The Past Speaks

By Geoff McCue

This story will help readers understand a new idea of 'progress,' one that encourages the reader to improve their human condition by improving themselves. It is not that technology is inherently bad, just be sure you are not a slave to it. Rise above it, and learn when to reject it. Once you do that, you will have truly liberated yourself from the confines of our highly tech-oriented world, and you will grant yourself the chance to choose for yourself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Geoff McCue
• Release date: Nov 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781801280174

Book preview

About the Author

Geoff McCue was born and raised in Colorado, near Denver. He had seven brothers and three sisters, so his early life was always in turmoil. He has been a tinkerer and inventor for as long as he can remember. He spent his early childhood taking things apart to see what makes them tick, but was never successful in putting them back together! With a degree in business and a minor in art, he set off into the world of sales.

He was successful at selling and installing equipment, and then training his customers about their use. He had developed a premise that words never completely go away! For as long as he can remember, he had an intense, burning desire to write a book about it. After he retired, he put that passion to work, and this book is the labor and inspiration that evolved from those dreams and passions.

Acknowledgment

This book is a compilation of my thoughts and ideas that I have developed throughout the years. However, the story would not have taken this form without the help of my friends who read this book for me during its writing phase and made corrections where needed.

My family was also a big part of my accomplishment who supported my idea of writing and encouraged me in every step I took. This book was not just my effort alone, but a combined effort of everyone close to me.

Preface

We make the mistake of assuming that technology is always great. No matter what, it always improves the human condition. We think that even if a piece of technology has a downside, then those downsides can be managed or are ‘negligible.’ Our entire understanding of ‘progress’ lies on technology because of how integral we think it is to improving our state.

However, this novel will make you reimagine this common frame. Through an action-packed story, filled with adventure, intrigue, romance, and tragedy, you will see that technology is not always great. Even when it is promising, it has a tendency to bring more problems with it than solutions. It is not just a matter of ethical use; there might genuinely be some things that are best left un-invented.

This story will help readers understand a new idea of ‘progress,’ one that encourages the reader to improve their human condition by improving themselves. It is not that technology is inherently bad, just be sure you are not a slave to it. Rise above it, and learn when to reject it. Once you do that, you will have truly liberated yourself from the confines of our highly tech-oriented world, and you will grant yourself the chance to choose for yourself.

Contents

Dedication

About the Author

Acknowledgment

Preface

––––––––

Chapter 1- Idea Hatches

Chapter 2- Assembling a Team

Chapter 3- Accidents Can, Will, and Should Happen!

Chapter 4- It Works!

Chapter 5- Testing One, Two, Three

Chapter 6- A More Personal Test

Chapter 7- Protect an Idea, File for a Patent, Right?

Chapter 8- Leaks, Leaks and more Leaks

Chapter 9- Tragedy Strikes

Chapter 10- Run Martin Run

Chapter 11- Making Plans

Chapter 12- Striking Back

Chapter 13- Into the Dark

Page Left Blank Intentionally

Chapter 1

Idea Hatches

The church bell’s first strike woke him up with a startle. The sound was still ringing in his ears, but that was the first one. He checked his watch to see what time it was. It was 12 pm. Eleven more strikes to go. He groaned. There was something calming about silence and darkness. To some, the blackness of night is frightening, and the idea of silence and darkness is conjoined with loneliness. However, sometimes and for some people, darkness is a place of rest; a place of solitude.

The night is a time when the world around you has little to no effect on your well-being. So it was with Martin. But on this occasion, the silence, the stillness, and the total darkness are beginning to be interrupted, like the slow-moving dark clouds of a storm at dusk. The sky gets darker by both the cloud cover and the waning sun. Within moments, a rumble starts and flashes of lightning pierce the sky. They shouldn’t be happening now. Yet it was happening at that very moment! The flashes were becoming brighter and closer, clustering closer together.

The rumble was getting louder and more distinct. They were familiar, yet unfamiliar in their presence. Finally, the rumbling was beginning to form words. The lightning flashes were accompanied by an uncomfortable pain in the left side of his ribcage. Ah yes, the experience was beginning to take on a life of its own. The words were Biblical in nature. The pain was focused and directed at the spot just below his ribs, like a dull needle piercing the skin.

Suddenly the words and the pain coincided to slap him back to reality and bring about a total awareness of his surroundings. It was a church service! As the fog cleared his eyes, Martin recognized the man booming the words as his local church pastor. The pain, of course, was the unwelcome, but very familiar jabbing finger of his wife.

How dare you fall asleep! she angrily whispered. Aren’t you listening? I am sure he can see you! she added.

