Kort historia - En ring som låter dig återuppleva sista minuten

Det är "Lucifer!" , en kort skurk av E. C. Tubb , först publicerad i Visioner av Tomorros # 3, November 1969 , tillgängligt på Internetarkiv . Att vara i USA kan du ha sett det i antingen 1972 första utskrift eller 1975 andra utskrift av antologin Årets bästa skräckhistorier, nr 1 redigerad av Richard Davis . (Tubbs 1999-berättelse "Fallen Angel" är en reviderad version av "Lucifer". Jag antar att en eller båda dessa historier kunde ha inspirerat eller påverkat 2013 Futurama avsnitt "Meanwhile ".)

Huvudpersonen arbetar i en morgue när en kropp tas in. Döden var en jet-setter som dödades plötsligt - slog med buss eller något föll på honom.

Like a steel cable snapping when the safe it was supporting hung twenty feet above the ground. The safe fell, smashing the sidewalk but doing no other damage. The cable, suddenly released from strain, snapped like a whip, the end jerking in a random motion impossible to predict. The odds against it hitting any one particular place were astronomical. The odds against one of the Special People being in just that spot at that exact time were so high as to negate normal probability. But it happened. The frayed end of the cable hit a skull, shredding bone, brain and tissue in an ungodly mess. A surgically implanted mechanism sent out a distress call. The man's friends received the signal. Frank Weston got the body.

Medan kroppen behandlas, finner huvudpersonen en ring på kroppens finger och bestämmer sig för att hålla den.

Sometimes, in his job, an unscrupulous man could make a little on the side. Frank had no scruples only defensive caution. The ring could have been lost before the stiff arrived in his care. The hand was caked with blood and maybe no one had noticed it. Even if they had it would be his word against theirs. If he could get it off, wash the hand free of blood, stash it away and act innocent the ring could be his. And he would get it off if he had to smash the hand to do it. Accidents sometimes made strange injuries.

Kort efteråt dyker några av de döds manens strålkastare på jakt efter ringen, men huvudpersonen visar okunnighet och vännerna lämnar så småningom.

"One moment." The two men looked at each other then the one who had spoken turned to Frank. "Our friend wore a ring. It was something like this." He extended his hand. "The ring had a stone and a wide band. Could we have it please."

Frank was stubborn. "I haven't got it. I haven't even seen it. He wasn't wearing it when he came in here."

Mannen upptäcker att klämma på ringen låter honom återuppleva den sista minuten i sitt liv, och han kan leva den där minuten annorlunda.

He frowned and tried again. Abruptly the man was back at his table. He rose, stretched, headed towards the door. Frank pressed the stud and held it down, counting. Fifty-seven seconds and suddenly the man was back at his table again. He rose, stretched, headed towards the door. This time Frank let him go.

Som jag minns använder han ringen för att förföra en kvinna genom att förädla sin teknik tills den fungerar, så att säga.

He reached out and took her in his arms, heart still pounding from the pleasure of having inflicted pain. He kissed her with practiced skill, nibbling her gently with his teeth. He ran his hands over her body, thin material rustling as it fell from her shoulders. He bit a little harder and felt her tense.

"Don't do that!" she said abruptly. "I hate anyone doing that!"

One bad mark. Frank counted seconds as he reached for the light switch. With darkness she squirmed, pushed herself free of his arms.

"I hate the dark! Must you be like all the others?"

Two bad marks. Twenty seconds to go. Time for one more quick exploration. His hands groped, made contact, moved with educated determination. She sighed with pleasure.

He activated the ring.

"Frank!"

He reached out and took her in his arms, this time making no attempt to either nibble or bite. Her clothing rustled to the floor and the skin gleamed like pearl in the light. He looked at her, boldly admiring, and his hands moved in the way which gave her pleasure.

Senare använder han ringen för att vinna stor på ett kasino. Snart är mannen på väg till att vara medlem av stråluppsättningen själv.

Luck, the fortuitous combination of favourable circumstances, but who needs luck when they know what is going to happen fifty-seven seconds in advance? Call it a minute. Not long?

Try holding your breath that long. Try resting your hand on a red-hot stove for even half that time. In a minute you can walk a hundred yards, run a quarter of a mile, fall three. You can conceive, die, get married. Fifty-seven seconds is enough for a lot of things.

For a card to turn, a ball to settle, a pair of dice tumble to rest. Frank was a sure-fire winner in more ways than one.

Slutligen är han på ett flyg som flyger till Europa eller någon plats. Det finns en nödsituation i flygplanet och flygplanet bryts upp i luften.

Something hit the roof of the cabin. There was a ripping sound, a blast of air, an irresistible force which tore him from his seat and flung him into space. Air gushed from his lungs as he began to fall.

Mannen finner sig dömd för att hålla klämma på ringen, som jag tror att den sista raden går, "för att alternativet skulle falla i det väntade havet".

The clouds passed. Below the sea spread in a shimmer of light and water. His stomach constricted with overwhelming terror as he stared at the waves, his lurking acrophobia aroused and tearing at every cell. Hitting the sea would be like smashing into a floor of solid concrete and he would be conscious to the very end. Spasmodically he activated and immediately was high in the air again with almost a minute of grace in which to fall.

Fifty-seven seconds of undiluted hell.

Repeated.

Repeated.

Repeated over and over because the alternative was to smash into the waiting sea.