Kevin Wade Johnson
2023
I hate Earth. Well, this one, anyway. As I stood on the trash-strewn street, looking past the signs and billboards at the repair shop working on my current ride, I thought about this forsaken town. Yellow dust blew, as it usually did. Faded wooden buildings leaned to one side or another, looking like they'd been here since cowboy-and-outlaw days. Forsaken town on this fractured world, Fragmented Earth. I stood, leaning on a lamp post. Some of the locals lounged around too. I couldn't tell what they were thinking. But, based on where their eyes kept going, some of them were thinking about me. Leadership never told the likes of me everything. Although I was still doing a lot better than the inhabitants here. Nevertheless, one of the experts, one of the sensitives, had passed through not long ago, and reported that this region, southwestern North America, of this world could use some attention. And since Gwalchmai had made that report after traveling on this very county road…here I was. By myself. No partner. I wasn't sure what had gone awry. I should have been met, we never sent anyone out solo. And I should have had a better vehicle waiting for me, and then some. I mean, here I was, not far from the entrance to the Transdimensional Highway. If I ended up on that—and I had a sinking feeling that I would—I'd be a lot better off with one of our specials, with all the gadgetry built in. Not an old, dull red Ground Rover that wasn't much better than stock. One of the locals took one last, sidelong glance at me…and started walking my way. Slowly. Showing no concern. I sighed inside, but didn't show it at all. I'd need to play along, not that I wanted to. Playing. I was too old for playing.
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