Alone

[Wayne23]

3/7: We play #13 seed South Carolina, 13-17, 6-12, in the play in round.

3/8: 74-66. Back and forth all night. We finally took control with about 3-4 minutes left. Balanced scoring. 10 TOs.

#4 seed, #12 ranked LSU, 25-7, 12-6, in the quarters. We split in the regular season.

3/9: 86-70. We led by as many as 26. 22, 5, 5 for Gray, 19, 3 for Lews. 9 TOs.

#1 seed, #11 ranked Auburn, 25-6, 16-2, in the semis. They beat us both times in the regular season, in OT at our place.

3/10: 76-83. They led most of the way. We kept it close but couldn't get over the hump. 15 each for Lews and Buga. 14 for Gray.

3/12: #4 West. We play #13 Columbia, 25-8.

3/17: 82-66. Big 2nd half. 29, 8 for Gray, his best game ever.

#5 seed, #22 ranked Illinois, 26-8, in round 2. We feel like we should beat them if we play our game.

3/19: 81-73 and we're in the Sweet Sixteen. Gray was red hot again tonight, 27, 7. 18, 5, 3 for Lews. +10 RBs.

#1 seed, #6 ranked Clemson, 29-7. We feel we have a shot if we play well.

3/24: 61-72. 31.8% shooting and lots of foul trouble. 18, 3 for Lews, in his last game. Also the last game for Gray. Both very good players.

4/3: #4 ranked Tennessee from here in the SEC is the champ.

4/4: Awards: Bret Lews makes the SEC 1st team, and Ben Gray makes 2nd team. I am SEC COY.

Not looking to move but with the right offer...

4/9: Staying.

4/23: Need $.

Got $14,000.

28-9, #18. Good season. I think one more year here at Alabama then on to bigger and better things. Overall, 282-118, .705.

[Wayne23]

5/1: #48 recruiting class but add two solid transfers to that.

Some small critters gnawing at the walls and getting into the dome. Can't have that, too much sensitive equipment in here. The robots are on it.

6/5: We lose a guy who wasn't going to play.

Looking at transfers.

The robots eliminated most of the small mammals getting into the dome but not all of them. This could be a real problem. More robots on the job which will hopefully resolve the issue.

6/12: We get a terrific looking SF from Tulsa.

6/26: 3 scholarships. We want 2 bigs.

Power outage in a section of the dome. The dome isn't all that big. Most of the non-holo space is out of power. Not a doubt in my mind that the cause is small mammals chewing through something. Really ramping up the robotic response but the power is still out.

7/11: Power restored and I'm told all small mammals are gone. The exterior has been reinforced with materials that is not able to be penetrated by the small rodents. The same material is being placed around the ground floor of every building in the settlement. This will put us even farther behind our building schedule
but it has to be done.

8/7: C/F Kris Hern is #23 on the Norton list.

8/21: We offer to a PG and 2 Cs.

I'm back to spending a lot of time with Mal and my friends, mostly hiking and boating but sometimes just hanging out or going to clubs or concerts. Also playing volleyball again.

9/18: We get a C, #42. He was our #1. We lose a PG.

Golden ST Classic vs. California. Some challenges in the schedule.

9/25: Lost the other two recruits, and everyone else I'm chasing.

10/2: We get an SG, #46. Still chasing a big.

1st day of practice. I think we've got a really good team here.

We're picked 2nd in the SEC. We'll see.

11/1: Still chasing a big guy.

[Wayne23]

11/15: We start tomorrow.

11/16: 90-60 over Bradley here. 21, 8 for C Kris Hern. He looks like he could be a superstar. 18 for #3 guard Al Owes, 15 for SG Ron Will. +22 RBs, 5 TOs.

11/19: 92-88 in OT over Colorado ST here. This was a war. Never more than a 7 point separation. 14 threes kept them in it. We didn't defend outside very well.
We went to Hern in key situations. He made an old fashioned three point play in the final minute then blocked a shot on the other end, then hit two free throws. At the end of regulation Hern got a rebound, had a dunk, then blocked a shot to get us to OT. He finished with 19, 6. 14, 9, 4 for SF Pero Buga, 12, 4, 7 for PG Marc Tona.

Our 2 recruits sign. Still chasing a C.

11/23: 79-71 over Murray ST. We led all the way. 16, 10, 3 for Hern, 17, 7, 3 for Will.

