A series of short stories “The Incredible Rays Team”: Dreams and Realities of Life
(“Exciting news from the Future” Collection)
Mike was returning home by subway after a long day at work and was lost in his thoughts. He was a little tired after another working day and a little unhappy because he had been thinking about his monotonous life for a long time. Mike always wanted to create something grand, he wanted to give something to the world. He often thought about it. Mike opened his laptop, opened his gallery and began to carefully examine and study the drawings, sketches and collections inside. He was a little saddened to see them, but continued to look at them attentively and inspiringly, as if he wanted to sum up some results. Mike was saddened because all the images in the gallery were his work, he put in a lot of work, he spent many hours creating them, he put them together in a unique and inimitable way. He was saddened because he invented and created many unique things that probably could not be implemented in practice, and developed many unique scenarios that seemed impossible. In addition, Mike was almost alone, he had no one to share his ideas with, there were no kindred spirits with whom he could dream together. Most of his friends and acquaintances were work colleagues who had other interests and hobbies. There were a lot of nice people among them, but there were also a lot of cold technocrats. Mike felt that some of his colleagues might consider him a naive dreamer or an idiot if he showed them his projects and what he does in his free time. He was frankly afraid of them, because in his work he had created a reputation for himself as an extremely serious person, and he did not want anyone to doubt this and know about his dreams and hobbies. Mike also had several other old friends whom he knew from university, school, or from childhood. Sometimes he went out with them for a walk, to drink coffee or just to talk, but no one had such interests as he had. They mostly talked about everyday matters. Mike knows very few women and rarely thinks about women. Recently, he accidentally met a young journalist Irene in the subway, and they met and started talking only because Mike opened his laptop again in the subway, and Irene, who was sitting in the next seat, accidentally noticed one of the drawings in Mike’s gallery and decided to talk to him to find out what exactly is depicted in this drawing. It was a three-dimensional image, something like a drawing of a building or some kind of foundation, which was cropped on one side to show the rooms inside. The building was bustling with life, people were scurrying through the corridors. Only that there were some strange passages and tunnels coming out from under the building, which reached the neighboring grove and from which, it seemed, someone had to enter and exit secretly and unnoticed. In addition, there was some large empty space in the middle of the building, which was either left empty intentionally or had not yet been completed. Maybe Mike hadn’t figured out what to draw there yet, or maybe he had some secret ideas about what could appear from scratch. For example, there could fit a whole large hall or a whole new building. Irene is a very curious person, and yet she is a journalist. This drawing, sketch or project really aroused her curiosity. Mike replied that it was not a real project, just a fantasy, and that he just liked to draw in his spare time. Irene was impressed by Mike’s artistic abilities and left him her business card in case he needed help publishing his work. Secretly, Mike liked the idea of publishing some of his work officially, but he was worried about not revealing his hobby to the public, so as not to destroy his image as a hardworking technician and serious professional. He also secretly liked Irene, a smart and beautiful young lady, but he did not dare to tell her about it because he is too shy as a person.
In addition to drawing and design, which he did in his spare time, Mike worked every day with advanced technologies and on interesting projects that were developed in the interests of a variety of people and organizations. Mike worked as a programmer for a large software company, and every day he had to think about software development tasks, create and test different versions of software, develop new functionality and offer effective solutions to solve customer problems. He learned how to create software that was easy to use and really helped people and made their lives better. He had to think and work on a huge number of details, work with systems and on systems that needed to be taught to work synchronously. From a professional point of view, it is indisputable that Mike has worked and continues to work on very promising projects and really helps people. He made life easier for thousands of people, and that’s important, and he was really proud of it. But he has one characteristic trait as a person, and it is that he is a big dreamer. He wanted to do and achieve much more, his dreams stretched far beyond the horizon of other people. Mike is a very imaginative person, in his mind he can imagine and create amazing things and details, many of which are very difficult to implement in practice or it seems that no one in the world could implement. When he is alone with himself, he designs, develops and mentally manages a completely new world, inventing every detail himself. In his free time, he likes to draw ordinary and unusual things and combine them in an incredible and unprecedented way. It is painting that is an outlet for him in life and brings him real pleasure. It is drawing that helps him to turn some of his thoughts and dreams into reality. In his free time, Mike draws new worlds and universes, creates projects of fantastic bases, cities, characters, structures and all kinds of objects, which he then collects and launches using software on his personal laptop. His biggest dream was not just to publish them as an artist and designer, but also to recreate them in real life and release them into the light. As a child, Mike enjoyed watching cartoons about robots, spaceships, ninjas and ghosts. Later he started watching action movies and playing shooting games. Currently, he is very fond of watching and reading fantasy. Perhaps because of these hobbies and because of his extremely rich imagination, Mike often turns in directions that do not correspond to the realities of the real world. He often invented, composed and developed incredible ideas and concepts, the full realization of which seemed impossible in practice or could only be realized in books, games or movies. Some of his ideas and concepts could probably be implemented partially and to some extent, but often Mike didn’t know how to do it. His mental projects were so large-scale, so complex and contained so many details that their implementation would require huge efforts and resources. Mike secretly dreamed of creating something that would both help people and protect them from difficulties. He created a computer program in which various fantastic characters appear on the user’s screen and help him find solutions to his problems in a curious and entertaining way. He has created a huge collection of colorful characters of all kinds, sizes and abilities. All these characters have their own unique style and image. Mike drew inspiration from his interests and hobbies. He loved ninja movies and therefore created a lot of ninja characters. Something had to be done quickly and efficiently, and the program created by Mike was ready to offer a ninja assistant with abilities and knowledge from all spheres of life. He loved ghost movies and, of course, created a lot of ghost characters who looked like ghosts and had ghostly properties and abilities. For example, if a user could not solve a puzzle or wanted to get a secret assistant, a ghost or a ghost-like character may suddenly appear on the screen. Mike could work for hours on such projects and devote almost all his free time to them. He never stopped dreaming.
