When I was in Iran, I took a round in the hip.  It totally destroyed the joint between the upper leg and hip.  I was shipped to Germany, where the doctors tried there best to save my hip.  No luck.  I would be able to get around, with the use of crutches.   It was better than not being able to move at all. 

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That had happened over ten years ago. 

One evening, I was trying to watch a movie, that I had seen only three times before, when my TV just shut off.  I got up and turned it back on.  It shut off before I could turn around.  I tried to turn it back on, nothing happened.  I was thinking I would have to replace it.

I turned to go back to my chair and almost pissed myself.  In front of me was a being.  It was about five feet tall, and had pasty gray skin.  No clothing that I could see.  Then I heard in my mind, "Andrew Franklin Sims, you have been chosen to take part in an experiment.  The experiment is on a planet that is very much like your planet was in what you would call, "The Cave Man Period".  The planet I am talking about is just a little more than seventy two light years away from here.  If you wish to help us, we will repair your body.  Make you immune to all sickness.  You will be given complete supplies for three years.  And after three years, if you want to return to this planet, we will bring you back, and be given fifty million dollars in your currency".

I was stunned, 50 million in three years.  Lets see, I did a little mental calculation.  Shit, that was better than 45,000 a day.  Would I take the offer, you can bet your sweet ass I would.

I was about to say yes, when everything changed around me.  I was standing in a room that had metal walls, floor and overhead.  The door to the room was something like a ship would have.  Rounded corners and a water tight seal.  I stayed in that room for what seemed like forever, but it was only ten days.  During the last day aboard the ship, I was taken to another room.  I was told to stand in a small closet like thing.  I stepped in and then I was standing in knee high grass, just in front of an entrance to a cave in a cliff face.  Next to the entrance were three large shipping containers.  I walked around them and saw that they had double doors on both ends.  I opened one.  It was full of boxes.  The boxes had labels on them.  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.  It looked to be early morning, so I pulled out a breakfast box.  I opened it and found that it contained eggs, bacon, and toast, and a large container of what looked like coffee.  This was all in another box.  A label said press here to open.  I did and nothing happened for a few seconds, except the label now said, "Heating".  Thirty seconds later, the box opened.  I reached in and pulled the plate out.  It was hot.  Eating utensils were under the plate.  I got the fork and knife out and tried a bite.  Hey, this stuff was good.  I tried the coffee. Ditto.  I ate every crumb of food on the plate and then had my coffee.  The coffee was the best I had ever had. 

I was full and happy.  I had no worries.  I didn't have to rush around and get to work.  I had no bills to pay.  I had my health and I could walk normally. 

I started to go into the cave, but stopped when I heard a loud growl.  I backed off to the last container.  If need be I could get inside and be protected from whatever was in the cave.  I opened the door and started to get in.  I saw a rack of guns.  Rifles and hand guns.  I picked up a rifle and opened the breach.  A round was pushed up and ready.  I closed the breach and the round was ready to fire.  I stepped out and found that the biggest cat I had ever seen was just coming out of the cave.  It too one look at me and charged.  I didn't have time to aim.  I just pointed and pulled the trigger.  The cat was in mid stride then the round hit it in the chest.  It tried to keep going but just collapsed and hit the ground. 

I went over and kicked it.  Nothing!  It was as dead as it could get.  I dragged it off about a hundred yards and left it.  I sure didn't eat cat.

I then went into the cave with that rifle ready to go.  The cat was the only thing that had been alive in the cave.  But it stank.  Years of shit and piss had to removed before the cave was fit to live in.  I got started.  I found tools in the last container and used them in my cleaning work.  I lived in a tent, that I had found in one of the containers. 

One evening, just as I was getting ready to sleep, I heard a woman scream.  I still had a Glock .45 Cal. on my hip.  I got out of the tent and listened.  I heard a fist hit flesh and a moan.  I took off running in that direction.  What I saw when I arrived on scene pissed me off.  Two big men were trying to tie a woman up.  She was struggling so hard that they were having a problem.  I said, "Just what the fuck do you think you are doing"?  One of the men grabbed a spear and tried to plunge it into me.  The Glock seemed to jump into my hand.  I pointed it at the man and pulled the trigger.  BLAM.  A spot appeared on his chest.  He had a shocked look on his face.  Then he fell to the ground.  The other one leaned down to check on his friend.  He grabbed a flint bladed knife, and tried to stab me.  BLAM.  And another one hit the dust. 

I turned to the girl, who looked to be sixteen or seventeen.  I drew my knife and cut her bounds.  As soon as she was free she jumped at me.  I caught her in mid stride.  She said, "Thank you, you saved my life.  They were going to kill me as a sacrifice to the gods, by burning me alive". 

I shuddered to think of the pain a person would have to endure by being burnt alive.  I wanted to be sick. 

It was weird in a way, I could understand what she was saying, but I had never heard the language before.  I said, "You are safe with me, I will protect you".  It came out in her language. 

I took her to the cave, but she balked at entering.  I tried to tell her that I had killed the big cat that had lived in the cave.  She didn't believe me, until I took her to see what was left of the cat.  Then she believed me.  She was all over me, calling me a grate hunter, a man of power and a few other things.  She then went to the cat and started to skin the thing out.  I told her that I didn't eat cat, but all she replied was, fur.

She was using a knife made from flint.  She seemed to be having trouble in cutting into the skin.  I handed her my sheath knife and she checked the sharpness.  Then the skin came right off.  she used the knife to scrape off any meat or fat.  When she was done, she rolled the skin up and tied it with some thongs.  She stood up with the skin, and asked, "How did you kill the cat"?  I said, "With the same type of weapon that I used to kill the men who were binding her hands and feet.  The only difference is how far away I can kill with it".

That seemed to satisfy her.  I sure didn't want to get into a discussion of bilastics with her.  Hell, I didn't know much myself.