Second Time Around

by Nancy Moser

  Once again, Mac was amazed at her affinity for banter. Even during such an auspicious occasion, she drew shouts from the audience. It was impossible not to feel at ease in her presence. No wonder she was such a successful doctor.

  But if he didn’t step in, Cheryl would banter them into the next hour. “Are there any questions for Dr. Nickolby?”

  “Do you wish you were going again?”

  The shake of her head was vehement. “Been there, done that. I am very happy with my current state of affairs, thank you.”

  “You mention affairs. How is your love life?”

  She shook a finger at them. “I walked into that one, didn’t I?” She glanced at Mac but revealed nothing. “To bring you up to date, for those of you who’ve been covering such insignificant news as terrorism or the lack of world peace, you should know that I have recently taken a position at St. Agnes Hospital here in Kansas City and am enjoying my job immensely. There is currently no Mr. Wonderful in my life, so keep those cards, resumes, and expensive gifts coming.”

  “When are we going to read a book about your Time Lottery travels?” a reporter asked.

  Mac knew both Cheryl and Phoebe Thurgood—the other winner who’d returned—had been offered huge sums to share their stories. Neither had succumbed.

  Cheryl answered by putting her hands on her hips like an exasperated mother. “Oh, that would be smart, wouldn’t it? Letting you in on more of my life? I think not. I need to keep a few secrets to myself.”

  “That’s not fair!”

  “Chicken.”

  Cheryl waved their comments away, then took a step closer to the edge of the stage and waited for their silence. “Seriously, ladies and gentlemen, what I will tell you is that this phenomenon, this Time Lottery, is a scientific wonder bordering on miracle. It deserves the utmost support and respect of all. I ask you, I beg you, to do nothing to undermine the good it’s doing. Cherish this opportunity and this organization. Because if you don’t, you’ll have me to contend with.”

  “Promise?”

  She took a deep breath and looked at Mac. “With my threat properly in place, I now pass the ball back to Mr. MacMillan, who will take us one step closer to the all-important moment we’ve been waiting for.”

  She moved aside, offering him center stage. He began his spiel. “The Time Lottery is the culmination of twenty-two years of scientific research spurred by the ageless questions of what if? Before the inception of the Time Lottery, humankind traveled through life making mistakes, having regrets, leaving hopes unrealized. But then a miracle. The discovery of the Loop and a way to tap into an alternate reality—the Alternity.”

  It was a wonderful word…

  “You’ve all experienced it. Those memories and dreams that seem real enough to grasp and hold on to. Moments. Fleeting instants visited but then lost when the sights and sounds of the present push them away. In just a moment, three lucky people will be chosen to embark on a new adventure, to receive the gift of a second chance. Three explorers will travel back into their pasts, confronting a few of the what-if questions that plague us all, discovering the possibilities of chances not taken and choices ignored. They will visit what could have been, their minds fresh and unburdened by what has happened since that moment, each one free to explore a new choice.”

  Mac closed his eyes. “Think back. Remember that argument that cost you your job? Remember letting the love of your life slip away? You’ve often wondered what could have happened, haven’t you? How would your life have been different if, at one critical juncture, you would have said yes? Or no? Or said nothing. Now is your chance to find out.

  “Let me share with you in layman’s terms how this opportunity to travel to the past has come to be. First off, we must ask the question, what is reality? All I know of my world is what I experience from my own point of view, my own perceptions. We each interpret this moment, in this room, in a unique way. And within that part of the brain we’ve termed the ‘Loop,’ all the real and perceived moments of your life are interwoven into a unique perception of what was, what is, and what could be.

  “When you are asleep, your dreams are your reality. You know nothing of your waking life; you care nothing about your waking life. Likewise, when you concentrate on a memory, that seems to take on a reality, just for a moment. The science of time travel taps into this fascinating interweaving of dreams and memories.

  “Despite what you’ve been taught by science fiction movies, the past is an individual phenomenon, and there are as many timelines as there are people. A new timeline branches off every time you make a decision. Each of us spins off thousands of alternate streams of time every day. Quantum physics has taught us that those timelines have real existence.

  “What the technology behind the Time Lottery does is allow the traveler to hop over to one of those other time streams, into a timeline of his or her choice. The body stays here, acting like a kind of tether to the traveler while he’s off in the other reality. If he decides to stay in the new timeline—in his past—eventually his consciousness makes the switch permanently. The tether is severed and his body here dies. But in the other timeline, he has a real body and can live out a normal lifespan.

  “When we send a person back in time, we place their physical body into a carefully monitored, medically induced coma. Once we’ve done so, the mind—which went to sleep concentrating on the time and choice it wants to explore—will be free to choose the new timeline extracted from the Loop, that place where the memories of a lifetime are stored.”

  He glanced at Cheryl. She gave him a smile that spurred him on.

  “After a person has experienced his or her Alternity for seven days—a measure of seven days in the present, but an undetermined number of days in the past—TTC doctors will introduce a gentle electric burst to the Loop, and a strange phenomenon we call ‘Dual Consciousness’ will kick in. At this point, our time traveler will finally be able to see both lives— the past and the present. It’s like waking up from a dream and remembering it with total clarity, seeing both realities at the same time. At that point he or she will make a decision. Stay? Or come back? The choice will be up to each person.