One day, going to work, Mike took the subway and found a forgotten, dropped or lost business card next to him. He immediately remembered the business card Irene had given him and the chance meeting with her. This time there was no one in the seat next to him, but out of curiosity he took the business card to look at it. From the information written on the business card, it was clear that it belonged to a scientist named Dr. Peter Roberts, who was interested in physics and other sciences, ran his own laboratory of scientific and practical research. Peter Roberts is apparently a well-known scientist and practitioner. The business card made it clear that Dr. Roberts’ laboratory was developing ideas, concepts, solutions, strategies and projects for the future of humanity, and that Dr. Roberts was ready to talk to absolutely anyone who had ideas on this issue. Mike was very surprised by what he read, especially impressed by the fact that Dr. Roberts was ready to talk to absolutely anyone. Mike thought about it, and not by chance at all, but because he himself had a significant number of complex sketches and projects that he secretly dreamed of seeing in reality and bringing to life. Could Dr. Roberts really be the right person to understand his vision of things, the scale and depth of his thinking? Perhaps he can help him with the implementation of his ideas and projects? Perhaps Dr. Roberts will be able to give him practical advice and help him develop technological solutions for which Mike does not have the necessary scientific training and knowledge, as well as the necessary scientific base. Can Dr. Roberts become exactly the soul mate, friend, partner and like-minded person that Mike lacks in his life? He was really worried and seriously thought about calling Dr. Roberts. – “What’s so disturbing about that? Why don’t I call him? Maybe this person dreams of making the world a better place to live, just like me. I have been looking for someone for a long time to share my ideas, discuss my projects and consult with. I have been looking for a long time for a person to whom I could safely turn for help and advice. I am very pleased and extremely impressed that he is ready to listen to absolutely anyone. I’ll call him!” Mike confidently made a decision.
Author: Anton S. Petrov
“Тhe Incredible Rays Тeam”: Introduction
A series of short stories “The Incredible Rays Team” by Anton S. Petrov
(“Exciting news from the Future” Collection)
Introduction:
The collection “Exciting news from the Future” will take us into the future and first introduce us to “The Incredible Rays Team” – a team invented by shy and taciturn programmer Michael (Mike) and created with the help of a talented scientist Dr. Roberts. Mike is an ordinary person, but with a very rich imagination. While working on the development of advanced technologies, his imagination has developed even more, and he begins to see everything in a completely unexpected light. As soon as he closes his eyes, he sees a completely new world in front of him, which he controls mentally and in which he can create and develop absolutely every detail. Closing his eyes, he mentally projects this new world and manages it. In his free time, Mike likes to draw and create various images and characters. He likes to develop games and designs for unique and unknown worlds and universes. He creates and designs every detail himself. Mike can spend hours working on such things on his personal laptop. He uses his technical knowledge to manage and test the created objects and functionality. Uses his rich imagination to invent new objects, images, characters, activities, abilities and functionality, to develop various variants of projects and scenarios for the development of events. Having a rich imagination and good technical knowledge, Mike begins to think in the direction of creating new technologies that will change the world, but he does not have the necessary scientific base. By chance, he meets Dr. Roberts and shares some of his ideas with him. Roberts was impressed by his imagination, but initially considered most of Michael’s projects unfeasible. However, secretly, Dr. Roberts begins work on some of them in his laboratory, but he lacks the necessary funds. A mysterious company appears on the horizon, ready to finance his research in exchange for access to technology. A mysterious company called “Future Dreams and Projects Labs” informs Dr. Roberts that it is fighting for a better future for humanity and is funding new advanced technologies to improve people’s lives. However, behind the mysterious company are legendary villains of the past, called “Secret Wizards”, who meanwhile expanded their empire and became many times more powerful. “Secret Wizards” have always sought to destroy humanity, replace people with modern technologies and seize power over the world, becoming its absolute masters. “Secret Wizards” never communicate with people face to face, but appear with the help of modern technologies or from the screens of monitors, smartphones, video walls, projectors and other devices. They always want to get the best technology. They really like the idea of new objects and characters appearing on different screens in exactly the same mysterious way as themselves. “Secret Wizards” want to use such means to achieve their goals. Almost all of their offices in the past were furnished and equipped with large screens and video walls. Everyone who has ever visited their headquarters called the “Wizards World Trade Center” has noticed their love of big screens, unaware of their great dislike of people. And why not achieve more? One of Mike’s ideas, developed with the help of Dr. Roberts, will really make a strong impression on the “Secret Wizards” and