(Image from NASA)

Dave Morris took a swig of his beer as the next television programme started. His kids were happily playing on the floor and his wife was doing something in the kitchen. The dog was curled up at his feet. It was great to chill out after a busy day at the office.

Presently he became aware there was a man standing in front of the lounge window, blocking out much of the light from the street lamps. How the hell had he got in?

Stranger: “Captain, can you hear me?”

Dave: “Who the hell are you?”

Stranger: “I’m John Cox, your second in command. Don’t you remember me?”

The man was now evidently wearing a spacesuit, his visor open. He looked very concerned, and familiar now!

Right then his whole house melted away into oblivion. What remained was a metallic room furnished with hard benches instead of armchairs and settees. He was now in a futuristic looking prison cell, but the door had clearly been forced open. Two more spacemen had followed John Cox into the “room”. John fired a cloud of sweet smelling gas into his face.

John: “Breathe Captain, it’ll help flush the drugs out of your system.”

Dave began to remember. He was indeed Captain of “The Defiant”, a space battle cruiser. Now he remembered John.

Dave (to John): “Ah, John! What the hell’s going on?”

John: “Come on Dave, we gotta get out of here, fast!”

Dave obediently followed John out of the cell and through a maze of prison corridors. As he jogged along he realised that his whole recent life had been based on false memories and a complete illusion! The amazing truth was that he was not a twenty-first century office worker with a nice home and family.

In fact the television programmes he had watched in this fantasy life were more “real” than his own little world. Programmes such as “Star Trek”, “Star Wars”, and “Battlestar Gallactica” were much nearer the mark than his own mundane work environment and domestic scene. Dave now remembered that he was an important element of Earth’s ongoing interstellar war with the evil aliens known as “Sligs”! They had captured him, and brainwashed him completely!

Soon Dave was running away from that Slig prison. Real memories came flooding back as he ran. Now they boarded that rescue-shuttle, and shot into space. Slig fighters gave chase and fired upon them, but the shields held out. There was “The Defiant”! Such a beautiful sight! Into the landing bay flew the shuttle. Bumpy landing but okay. Can’t get the pilots these days! Straight into warp! “The Defiant” flew straight into hyperspace. That was slick!

Dave was dragged along to sickbay. The Medical Chief Al McDonald was waiting for him. Well at least the injections were painless, like in “Star Trek”. He was drifting off to sleep…

People talking. McDonald! I’m in Sickbay!

Al: “Ah, you’re awake Dave. How do you feel?”

Dave: “Very sleepy Al. Can’t believe how brainwashed I was. Hope I didn’t give anything away!”

Al: “Well if you did, Dave, the bastards didn’t make much of it. We’re on schedule for our next assignment.”

Dave: “Good stuff. Can I go back on the bridge?”

Al: “When you are ready Dave. We can brief you as you go.”

Dave: “Okay, let’s get to it. Can’t wait to kick their fracking arses!”

With those words, Dave sprang to his feet…

Paul Butters