  “Those who choose to stay in the past will continue on with life in their own Alternity. That will become their new reality. After they make their choice, the Dual Consciousness will quickly fade. And within a day, their body here in the present will die.”

  It was a frightening thought and he hurried on, not wanting the audience to wallow in it.

  “But please note, during the state of Dual Consciousness, the traveler can easily choose to leave the past behind and come back to this present time. The traveler merely has to focus his thoughts on something unique in this life in the future, and the power of the mind will draw him back here, into his own sleeping body. But unlike a person emerging from a normal coma, our Time Lottery winners will be able to remember what happened, and anything they’ve learned will come back with them.”

  He took a final breath, as eager to move on as the audience seemed to be.

  “One more thing before we draw names. You need to know that nothing the person does in the past will affect things in our present. If someone goes back and decides not to have children in her Alternity, her children in the here and now will not suddenly disappear. So don’t worry. Each Alternity is separate and distinct, a world within itself.”

  Mac surveyed the room. They were ready. “And so the time has come.” He looked to Cheryl and offered his arm. Together they walked toward the revolving globe. He loved having her there to share this moment that was so important to him. That had been so important to them.

  Once at the Sphere, he pushed a button and the globe stopped its roll, causing the paper snowstorm inside to wind down. A small door stopped at Cheryl’s eye level, the pieces of paper plastered to its side. He opened it only enough for h
er to extract three tickets. She held them protectively against her chest.

  “May I?” she asked.

  He extended a hand, giving his permission. They moved to the edge of the stage, where she began.

  Bangor

  More than anything in the world, David Stancowsky hated being late. It had taken all his self-control not to hang up on the electrician who’d called him at the office just as he was going out the door. Once he left, he drove way over the speed limit—which was not a good idea on the snow-packed roads of Maine in January. But he had to be on time. Ha. Time waits for no man…

  He’d made arrangements to watch the Time Lottery drawing with Ray Reynolds, the man who should have been his father-in-law. He thought it would be appropriate. If David won, he would be going back to save the life of Ray’s daughter. He and Ray had stayed close all these years but Millie’s mother Rhonda was another story. After Millie’s death, she’d suffered a distressing surge of independence, and had suddenly decided she wanted to be on her own. It made no sense. Ray had done everything for her and as thanks she divorced him? David had heard that she’d remarried, but it was a sore subject that he didn’t bring up in Ray’s presence.

  David listened to the Time Lottery coverage on the radio. As he parked at the Woodside Retirement Home, he listened to a man telling about the history of the Time Lottery, how it had come about due to twenty-two years of research. It wouldn’t be long before they’d have the drawing. He had to get into Ray’s room, turn on the set…

  With a quick wave, David hurried past the receptionist and raced down Corridor B to Ray’s room. The door was open and he knocked on the jamb. Ray was napping in his recliner. The TV was off. David was torn between politeness and expediency.

  He flipped on the set, then shook Ray to waking. “Ray?”

  David’s attention was drawn to the television. The same man he’d heard on the radio was talking. “After a person has experienced his or her Alternity for seven days—a measure of seven days in the present, but an undetermined number of days in the past—TTC doctors will introduce a gentle electric burst to the Loop, and a strange phenomenon we call ‘Dual Consciousness’ will kick in.”

  Good. They hadn’t got to the drawing yet.

  With a groan, Ray sat straighter in the chair. “Oh. David.” He noticed the TV. “Is it that time already?”

  David pulled up a chair. “Just.” He found his Time Lottery ticket in his pocket and held it front and center.

  The man on TV continued: “One more thing before we draw names. You need to know that nothing the person does in the past will affect things in our present. If someone goes back and decides not to have children in her Alternity, her children in the here and now will not suddenly disappear. So don’t worry. Each Alternity is separate and distinct, a world within itself.”

  Ray shook his head. “I still don’t understand how that works. How can something in the past not affect the future?”

  David did not want to discuss it now. It was hard not to shush the older man. Instead he put a hand on Ray’s knee. “They’re going to draw the names now.”

  Ray patted his hand. “Good luck, David.”

  “Thanks.”

  The man on TV led a stunning blond back to the revolving globe, which was twice their height. When the globe stopped its spin, David felt his heart stop, too. This was it. His one chance to find happiness in the arms of his true love. His Millie.

  A small door was at the woman’s eye level, the pieces of paper plastered to the globe’s interior. The man opened it only enough for her to extract three tickets. She held them protectively against her chest.

  “May I?” she asked.

  The man extended a hand, giving his permission. Together they moved to the edge of the stage.

  David forced himself to breathe.

  “Ouch!” Ray said.

  David realized he’d squeezed the old man’s hand too tightly. He released it and let his hand do damage to its mate against his chest.

  The blond smiled at the cameras and took a breath. “The first winner of the Time Lottery is… David Stancowsky, number 285937840.”

