Early attempts at achieving high energy storage were limited by manufacturing precision. One of the earliest experiments was done by John Avery in 1746.¹ Avery experimented with Leyden jars after receiving a note from Von Kleist. But Avery wanted to increase the effect Von Kleist observed and stacked the jars to achieve higher energies. John Avery lost his life in this experiment which reportedly vaporized his body. No leftovers were found.

Luke: “Look at his picture, you can immediately see that he loves taking risks”
Jay: “Why? Because of the scar on his chin?”
Luke: “Exactly!”
Jay: “This feels like it is more a tale and not a fact”
Luke: “Yeah, how could it ever vaporize that guy”
Jay: “Well at least he made it into our textbook”

Jay’s phone started ringing.

Jay: “Oh no, I have to take that one”

Luke watched Jay as he most likely spoke to a friend. It seemed like Jay forgot about something, he seemed apologetic. After a few back and forth Jay hung up.

Jay: “Sorry Luke, I have to go”
Luke: “Okay, then I also go home. Do we want to continue tomorrow?”
Jay: “I don’t really want to, but I guess we have to get it done…”
Luke: “Good, let’s say at 9:30 again?”
Jay: “Sure, but I really have to go now”

And Jay was on his way. Luke mumbled into his rather patchy beard something about Jay always letting him down. But on the other side Luke also wanted to have some time for himself today. He left and checked his phone on his way. A few messages, but he wasn’t in the mood of answering them.

He packed his things and made his way to the station. A group of people already waited for the tram. Most of them were standing alone, not talking to each other. Luke didn’t make any effort to change this, found a spot as far away as possible from the other people and waited while watching some shorts on his phone. His expression switched from happiness to anger to being bored and back. Most of the videos were AI generated, but that’s how it is. He could at least bypass the wait time for the tram.

He got onto the tram, it was already a bit dark outside and not many people were in the car. Luke found an unoccupied 2-seater and reserved both seats for himself, continuing on his phone ignoring his surroundings.

After a few stops he left the tram and made his way to the bus stop. A few turns and he could already see the bus stop. Except for one man no one was waiting. The man was closely looking at the electronic departure board, probably some kind of delay again. Luke slowly approached, already targeting the small bench next to the departure board. The guy looked a bit strange, dressed like he was from a different millennium. Luke stood next to the bench for a moment but then decided to sit down as far away as possible from the guy. All of a sudden the guy started talking, not in a drunken or rambly way, but in very clear British English:

“What is this? It is moving, it is changing”

Luke looked again, what was the guy talking about. The man touched the departure board as if there was something on it. What was this guy doing? Then the man turned around and asked:

“What’s this?”

Luke was perplexed. He stared at the guy as if he would see a ghost and forgot to answer. The guy continued:

“Can you hear me? Are you okay?”
Luke: “Ahem, yes… yes. What is what?”
The guy says: “It glows, it moves” while pointing at the departure board. Luke was still distracted, he noticed a scar on his chin. It felt so familiar. A few moments passed then it clicked.

Luke: “Ahem, sorry. That’s a departure board, it shows when the next bus will arrive”

The guy looked confused, but Luke somehow understood and in some way didn’t understand at all.

Luke: “Are you John Avery?”
John: “Yes, how do you know my name?”
Luke: “How is that possible? How did you get here?”
John: “I don’t know, where am I?”

Both looked at each other. Luke still couldn’t believe it.

Luke: “No no, I meant how did you get into now? I just read about your experiment. Now you are here”
John: “My experiment? I was working on Leyden jars and then a flash. Afterwards I found myself here.”

Luke was sure John didn’t understand what had happened, and that he himself probably wouldn’t either. He felt an urge to help him anyway.

Luke: “That’s what we call a display” pointing at the departure board, “it uses electricity to glow”
John: “Fascinating, who operates it?”
Luke had to laugh: “No one, it is completely automated.”

