Life on Another Planet Ch. 00-05

"That sounds amazing. I'd love to see that in action," Jesse said.

"Well, the next best thing, since you can't be in the operating room when the devices are being used, would be the recording Dad has of the units actually doing surgery. The big advantage is that the surgery is a lot less invasive, so there's less risk of infection or other complications arising if the doctor has to go in using the conventional method with a scalpel. The patient heals much more quickly as well."

"That's incredible. There must be a lot of inventions like that that I've never heard of."

"There's no doubt that many new technical developments have occurred in the last fifty years. You saw one example of it on the TV in the little lounge. This car ... in fact almost every car on the road ... has an onboard computer that controls all kinds of functions. My cell phone has all kinds of functions as well as allowing me to make and receive a phone call."

"What's a cell phone? I heard them mention it on the news yesterday."

"It's a portable phone. You'll see a bunch of towers on buildings around the city, and those are the relays that transfer the calls from one place to another. But my phone is called a smart phone. It can take pictures, record sound and video, tell me where I am and how to get to a certain place using a satellite, and has games as well. I can get the news and listen to music that I've recorded on it. They really are amazing little devices."

Jesse was shaking his head. "How is all that possible? How big is your phone?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a slim, black and silver device a little longer than the size of a playing card and less than a half-inch thick. Pressing a small recessed button on top, she handed it to him. Jessed watched it light up and sat staring at it.

"I can't show it to you right now. It's illegal for me to use one when I'm driving. When we get home, I'll show you how it works and tomorrow we'll get you one. You can't live without a cell phone these days," she grinned.

"Where do you live?" Jesse asked, looking around as they moved toward the downtown area.

"False Creek. We have a very nice apartment there."

"False Creek? That place is a dump! Why would you want to live there?"

"I think you'll find things have changed," Eve smiled. "It's now surrounded by new residences as well as the site of the 1986 World's Fair that was held here."

"There was a World's Fair too?"

"Yes ... it was a great event. I was too young to really appreciate it, but my parents said it was another tremendous event for Vancouver and the whole province.

Again, Jesse was shaking his head. "I'll never catch up to everything that's gone on. There's no way I'll be able to live here," he said, suddenly soured.

"No, Jesse, you're wrong. You'll probably never catch up with everything that's gone on, but you will catch up and learn to co-exist. Humans are a very adaptable species and I'm confident you'll adapt ... and thrive," she smiled confidently.

"I wonder," he mumbled.

~*~

Eve had given considerable thought toward how she should handle Jesse's inclusion into this new world, and her household. She had told Mica that they would be having a house guest and had given him some sketchy information about Jesse, but of course, not the truth as Jesse believed it to be.

The apartment building was strategically located on the city side of False Creek, a very convenient location. Their apartment, one of four luxury units on the fourteenth floor, gave them a panoramic view to the east and north from the living room. The large window at the end of the hallway by the master suite permitted a scenic view of English Bay, and west toward the central part of Vancouver Island. Of course, they paid for this view, but in Eve's opinion, it was worth every penny.

As they left the hospital, Eve pulled into a small strip mall with a drugstore, to purchase some toiletries for Jesse. She lost sight of him as he wandered through the store, looking at various items on the shelves. Eve guessed there would be a few familiar names among the items. She went looking for him and found him standing in front of the magazine rack, looking at all the titles.

"Find anything interesting?" she asked as she moved beside him.

"Everything," he said without turning to her. "Can I buy a magazine, please?"

"Of course. Which one?"

"Road and Track. I remember it from ... before."

"Any others that you would like to read?"

"Probably, but I think this is enough for right now," he said, still gazing at the selection as Eve plucked the chosen magazine from the rack.

Interesting, she thought. He was satisfied with a single choice. It was a starting point for him.

"Are you interested in cars?"

"Yeah. I'm a bit of a car nut. Dad has an Austin Healey 3000 that he'd just bought a few months ago. It's beautiful and he lets me drive it. Every kid in the school was envious of me. Dad's an engineer and he's the one who got me interested in sports cars. He knows a lot about motorcycles too."

