RSVP
Directions attached
.
(infodump)
.
Joshua to Shelby
I WAS wondering.
I’ll be there.

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To Be Continued

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I hope you are enjoying this
Yarn

.
Perhaps you might also enjoy
Other Books
that I have written.
.
AND
.
Follow me @everittdmickey
.
That's my Blog
in which I pontificate on Technology,
Philosophy, Religion,Politics, Economics
and occasionally
ShantyBoats
.
In my Blog I write about,
and hopefully engage my readers in discussions about,
the possible lifestyles that we will encounter after
TEOTWAWKI happens.
.
It WILL happen, one way or another,
probably something in between.
One thing is for sure and for certain though,
the world will NOT remain the same.
.
So Come on Down!
Sit a spell.
I got the Coffee on.

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The Hobo Picture is a Public Domain image from
Samantha at the Worlds Fair
by Josiah Allen's Wife (Marietta Holley)
Illustrated by
Baron C. De Grimm published by
Funk and Wagnall's Company 1893
Unless noted
All other Illustrations are from
Pixabay

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