After school, Michael almost always went for a short hike on a nature trail not far from his home. The main feature of the trail were two volcanic craters where lava flowed millions of years before.
As Michael looked into the largest crater, he tried to imagine what it must have been like when molten flowed over the land. The evidence from the eruption in the form of lava rocks still covered most of eastern Washington.
Suddenly another thought entered his mind. Someone was calling for help. Michael looked around, but saw nothing besides the desert. Eventually, Michael realized that the voice was coming from the crater. Carefully, Michael climbed to the bottom of the pit.There was nothing but trash. The voice told him to start digging in a particular spot near the wall of the crater.
With his hands, Michael began digging. About six inches down, he found a metallic cube about four inches square. Incredibly, the cube was the source of the voice. Michael climbed back out of the crater and put the cube on the ground.
"What the hell are you?" he said to the cube. "I am one of the last relics of a civilization that once flourished here" The cube answered in an almost human voice. Michael looked around. "We better have this conversation somewhere private" he told the cube as he put it in his pocket.
When he got home, Michael ran up to his room. His parents wouldn't be back for a few hours. After placing the cube on his desk, Michael stared at it. The cube must be some kind of advanced computer he reasoned."When was this civilization?" Michael asked.
"Before the lava flowed" the cube answered. "That's impossible." Michael said. The cube continued: "Our greatest city was a masterpiece of architecture and science, but even with all of our knowledge we could not stop the lava."
"So what is your purpose?" Michael asked the cube. "I was created to preserve all of our achievements in the hope that they wouldn't be lost. Our scientists programmed me to lie dormant until a particular time when it would be safe. For thousands of years, I was deep underground. At the proper time, I used a burrowing mechanism to move toward the surface." The cube replied.
Michael considered that the cube may be a practical joke, but he had never seen anything as advanced as the it was. "How is it you learned English? Michael asked. "By monitoring your radio and television signals." The cube answered. "What is your power source.?" Michael inquired of the cube. "I used very little power when I was dormant. Now I run off a battery that is charged by static electricity in the air." The cube answered.
The next day, Michael went to school as usual. The cube remained on his desk. Something about the cube bothered him. If an ancient civilization had the technology to construct a machine as advanced as the cube, couldn't they have saved themselves somehow?
When Michael got home, the cube had moved to his bookcase. "How did you move?" Michael asked the device. "I have a simple propulsion mechanism" the cube answered. Michael nodded. This thing was full of surprises he thought.
In the morning, Michael decided to take the cube to the university. As he grasped the cube, he received a powerful shock. "What the hell was that?" he shouted. " My self-defense system" I have an important task to do and I cannot be disturbed." the cube answered calmly. "What important task?" Michael demanded.
"I was not entirely truthful with you." The device began. "My actual purpose is to revive the thousands of men and women who lie deep underground. I am sending a signal to the preservation chambers as we speak. So that we can begin our civilization once again." "You didn't need to lie to me about that. "We would welcome your people." Michael said.
"You would not welcome those who would make you into slaves." The machine said. "Slaves? what are you talking about?" Michael asked. "My people are rulers. We do not share, we take." The cube said coldly.
Michael had to stop the cube from reviving the others, but how? The cube said it was powered by static electricity from the air. Maybe too much electricity would disable it. Michael raced to his closet and grabbed his battery charger. After plugging it in, he touched one of the electrodes to the cube. The cube was so intent on its task, that it failed to stop him.
After a moment, the cube began to smoke and sputter and appeared to be disabled. The question was: did the device have time to revive the others before he destroyed it?
As Michael looked into the largest crater, he tried to imagine what it must have been like when molten flowed over the land. The evidence from the eruption in the form of lava rocks still covered most of eastern Washington.
Suddenly another thought entered his mind. Someone was calling for help. Michael looked around, but saw nothing besides the desert. Eventually, Michael realized that the voice was coming from the crater. Carefully, Michael climbed to the bottom of the pit.There was nothing but trash. The voice told him to start digging in a particular spot near the wall of the crater.
With his hands, Michael began digging. About six inches down, he found a metallic cube about four inches square. Incredibly, the cube was the source of the voice. Michael climbed back out of the crater and put the cube on the ground.
"What the hell are you?" he said to the cube. "I am one of the last relics of a civilization that once flourished here" The cube answered in an almost human voice. Michael looked around. "We better have this conversation somewhere private" he told the cube as he put it in his pocket.
When he got home, Michael ran up to his room. His parents wouldn't be back for a few hours. After placing the cube on his desk, Michael stared at it. The cube must be some kind of advanced computer he reasoned."When was this civilization?" Michael asked.
"Before the lava flowed" the cube answered. "That's impossible." Michael said. The cube continued: "Our greatest city was a masterpiece of architecture and science, but even with all of our knowledge we could not stop the lava."
"So what is your purpose?" Michael asked the cube. "I was created to preserve all of our achievements in the hope that they wouldn't be lost. Our scientists programmed me to lie dormant until a particular time when it would be safe. For thousands of years, I was deep underground. At the proper time, I used a burrowing mechanism to move toward the surface." The cube replied.
Michael considered that the cube may be a practical joke, but he had never seen anything as advanced as the it was. "How is it you learned English? Michael asked. "By monitoring your radio and television signals." The cube answered. "What is your power source.?" Michael inquired of the cube. "I used very little power when I was dormant. Now I run off a battery that is charged by static electricity in the air." The cube answered.
The next day, Michael went to school as usual. The cube remained on his desk. Something about the cube bothered him. If an ancient civilization had the technology to construct a machine as advanced as the cube, couldn't they have saved themselves somehow?
When Michael got home, the cube had moved to his bookcase. "How did you move?" Michael asked the device. "I have a simple propulsion mechanism" the cube answered. Michael nodded. This thing was full of surprises he thought.
In the morning, Michael decided to take the cube to the university. As he grasped the cube, he received a powerful shock. "What the hell was that?" he shouted. " My self-defense system" I have an important task to do and I cannot be disturbed." the cube answered calmly. "What important task?" Michael demanded.
"I was not entirely truthful with you." The device began. "My actual purpose is to revive the thousands of men and women who lie deep underground. I am sending a signal to the preservation chambers as we speak. So that we can begin our civilization once again." "You didn't need to lie to me about that. "We would welcome your people." Michael said.
"You would not welcome those who would make you into slaves." The machine said. "Slaves? what are you talking about?" Michael asked. "My people are rulers. We do not share, we take." The cube said coldly.
Michael had to stop the cube from reviving the others, but how? The cube said it was powered by static electricity from the air. Maybe too much electricity would disable it. Michael raced to his closet and grabbed his battery charger. After plugging it in, he touched one of the electrodes to the cube. The cube was so intent on its task, that it failed to stop him.
After a moment, the cube began to smoke and sputter and appeared to be disabled. The question was: did the device have time to revive the others before he destroyed it?
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