11/26: 79-75 at Alcorn ST. 45-29 at the half. Frankly, we got lazy in the 2nd, but we were never in danger. The final score was as close as they got and that was due to a buzzer beating three. Hern had his first bad game, fouled out in 16 minutes. 17, 4 for Buga, 12, 9 for PF Jude Rich.

11/28: I got a surprise... no, I got a shock today. I was alone on the boat. Doing some coaching work at my computer on deck, enjoying the breeze and the sea air. Something caught my eye and I looked up and saw... a visitor... No, he (I think) was not anyone I had programmed in...

"Hello, Mack Reed."

"... Hello."

"He" was about my height, slim, and... "off." Something wasn't right. He had the right number of everything and in the right places, but he was stiff, robotic.

"Um... who or what are you?"

"I am Grol."

"Okay, Grol, but I haven't programmed you. How did you get here?"

"My people have been monitoring you for several of your time periods- years. We are from the star nearby, the fourth planet, Kree, is our home."

"Uh... tell me more."

"We saw your arrival here and have watched. We know something happened to the rest of your party which left you alone. It has taken us all this time to learn your language well enough to be able to communicate with you, so I was sent here. Do not be alarmed. We mean you no harm."

"You will understand if I find this a bit hard to believe..."

"Yes. Your people are skeptical by nature."

"I have to believe you're a holo program."

"I am not. I am actually a projection. I am not physically here, but only appear to be and I can only appear in your holo chamber. The atmosphere on the actual planet is poisonous to my people so you need never fear an invasion. Also, we are a peaceful people. Unlike your people we have never developed weapons of any kind. We live on the bounty of the land, eating the things that grow and drinking from the streams that flow."

"Okay. So assuming for the minute that this is real, what do you want?"

"We wish to assist you in preparation for those who will arrive in the future."

"Assist me how?"

"We can adjust your mechanical workers so that they are efficient enough to work without needing your constant supervision. You can then put sufficient crews at building sites and have enough housing for all of the future arrivals by the time they reach the planet."

At that point I left the holo. I needed, and still need, to think about this.

11/30: 88-67 over #22 Buffalo here. Big win! 48-21 at the half. 26, 14 for Hern, 19, 6 for Will. +19 RBs.

Ranked #19.

I have not gone back into the holo chamber. Still processing what happened, or seemed to happen.

12/3: 64-50 over undefeated Minnesota. They courted me hard last spring and I seriously considered moving there. We held them to 19 2nd half points. 17, 12 for Hern, 13, 12, 3 for Buga. +15 RBs, 8 TOs.

6-0, #19, RPI #37.

Still pondering the events in the holo. Not sure what to make of it or what to do about it. Was it real? Was it some complex computer glitch? If it was real is it safe to trust Grol?

[Wayne23]

12/7: 71-51 at UConn. 40-22 at the half. 13, 5, 7 for Will, 14, 5 for Buga. Hern was handcuffed by foul trouble. +10 RBs.

12/8: Off to the Golden ST Classic. We're #2 seed. We face #7 California, 3-4.

"Hello again, Mack Reed."

"Hello Grol."

"We expected a delay before your return."

"Why?"

"Your race is skeptical and fearful, not trusting."

"That has served us well."

"Perhaps. Have you decided to accept our offer of assistance?"

"I have not decided either way yet."

"You remain skeptical."

"There have been problems with the holo in the past. I am wondering whether you are simply a holo program created due to an error in the system."

"I am not."

"I can't know that."

"My offer is very simple. I need do nothing except to explain to your mechanical helpers how to enhance your robotic workers so that they could work reliably with little supervision. They would perform the work and you would reap the benefit."

"How do I know you wouldn't be installing something in the robots that I don't know about? Something that would harm me and the settlers who will arrive here later?"

"What is my motive? What do my people have to gain?"

"I have no way of knowing."

"I would like to take you on a virtual journey to my planet if you will allow it. When you see how simply my people live I think your fears will be eased."

"How would you do that?"

"I can project three dimensional images from my planet, showing you how we live."

"They could be fictitious. I would have no way of knowing."

"If I wished to take over the planet or wished to control you, what would there be that could stop me? You are one. I could potentially subdue you easily and simply take over. Or I could overpower you and use you for my own purposes if that was my wish."

Once again I left the holo to think things over.

12/9: 81-52. Easy win. 18, 8, 6, 4 blocks for Hern, 12, 7 for Rich, 12, 5 for Buga. +18 RBs, 11 TOs.