"Again, another fascinating bit of information," Eve thought. "He refers to his father in the present tense."

"What does an Austin Healey look like?" she asked. She couldn't ever recall hearing the name before.

"Maybe there's a picture of one in this magazine," he said, thumbing through the periodical.

"If you can't find it, I know how to look it up on our computer," she volunteered.

"You have a computer? My Dad's company has a computer and it takes up a whole big room in his office. He says it doesn't do anything for him, just for accounting and sales."

"Here," she said to him as they approached the cashier. It was a display of wristwatches, some similar to what he once had, others with the digital display that he was beginning to become used to. "Which one would you like?"

He hemmed and hawed and finally chose a chrome and cream-faced piece with a black imitation leather band. It was a traditional analog watch. Eve smiled, realizing he had chosen something he could relate to from his past. She explained that it was run by a tiny battery and didn't need winding. His response was to simply shake his head.

Eve paid the cashier for their purchases and then resumed their drive toward the apartment building. As they approached, Eve glanced at Jesse and could see his wide-eyed amazement at the surrounding area. She was sure it didn't resemble anything remotely like what the area looked like in the early 1960's.

As they approached the building, Jesse watched as she pushed a button embedded in her sun visor and turned into a short, down-sloped driveway. A steel mesh gate rose, permitting them entry to an underground parking area. The car's headlights came on automatically and Eve drove slowly and cautiously to an open slot stencilled 1401 in black paint on the bare concrete wall. They unloaded their purchases from today and yesterday and, after passing through a door, Eve put a plastic card in a slot and pushed the button for the elevator. Not long after, the door opened and they moved up to the fourteenth floor without stopping.

The hallway was bright with light coming in from windows at both ends of the building. A few steps down the hall and Eve once again used the same card to unlock her front door. Jesse looked on in wonder that a piece of plastic could unlock doors, summon elevators ... and ... what else?

Jesse stepped into the apartment ahead of Eve and entered a whole new world. It was to be his home for the foreseeable future, whatever that future held.

Chapter 3 Aftershock

Thursday, July 14, 2011 11:30am

As Jesse entered the apartment, he was confronted by a window wall looking out over the city and the eastern end of False Creek. A shallow balcony featured a pair of deck chairs. He was stunned at the sight before him. It was nothing remotely like the scene he had pictured in his mind. He knew this part of town ... or as it once was. Sawmills, a cooperage, a soot blackened carbon plant, a large cement plant, a dock for gravel and sand. Three sawmill beehive burners once spewed their smoke into the atmosphere, settling on anything and everything nearby. Nothing lived in the tidal waters that flowed in and out of False Creek. Nothing could have lived there in 1961.

The view he saw that morning was of a miraculous transformation; something he could never have imagined. The scene was bright, and clean, and full of new buildings and shops. He could see a hotel in the distance and another in the foreground. There was even a small brewery. The largest building was the shell of Granville Island Market that took up at least an acre of space under its big roof. And people - hundreds of people wandering around, shopping, eating at outdoor restaurants, or just gazing at the sights. Adjacent was a large marina with both yachts and commercial fishing boats. Jesse stood transfixed at the sight before him.

"I don't suppose you recognize any of that," Eve said as she joined him at the big window.

Jesse shook his head. "It doesn't look anything like I remember it. How did this happen?"

"A federal politician from Vancouver got on the bandwagon in the 1970's and things grew from there. Many of these apartment buildings came about due to the World's Fair in '86. Our building is more recent. People from all over the world bought apartments down here. It is almost right at the city center and you can see for yourself, the views and the surroundings are spectacular. It's a great place to live."

He nodded. "I can see that. Me, I like some property and trees and space ... but that's all I've ever known. I like to know and see our neighbours mowing their lawns, washing their cars, just talking to each other. Apartment buildings seem like they don't let neighbours be friendly. But I guess that's just how I was brought up. I suppose if I was single and living on my own, an apartment down here would be great."

"A lot of single people and young married couples live down here now," she agreed. "Come with me and I'll show you your room and get you settled. Later, we'll go shopping again for some more clothes and things. You're going to need more than what you have now."

