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Square Logic

Josh pulled the door closed. “I wonder what would happen if I locked it. Could the teacher get back in?”

“How about leaving it as you found it instead,” Yancy sounded a little irritated not making any progress on his homework. “I might as well go back home if you are going to keep this up.”

“No, I’m sorry. I’m finished for now. My Dad always says I’m like a dog with a bone whenever I find something new I’m interested in. Go ahead with your studies,” he said while walking to the front and pressing the lock button and then unlock several times.

Yancy, “I thought you were finished?”

“OK, you are right. See you tomorrow,” and he pressed his exit button. Next thing his upper pod door was creaking open and he was back at home. He went to his room and did some more research on computer network architecture. He wasn’t going to be able to concentrate on homework until he satisfied himself. After reading for a couple of hours he fell asleep on his bed and didn’t wake until the next morning. At daylight he realized he didn’t get to his homework and decided to go into class an hour early to do it. He went down to the kitchen where his Mom was making breakfast. “I’m not hungry and I have to go in early. See you later,” he said as he downed a glass of orange juice already poured for him. He went back upstairs to his pod.

Mom said, “OK,” when she turned around but he was already gone.

He climbed into his pod and pressed the green button and the lid closed down. He sat by himself in class and went right to work on his math assignment. He was almost finished when he heard a disturbance outside the door in the hallway. He stood and walked to the door and felt the handle. It was locked. He must have left it that way yesterday by mistake. He went to the front and pressed the unlock button and the loud snap and buzzer sound followed. He started to open the door when it was pushed hard toward him. So hard he fell backward over a chair on to the floor. He looked up and saw an ant-like robotic virus staring at him. It had all the features he has seen before except one. This virus had Miss Ursbrook’s face on its head.

She looked angry and said, “Why was that door locked. Did you lock it?” Her voice sounded rough and mechanical, not at all like her normal voice. There was no accent either.

Josh horrified by what was standing in front of him as he stood up staring at her, “What are you?” he said.

She briefly looked down at herself only then realizing the way she looked. She grabbed Josh in a choke hold with her human looking hands while standing upright on her last two legs. Then one of the antenna protruding from the top of her mechanical head touched his forehead. He lost consciousness at that point. She lowered him to the floor and quickly exited the door into the hallway.

Students started to populate their seats for class. Yancy arrived early as well and found Josh on the floor next to his seat. He knelt down next to him and lifted his head off the hard floor. “Josh, what happened? Can you hear me?” The two other students in front turned and saw Josh on the floor and came to help. “Let’s straighten him out on his back.”

Miss Ursbrook entered the room looking the part. “What is going on?” she said.

Yancy, “Not sure Miss Ursbrook. I found him like this only moments ago. He has a mark or bruise on his forehead. Can you help?”

“I’ll try. Stand back,” she replied. She leaned over and picked up his wrist off the floor and pressed his exit button, He vanished from the classroom. “He should be OK when he enters again. I was having trouble opening the door. It was stuck and when I pushed hard it broke free and hit something. I thought it was one of the chairs. It must have been Joshua.” She coldly went on about her business not saying another word.

Sheri and Pete arrived and Yancy told them what he saw.

“Is he OK,” asked Sheri.

“Don’t know, I guess we will find out when he returns.”

Pete said, “I thought nothing could happen to us in this environment. How could he be knocked out by a virtual door hitting him?”

In Josh’s pod, the upper half opened, the bladder receded but Josh lie unconscious. His parents were in their pods at work.

Miss Ursbrook opened with, “Good morning class. We had an unfortunate incident this morning where I bumped Josh’s head while pushing against the jammed door. I think he will rejoin class soon. About your math homework, any questions?”

Yancy raised his hand.

Teacher, “Yes Mr Yancy.”

“Is there a way we can check on Josh? How can we assume he is alright without confirming it.”

“No. I am sorry but there is no way for me to do it until we have some break later this morning. I don’t think there is anything to be alarmed about. He will likely pop in any time now. If there are no questions about the homework we can start into new material.”

Molly worried, turned in her seat and looked at Sheri, Yancy and Pete. They all frowned at her nonchalant disregard for their classmate, but class resumed.

Mid afternoon, Josh lifted his hand and rubbed his face as he regained consciousness. When he felt a sore on his forehead he sat up wondering what had happened to him. He was groggy and he only remembered going to the door after unlocking it. He looked at the time and it was 2:00 PM. His last memory was being early in class before it started. He had missed most of the school day. He went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. When he looked in the mirror he saw a red spot on his forehead. He touched it and it was painful like a bruise. He couldn’t remember what happened after he opened the class door. There was a disturbance in the hall. What was it he thought, but it was not clear.

He went into his parents business pod room and they were using them, hard at work he figured. Then hunger came over him, he hadn’t eaten since dinner the night before. He descended the stairs into the kitchen. Mom had some left over pancakes on the counter top wrapped in cellophane. He unwrapped and microwaved them. As he sat eating them he tried to piece his day back together. He went in early to catch up on homework. There was a disturbance in the hallway. He tried to open the door to see what it was and the door was locked. He unlocked it and as he opened it…what happened then? He could not remember.

The food satisfied his hunger so he decided to report to class. Maybe something he hears or sees will bring back his memory.

Miss Ursbrook was lecturing on history when Josh appeared in his seat. She did not stop or acknowledge his return. Yancy gave him a thumbs up seeing him. He slowly raised his hand not sure if he should ask her what happened.

“Yes Joshua, do you have a question?” Her facial expression gave no hint that she had anything to tell him.

“Well sorry to interrupt here, but I found myself in my pod with the hatch open and I don’t remember how or when I got there. The last thing I remember is coming to class early.”

“Oh, I didn’t know your memory lapsed. I hope you are OK. I found you on the floor when I arrived and I decided to exit your program for you. I had trouble opening the door. It was jammed, so I pushed hard against it and it gave way. The door struck something and I think it was you.”

Josh was squinting his eyes as his brain pushed hard to clear through the fog. “OK, thanks for sending me back.” Sheri turned in her chair and smiled at Josh and put her hand on his on the desktop. Pete nodded at him.

“Are you sure you don’t remember anything else?” said the teacher.

“I kind of remember beginning to open the door. I’m not sure why.”

“Maybe you should exit for today and rest up.”

“No, I feel better here now. Please continue and I am sorry for interrupting.”

She went on with class. As Josh sat there he wasn’t listening to what she was saying. He kept rewinding the memory in his head about walking to the door. He looked over at Yancy who was locked in on what the teacher was saying.

At the end of the school day Josh was exhausted and looked so. He said goodbye to his friends and exited. Molly came over to Yancy and Sheri and said, “He doesn’t look so good.”

Yancy, “Maybe he got a concussion or something.” “I’m going to stay over and work these problems. I haven’t got much quiet time at home lately.”

Pete said, “Homework, yeah right,” and disappeared.

“Can I join you? We can work it out together,” said Molly.

Sheri, “Me too.”

“OK, let’s get to work. Yancy cleared his desktop off.