�� But before I could get to the elevator, the girl went inside and the doors went shut in front of my face.� I half expected the elevator to disappear; that would be my luck on this strangest of all nights!� But it didn't.� I stood there in impatience and in fear, wondering if the elevator would even re-open (there were no external buttons that I could see to push) or if the aliens would reach this position first.

�� I looked back over my shoulder again, wondering if the threat from the light was as real or immediate as I was imagining it to be -- since I didn't know what to do about the closed elevator doors I didn't know what else to do except to check my "rear guard" position.� It suddenly became imperative that the elevator doors open -- either that or I was going to have to run away again. � Coming through the nearest trees I could see the weirdly shaped aliens getting very close to where I stood. � Frantically, I began to pound on the elevator's doors! It was too late to run away now, I could see that the aliens had definitely spotted me! � But nothing happened. � Despite the fact that the doors had been cycling open/shut, they now firmly remained closed. � I risked another quick look over my shoulder. � The aliens were just scant feet from me. � In a paroxysm of terrible fear, I began pounding harder on the door and dry sobbing -- I couldn't, JUST COULDN'T, let them get their hands on me. Who knew what they might do or have in mind? �

�� I winced and flattened myself against the elevator door as I heard a foot fall that sounded like it was directly behind me. � Miraculously, inexplicably, the elevator doors came open. � I fell inside, turning as I went so that I could see that if the doors had not opened when they had that the lead alien would have had me in his grasp in a matter of another nano second or so. � In fact the door closed within a nano meter of his coruscating finger tips! � I sobbed in relief. That's when I heard the voice.

��In the mellifluous, cultured tone of voice of a gentleman's gentleman the voice quite clearly said, "You are quite safe for now, sire." This voice was obviously not a canned, tinny voice. It sounded like a real person in the car with me.

��� But no one was there! � Nevertheless, I looked wildly around.� WHO had spoken? Where was HE? � In fact, speaking of where -- where had the red haired girl gone to? � I'd clearly seen her enter the elevator, the elevator had gone no where that I could see and yet she was clearly not in the car with me. � Figuring I had nothing to lose and might as well find out if I had gone crazy and was hearing things or not, I spoke into the air, "Who said that?"

�� "Why tis I, sire, Edgar the Elegant Elevator at your service! � Where would you care to go?"

�� "Wait a minute! � Is this some kind of joke? � I mean now I'm supposed to believe that an elevator is talking to me -- just like a person!" But then I spluttered into silence. � �After what I'd seen so far this night, couldn't it be possible? In fact wouldn't it be weird if it wasn't something like this? � And yet I wasn't quite prepared to take it so equinamiously -- I felt like I needed to know a little bit more. � I was about to start posing questions when the voice calling itself Edgar spoke again.

�� "If you will look up sire, to where my floor numbers would ordinarily be, I would be much obliged."

�� I looked up over the door and gasped in surprise! � Looking down at me from the space above the door was an avuncular looking holographic face possessed of ruddy cheeks and a bulbous nose! � It was smiling at me deferentially.� The face looked so much like a real person's and was, in addition, the sort of capable face one could trust implicitly to handle one's affairs with discretion. � But despite that trustworthy appearance I suddenly had a terrible thought.� What if this was all an elaborate ruse staged by the aliens to herd me to this very place? � But I immediately rejected that paranoia.� There was no need for such elaboration. � The aliens could have simply gassed me or something and snatched me in my sleep.� And besides that, what if I rejected this offer of sanctuary, insisted on the door being opened and fell right into the alien's clutches? � And finally there was the matter of a certain somebody. � "Can you take me where the red haired girl has gone? And perhaps you could explain a few things along the way? � In any case can you get me out of here before the aliens break down your door?" � I didn't know where we were going or HOW we were going to go, I just knew we needed to go!

�� "Why certainly, sire!� As I have already indicated, your wish is my command!" The face regarded me in dignified calm, but one eye closed in a surreptitious wink.

�� I was beginning to like this "Sire" stuff. � I certainly hadn't heard much of it at work and none of it with my two ex wives.� Additionally I was reaching the place where I was losing my fear of the aliens -- I felt safe and secure within "Edgar". � But most of all I was becoming more and more entranced by the situation by the moment. � I didn't know how a elevator could be sentinent.� Or why. � For if Edgar was not sentinent then he was certainly a VERY clever facsimile, much more cleverly constructed than any robot available today.� And I did not know where all this might take me, but I suspected that wherever that was it was a place that I was going to like immensely, rather more than the so called advanced "civilization" that I now was a denizen of.� And I suspected that jorney would answer the "why" in why Edgar was sentinent. � Perhaps we were going to some closely guarded Shangri-La, some cleverly concealed place on earth where man had advanced like gods and had kept it secret from everybody except the select few? � I didn't know. � I just knew I wanted to find out.

