“On the day 15 April 2050, planet Earth was invaded. Certain people with certain abilities and traits that were exceptional were plucked out of the surface of the Earth like beautiful flowers,” Dr Van Kraff said, pulling on his pipe again.

“But I…”

“Shhhh,” he shushed Theodore, “Right then. I have reason to believe we are kept prisoner in an alternate reality device, one that has been designed by the aliens to look like the real Earth and…” Dr Van Kraff cut his own speech short, then pulled a large amount of smoke again and puffed out, almost filling the whole room, “…feel like the real Earth as well – it’s made decisions for us until this point based on the feelings, thoughts, and ambitions we had on that fateful day.”

He paused for a smoke again. “Kids, cars, careers, houses, everything you see around you is not real. It’s a program built to keep you here while some unknown objective is being fulfilled without our knowledge and concern.” Dr Van Kraff smiled and kept smoking. “One thing went wrong though. Certain people within this programmed prison broke out of the code and started thinking as the individual entities they are. I call that the ‘reality jump’ – when you jump out of this faux reality and you regain the real one in memories. The symptoms are simple: a migraine because of the real information reclaiming its spot in your cerebrum and the full body itch as you move on your own and not because the machine told you so. And the dreams of the real world because of the memories.”

He puffed again. “Now, the aliens listen to everything that we say. That’s why I clouded the room with this smoke: it disrupts their signal and clears a few seconds of unbiased speech. They are able to reverse the jump, I’ve seen it happen multiple times,” said Dr Van Kraff, a glimpse of horror in his eyes.

“How?” Anna asked, seemingly amused by Dr Van Kraff’s tale.

“People around you who weren’t abducted are actually programs built by the aliens to monitor your every move. I believe in your case, it’s your kids,” he said.

“That can’t be true! Little Auggie can’t be a program, she almost died, I carried her for eight months, she was premature,” Anna said.

“Now, now, Mrs Fitzgerald, there’s no time for that, I have found the key,” Dr Van Kraff said, looking at Theodore.

“Me?” said Theodore in disbelief.

“Yes, you, Mr Fitzgerald. There are four types of jumpers related to four types of people that were abducted.” He puffed once more. “The first is the quarter jumpers. They only get the full body itches when they jump, since they were abducted for their physical attributes. My theory dictates that they were people who were the first generation of the new humans who’ve evolved physically: natural strength, physical abilities and quick learning of combat, that kind of stuff.” Dr Van Kraff paused for a smoke, “They aren’t rare and aren’t really useful yet.”

He continued, “The second type is the half jumpers: they experience full-body itches and dreams of reality as symptoms of the jump and I believe they were abducted for their mental capabilities, as they were those that had exceptional IQs in reality. They are also not that useful yet.”

He puffed and looked at Anna. “I can already see you are the third, Anna. The three-quarter jumpers’ symptoms are the full-body itch, and the dreams and memories. These people were abducted because they had the perfect blend of strength, physical attributes and skill, as well as mental strength and intellect.” He smiled at Anna, his pipe hanging out of the side of his mouth, “Useful indeed, but not as much as the full jumper.”

“Let me guess, I’m the full jumper,” Theodore said, languidly.

“That you are Mr Fitzgerald. A full jumper: symptoms all of the above with the addition of stronger real memories. And you can see the code…”

“I also saw the code,” Anna interrupted the Doctor.

“When?”

“Today.”

“Could you read it?”

“No, it seemed alien.”

“That’s common with three-quarter jumpers – you can see it, but reading it is next to impossible,” Dr Van Kraff said, anxious to return to his explanation of full jumpers. “You, sir, are capable of not only seeing the code, but reading it too. You can jump without a catalyst and you are our key to freedom. You’re super rare. You and I are the only full jumpers I’ve found and I believe we are the first generation of the new humans who’ve evolved mentally,” he puffed. “In a week we are breaking out of this prison and going home. If we wait longer, it will be a long time before we get another opportunity like this.”

Theodore processed the information they had been burdened with.

Tell us: What do you think will happen next?