The Gerblonc Machine


What?...It's a what?

"A Gerblonc Machine. Invented it myself."

"What does it do?'

"Can't tell you."

"Where are you taking it?"

"Can't tell you."

Fred shrugged his shoulders and headed back inside the station.

Harry finished pumping his gas and yelled at Fred.

"Are you going to check the oil and wash the windshield or not"?

Fred spat a chaw of tobacco on the oil stained cement and said, "Why don't you have your Gerblonc Machine do it?"

"Fred if you don't mind reading your own sign it says, 'Oil checked and windshield  washed' but it doesn't say by my Gerblonc Machine. So if You would kindly hurry up I got to be going."

An old blue Chevy pick up pulled into the station.

"Hey, Fred, Harry, whats going on?"

"Nothin," Fred said. "Just washing old Harry's Windshield so he can take his Gerblonc Machine to where ever he's taking it."

"His what?"

"Gerblonc Machine, Duffy. That durned thing in the back of his truck."

Hey, Harry, what the heck doe it do?"

"He won't tell."

"I can answer myself...Can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Can't tell you."

"You can't or won't tell because that machine can't do nothin," Duffy snorted.

"That's right," Fred said. If it could do anything you would be bragging about it."

"Well I'll tell you right now it can spot aliens."

"Aliens?"

"Yes, Aliens. you  know? Those people that come here from mars or some other planet."

"Oh, that's right Fred. Don't you remember that flying saucer that harry saw land in his pasture."

"That's right, I did see it land and I saw four men get out and then a car came and picked them up."

"Were they green," Duffy laughed?

"No they weren't green. They looked just like you and me. You can't tell the Gerbloncs from the rest of us. But, this machine can and I'm taking it over to the sheriff."

"He'll only think your crazy. You better come in and have a cup of coffee and try and convince us about those Gerbloncs. The sheriff might just lock you up."

"Maybe...But, I will have that coffee. I got a long drive over to Waterville."

The three men entered the small cafe and ordered coffee.

A car drove into the station and two men got out.

The machine started making a funny noise.

The tall skinny one said to the other, "You go take care of them and I'll destroy the machine."

Harry was waiting. When the Alien entered the cafe, Harry blew it's head off and then stepped out the door and shot the other one.

Both beings were only robots.

Duffy said, "Son of a bitch, that damned machine really works."


/ / / / / /

the first chapter in a series to be written to the prompts of the honorable and lovely Mrsupole

                                                                                   
                                                                                     for "Theme Thursday"...the invention.

Theme Thursday - peace

Continued from "The Gerblonc Machine"

the story...
Harry - the UFO nut
Fred - The service station owner
Duffy - Local farmer

Harry has invented a machine that can spot aliens. He has proven that his machine works at





10 comments:

  1. This is such a charming story I love the language and the characters you have created are so amusing

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    1. thank you...this story has roots in the 50's and my youth. Little green men and flying saucers were common. One of my friends claimed to have seen a saucer land.
      The machine is based on a man I met that had invented a perpetual motion machine but would not let anyone near his work shop because they would steal his machine.

      However, due to blog wordiness problems..this is not very good...little development and a sharp conclusion that is weak...

      But , it has some promise...I have been searching for an idea for NaNoWriMo...I may just make an out line and give it a go.

      A lot of you younger folks may enjoy reading about the craziness of the "Flying Saucer" craze.

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    2. My husband loves perpetual motion machines! I think it would be very interesting to learn about the Flying Saucer craze! I have seen strange things in the sky or rather air crafts I could not identify (which doesn't mean much haha) but never anything I thought was alien. The weirdest thing I saw is when a small plane almost landed in my yard it was so close the ground (maybe 10 inches away really close) and it nearly swiped our house

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    3. Interesting...I picked up that your husband's name is Sam (from your awesome poetry and response) I always find it interesting how some things seem to have strange connections...believe it or not...the "Perpetual Motion Inventor" was named Sam...
      Does your Sam travel the waves of time while you are writing?....

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    4. His name is Sam =) My Sam spends all his time learning and watching instructional videos right now he is building a mechanical table. You just know he is up to something lol

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  2. ha. very cool...def has the feel of old sci fi....
    and wonder now if in their last seconds they too will believe...

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    Replies
    1. thanks Brian...sorry but I could not allow the aliens to win...I added a couple of lines...but there will be a war..

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  3. I like. Fun. And happy endings!

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    Replies
    1. thanks Susan...more to come on Theme Thursday...never know where my stories will go, especially on Theme Thursday because I write the store to follow Mrsupole's prompts.
      I if have a choice, I prefer tongue in cheek stories...rarely do I go into the "dark side"..However, I do enjoy reading it.

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    2. I also prefer not to make typos and leave them for all to see...however, I am not always successful.

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