�� It was a strange ride. � It felt like the car was going up and forward at the same time -- and yet not moving at all. � I know that is a hard concept to envision, but that is the best way I could describe it then, not knowing at that time what was really happening. � I found myself wondering, though, "Why am I feeling this disorienting motion when the car appeared to go no where when the red haired girl entered and disappeared?"� The only answer I could give myself was that her "ride" and mine were not similar, that she had gone "some where" else, that "Edgar" was capable of much more than it would seem. � That seemed like a real possibility and made the whole affair even more exciting and mysterious. � I could hardly wait to see what the doors would reveal when they opened.

�� I was about to try to engage Edgar in conversation, was going to ask for a bit of that explanation that he had implied was also forthcoming when the sensation of movement ceased. � I looked at the doors, waiting expectantly for the wondrous vista they were surely about to reveal. � The doors stayed closed.� I looked up at Edgar's "face" with a clearly questioning look on mine.

�� "A word or two of explanation is in order now, Sire" He said solemnly, yet with a twinkle in his eye that gave me to know I had little to fear.

�� I motioned that he should continue. � Then it dawned on me that perhaps Edgar was not as sophisticated as I was assuming, that perhaps he WAS just a tricked up elevator after all and was not conversant with human mannerisms.� But I needn't have feared. � The look in his "eyes" said that he was right with me. "I am not, contrary to external appearances, strictly speaking, an elevator. I am instead, a time machine." He said.

�� Did I hear that right? I thought. � This was beyond any imagined Shangri-La! � Out loud I said, "Wait a minute!� I can buy the fact that someone has managed to create artificial intelligence, after all they have been talking about it for several years now and have even managed to create a rudimentary prototype or two. I can even buy the possibility that someone, for a joke or whatever reason, put such a mechansim in an elevator. � But a time machine!� Everyone knows, due to paradox, that time machines are not possible! � So why don't you quit kidding around and tell me what is really going on here. � I mean if you tell me that you are some kind of teleportation device, that I could believe. � After all, matter CAN be converted into energy and I can see where it would be possible to convert that energy back into matter after transporting it somewhere else.� Not that I would know how it's done of course, but still I can conceive of it." I finished in a sort of smug, yet self deprecating way.� I thought I really had him. That WOULD explain, now that I was thinking of it, why the red haired girl had entered and not re-emerged.� It might also explain, possibly, the strange motion I had felt. � How would I know what being transported felt like? And it didn't seem like a person would feel any motion at all, traveling through time. � We travel through time every day and don't feel any motion. � Why should there be any motion connected with fast forwarding through time, then? And for that matter, going back a bit, it might even explain why the "elevator/teleporter" was sitting out in the woods at the end of my street. � Perhaps someone had stolen it from some lab somewhere and had dropped it here, thinking that no one would look for it in this unlikely location.� My theory might even explain why Edgar was claiming to be a time machine: His program might constrain him to identify himself that way so that it would scare some off and confuse others to the point where they would leave him alone. � But then I had a sinking feeling: My nicely constructed theory did not explain the presence and the perserverance of the aliens!

�� "Nevertheless, despite what your rudimentary science has taught you, I AM a time machine and ipso facto time machines are possible." Edgar said pedantically, in deeply sonorous tones.� I wanted to speak, but I didn't know what to say; I was too flabbergasted. � It didn't matter. � Edgar went smoothly on. "Therefore, since you have asked me to take you where a certain red haired girl has gone I have taken you to the future."

�� I was beyond being flabbergasted; all I could do was gape like an idiot!

�� When I could think coherently again, several possibilities went through my mind all at once. � That Edgar and the aliens were in cohoots, that, alternatively, the red haired girl and Egar were in cohoots or possibly that there was a third, outside party who was behind all this whom I had not met yet.� In regards to the first possibility, how did I know that the aliens wouldn't be waiting for me when the doors opened? � And if the red haired girl was involved with Edgar? � Then who was she and why hadn't she just approached me directly? � Was their even a need for a third party? � NO ! The whole thing, looking at it the way I was, seemed unnecessarily convoluted and absurd. � BUT! It sure seemed like there WAS something going on here because a person like me just didn't fall into something this fantastic entirely by happenstance, did they? � But I wasn't going to figure out if there WAS something going on here by simple speculation. � For all I knew it MIGHT be straightforward and as simple as Edgar made it sound.� He might be the equivalent of an electronic genie and I had metaphorically uncanted him, earning a free "wish".� STILL ! � Why would someone like me be given a free ride to the future? � Well. � There was only one way to see if, first of all, it was true -- that I had gone to the future -- and second of all, if there WAS something up! � Edgar simply needed to open his doors! � Then we would see what we would see, wouldn't we?