John stared at the screen trying to process what was said. But just in that moment the bus arrived.

Luke: “Do you want to join me? I’ve got Mac & Cheese at home” and after seeing the confusion in John’s face he added: “For dinner”
John: “Ahem… yes. I’m rather hungry.”

Both entered the bus, Luke bought a ticket while John asked: “What is Mac & Cheese?”, silently accepting that he just got onto a bus without really knowing what it was. They sat down and the bus took off.

John: “What… what is going on?”
Luke: “Ah sorry. We call it a bus. Our modern way of transportation, well kinda”

Luke noticed his phone vibrating in his pocket, but he didn’t care.

John: “How does it move? I don’t see any horses.”
Luke had to smile: “It has quite some horse power though” knowing very well that this won’t help John at all.
John was still confused: “There is no room for a horse”
Luke: “I’m sorry. The bus uses electricity to move. A lot of it”.
John: “But how, where…” but he got lost in the sentence.

John stared out the window for a bit and Luke tried pointing at all the things that felt special to him. Then Luke saw something and jumped out of his seat.

Luke: “We are getting off”
John: “We arrived?”
Luke: “No we are taking a detour”

Luke got out of his seat visibly excited and John followed, they went a few blocks and then Luke stopped.

Luke: “Wait…”
John: “For what?”
Luke: “Simply wait”

They heard a distant growl and Luke started jumping up and down on the spot. The growling grew louder. Then there it was. John stared at the sky unable to speak.

Luke: “See, see! We call it an airplane”

John didn’t say anything and simply followed the plane’s path.

Luke: “One plane can carry a few hundred people at a time”
John: “But how can that thing fly”
Luke: “The wings, going fast..” trying to hide that he doesn’t really understand the details himself.

For John this was enough, he didn’t say much on the remaining ride to Luke’s home. John started accepting almost everything that seemed magical to him. Lights turning on automatically, people on scooters zooming past them. At times he pinched himself to make sure that this was no dream. It wasn’t.

In Luke’s apartment they went into the kitchen and Luke opened the fridge to get the Mac & Cheese. John looked shocked:

John: “What is that thing? Why do you store your food in that thing?”
Luke: “Ah, that’s a fridge. It keeps everything cool so that it doesn’t spoil”
John: “I didn’t see any ice.”
Luke: “It cools without adding ice. Electricity”
John: “Can I?” pointing at the fridge.
Luke: “Sure”

John inspected the fridge but was rather unsatisfied with what he saw. Meanwhile Luke put the Mac & Cheese in the microwave oven which immediately started humming. John came over and watched it spin.

John: “And what is this?”
Luke: “A microwave oven, it heats the food”
John: “How?”
Luke: “Ahem.. with microwaves” knowing very well that this was a very unhelpful answer.

John didn’t dare to ask more and watched the knob slowly turning.

Bing!

John jumped up out of surprise.

Luke: “It’s ready”
John: “Oh, that was quick”

Luke prepared everything and they started eating.

John: “Do you usually eat without company?”
Luke: “Yeah. Most days.”

John nods, thinking.

John: “In my time, we usually ate with others.”

Luke looks up.

John: “Sometimes we talked. Sometimes we didn’t. But we didn’t eat alone if we could help it.”

Luke shrugs.
Luke: “Things are easier that way.”

After finishing their meal John continued asking questions. Then he sat back, hands folded, eyes unfocused.
Luke smiled.

“You should get some rest,” he said. “You can take the couch.”

—

The next morning Luke got up quite early, full of excitement, he thought about all the things John still didn’t know about.

He jumped out of his bed and went into his living room. John wasn’t there, no sign of him, nothing. Did he leave? Why? How could he find him, where could he have gone? Was it maybe simply a dream?

Rather disappointed Luke went into the kitchen and noticed the second plate still where John sat. He looked at the second chair for a moment longer than necessary and sat down.

After a while Luke said: “Maybe I could eat breakfast with Jay.”