it ever since. Most people here don't drive, but there are a few old-timers like me who still like to feel the wind in their faces."
With that, I sensed the tour was over. "Well, I don't want to hold you guys up. I can see that you were off somewhere when I arrived. What's next on my agenda?" I asked.
"Well, I suggest you use your wings and find out."
"Uh, OK," I said. The three of us walked over to the open area of the dwelling, and suddenly we were moving upward. "That's just freaky," Isaid as I looked down and watched the room drop away. "How do you do that? How do you make everything work?" I asked. Everything seemed to happen automatically.
"Like I said, anything and everything is possible," Roy answered.
As the platform—or should I say air form—stopped smoothly at ground level, I stepped off and offered my hand to Roy. He shook it briskly. "Good to see you again," I said. "I almost have that old sand rail that you were helping me with running, you know."
"That old thing? Feels like a lifetime ago. Well, you have fun with that and keep the old me posted on how it's going. I had a lot of fun working on that buggy with you. We'll be seeing you around, buddy. Keep the faith. We need you."
I turned to Kathy and hugged her. Though I remembered little of her from my old life, I had to admit that she was a fine-looking woman in this place and time. "I hope I'll look as great as you two someday," I said.
"Maybe you will," Roy said, and they both got in the little car. As they were about to depart, Roy turned and added, "Now would be the time to try those wings again. We'll see you at the party."
I waved as they drove off, wondering what he meant. As they drove smoothly through the forest, I couldn't help but notice that all the trees were spaced in such a way that they could drive anywhere. It couldn't have been a coincidence.
I had no idea what to do next, so I sat down in the lush grass and started thinking about flying above the forest and the beautiful views. Suddenly I was sitting cross-legged, flying in the air. I lay back and put my hands behind my head. I was on autopilot once more, and the trees whipped silently below me until they thinned and were replacedby green fields. Cattle, pigs, goats, chickens, turkeys, and even a few horses roamed freely. There was equipment that I supposed was farm equipment. There were areas where I expected greenhouses, but instead there were only vegetable gardens—I wondered if they were protected by invisible greenhouses made of air. Beyond the fields were rows of solar panels and small wind turbines, which spun rapidly in the wind. Apparently these were the sources of food and power for this place.
My airplane banked sharply and carried me back over the pines again. It soon began to slow, and as it did so, the trees unexpectedly ended, revealing a beautiful alpine meadow next to a pristine lake. The lake was dotted with sailing vessels and powerboats of all shapes and sizes, some pulling skiers, wakeboarders, or children on brightly colored tubes. On the distant snowcapped mountains were ski runs, but I could make out no lifts. It appeared they'd come up with a better method to get to the top.
A crowd of people was gathered in one area of the meadow, and I was coming down right smack in the middle of it. I scanned the crowd as I descended and recognized family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Some looked as I expected; others were younger or older. Everyone gazed up at me, and they all had the broadest smiles. I knew at that instant what this place was. I opened my eyes and blinked the welling tears from them. "Utopia," I said. "The name of the place is Utopia."
Chapter 10
MY CHANGED WORLD
When I awoke early in the morning on May 20, I didn't know what to make of the dream or much else from the night. After a time, my mind drifted back to concern over the mentally ill patients. Somehow it seemed that my loss of negative emotions, Utopia, and the fate of the
With that, I sensed the tour was over. "Well, I don't want to hold you guys up. I can see that you were off somewhere when I arrived. What's next on my agenda?" I asked.
"Well, I suggest you use your wings and find out."
"Uh, OK," I said. The three of us walked over to the open area of the dwelling, and suddenly we were moving upward. "That's just freaky," Isaid as I looked down and watched the room drop away. "How do you do that? How do you make everything work?" I asked. Everything seemed to happen automatically.
"Like I said, anything and everything is possible," Roy answered.
As the platform—or should I say air form—stopped smoothly at ground level, I stepped off and offered my hand to Roy. He shook it briskly. "Good to see you again," I said. "I almost have that old sand rail that you were helping me with running, you know."
"That old thing? Feels like a lifetime ago. Well, you have fun with that and keep the old me posted on how it's going. I had a lot of fun working on that buggy with you. We'll be seeing you around, buddy. Keep the faith. We need you."
I turned to Kathy and hugged her. Though I remembered little of her from my old life, I had to admit that she was a fine-looking woman in this place and time. "I hope I'll look as great as you two someday," I said.
"Maybe you will," Roy said, and they both got in the little car. As they were about to depart, Roy turned and added, "Now would be the time to try those wings again. We'll see you at the party."
I waved as they drove off, wondering what he meant. As they drove smoothly through the forest, I couldn't help but notice that all the trees were spaced in such a way that they could drive anywhere. It couldn't have been a coincidence.
I had no idea what to do next, so I sat down in the lush grass and started thinking about flying above the forest and the beautiful views. Suddenly I was sitting cross-legged, flying in the air. I lay back and put my hands behind my head. I was on autopilot once more, and the trees whipped silently below me until they thinned and were replacedby green fields. Cattle, pigs, goats, chickens, turkeys, and even a few horses roamed freely. There was equipment that I supposed was farm equipment. There were areas where I expected greenhouses, but instead there were only vegetable gardens—I wondered if they were protected by invisible greenhouses made of air. Beyond the fields were rows of solar panels and small wind turbines, which spun rapidly in the wind. Apparently these were the sources of food and power for this place.
My airplane banked sharply and carried me back over the pines again. It soon began to slow, and as it did so, the trees unexpectedly ended, revealing a beautiful alpine meadow next to a pristine lake. The lake was dotted with sailing vessels and powerboats of all shapes and sizes, some pulling skiers, wakeboarders, or children on brightly colored tubes. On the distant snowcapped mountains were ski runs, but I could make out no lifts. It appeared they'd come up with a better method to get to the top.
A crowd of people was gathered in one area of the meadow, and I was coming down right smack in the middle of it. I scanned the crowd as I descended and recognized family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Some looked as I expected; others were younger or older. Everyone gazed up at me, and they all had the broadest smiles. I knew at that instant what this place was. I opened my eyes and blinked the welling tears from them. "Utopia," I said. "The name of the place is Utopia."
Chapter 10
MY CHANGED WORLD
When I awoke early in the morning on May 20, I didn't know what to make of the dream or much else from the night. After a time, my mind drifted back to concern over the mentally ill patients. Somehow it seemed that my loss of negative emotions, Utopia, and the fate of the
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