When we plugged the dilithium crystals into the manifold, it happened. The dustbin began to shake and, on the old zinc sheet, a ghostly image formed.
“What is that?” Tony asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.
“Damned if I know,” Truth is important to me.
But Peg was our visionary. “It’s another world,” she said. “We’re seeing into a parallel universe. Look, there’s a building and a tree.”
It looked suspiciously like a baked reflection of our building and a telegraph pole connected by a manifold.
“Not as good as television,” Tony decided and went home.
Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
Neil MacDonald Author 
Made me chuckle Neil. Not all inventions are destined for greatness!
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And not all seers are honoured in their time. Thanks Iain
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Haha not as good as television. I’d like to see this pic.
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We’re all watching much more television now
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You got me thinking about the fascination of the very first days of photography, and another story came along, should I write it, that is the question, well there is not much else to do today, Thank Neil🙂
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Inspiration comes in the oddest places. Thanks, Michael
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Many don’t like the unfamiliar or esoteric, bcoz it disturbs their comfort zone.
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He’s all for Occam’s Razor
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I’m grinning here, and not just because you borrowed Tony!
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I’ll return him after he’s finished watching the show
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I loved the narrative. And the personalities emerging in such few words. Good one.
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Thanks so much, Sandra
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Not willing to even explore the possibilities! Settles for TV! Must be a couch-potato ?
Interesting story! I believe there are parallel worlds.
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He’s a pragmatist
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Oh, I love your imaginative take on the photo prompt, Neil. Made me smile. 🙂
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks so much, Susan
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There’s always TV. Tony was a visionary.
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In his own rather literal way
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Took me a second read-through to get my head around this one. I think I was distracted by the poor little sparrow that just smacked into my front window. Hope he survives. Anyway, fascinating picture you’ve drawn here. What used to fascinate us–just a plain picture–just doesn’t have the magic of television 🙂
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We may be learning to enjoy simpler pleasures again
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Dear Neil,
I guess I missed the Tony reference. However I’ve been binge watching a lot of sci fi…my favorite escape. I’m on the 4th season of Star Trek, Deep Space Nine. I enjoyed your story in any event. Remember when photographs were actually developed in a darkroom?
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle. There isn’t a Tony reference. That’s just CE’s hubris (because I like his character Portuguese Tony). My Tony’s just this guy, you know?
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lol, I vote for the alternate Universe theory. I mean, we’re talking dilithium crystals here, ones whose structure exists in at least 12-dimensions…
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Thanks, Trent
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Tony is clearly an inpatient teenager!
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Or perhaps he’s not as imaginative
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That’s great. Reminds me of the early x-ray machines. Little did the people know the amusement of photographing their brains was giving them cancer!
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Thanks so much, Joshua
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I didn’t know at first what it was you were referring to, but I got it on the last line. Good one, Neil! The dilithium crystals work every time!
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Not a Trekkie, huh?
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Dilithium crystals are perfect for these days and times. I think I would like to meet Peg.
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They’re cheap on Amazon this week
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Hey! Forget reading any more FF stories! I’m off to Amazon.
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Excellent story! And the title is brilliant.
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Thanks so much
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With television the images move, too. “It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it!” I like your parallel universe theory of the image.
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Thanks so much, Penny. There are perhaps 7 billion paallel universes on the planet
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You had me at dilithium crystals. The imagination can take us anywhere, even parallel universes. For the unimaginative, there’s always television.
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Thanks so much
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Such a funny last line, Neil! Who has the tools in their hand is as important as the tool itself.
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Thanks so much, Jade
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Tony’s ideas are so ordinary and droll compared to Peg’s
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Thanks, Larry
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folks tend to believe what they wanted to believe. 🙂
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I’ll see it when I believe it
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Tony’s got the attention span of todays yutes! Fun one, Neil.
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Thanks so much, Dale
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Oh, Tony. He has no vision, only television. Nice one!
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Thanks so much
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LOVE it! Not as intended… still they got a result, that’s promising !
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Thanks so much, Laurie
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Peering into a parallel universe only to find it’s no better than this one? What a kicker! Made me laugh
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Excellent. I’m glad it made you laugh, Lynn
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This piece describes my daily lockdown dilemma: do something creative or watch TV? TV wins a lot. Good story, Neil.
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Thanks so much, Thom
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I like Peg, she is optimistic and a true visionary although it seems a weird way to practice her skill.
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Peg is a slightly weird girl
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He’s the “show me when it’s interesting” kind of person. Excellent story, Neil.
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Thanks so much, Brenda
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You’re welcome, Neil.
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I think I’m with Tony on this one! Sounds like they invented this out of pure lockdown-boredom.
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Mirages in the heat
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Some just can’t see it, he’ll be kicking hiself he didn’t take shares in the invention when it’s refined and up and running. 🙂
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It’s a sure thing
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One person’s entertainment is another’s boredom. Nice humor in this one, Neil.
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That’s high praise from the Clown Prince of Friday Fictioneers
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Wonderfully quirky and intriguing Neil.
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Thanks so much
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Even BBC is better than that! Loved the bit of humour.
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Thanks so much, Liz
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“Not as good as television,” Oh, my. Doesn’t that just say it all 🙂
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Thanks so much, Eugenia
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“Not as good as television,”
Ha! Ha! I suspect most people are like Tony. He should get his own show 😉
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Television is full of Tonies these days
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