#3 seed Texas Tech, 6-2, in the semis.

12/10: 87-68. 42-22 at the half. 18, 9 for Buga, 14, 7, 3 for Hern, 16, 3, 3 for #3 guard Al Owes. +10 RBs.

#4 seed Akron, 4-3, for the title.

12/11: 76-60 for the tourney title. 22, 4 with 4 steals for Buga, 16, 10 for Rich.

87-76 over Georgia ST here. We never trailed but it took awhile to really gain control. 17, 9, 6 for Hern, 18, 3 for Al Owes, who is now starting at SG.

A week off until our next game. We're ranked #7, RPI #11.

"Hello Mack Reed."

"Hello Grol."

"Have you come to accept my offer?"

"No. I can't bring myself to take the chance."

"My people do not believe in force. We will not force you to accept our offer. But you are being foolish. We can assist you in accomplishing a much needed task."

"I appreciate the offer but I have no way to check on you, to know what you and your civilization are truly like, if you're even real, and not just a holo glitch."

"I understand, Mack Reed. But your overabundance of caution does not assist the resolution of your needs."

"Yes, I know that."

What the hell am I going to do about this. I hesitate to enter the holo because Grol is always there waiting for me. I suppose if he was going to harm me he would have done it by now, which is a point in his favor. But I have no way to evaluate any of this.

12/21: 78-59 over Iowa here. 43-22 at the half. 20, 8 for Buga, 20, 2, 3 for Owes. +17 RBs.

12/28: 65-68 at Albany. Last pre-conf game, 1st loss. -6 RBs and a sluggish offence. 15, 6, 4 for Hern, 15 more for Owes. Didn't feel like the guys were into it.

1/1/2235: 12-1, #13, RPI #17. +14.8 PPG, +10.4 RBs, -1.3 TOs (12.5). Hern leads us with 15.5 PPG and gets 7.4 RBs; Fich gets 7.5 RBs. 4.9 assists for Tona.

I'm driving myself crazy about Grol. No idea what to do. The holo experts say he is not coming from them but can I believe that? If so, can I believe that his society is as he describes it. Again, if he meant to do me harm I'm guessing he could do that easily and then just take over Terra 2. Maybe I should just agree to accept his help. Not there yet, though.

[PointGuard]

The Grol aspect is intriguing and a good addition to your story.

(Maybe he should coach Oral Roberts or Liberty...I wonder how he'd deal with the administrations of those universities. )

[Wayne23]

Grol will not be corrupted by the religious right. He has his principles! Or maybe not. I'm too paranoid to know for sure.

[Wayne23]

1/4: 62-77 at Auburn. For the 2nd game in a row we were sluggish on offense. My guys didn't move without the ball, didn't work to get open... 19 TOs. Practice is going to be unpleasant until we get our heads back on straight.

I went into the holo to spend some time on the boat with Mal and the others. As always lately, Grol was waiting for me.

"Hello Mack Reed."

"Hi Grol. Hey, could you leave? I want to spend time on the boat with my friends."

"Of course, Mack Reed."

And he went! I don't know where he went. Maybe I'm paranoid but I wondered if he was still there but not able to be seen, and I wondered if he was listening in on our conversations. I like the fact that he can only appear in the holo... Wait! CAN he only appear in the holo? I have no way of knowing. Damn!

Anyway, I had a really nice time on the boat. I actually discussed Grol and his offer with Mal, Len, Jed, and Emma. It was a rich, deep discussion, and they all thought I should accept Grol's offer. At the end I screwed up my head wondering whether the things they said were programmed by Grol or by whatever program may have created Grol. I guess I should see my therapist about all of this... Of course she's a holo person too so...

1/7: 76-44 over #14 Vanderbilt here. That's more like it! The story was our D; they shot 24%. The O was better but I'm still not thrilled with it.

1/11: 80-71 at Mississippi ST. 23 for Owes, 16, 12 for Hern, and the O worked tonight.

I met with my therapist. Yes, she's saying I'm being unduly paranoid... and I am wondering if she's part of the whole thing too. So no help there.

1/14: 71-56 over Florida here. 33, 9, 3 for Owes. +22 RBs, great D.

Kris Hern sprained his wrist. Our best player is out for 2, maybe 3 games, and we play #1 Tennessee there next.

1/18: 59-82. Not unexpected with Hern out of the lineup. -19 RBs. We were overmatched.

16-3, 4-2, #14.

