The Box

                   The Box

sci-fi about a man who finds a machine to make every one left wing, peace loving. This is a strange little story I found when cleaning out some old files. See what you think. Steve.

Ernie walked along the pavement, neither looking to his right or his left. He almost stepped over the box when it first appeared.

         It looked innocent enough at first, just another piece of junk to be ignored and thrown away. But there was something about the box, which made Ernie pick it up. The box weighed about the same as a bag of sugar, but twice as big. So thought no more of it, but put it under his arm and walked home.

         He had found odd things in the past, but most had ended up in the rubbish bin. This one was to prove different. Ernie though no more of the box until his wife brought up the subject.

         “Ernie, are you going to take that rubbish off the table, or do you want to stare at it during dinner? “ Sandra was not pleased he had dumped the thing on coming home, and not even bothering to explain what it was.

         Up until now she had gone along with many of his crazy ideas. The time-shares in Spain had started well, and it was not his fault the industry collapsed. At least they had got their money back. The film company had been a worse disaster, when the fashion changed and the pop group they worked for had committed mass suicide one Christmas.

         She could not stand them any way. The trouble was most of their money had gone up in smoke with them, when the house caught fire. Ernie had tried making a perpetual motion machine with disastrous results. The  insurance company said they were not covered by such events, and the bank panicked and wanted their money back.

         Now she supported him at his work in the charity office, even if it did not pay well. They worked together, and shared something in common. So things were not too bad.

         Now things looked as if they were about to change again. Sandra knew when Ernie had that look in his eye something was going to happen. He had been depressed about the world so much lately that nothing seemed to lift him. The box had provided his only point of interest, so why?

         “What is it, and what does it do Ernie? “Asked Sandra as they sat in the kitchen eating dinner. The box sat in the corner and Ernie had not taken his eyes from it all through the meal.

         “Don’t know, but there’s something about it. Something I just can’t place.”

         That was true enough, for some unknown reason, the box drew his attention. Growing stronger with each passing minute, but why?

         Finally he could stand it no longer, he jumped out of bed that night and turned his back on the loosing battle with sleep, to come down stairs and look once more upon the box.

         Nothing happened for several days, when things began to change.

         For reasons he could never explain, Ernie began taking the box to work. It was placed upon his desk, next to the computer and behind the phone.

         At first they took no notice of the effects, but finally there was no other explanation.

         “That’s another thousand pounds sent to the homeless charity, “said Sandra as she put down the phone and turned to Ernie.

         He was busy adding up the pile of cheques that littered his desk.

         “I don’t understand it, maybe people are finally seeing the problem,” Ernie smiled half heartedly.

         “You know it’s not Ernie. Everyone in the office knows what it is.” she stared at the box and then at him.” When you first brought it in, I never said anything, but now I can just feel it. Something’s wrong and it all points to that!” she pointed at the box and waited for an explanation.

         Ernie had none.

         “Look I can’t explain it. How can a silly little box make people send more money to charity? It doesn’t make sense. Are you telling me there is something magic in there which is turning the human race into caring people?” Ernie stood up and looked at the other people in the office, all of whom remained silent.” I don’t think so”.

         “Well something is, and I can think of nothing else. People don’t care, normally, so there must be something which has changed them. Ernie, where did you find this box?” Sandra asked.

         “I just found it in the street, I don’t know where it came from or anything. So don’t bother asking me anything else about it. Look we have to do something, sooner or later people are going to find out and our lives will be a misery.” Ernie sat down and began looking through a directory.

         “What do you mean?” asked Sandra,” what’s going to happen?”

         “I’ve seen this sort of thing before, on a press shoot. People will start thinking it is a miracle and before you know it, we’ll have the Vatican on the line, asking if we want to register it. Believe me, it’s not worth it. So I’m saving them the trouble.” Ernie found the number and began dialling.

         “What the hell are you going to do then? “asked Sandra.

         “I’m handing it over to them. Now I know what you are going to say, but we can’t sell it, so we might as well make some money from the publicity.” Ernie smiled to himself as the phone rang at the other end.

         “Publicity, I can’t believe you Ernest Bishop! What sort of dirty trick is that to play on someone? “Sandra looked astonished.

         Within the space of a month people got to hear of the box and it’s special powers. Sure enough Ernie was right about the Vatican wanting to register the box as a possible miracle.

         The process was at first long and boring. The whole thing would have been swallowed up in paper work, if not for the extraordinary event which overtook it.

         The general Elections had just taken place. The old government had been swept from power, to be replaced by the new. At first people thought things would be different, but then they began kicking themselves for believing such nonsense. And so things carried on much the same.

         The publicity machine which Ernie had put in motion was now a run away train, and soon no one could ignore the wild claims about the box.

         It had cured the sick; coursed the lame to walk and the blind to see. Of course really it had done none of these things, but it did make people care more about one another, and give more money to help.

         It was this which was responsible for the miracles surrounding the box, and nothing more. Still no one could explain why.

         The scientific community took an interest, but the instruments found nothing. This would have gone unnoticed, but for the story about the entire lab sending their months salaries to a charity.

         This was not an isolated incident, and soon the amounts of money being sent to charities became so huge, they affected the stock exchange. The only companies doing well were those involved in helping people.

         Weapons and harmful chemicals just lost out, to the point where the factory actually stood idle. Strangely, the people in them never seemed not to mind.

         Ernie and Sandra watched the television the night the final weapons factory closed down.

         “Look at all those people Ernie; look what the box has done to their jobs?” Sandra could hardly watch the screen.

         “But they don’t seem to mind. They actually agree with it. Imagine that a few years ago? “Ernie looked quickly to his wife, then back to the screen.

         True enough, neither of them could really come to terms with events. What was happening?

         Up till now, Ernie had been asked the routine questions about where the box came from and how he came by it. Sure enough he trotted the same lines out and thought no more of it.

         Things took a turn for the worst when the men bundled him in the back of the van, and he woke to find himself strapped to a chair in a very cold room.

         The grim looking men before him seemed to have short tempers and might not be persuaded by the same trite answers. So Ernie had to think fast.

         “Ernie, where did the box come from?” asked one of the men, leaning forward.

         “I think it comes from outer space, or another dimension or something. I know you are all mad about this, after all, your sort will be out of a job soon.”  Ernie looked anxiously from one face to another.

         “Space eh”? The men seemed at a loss as to their next action.

         “Let him go,” a voice came from the back, which drew all attention to it.

         “What are you going to do now?” asked Ernie rubbing his wrists as the ropes came free.

         “Hell, I don’t know. Maybe the dam thing did come from where you say. The important thing is what the hell we are going to do about it?” The man walked into the light for Ernie and the others to see him.

         He appeared very relaxed about it all, and seemed almost friendly towards his captive.

         “Have you any ideas where it came from?” Asked Ernie, looking at the man.

         “Outer sectors of the galaxy probably, they usually do. Although we’ve never had one slip through this dimension before.” The man seemed almost bored with the whole thing, as if he had a more important dinner date to attend to.

         “So you know all about it then? What are we going to do about it? I mean, we can’t let it carry on with all this change, can we?” Ernie wondered if he would get a reply from the man.

         “I think we’ll leave it alone, don’t you?” He smiled and walked towards the door.

         “Wait! Are you sure all this can go on? What will happen to us, we might die out or something?” said Ernie, echoing the thoughts of the men around him.

         “You’ll get by”.

                             The End.