even shock them, and they will do everything possible to gain control of this technology or create their own variants. Absolutely everyone will be shocked when the new characters come off the screen and gain the ability to move freely everywhere, anywhere in space. Dr. Robert needs Mike’s rich imagination and skills to develop his projects, but he also needs the money of the “Secret Wizards”. Observing the development of technology, Mike came to the conclusion that it is not enough to use modern technologies and robots, but it is also necessary to create a new type of tools and technologies that are inextricably linked with people and are available at any time. Technologies capable of moving and performing tasks at the speed of light. Thus, he came up with the idea of the need for technologies and characters that are invisible, but if necessary can take shape, color and sound. Characters with superpowers who are able to cope with super-tasks that people cannot cope with. Such technologies and characters could move freely in space, pass through walls and barriers. A bit like the legends of ghosts and spirits from the past. Mike wants to create real ghosts that can change size and shape. According to Mike’s plan, such characters should move in the form of an invisible beam and appear as needed and in any form. To create such technologies, it is necessary to use new physical principles. Sound and image should be able to be transmitted in space without problems. So, suddenly you can hear real speech from the other end of the room, and suddenly there may even be an image sitting in a chair opposite you that starts talking to you. Such technologies and characters could suddenly appear at the right time and the right place and save a person’s life. Mike and Dr. Roberts are working together on a project to create a team of such characters called “The Incredible Rays Team”. The concept of “Incredible Rays” and the first characters of the “Incredible Rays Team” were created by Michael on his personal computer and subsequently refined in the laboratory of Dr. Roberts by a group of scientists with serious knowledge and experience. The characters of “Тhe Incredible Rays Тeam” appear for the first time, acquire a real shape and color and come to life on the screen of Mike’s personal laptop, who first draws, paints, designs and constructs them independently, and later these characters will acquire their incredible abilities and capabilities in the laboratory of Dr. Roberts. At some point they will become real characters and heroes who will be able to pass through walls, barriers and all kinds of obstacles, just like ghosts from fairy tales and legends do. The characters of the “Incredible Rays Team” will receive incredible features and functionality, as well as be able to move with incredible speed and instantly change their position and location. They will be able to carry out instant and immediate actions, attacks and rescue operations. Over time, the number of incredible characters will increase, and the team of “Incredible Rays” will expand significantly. Later, the “Incredible Rays” will gain the functionality to move not only as invisible rays, but also as visible ones to warn those in need and their opponents about their arrival. They will begin to move and appear suddenly and in the most unexpected way in the form of a multicolored beam of rays or multicolored streams and bundles of rays, which will become a real symbol and emblem of the “Incredible Rays Team”. The project will greatly interest the “Secret Wizards” who would like to use it for their own purposes. A struggle ensues over who and how will use “Тhe Incredible Rays”, as well as over who and how will run the laboratory of Dr. Roberts, which is also partially funded by the “Secret Wizards” due to lack of its own funds. The laboratory can be used to develop technologies for the benefit of humanity or fall into the hands of villains. Soon Mike will have to sit down at the captain’s table and take the control panel, become a superhero who, with the help of characters from The Incredible Rays Team, will fight the “Secret Wizards”. Meanwhile, he meets the beautiful Irene (Iri), who works as a journalist for the newspaper “News from Tomorrow” and who regularly publishes articles about this impressive battle. Iri has no idea what Mike is really doing, and seriously believes that The Incredible Rays Team is led by dangerous criminals, while the company “Future Dreams and Projects Labs”, secretly controlled by “Secret Wizards”, represents the good guys. Mike and Iri are good friends, but over time Mike falls in love with Iri. He is often jealous of her, noticing that she hardly communicates with men, and begins to worry whether she is on the other side of the barricades or that she is a lesbian. Mike’s feelings for Iri do not go unnoticed by the “Secret Wizards”, who know perfectly well what his weaknesses are. “Secret Wizards” always skillfully play the role of kind and right people, denigrating their competitors. They want to be and look the smartest, the most powerful, the richest and the most beautiful. Their ambitions and greed are huge. With their constant attempts to seize power over the world, they turn many, many people against themselves. Everyone remembers their legendary clashes with the “Unstoppable Workers” many years ago. This time, the “Incredible Rays Team” will get in their way, which will lead to a record and unprecedented collision.
Author: Anton S. Petrov
Don’t miss this exciting story 🙂 If you like short stories, welcome to Likerix:
This series of short stories was created and performed in a new format of short stories called “Exciting Flight”. Learn more about the amazing “Exciting Flight” format here:
