It was pretty easy to locate the data hub, especially when you can just pass through anything. The problem was...I swiped my hand through the keyboard...I could pass through anything.

Now what do I do?

Just then the door opened and a technician entered. He must have just come from the cafeteria because he was chewing on a corn dog. He plopped into the seat; and with a wave of his mouse, banished the screensaver of a cat hanging from a tree. He logged onto the system. A desktop picture of a cat sleeping appeared.

"Go to the Samuel Journeyman file," I begged. He, of course, did not. He clicked on the Internet and began watching cat videos. I huffed. "Our tax dollars at work. I want the Samuel Journeyman file."

The technician paused for a moment. He logged on to the file directory. Did he actually hear me? He started typing into the search box. S-A-M. "Yes! That's it!" I shouted. U-E-L-J-O. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" N-N-Y. "No. No. No. That is not the file I am looking for."

I paced. "How am I supposed to do anything when I'm a ghost?" I let out a sigh of defeat. "Wait a minute." I stood taller. "The whole reason I'm in this mess is because I possessed one of Watermark's agents." I slowly turned to the technician. "Could I? Should I? I don't really have many options."

I stuck my hand through his chest. He didn't react in any way. I shrugged and took a step. Out of the nowhere, a rainbow tunnel appeared. I saw images as I fell. Most of them were of cat videos. Then I saw glimpses of him saying good-bye to his wife and children before work. It felt weird and creepy looking at him from the back of the head. Did he always have that bald spot?

I saw him at his son's baseball game. Then he was at his daughter's dance recital. He and his wife ate at some fancy restaurant for their anniversary. I always saw the back of his head or not at all.

He seemed to be a good husband; he knew his family's schedule and planned, as much as he could, around them.

Finally, the sixties light show ended. A computer screen replaced the tunnel. Did it work? My hands looked the same. I ran my fingers through my hair; it felt the same. The only difference was that I wore the technician's clothes. I also knew that his name was Dan.

I read the screen. I could see a slight reflection of the technician. "Samuel Jonnyman. Known as the Cat-Man of Colorado. Before abducting members of the family he stalked, he left cats." I sat back in the chair. "What is it with the cats?" I stared at the keyboard. "Here goes nothing."

I pushed the "A" key. An "A" appeared in the search box. I jumped into the air, pumping my fist. "Yes! It worked!" Realizing what I'd done, I checked the area. No one was around. "Whew. Glad no one saw that."

***

John Watermark sighed and flipped off the security feed from the data hub. "Ace, Ace, Ace. What am I to do with you?" He stood and left.

"What was that all about?" asked one of the security guards. The other shrugged.

***

I searched for "Samuel Journeyman" and got a big, flashing, red box. "Restricted access. Enter password."

"Drat. Wait a minute." I knew the password. How do I know the password? I guess because I'm Dan. I typed "ShowCat." Really Dan? Really?

The file popped up with a ding.

"Samuel Journeyman, recruited by...John Watermark? What? How old is that guy?" I continued. "Missing In Action. Last known whereabouts: Neo-Geo Mountain. Claimed to have uncovered a secret that could change the universe and perhaps destroy it!"

I found a video link and clicked on it. A video of my father appeared. They zoomed in on his face. I didn't mean to but I touched the screen. For a moment I felt like he might have been able to feel it, or something. He looked a lot like me, just older and with a bit of gray.

Dad acted calm but his voice sounded frustrated, scared, and angry. "I'm telling you, the universe is not what we think," he said. "What's buried at Neo-Geo is dangerous. It's not something to be studied. It's not a weapon. It just brings disaster. It is the secret to Atlantis; the secret to the Bermuda Triangle; the secret to Roanoke. It's the secret to the Astral Plane, even dreams. Those people fooled around with it and are gone. Just as the ones before them."

I heard a voice off-camera. It sounded a little like Watermark. "We'll be much more careful, Samuel. Science has come a long way."

Dad jerked forward but the MP Officers held him back. "That's what they thought too! They paid for their pride! I won't bring that here! I'll stop it, no matter the cost."

The camera zoomed out. Next, the MP Officers grabbed my father. "Take him to his room," said the off-camera voice. "Make sure the stasis field stays on."

The video ended with my father screaming and kicking even as the officers carried him away.

After a moment to collect myself, I noticed another link below the video. "Project Shatter?" I moved the cursor over the link; but before I could click, a sharp pain hit me. It felt like getting stabbed in the chest.

"Bet that hurt." I could hear Watermark, but I couldn't see him. It wasn't like he was speaking over a PA system; it was like he was standing right next to me. "And that was from me moving your body an inch. Now back away from the computer and return to your body before you get yourself into any more trouble."

I didn't move for a moment. Another sharp pain hit me behind the eyes.

"Clock's ticking," said John.