[Wayne23]

1/21: 73-47 over South Carolina here. 15, 6, 5 with 5 steals for Rich, 16, 4, 3 for Owes. +12 RBs.

And Herns will be back for our next game.

1/25: 69-52 at Kentucky. 17, 6 for Rich, 13 for Tona, 12, 5 for Buga. Hern was great on D but not effective on O. He was not quite at 100%. He will be next time.

82-61 over Texas A & M here. We led for the last 35 min. 17, 8, 4 for Hern, 17, 9 for Buga. +18 RBs, 11 TOs.

2/1: 51-66 at Georgia. Our O was sluggish again. Damn! 21 for Owes. No one else did anything.

Buga hurt his calf. Out for a week.

2/4: 78-54 over Auburn here. Easy win. 26, 8 for Hern. 14, 4, 4 for Chan Walk, in for Buga at SF. +13 RBs.

2/8: 68-71 at #17 Vanderbilt. We had our chances. 32.8% shooting hurt us, and we just couldn't make the key shot when we needed it. 16, 10 for Walk, 16 for Owes. 9 TOs.

Buga is back.

2/11: 79-48 over LSU here. 17, 4, 6 for Owes, 12, 13 for Hern. +9 RBs, 12 TOs.

20-5, 8-4, in a 3 way tie for 2nd, 3 back of #1 ranked Tennessee, who no one will catch. #10, RPI #8.

"Hello Mack Reed."

"Hello Grol."

"Do you wish me to leave as you did last time?"

"No. I wish you to show me your people and how they live. Can you do this now?"

"I can, Mack Reed. No special preparations are necessary. You will see them as they go about their daily lives. But I must explain that I have come to you in a
form like your own. This is not how I or my people truly look. You will see them as they are. This may be a shock to you. You may even find our appearance repulsive since your people are wedded to your own way of looking."

"Are there many different species with different ways of looking, Grol?"

"You are the first other species we have encountered, but we are not travellers. I am the first of my kind to leave our home world, and as I have told you I have only left it virtually. I am actually on my world. Are you ready, Mack Reed?"

"I am."

What I saw was definitely a shock to my system. Grol and his people communicate telepathically. They do not use speech. Indeed they are not capable of speech.

He took me to his planet and I saw them. They are... well, they are giant creatures that look very much like slugs. They have arm like appendages, but they don't use them for much other than feeding. And yes, they do live in harmony with their land. They feed off the plant life on their planet and drink only water from the streams. They crawl around, usually in small groups. The upper parts of their slug like bodies can rise up to reach the higher parts of plants, and to do other things which I didn't understand. When they do that the arm-like appendages are useful to them.

If you just watched them and did not interact telepathically with them you would think that they were just large "bugs." But that would be so wrong. They have a tremendous intellect. They're far more intelligent than humans. But they choose to live simply, to not embrace any sort of technology, and to focus on the world of thought. They ponder and discuss great philosophical questions, and this is how they live their lives.

They are capable of the most complex technology, which is why they offered to enhance our robotic workers. This is utter simplicity for them. It's just that they have no interest or need for this technology in their own lives.

More about the people of Kree later, but this was a revelation to me.

[Wayne23]

2/15: 75-63 at Mississippi. 15, 2, 6 for Owes, 12, 7, 5 for Kern, 16, 7, 3 for Walk, who is now going to start at SF for Buga.

2/18: 72-73 at Arkansas. Damn! They led most of the way, but never by a lot. We had an open 15 footer at the end and it front rimmed. 22 for Owes, who missed that final shot. 12, 11 for Hern. This is a game we should have won. Our focus is not what it should be, and that's been a problem for a while. Working on it.

2/22: 77-61. Solid win over Missouri. 27, 4, 4 for Owes. +10 RBs.

Tied for 2nd with Florida with three to go. We play them there soon.

The people of Kree are fascinating- not to watch, that's pretty boring. But when tuned into their thoughts, wow! They literally spend their lives pondering the great questions. They have no interest in finding the answers, not that there are any; they just explore these issues and ideas from every conceivable angle and delight in trying to find new angles to approach them from.

As to tech related things, and the pondering of those, more on that later.

2/25: 79-57 over Mississippi ST here. 22, 5, 4 for Owes, 20, 5 for Walk, 18, 11 for Hern. +16 RBs.

2nd or 3rd in the SEC. At #24 Florida to determine that.

