Temporal Gambit

by Larry A. Brown

5

  August 15, 2059

  “So, Martin, are you ready to do this?”

  Andrea’s question brought him out of his contemplation of how he had arrived at the present moment. He’d gone over the sequence of events in his mind several times over the last few days, appreciating how fortunate he was that they had selected him for this opportunity.

  The Chronos Project would allow historians to investigate firsthand some mysteries about the past which remained unanswered: Who was Jack the Ripper? What happened to the Ark of the Covenant? Was there a second gunshot from the grassy knoll in Dealey Plaza? Soon others would get a crack at solving these enigmas, but for now, Martin was the star of the show.

  During the last week, John Rey, Rosa, and David had double-checked the results from the first human test run and determined they were all set for another trip. Still uncertain about the scientific principles behind the process, Martin had asked them how they could pinpoint the precise location of the jump along with the correct date.

  Rosa’s response: “Once you master time travel, space travel is easy.”

  He took that as another way of saying, “You wouldn’t understand it, anyway. Stick to history.”

  Dr. Hewes had concluded his physical examination a few minutes ago and pronounced Martin fit for the journey. Dressed in his chamo-suit, Martin stood beside the pod that momentarily would transfer him, if all went as planned, to Manchester Township, New Jersey, 1937, the site of the Hindenburg disaster. He took a final survey of the room.

  He admired this team. They were smart and dedicated and had achieved the impossible. They hadn't done it alone. In total, about sixty experts from different fields had brought the Chronos Project to fruition, but the others had worked in isolated groups in several places around the country, unaware of the goal of their combined efforts. Only the six people in this room and their mysterious sponsor knew the true nature of the project.

  With a final wave to everyone, he settled into the watery solution in the pod and tried to relax. For some reason, Andrea had decided that she wanted the honor this time of closing the lid. “Pleasant dreams, Martin.”

  “I promise to stay awake, thinking of you.”

  “Nice try.” She sealed the pod shut.

  In the darkness, the sensation of floating began to make him feel drowsy.

  Once again, Martin found himself standing in the mysterious Corridor, its glowing rings extending out to infinity. But this time — something was different. Something was wrong.

  He was not alone.

  6

  August 16, 2059

  “Rise and shine, Martin. You’re back.”

  Slowly, he sat up in the pod and shook his head. The dense fog in his mind wouldn’t clear. Something had just happened — but what?

  “John Rey, what’s the status?” Andrea asked, always expecting immediate results.

  “Good so far. Sensors say the distortion wave has leveled out as predicted. I think we can mark this as another successful round trip through time.”

  “Martin, how do you feel? Any different this time?” S.P. reached out and took his pulse. “Frankly, you look a bit pale.”

  Eager for another exciting report, Rosa inquired, “What do you remember?”

  “Give him a minute,” John Rey cautioned her. “He’s still coming out of it. Besides, we have the log to review.”

  Rosa helped him out of the pod and gave him a towel to dry off. He glanced around the room at the team, who all seemed familiar — but different as well. Something about their clothing, their hairstyles, what? A glint in the light caught his eye.

  “Andrea, you’re wearing a ring. When did that happen?”

  “Martin, he proposed six months ago. What’s the matter with you? Are you all right?”

  “I’m not sure. Something feels … off.”

  S.P. intervened on his patient’s behalf. “I recommend we let him rest a while. His pulse does read a bit high. Perhaps we can delay the log download until tomorrow.”

  “But I want to know what happened to the Hindenburg,” Rosa whined.

  “It blew up. End of story.” David summed it up nicely.

  “I mean, I want Martin’s perspective on it. What was it like being right there? I’m sorry, but I’m impatient.”

  David responded, “What’s the rush? With what we’ve got here in this room, we truly have all the time in the world.”

  “I agree,” Andrea said. “Let’s give Martin a day to rest and recover. Seeing this disaster in person has apparently shaken him up.”

  “Oh, the humanity!”

  “David, that’s very insensitive, even for you. Just for that, you see that he gets home. We’ll convene here tomorrow morning to review the log.”

  Grateful for the reprieve, Martin allowed David to help him to the company car (was it green before?) where he climbed into the passenger seat. Surprised, he watched as David slid behind the wheel on the driver’s side.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m taking you home. You think these things drive themselves?”

  Too exhausted to argue, he leaned back in the seat and instantly fell asleep. A few minutes later, his nap was cut short by the sound of a car racing by, spewing a trail of smoke.

  “Hey, buddy, get a tune-up! The garage is that way, idiot,” David yelled, pointing the other driver in the appropriate direction with a helpful gesture.

  Martin didn’t remember when he had last seen a gas-powered car, but then they passed another one in the opposite lane, not fuming but, obviously by its sound, with an internal combustion engine.

  Soon, David pulled up to Martin’s apartment complex. The location was not the best with the towers of the Roswell nuclear reactor looming in the distance, but the rent was reasonable. Martin thanked David for the lift and wearily stumbled to his door, where Sadie eagerly awaited him.