Jesse followed her as she showed him around the spacious apartment. It was larger than he expected, comparing it to the little apartment where his maternal grandparents lived. He was reminded immediately that they were no long alive, much less living in the same place. It sent a chill through him. He had temporarily pushed the reality of his situation back while he was being overwhelmed with this new environment. Now, that isolated lonely feeling was back.

Eve noticed the changes in Jesse's expression and wondered what had caused the forlorn look she saw. She guessed that a mix of past and present was causing turmoil in the young man, and she knew she was going to have to begin treating him before depression took a firm hold on him. The more she saw of his reactions, the more convinced she was that Jesse Peterson was telling her the truth about himself ... at least the truth as he knew it.

"I've made up the bed for you, Jesse. You can put your clothes in the dresser and closet as we add to your wardrobe. You can share the bathroom with Mica. I have my own bathroom in the master suite. I usually leave for the hospital around eight-thirty in the morning, and I'm home about five-thirty. Mica gets a ride to school with his friend, Tony Birani, or takes the school bus. He stays at his friend's apartment on the sixth floor until I get home. Supposedly, he does some of his homework there, but I have my doubts," she said with a sigh.

"Okay ... what should I do ... like ... tomorrow?"

"I want you to come with me back to the hospital. I'd like to try some alternate therapy with you. Have you ever been hypnotized?"

"No, never. Why do you want to hypnotize me?" A worried look accompanied the question.

"I want to find out more about you ... particularly repressed information that may hold the secret to what has happened to you. I won't harm you, but I hope to find out more about what's going on with you," she explained.

"You don't really believe me, do you?" His eyes were fixed on her.

"It isn't that, Jesse. I don't understand what has happened to you and I'm hoping that your subconscious mind may help me find out. You must realize that moving fifty years into the future is a unique experience. I know of no record of any such thing occurring. Naturally, I want to know as much as possible about what has caused this event."

"You're not going to turn me into a zombie ... or something ... are you?"

Eve laughed. "No ... I promise you ... when you wake up you will still be the same handsome, young Jesse Peterson. I don't plan to do anything but see if I can find out what you know about the cause of this strange situation. Okay?"

"I guess," he said sullenly. It didn't appear to Eve that he was very convinced.

"How about a sandwich and milk ... or a soft drink. I'm sure that breakfast wasn't very appealing. After that, we'll go shopping and get you a proper wardrobe. Then we'll talk about the future. How does ham and cheese on rye bread sound?"

He nodded. "Good ... better than the stuff they give you in the hospital."

"What do you usually have for lunch?"

He shrugged. "Soup and sandwich, mostly. Milk too."

"If you don't mind chicken noodle soup, I have several cans in the pantry. It's Mica's favourite."

"Chicken noodle is fine," he said with a faint smile.

Jesse devoured the sandwich and the soup, finishing if off with a large glass of milk. Eve was happy to see that he appeared to have good eating habits along with a good appetite ... and no apparent desire for junk food. Too many of today's kids were overweight and avoided exercise in favour of their PlayStation or tablet. Jesse didn't exhibit any of those tendencies. But then, he knew nothing about those alternatives. Most likely his good habits were instilled by his parents and the time he lived in. There were probably very few fast food outlets in Vancouver in 1961.

"We're going to walk uptown to the stores, Jesse. It's too big a hassle trying to find a place to park in the city, and we can get a cab back here. It's a nice warm afternoon, so it will give you a chance to see some of the changes in the city in the past fifty years."

He readily agreed. "Okay, I could use the exercise. I've been restricted for days and I would enjoy a walk."

Eve cleared away the lunch dishes and went to her bedroom to change into more appropriate clothes for their walk. Jesse was exploring his room, wondering what activated the flat TV screen on the desk. He gave up, waiting for some instruction on how the various devices in the apartment worked. There was so little in this world that was familiar. He returned to the living room to gaze out on the city he once knew.

"Ready to go?" Eve asked as she returned, wearing a light top and cotton shorts with simple sneakers on her feet.