3/1: 68-71, so we'll finish 3rd. Another close game that we could have and probably should have won. Close all the way and we didn't step up at the end. Dumb fouls hurt us and we could have shot better.

We host #1 Tennessee in the regular season finale so we could possibly drop lower than 3rd.

3/4: 76-56! 19, 5, 5 for Owes, 19, 4 for Hern. 9 TOs. We finish tied for 2nd. This win may give us the #2 seed.

We end the regular season at 24-7, 12-6, tied for 2nd. #14, RPI #18. +12.1 PPG, +8.4 RBs, -1.7 TOs (but 13.1 is not good). Owes leads us with 14.0 PPG. Hern gets
13.3 and 7.4 RBs. Tona gets 4.5 assists.

So the people of Kree are pretty much interested in any intellectual challenge. That certainly includes tech challenges. When they noticed (don't ask me how) that a planet in a neighboring star system was being settled (Terra 2) they monitored things. When they noticed that construction was falling way behind schedule due to the fact that all except one of us (me) had died, they gave the problem some thought and came up with a workable solution. They then figured out how to get one of their number (Krol) over here to make that offer. When I declined it he continued to try to persuade me. I'm just about persuaded...

[Wayne23]

3/8: We play #7 seed Auburn, 18-12, 9-9, in the quarters, and yes, we're the #2 seed. We split a pair in the regular season.

3/9: 90-70. 49-34 at the half. 22 for Buga, 19, 9 for PF Jude Rich. +10 RBs.

#6 seed Georgia, 17-14, 9-9, in the semis. They won by 15 there in our only meeting. On paper we should win but...

3/10: 72-64. 20, 4, 5 for Owes, 15, 8 for Hern.

Walk hurt his calf and will miss the title game.

#1 ranked Tennessee, 31-3, 16-2, for the title. We split a pair. On paper we're in big trouble. We'll see.

3/11: 56-72. Kern: 1-11, Rich: 2-10. -14 RBs. Only 4 TOs but their inside game crushed us.

3/12: #3 South. We play #14 Bryant, 23-9.

3/17: 91-70. 28, 13 for Hern, 17, 3, 8 for Owes, 18, 3, 5 for Walk. +9 RBs, 12 TOs.

#11 seed Old Dominion, 26-9, in round 2.

3/19: 78-56. 41-19 at the half. 26, 4, 7 for Owes, 21, 15 for Hern. +10 RBs, 11 TOs.

Headed for the Sweet Sixteen for the 2nd year in a row. I've never gone farther.

We play #2 seed, #11 ranked Oklahoma ST, 27-9. They're terrific outside. We'll need to control that to have a chance. We're a big underdog.

3/24: 75-63! 40-32 at the half. We led for the last 35 minutes. 16, 6, 5 for PG Marc Tona, 13, 9 for Buga. +21 RBs. We did what we had to do.

#12 seed Indiana, 24-11 beat #5, #4, #1 to get here. We're a huge favorite but they are HOT.

3/26: 75-80. Damn! The road to the Final Four was right there and we missed it. Our O was fine but our D didn't get the job done. 20, 9, 3 for Rich, and the other starters all had 11-13. Their bench outdid ours easily, 26, 11, 4 to 7, 7, 5. That and the fact that we were 3-22 on threes were the key factors.

4/3: #4 Syracuse is the champ- by 1 point over Michigan ST.

4/4: Awards: Al Owes makes the SEC 1st team and Kris Hern makes 2nd.

Move? I'd consider it. But we're only losing one guy who plays, SF Ron Walk.

4/9: I'm staying.

4/23: I ask for $ which I desperately need for recruiting. Spent too much on assistants.

Yes! We get just under $14,000.

311-127, .710, after 13 seasons.

The Kree have accepted me readily. They are, and know they are, far superior to me intellectually, but rather than dismissing me or putting me down, they are trying to educate me, to the extent that they can. I am not capable of reaching anything close to their level, even though, as a member of the advance party here, I have an IQ in the top 1% among humans. Still, I am definitely learning, and I am understanding things I never understood before. They tell me they enjoy teaching me and look forward to teaching those who are on their way here.

I told Grol that I am ready to accept his offer to enhance our robotic workers. He said it can be done in a day, and he can reprogram the computer to make all future workers enhanced as well. I declined that offer. One step at a time.

4/24: The robotic workers have gone through the enhancement process. I will follow my usual pattern of supervision for a week or so and if everything checks out, I will greatly expand the work crew.