  David stared at the ticket. Had he heard—?

  Ray slapped him on the back. “That’s you, David! Will you look at that, you won!”

  David began to sob.

  Peachtree City, Georgia

  “Hand me the seam cutter,” Vanessa said from the ladder. “I think it’s on the floor next to the water tray.”

  Dudley complied and Vanessa trimmed the wallpaper at the ceiling, then climbed down and surveyed the dining room. “I hope I have enough paper. If only I hadn’t made that mistake above the door. I really would like to finish before Daddy comes to dinner Friday. He never has liked our old wallpaper so I’m hoping he likes—”

  Dudley stood directly in front of her and made a time-out T with his hands. “Break time.”

  Vanessa picked up a roll of paper. “I can’t. If we stop, it won’t get done and—”

  Dudley tossed his arms in the air. “You are a piece of work, Vanessa Caldwell. I’ve played along, taking an extra day off work because I thought you might need me to help you deal with your mother’s will and the letters. But I did not want to spend the time wallpapering a room that was perfectly fine simply because you feel some need to be an overachiever.”

  “The wallpaper was eight years old. It was time for a change.”

  He sighed, dismissing her lie for what it was. “Actually, I stayed home because of something else that’s happening today.” He checked his watch. “Happening now, in fact.”

  Vanessa found the tape measure under a pile of scraps. “Was the measurement for a full strip ninety-six or ninety-eight?”

  “Who cares?” Dudley drilled a finger on his watch. “The Time Lottery announcement is on. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that, didn’t remember—” He watched her a moment, then nodded. “Ah, you did know. You did remember. You’re chicken.”

  If the shoe fits...“I don’t see any reason to watch when the chances of me winning are worse than the chances of me being crowned Miss America.”

  He took the tape measure from her. “Suit yourself. I was just thinking of you.”

  As usual. Dudley was good at thinking about Vanessa, being the essence of polite, doing all the right things. Suddenly, she thought of something. “Are you happy, Dudley?”

  “What?”

  “Are you completely satisfied with your life? Our life?”

  He snapped the metal tape measure into its holder, pulled it out, and let it snap back again. “We have a good life. Sure, there are things I’d like to change, but—”

  “Did you buy a Time Lottery ticket?”

  He set the tape measure on the table and went into the family room.

  She hurried after him. “You did buy a ticket?”

  He used the remote to turn on the TV. “You had one. I figured I should, too.”

  Dudley never complained, always acted as if everything was fine. Funny how the word fine suddenly made her skin crawl. She took a seat at the other end of the couch. “What choice would you like to change in your past?”

  He shrugged.

  She angled toward him. “Don’t give me that. You must have thought about it or you wouldn’t have bought a ticket.”

  He pointed to the screen. “Shh. They’re announcing it right now.”

  A classy woman whom Vanessa recognized but couldn’t place moved to the edge of the stage. She held three tickets.

  Vanessa was just forming the thought, This is ridiculous, when the woman on TV began.

  “The first winner of the Time Lottery is… David Stancowsky, number 285937840.” There was applause.

  “One down…,” Dudley said.

  “Two to—”


  “The second winner of the Time Lottery is Vanessa Pruitt, number 583920589.”

  It was as if the applause on the TV was in the room with them. Vanessa looked at Dudley. His jaw was in a gawk mode. As was hers.

  “You won,” he said quietly.

  She nodded, then shook her head. This couldn’t be happening.

  But it was.

  She ran to the bathroom.

  Malibu

  Lane perched at the edge of the couch cushions as her agent droned on and on about negotiations for her dream part in her dream movie. She was only half listening. Her attention was on the television and on the Time Lottery ticket on the coffee table. The handsome emcee and that woman doctor-winner from last year walked toward the globe.

  It was time for the drawing.

  “They love you, Lane. They want you for this part and—”

  “Sol? Can I put you on hold just a minute?”

  “Hold? Well… I suppose.”

  “Thanks.” Click. She didn’t feel too bad. Sol had put her on hold dozens of times. Besides, it would be for just a few seconds until the winners were announced. When her name wasn’t called, she’d get back on the line and he would never know that for this brief moment she had let herself contemplate being somewhere else, living some other life than the one she lived. She was glad she’d refused Brandy’s offer to watch it together. She needed to do this alone.

  After picking three tickets, the doctor moved to the edge of the stage. Lane turned up the volume. “The first winner of the Time Lottery is… David Stancowsky, number 285937840.”

  As the cameras panned the audience as it applauded, Lane found herself praying, Please, please, please…

  The woman continued, “The second winner of the Time Lottery is Vanessa Pruitt, number 583920589.”

  Only one left. Lane almost shut the television off. The odds were astronomical before, but now, down to one person in the entire nation…

  Then an odd thing happened. As the blond who was last year’s winner looked at the final ticket, she got the oddest look on her face, as if the name before her was familiar. Yet it was more than that. As a master of created emotions, Lane read hers. The confidence the woman had shown up until now was gone. She was confused. And even afraid. What would make her afraid? Whose name would cause such a reaction?