"Sure," he said, eyeing the attractive, dark-haired woman. Eve was a very good looking woman. He wondered briefly if there was a boyfriend. In the meantime, he was genuinely anxious for a close-up look at the city.

"We'll walk up to The Bay and do most of our shopping there for now," she announced.

"The Bay? You mean Hudson's Bay?"

"That's right. They changed the name a few years ago. We always called it The Bay anyway, so it didn't make any difference to us.

"Is Eaton's still down at the bottom of the hill?" he asked.

She shook her head. "There is no more Eaton's ... or Woodward's. They're both gone."

"Who took their place?"

"No one, actually. There are a couple of big discount general merchandise stores ... Wal-Mart is the main one. None of them are in the city center. Otherwise, you shop in specialty stores."

"That's amazing. Eaton's was around in the twenties."

"The retail world has changed in a big way, Jesse. Not all of it for the better, I'd say. Many are called "Big Box" stores that specialize selling one main category; hardware, sporting goods, building materials, electronics, office supplies, and so on. Even supermarkets and drug stores have gone big. Some of them sell clothing and other dry goods. They have enormous buying power, so they can offer much lower prices."

Jesse just shook his head as he looked around at the buildings as they walked up Beatty St. As they approached the crest, he could see the top of the Sun tower. At least that was still there, although the famous bold sunray sign was gone.

"What's this huge building here?" he asked as they approached the intersection of Beatty and Georgia St.

"That's B.C. Place," she said. "It's a covered stadium. It's where the B.C. Lions play. They also hold big trade shows in it. They have the home show, a boat show, a car show ... that sort of thing."

"There's another building right next to it. What's that?"

"That's the hockey arena. That where the Vancouver Canucks play."

"Did we finally get an NHL team?"

"Yes ... about forty years ago. One of these years they might win the Stanley Cup," she chuckled.

"Forty years and no Stanley Cup? Man, that's pathetic," he said.

"They came close this year, but so far they haven't been able to win the cup. I don't follow the game that much, so I'm no expert. They seem to be winning quite a few games lately, so all is not lost," she smiled. She chose not to mention the riot after the series. It had brought disgrace and negative attention to the city.

"I've never been to a NHL game. I'd love to see one," he said.

"Well, one of our neighbours is a former player. He's retired now, but I know he and his wife go to the games regularly. It's close enough that they can walk to the rink."

"So ... he lives in your apartment building?"

"Just down the hall from us; 1404. His name is Tomas Gustafson. He's originally from Sweden. He and his wife and daughter live there. He owns a sporting goods store up on Broadway. It's called Number 5 Sports. I see them now and then. They are very nice, friendly people."

"Maybe I'll get to meet him some day," Jesse mused.

"You can't miss their daughter," Eve grinned. "She is quite an impressive young lady."

"What does 'impressive' mean?" Jesse wondered.

"When you see her, you'll know," Eve grinned in reply.

They continued walking, and as they moved toward the city center on Georgia Street, Jesse began to recognize some of the buildings. Eve had been pointing out the modern new library building, the post office, and two of the newer hotels.

"The Bay doesn't look any different," Jesse noted. "Neither does the Georgia Hotel, or the courthouse."

"The old courthouse is now the art gallery."

"Almost everything is new," he said, gazing around him as they waited for the light to change. "And there are so many huge office towers."

"A lot can happen in fifty years," Eve remarked.

"I guess," Jesse said, still looking around at his surroundings. He marvelled at the size of the many new buildings dwarfing and outnumbering the old established structures.

They proceeded to the department store and ninety minutes later, Eve called a taxi to take them home.

"I can't believe how much money you spent, Eve. Everything is so expensive now. How can people afford it?"

"Inflation is the reason. As the economy moves forward, costs rise, as do incomes. A shirt that cost five dollars back in your time cost thirty-five dollars or more today. People who made seven or eight thousand dollars a year are now making more than seventy or eighty thousand today. But you're right to be concerned. Some people are falling behind because their income doesn't keep up with the cost of things. That's a serious problem for the poorer members of society."

"You told me you were very well paid, Eve. Does your job keep up with inflation?"