The Adventures of Brian (continued)

A soothing voice began to speak: "Dear Brian. You are one of our special guests here. Use this hologram to authenticate that what you see is real. You must use things only known to you to identify friends from foes, reality from fantasy, and truth from falsehood. As you succeed, the situations will become more complex and difficult. You will find the answers you’ve been searching for. Enjoy the food on the table. Take the box marked 'Long Term Food and Water Supply' with you. You will need them for your long adventure here. Your father knows where you are and he is with you always. Learn to reason. Trust your feelings and yourself, it will only make the adventures more enjoyable. Signed, Your Friend."

The image faded to a whirling cloud that turned rapidly and seemed to hurl itself into a vanishing point. Brian sat on one of the chairs. He reasoned: whoever created the hologram must know him extensively. The toy airplane was the best of his only three prized possessions. If the person knew everything about his thoughts, love, and feelings, it would be easy to harm him. They did not have to go through such an elaborate scheme; what was said on the hologram must be true. He concluded that the voice must have stated the truth and was a friend whom he could trust meant him no harm.

Hungry, he looked at the food before him. The first was a succulent plate of lightly-buttered shrimp, and beside it was a thick broth mixed with noodles, beans, and ham. It was the best soup he ever tried! There was a salad with tiny lettuce heads, corn, beans, tofu, bean sprouts, and other ingredients whose names he did not know. In a pitcher was lemonade that was cool and refreshing. However, to him, the greatest dish was the juicy plate of boiled broccoli with splashes of melted cheese.

After eating all this food, he was full but took a napkin full of cookies anyway. As directed, he also grabbed the box marked 'Long Term Food and Water Supply' and marveled at the small size. Although no bigger than a matchbox, there were dozens of tiny pills inside. He wrapped the napkin around the cookies carefully and placed it along with the box inside his school backpack before pulling the straps onto his shoulders.

Behind the large rock came a singing voice. A group of children ran toward him. He recognized his friends Liam, Lucas, and his cousin Aiden. "OVER HERE!" he shouted to them, and they ran over. They laughed happily to see him, but also confused.

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