  “Hey, girl. Yes, I’ve missed you too. Did Mrs. Starnes feed you and let you out while I was gone?” Sadie barked. The place seemed clean, so he assumed she had. “I’m really tired, but I suppose you want to take a walk. Maybe a short one around the block. Where’s your leash?”

  Sadie sat and looked at him, wagging her tail. “Go on, girl, you know where it is. Get your leash.” Sadie cocked her head to one side and whined, a bit confused at her master’s request. “OK, this is crazy. An engagement ring, gas-powered cars, and now this? Will someone tell me what’s going on?”

  The time jump; that must be it. Something happened, something very bad.

  He struggled to recall what had occurred, but nothing came to him except an ominous sense that this was just the beginning. But of what? He would have to wait until tomorrow’s review of his log. A long, sleepless night lay ahead of him.

  7

  Chronos Project

  Personal Mission Log: Dr. Martin Chamberlain

  Departure date: August 15, 2059

  Target destination: Manchester Township, New Jersey

  Target date: May 6, 1937

  This is Martin Chamberlain reporting on my second trip through time. I have materialized in the spacetime Corridor again — and realize I’m not alone. Someone or something is standing about twenty feet away from me.

  The creature has a large head, vaguely reptilian in shape, with a protruding jaw filled with razor-sharp teeth. Two curved horns sprout from above its solid black eyes. Its skin is a greenish gray and rough, perhaps scaly if I could get a closer look. Surrounding its neck like a lion’s mane are pointed, leafy projections seemingly made of bone and blood-red in color.

  Beneath this gruesome head, its body resembles a barbell, a cylindrical waist with muscular bulges above and below. From each of these bulges, three appendages radiate at equal distance, thus surrounding the creature with three arms and three legs. On its back an undulating sac expands and contracts. This might be a heart or lungs, but given the unearthly nature of the alien, I can only guess what its function is.

  Yes
, I can’t deny it. As incredible as it sounds, that’s what this is: a genuine, out of this world, I-can’t-believe-I’m-seeing-this ALIEN. An interstellar being from another planet or galaxy or far-distant future. Anything is possible.

  The alien is turning. He sees me, but he’s not approaching. He’s moving his head up and down as if nodding at me. Should I respond? Now he’s gesturing with something in one of his hands. A metallic device — perhaps a weapon?

  Wait a minute. Behind the alien, the rings of light are vanishing like they did before. Down the Corridor, the darkness rushes toward us in total silence. Will it transport us together into the past? What if …?

  The alien has vanished, but I’m still here in the Corridor, which once again extends to infinity. The transference worked for him. Why not me?

  “Hello, Martin.”

  I turn and notice another figure in the Corridor behind me. This one looks human, an older man with gray hair and a pleasant, non-threatening smile. He reminds me of my grandfather, gone now for many years.

  “Yes, I’ve taken on a shape familiar to you, hoping you will accept my presence more readily. In reality, this form you see is only a mental projection. That’s why you can understand what I say.”

  “Who are you?”

  “A friend. Someone who wants to help. And right now, you need help.”

  I can’t argue with that. “What was that creature who was here before?”

  “You could not pronounce his name if you tried. Let’s refer to him as the Other.”

  “And you? Do you have a name?”

  “Our people do not have names. We all know who we are.”

  This is all too strange, even stranger than hearing a dead president speak. Am I losing my mind? “This Other. What can you tell me about him?”

  “First, I refer to the Other as ‘he,’ but in truth, neither his race nor mine has two sexes as humans do. The Other belongs to a species whose homeworld is far from your sun. They are one of a few galactic societies who have mastered the technique of temporal transit. The Others discovered the Corridor about the same time as my people did. A long time ago. Now your species has joined this illustrious community.”

  “Did you create the Corridor?”

  “Oh, no. Its origins are a mystery. Lost in time, as it were.”

  “This is unreal. Just when I was getting used to traveling into the past, I meet … you. And this alien. You said I need help. Am I in danger?”

  “The scope of the danger encompasses more than one person. Let me explain. My people respect Time. We admire the beauty of its flow and wish not to disturb the intricate designs it creates. Some races like the Others do not share our philosophy. With no regard for the purity of Time, they choose to tamper with the histories of other worlds. Now this one has chosen yours.”

  “Can you stop him?”

  “My people follow a strict code. We disapprove of what the Others are doing, but we cannot interfere with another race’s reality, even to preserve it. We must leave this task up to you.”

  “Why me?”

  “At this point in your history, you are your world’s only Traveler.”

  “What must I do? How can I stop him?”

  “Go back to your present world. You will notice some things have changed. Only you, however, will recognize these alterations since only you have stepped outside the stream of time during the shift. Your investigations should lead you to the critical juncture when the Other disrupted your timeline. You must return to that time in your history and repair the damage.”

  “You mean, interfere with time again. That’s the problem. I joined this project to research the past, not to change it.”

  “That’s very wise. But unfortunately, others do not share your respect for the way things are. They view time as a medium to manipulate.”

  “Like a potter molding clay.”