�� When I requested that Edgar open his doors, he gave me a look that was a strange combination of joyous anticipation -- like a kid at christmas -- and dutifully grave. � That odd expression almost made me rescind my request. � What was Edgar so eagerly anticipating and why was he at the same time so grave about it? � But I steeled myself and kept quiet. � I had gone this far and I might as well go the distance.

�� The doors silently began to open.

�� I expected to see one of three things. � The first possibility was, despite all evidence, that the doors would open up and I would see that we were still in the woods at the end of my street and that the whole thing HAD been some sort of elaborate charade for whatever weird reason some unknown person had staged it. The second possible scene outside the doors WOULD be some Shangri - La and that I had been right and that Edgar WAS a teleporter -- that would still be easier to believe than the possibility that I had stumbled into an amenable, operable time machine. � The third possibility was that I would see -- if I HAD time traveled -- a futuristic vista complete with space ships taking off, a planet wide city, people in weird clothing, robots everywhere and children playing with toys who's function and operating principles would be above our brightest scientists comprehension today.

�� What I saw was entirely different from any of the above possible scenarios!

�� I was no longer night. � By the light of daylight I saw a vista that looked like a combination of year round holiday and magical kingdom. � Every tree without exception was decorated with ornaments. � The river a few feet away from Edgar's open doors was crystal blue, with a clarity that I had never seen in my lifetime. � In the sky was a series of rainbows, leading away towards the horizon as if someone had decided that the heavens needed to be vaulted by ethereal magic. � The few houses that I could see were made out of many varities of jewels. � Speaking of the sky, I could see people flying through it like birds. � It was definitely people: one flew close enough to the open doors that I could see a very human face a nd yet t he arms wer e clothed in wing feathers. � The people I could see working in their gardens next to their houses were all naked, just like the red haired girl. � And I heard music coming from somewhere and permeating the whole scene. � It was joyful music that was not intrusive nor, I could tell, would it get repetitive or maddening. � It was like the sound of a constant celebration; soft joyous bells, swelling, throbbing pipe organ music and the sound of a voice so achingly sweet that it made one want to weep, dance, sing and just generally exult in life. � Looking around , trying to see if I could tell where the music was coming from, I finally located what I thought was the source: The music was pretty definitely coming from out of the sky in the direction of the sun -- or so it sure seemed since I could not locate any other more likely source. � This was the future? If so, it was wonderful. � In my enthusiasm to check it out more closely, I started to leave Edgar behind without a second thought. � In fact I had taken a step a two outside when I noticed it. Then I stopped dead still and stared in befuddlement.

�� There were several small scorched spots in the otherwise perfect jade green grass. � Some of the ornaments on the trees were hanging askew as if they had almost been knocked off and no one had had time to replace them properly yet. � One of the rainbows was flickering like a badly tuned in TV station. � And the house nearest where Edgar and I stood had definite chips and gouges in it's otherwise perfect jewel box appearance.

�� Some sort of trouble had happened here.� I stepped back into Edgar and asked, "What happened? What has marred this perfect future?"

�� With a servile look of deference, a little bit out of character for him, Edgar said, "There is someone outside waiting for you.� HE will explain it all for you much better than I can. � In fact he has insisted on it." Then Edgar's servile mask slipped for just an instant and I was sure that I saw a sneer curl his lip. Puzzled by this odd behavior on Edgar's part I stepped back outside, wondering who "HE" was and why this person had elicited such a response from Edgar.

�� A figure stepped into sight from around Edgar's left corner. � I yelped, cringed and froze, not sure if I should heed the flight or fight response. � It was a BEAR!

� "Weslee Turnipaw, at your service," He said, giving me a comradely slap on the shoulder that nearly floored me. � In a daze, I noticed that he was wearing a orange T shirt. � In bold black letters the T shirt said: Chinaberries, the breakfast of Champions.

�� This time I did retreat: back into Edgar. Looking up at Edgar's face, about to ask for a DETAILED explanation, when I noticed Edgar was wearing a long suffering expression.

�� Weslee poked his head in the door. "WHAT? What did I do?"

�� If a face could wear a shrug, Edgar's was.

�� I turned back to Weslee, "Well, let me see if I can figure it out for you, Skippy," I said, opting for the verbal assault mode, figuring I had nothing to lose, "You're a bear and I haven't had a history of conversing with bears. � But now that we've established that you CAN talk, what up, bro?"

�� The puzzled look stayed on Weslee's face a moment or so longer and then he said brightly, "OH. You're saying I scared the jazoo out of you. Well, never mind that, we've got a debriefing to go to." Having said that, he turned and left Edgar as if I would follow him as a matter of course. When he saw that I wasn't following him he stopped and frowned. "C'mon!" He gestured impatiently.

�� I wasn't going to budge until I had a clearer idea of what was going on.� I said so. � Weslee sighed in exasperation, muttering sotto voce, "You heroes are all the same!"

�� "Wait a minute! � What do you mean HERO?"