Jeff flew through the air. He was caught by receivers. He was buried under huge heavy football players
bodies. His nose was shoved deep into the turf. He was kicked. He flew through the air. He was carried.
He was spiked between goal posts. Danced with in the end zone. He loved every moment of it.
Then the final whistle blew. Game over.
He found himself being toweled off, and a felt tip permanent marker writing on his naked football body. He
was the game ball, and he was awarded to the winning team.
He couldn't believe it was the other team's quarter back hefting him into the air. His school had lost. He
was being taken back Buellton, over 150 miles away. He felt another pang of terror. The Chronivac had a range
warning. Objects changed by the Chronivac had to remain within 50 miles of the Chronivac or they may go out of
range, and no longer be subject to the Chronivac's power to change the object back. There was also the
admonition that transformed subject should not be bound, sealed or entangled in other objects as that might
interfere with the Chronivac's tracking beam.
"Woo hoo! Buellton High rocks!" shouted Breton Raines the Buellton quarterback as he accepted the game ball as
his team's trophy and locked it into the acrylic plastic football shaped case.
Jeff would be on display in the main display cabinet for months or years - at least until the case got too
crowded with winning game balls then he'd probably be given to Breton or one of the other players. After the
initial horror wore off. Jeff started to feel proud, as the Buellton students trudged by on their way to
class. Some would stop to admire him. He was proud to be the game ball. He was proud to be on display, but
he missed the turf and flying through the air. He wanted to be played with again.
Back in Jeff's bedroom. The Chronivac pinged. Then it made a buzzing error sound. "SUBJECT ONE NOT FOUND:
Out of range or blocked. Please bring subject one into range to complete restoration program". It would ping
once every day at 11:59, and buzz at 12:01.