or_0001 oren You arrive in the corner of a long bright hallway. There's a light green linoleum floor, speckled with white and black dots. It appears to be wet. White lozenge-shaped ceramic globes hang from the ceiling, running the length of the hall. One of them needs a new bulb. The smell of floor wax is strong. As soon as you begin moving, the sound kicks in (which never has made any sense, but there it is) and you're bombarded with squeaks, beeps, clanks, voices, and one continuous mixture of crying babies. The floor turns out to be dry; just a high buffed wax job. A tinny female voice suddenly echos throughout the hall: "Doctor Wilson. Doctor Wilson. Please call 351. Doctor Wilson call 351." You locate the source of the voice; a wooden speaker box attached high on the wall. A woman pushing a white metal cart emerges from a doorway. She's dressed in a white uniform. Her eyes meet yours and she smiles. "The viewing area is right down there" she says, gesturing with a nod. You thank her and walk to a large plate glass window. It's a maternity ward. There are rows and rows of tightly wrapped infants nestled in their antiseptic cradles. A large woman wheels one of them closer to the window and smiles at you. You bend down to read the name on the light blue card. At the top, in a small Old English font it reads, "Norton Hospital, Louisville, Ky." then under that, "It's a boy!" then, "Nicholas, Jon Oren Jr., July 11, 1960. 8½ lbs." There's a flash of orange light from behind you. It's time to leave. The nurse with the cart is coming back down the hall. You see the look of fear on her face as she takes in the orange glowing portal floating in midair. "Shhh" you say, then you wink at her and slip through the portal. 060507 ... oren Portal destination: or_0002 (St. Petersburg Methodist Church, Louisville, Ky. 1963) 060507 what's it to you? who go blather from