He realizes that it embarrasses her. It would embarrass him also if he would ever stop and think about it! Martin rises in his seat. He carefully looks around to familiarize himself with his position and surroundings. He does not want to draw attention to himself or his wife. He fumbles for his Bible and quietly turns its pages until he arrives at the designated spot.

Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will never pass away! the pastor booms.

Martin looks down at the words on the page. He has heard them a thousand times throughout his life, but why do they attract his attention today of all days? They leave an indelible resonance in his mind. He shakes his head and returns to preparing himself for the inevitable greeting of the pastor at the front door. He surely saw him sleeping there.

Before he knows it, everyone is on their feet for a final blessing. His wife glares at him as they prepare to leave, knowing fully well the silent ridicule she will have to endure from her friends.

Martin, someday...

She desperately wants to find some appropriate description of what she will do next, but after all, she is in church. They make their way to the exit, where people were coming up shaking hands, patting backs, and greeting each other with smiles.

What are they really thinking? Martin asks himself.

He stayed in the church for another half an hour, hoping that the minister would come back again and would be able to ask him what that particular verse meant. However, he never came back and all the while, Martin stayed there. Sarah had already walked home. Finally, when it was close to 1 pm, he gave up. He said one final prayer, and stepped out of the church. The sun was directly above his head as he did this and he felt the glucose in him being sucked away with every passing second.

All he wanted at that moment was an ice-cold glass of Sarah’s lemonade, as well as the answers to all his questions. He walked briskly towards the parking lot and hurriedly got in his car. Getting inside, he blasted the air conditioning up and began swerving his car on the road. He was thinking about the research that he was working on, as well as what he had heard the minister say in the church. Due to his mind being occupied, he could not think straight.

His brain wandered off to his childhood days. He would come from school and quickly change out of his uniform so he could grab a few bites of his lunch and go play in their backyard, where there was a small pond and some swings.

He would eventually climb his bicycle and ride it until he reached the canyon not far from their place. He would cup his hands around his mouth and yell out into the distance. He would then wait for his voice to return. Later in life, he learned that he was hearing his own voice echoing back to him. He read in his 4th grade science book, An echo is a reflection of sound that returns to the listener with a delay after the direct sound is caused. So that’s why my voice comes back to me, he thought.

The first time he had experienced it, he thought someone else was standing at the other end of the canyon and was shouting exactly what he was saying. He loved hearing his voice back. It was one of his most favorite pastimes when he was a kid. His father would walk him to the canyon and he would remain occupied for hours, screaming different sounds and noises, and then patiently waiting for them to come back.

He was thinking about the minister's words again. Does this have any connection to the echo thing that he has known and has been doing for all these years? Is this why I have been subconsciously so interested in sound and its effect? Question after question kept popping up in his head. He wanted to clear his head as soon as he could. He suddenly snapped back to reality and realized he was about to drive past his house. He slammed the brakes and came to an abrupt stop. Then, he calmly pulled the car over the curb, sighing a breath of relief because there was no car behind him. Sarah had heard the sound of his car’s tires screech outside the door. She rushed and opened the front door before he could even ring the doorbell.

Where were you, Martin? she asked with an expression of worry and concern clearly visible on her face. I was worried sick about you. I tried calling you, but you had left your phone on the side table. I called all your friends, and none of them had seen you today, she explained.

Honey, I am so sorry. I think I am just overworked and under slept. You won’t believe what happened today. I was so tired and sleepy that I slept in the church until someone woke me up. Oh yeah, it was you! he chuckled brushing aside his other worries and focused on his worried wife for a second.

Martin, what’s gotten into you lately? Your research is taking a toll on your head. I am scared it might affect your health. Please, how many times have I told you, this research is just another part of your life... like, I am a part of your life, too! Don’t ignore other important things just because of it, she said in a calm yet serious tone.

I am so sorry babe. I really am. I promise this won’t happen again. Come here, he pulled her in closer and took her in his arms. They shared a kiss.

Martin then kissed her forehead. Can I say something? I am starving. No work right now, so let’s just have a nice lunch, you and I, he cheerfully suggested.

Okay Mr. Charmer, lunch is coming right up, she said.

In a matter of minutes, Sarah had laden the lunch table, and Martin helped in setting out the plates and the glasses. They had a peaceful lunch with a lot of talking. He also reminded her about what the minister had said regarding the sound’s reflection.

She was also intrigued by the minister’s words. He told her about how it is possible that it could refer to his research and the device that he had been working on. She advised him to first clear everything that was in his mind before he moved ahead with analyzing this. After lunch, Sarah decided to pay a visit to her mother and Martin retired in his lab. Martin was a tech who works as a computer repair contractor at the Office Depot. Martin's job description was primarily about loading software on computers, removing and protecting them from viruses, and replacing batteries. Sarah, on the other hand, was a pre-school teacher at the local