Our Present to the Future

Slimer beckoned the people assembled before him to come forward. He recognized Ray’s voice, but he didn’t dare believe that it was really him.

When he saw them all standing before him, he immediately burst into tears. He floated down off his throne and began to hug each of them. He babbled on practically incoherently about how much he’d missed them all and never forgotten them. He hugged Futura too, thanking her for bringing them to see him.

“My pleasure, sir.”

They were all nothing short of flabbergasted to hear her, of all people, refer to him, of all ghosts, in such a respectful manner. But then again, his entrance had been with all the pomp and circumstance of royalty. He was clearly not the same Slimer they knew in their own time. A millennium of teaching would probably do that to one.

Futura shed a tear and tried to wipe it away stealthily, but Jake saw her. He walked over and handed her a handkerchief.

“Thanks.” She dabbed at her eyes.

“Sure. You okay?”

She sighed and nodded, but she was all smiles. “Yeah. He was just so depressed lately and seeing all of you again has made him so happy. I’m just glad he’s not sad anymore.”

Jake smiled and tossecompcompanionable arm around her shoulders and placed a brotherly kiss on her forehead. “You done good, kid.”

She snorted and hugged him back. “Thanks, Jake.”

He gave her a squeeze and let her go to receive a slimy hug from the Academy’s finest educator. “Good to see you too, Slimer.”

“How’d the mission go, Jake?” the little ghost asked.

“Dunno. We haven’t done it yet. Been mostly sight-seeing as of yet.”

“Really? Futura, I thought this mission was supposed to be of the utmost importance! Why isn’t it completed?” The others were all clearly taken aback by the sight of Slimer reprimanding Futura. It was even more of a shock to see her respond as would a chastised child.

“I know, sir. It’s just that my instructions said I was to show them around the school and then bring them to see you. Then we were all supposed to go to the common together.”

Slimer’s stern features softened and he smiled. However, the image of his reaction to the news that they were not yet finished was something none of them would ever forget, especially since it seemed that he was more likely to carry the stern persona than the relaxed one on a regular basis.

“Okay, I’m lost,” Kel said. “If Slimer is the most respected and oldest professor here, who could have possibly been prestigious enough to order you to come and get us?”

Futura glanced around at them in disbelief. “Still haven’t figured it out? Why, it was you of course! You left me instructions that were waiting for me the day I arrived at the academy. The folder was old and unopened, and it had a lock that was coded with my DNA. I was the only person who could open it. Morrow’s the only one I told about its contents, as instructed.”

“Uh . . . oh.” Kel scratched her head and huffed. “Bloody hell! This time travel stuff is damned confusing. I think I got it now, though.”

“Fine then,” Slimer . “. “Let’s go. I have to admit to a certain amount of curiosity as to the nature of this mission. It’s been eating at me for nearly a thousand years.”

“Uh, I think I just had a flashback,” Winston said. “Remember when Egon and Slimer switched personalities?”

Peter and Ray laughed until they were red in the face. Egon rolled his eyes. “Slimer has been arthbrthbound spirit for more than a millennium, most of which he has spent lecturing students. Naturally, his vocabulary would have improved exponentially. There was a time when he couldn’t speak at all. Ray, your own efforts made his speech possible in the first place. I find no humor in the fact that he speaks so eloquently.”

Slimer chuckled and floated over to Egon, clapping him on the back with a resounding, wet smack. “Lighten up, Egon.” Egon stared at Slimer with wide, unblinking eyes, but made no attempt to respond. Clearly, there was still some of the old Slimer still in him. “Good! Now let’s be off. I’ve known about this mission for the last thousand years and I’ve been dying to know what it’s all about.”

They departed, a little less confused, a lot more excited, and with Ray, Eddie and Slimer laughing themselves silly over that ‘dying to know’ crack.