  “Precisely. I said I cannot help you directly, but when you return, you will find that I have made some modifications to the device you wear inside your head.”

  “My cyber-chip? What will it do?”

  “I leave that for you to discover. I must send you back now. Best wishes or Godspeed or good luck, I believe your people may say at the occasion of departure.”

  ///end log///

  8

  August 17, 2059

  “Wow.”

  “You said that last time, David.”

  “Yeah, but this time I really mean it. Just … wow.”

  The team stared at one another in astonishment, attempting to process what they had read on the screen. For Martin, the odd things he had observed since returning were beginning to make sense. Somehow this was no longer his reality.

  Finally, John Rey spoke up. “How about that? We actually did find an alien in Roswell.”

  “First time travel and first contact. I’m certain this qualifies you for a Guinness World Record,” Rosa added with a broad smile.

  “A historian making history.” S.P. was clearly impressed.

  Martin’s colleagues thought his story was strange but credible. Andrea, however, remained suspicious. “Are you sure you didn’t imagine all this? It sounds delusional.”

  “I don’t know what to believe,” Martin admitted. “Now that I’ve reviewed the log, the memories have come back crystal clear. It seemed real at the time, but …”

  “What should we call these aliens?” John Rey asked.

  “I say the first one with all the limbs should be Xenox. X-e-n-o-x.” David was the resident sci-fi and fantasy geek.

  “Why Xenox?”

  “It sounds cool.”

  S.P. remarked, “Actually, that’s rather appropriate since it’s based on the Greek root word we use for a foreigner or other, as in the term ‘xenophobia.’”

  “What about the second guy?”

  “I like to regard him as our ally,” Martin said, and the name stuck.

  David took control of the conversation. “All right, assuming that this Ally is on the level —”

  “That’s a questionable assumption, I point out.”

  “Oh, lighten up, Andrea. All my life I’ve known we were not alone in the universe. Martin’s report sounds perfectly logical to me. Why would he make this stuff up? Besides, he doesn’t have the imagination.”

  “I remind all of you that I must run this by our sponsor.”

  “You do that, Andrea. Meanwhile, we’ll be concentrating on saving the world.”

  “If I may,” S.P. interjected. “I’m not an expert in these matters, but if the Ally is correct that this Xenox will interfere with our history, or perhaps already has, then how would we recognize that? We are part of that history.”

  “S.P.’s right,” John Rey added. “Martin’s the only one who hasn’t been floating down the river of time with us, you might say.”

  “That’s what the Ally suggested. I’m supposed to identify changes in our society or in world history at large. It’s a formidable task.”

  “Have you noticed anything thus far?” Andrea asked.

  “I’d rather not get into that yet.” Martin thought about her ring, wondering who the lucky guy was. “Not until I have time to consider it. I’m having some trouble sorting out what I remember that was and what I’m seeing that is. Past and present are overlapping.”

  “Why don’t you start gathering information,” Rosa suggested. “Any clues that our world’s timeline may have changed. Write them down so you don’t forget. Then perhaps we can help investigate those things to find any correlations.”

  “Very well,” Andrea agreed. “Under the circumstances, we should postpone our next expedition into the past until we better understand what’s happening. Martin, you are free to explore the possibilities all you want. For the rest of you, I’ll need to hear what our sponsor decides about all this before authorizing any additional research by the team.”

  Andrea went to her office to submit her report. Dr. Hewes gathered up his medical equipment and put it away. David retur
ned to his computer, pretending to work on a program while actually playing a game. John Rey and Rosa withdrew to a corner and spoke to one another in their traditional Filipino language.

  <>

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  “Actually,” Martin interrupted, “I don’t recall any matrimonial plans for you two.”

  “What was that, Martin?” Rosa looked embarrassed. “I didn’t know you understood Tagalog.”

  “I … I don’t,” he admitted. “I guess I picked up a few phrases being around you guys.”

  Troubled by what just happened, he made a swift exit and headed home. He had much to contemplate.

  Later that afternoon, Martin consulted with his trusted advisor about the extraordinary situation he found himself in.

  “Sadie, old girl, I need to talk, and you need a walk.”

  Grabbing her leash, they left the apartment, then headed down the sidewalk. He noticed the cars driving by were noisier, and the air didn’t smell as clean and fresh as before. He entertained the idea that Xenox was in league with the oil industry but dismissed it as unlikely.

  “It’s strange, Sadie. Well, all of it’s strange, but right now I’m remembering that conversation I overheard with Rosa and John Rey. I’m sure they were speaking in Tagalog, which they often do together, but I swear I heard it in English.”

  Sadie barked. She seemed to enjoy these conversations.

  “The odd thing is that I saw their lips moving, but the words I heard didn’t match what I saw. It’s almost as if the voices were coming from inside my head.”

  <>

  “What?” Martin looked around for one of the ubiquitous floating billboards but saw nothing. He stopped. Sadie tugged on the leash, but her master was lost in thought. “There’s no one here. Am I losing it? Has something about these temporal jumps damaged my mind?”