by A. E. Albert
Just when he thought he couldn’t go any further, a vibrant blue door literally unfolded itself in front of him. Billy couldn’t stop himself, his momentum was too strong. All he had time to do was widen his eyes as an all too familiar plaid arm reached through the light and pulled him and Jeanie through the door.
Chapter 6
Billy felt weightless. He couldn’t see, smell, hear and or feel anything. However, he was very aware of his thoughts. All he could think of at that moment was he must be dead. Yep, I must be dead, he thought.
There was no sensation of up or down, or the common awareness of being anywhere. Even describing himself as being still was a completely inaccurate description. Somewhere in his mind, he knew that physical movement was a non reality in this place. It wasn’t just impossible, it didn’t exist.
Although Billy was somewhere that was utterly foreign to him, he didn’t feel any fear. He didn’t even feel trapped. How could he feel trapped when his previous physical restrictions didn’t exist? He instinctually knew that physical laws didn’t pertain to this place. In fact, he felt a freedom he had never felt before. Although he had never before realized it, he now knew that in his physical body, his mind was as confined to his skull as sardines to a can. Now that his conscience mind had unlimited free reign, he couldn’t imagine how he ever existed in such a restricted manner before.
As Billy began to truly appreciate this newly found freedom, he felt the overwhelming sensation of being pulled backward and inward, all at the same time. A second later, he was lying on the ground staring up at the night sky, his mind feeling tight and cramped. Billy sat up slowly. He was breathing heavily, his mind still between that place and this. As the seconds passed, these feelings receded, and he began to feel almost normal again. Billy shakily raised himself from the ground. As his mind returned to what happened on Pine St., he heard that all too familiar voice come out of the darkness.
“Don’t worry, my dears, the feeling will pass,” the old man said far too jovially, as he dusted sand off his trousers. “If you’re worried that you’ll miss the feeling of that place, your limited mind will forget about it soon enough.” The old man laughed and gazed up into the dark sky. “Ahh, I remember my first trip in the Sphere. I almost cried when I realized it was over, and I was once again crammed into this finite body.” He shook his head and sounded wistful as he bent down to help Jeanie up off the sandy ground.
“Now before anything else, we must get under cover. Follow me, please.” The old man was already walking from the beach, toward the brush at its edge.
“Ok, what just happened? I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell us where we are and what, what was that place?” sputtered Billy, bent over, looking like he was trying not to throw up.
The old man stopped and turned around slowly. His eyes grew serious and gone was his usual smile. “All you need to know right now is that the world you know is gone. If we’re found, we’ll most likely be killed. Believe me, the people of this time are very creative with such matters.” He made this last statement as he was already again walking towards the dense vegetation.
Billy grabbed Jeanie, who seemed to be still in shock from their recent voyage and ran towards to the old man.
Billy had never been so scared in his whole life. In the span of what seemed to be a few seconds, gone was his street, his house and everything that he knew to be sane and safe. He was standing on a beach in a place he knew he had never been to and was very far from home. Instinctively, Billy was sure he was far from anything that was secure and normal, and what did that old man mean by ‘this time’?
Suddenly, Billy experienced an overwhelming feeling of rage. He was done with everybody else having control over his life. Everybody saying, ‘this is for your own good’ and never telling him anything, much less ask him for his opinion.
As he approached the old man, all Billy could think of was getting answers. “Tell us where we are now and who you are!” Billy demanded in strangled voice, his fists balled at his sides.
“My name,” the old man said very slowly, ‘is Dickens. It is my supreme pleasure to continue our long acquaintance, Mr. Townsend,” he smiled, as he nodded his head in Billy’s direction. The man looked at Jeanie and smiled, who was still speechless and by the looks of it, still green from their little journey. Billy had almost forgotten she was there.
“Jeanie! Jeanie are you OK?” Billy urgently asked as she slowly nodded her head.
Forcing his attention from Jeanie, he returned his gaze to Dickens. “Alright, old man, Dickens or whatever your name is. Where are we, how did we get here and what do you mean we’ve met before? I know you mean before the Quarter!” Billy yelled.
Dickens smiled his little smile as if he expected Billy’s outburst, but understood it as well. “Well, my boy, some things are not very important right now. What is important is not where we are,” he said in a low voice, as he inclined his head, “but when.” The old man just stood there and waited patiently for the children to process what he had just said.
Billy felt exhausted, physically and mentally. His mind raced to understand everything that had happened in the last few minutes. He had never been so scared, but right at that moment he just felt spent. He and Jeanie had just been attacked by who knows what and in the blink of an eye he travelled farther than he ever had in his life. Now this strange old man was trying to tell him something that his mind refused to grasp. To top it all off, he didn’t think he yelled so much in his whole life as he did in the past thirty minutes.
Billy bent over, put his hands on his knees and took in a deep breath. He looked up at Dickens with weary eyes and slowly closed them, as he said in a tired voice, “What is going on?”
Dickens reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small rectangular device. Suddenly, it popped open and revealed a circular red button in the centre of it. “This… can produce a Time Sphere.”
Billy couldn’t reason how this insignificant little box could produce anything. He continued to stare at Dickens, hoping for more of an explanation.
“It is in my experience that whatever mankind can think of, or otherwise theorize...” Dickens again leaned forward, his eyes taking on that brilliant gleam, “they can materialize.” He then sat back, smiled and continued. “For generations’ mankind has imagined time travel, men like H.G Wells. Then, men like Albert Einstein began to formulate it into mathematical theory. Eventually, it became a reality. Mind you, not many people know of its existence, but the point is that it does, in fact, exist.”
For the first time, Jeanie spoke out. “You’re telling us that we’ve travelled to another time?” she asked, a look of amazement on her face. She looked to Billy, her worried gaze hoping that he would have another explanation for their predicament.
All Billy could do was return her stare. Finally, he looked at Dickens, who smiled an indulgent smile as he gazed at both children. “Not just another time, but another place. We’re currently in Greece, the 3rd century BC. Well, actually we’re in Italy, but in this time it’s a Greek colony on the southeast coast of Sicily. We’re in the ancient and great city of Syracuse.”
“Are you serious? I am going to be in so much trouble and Jeanie…. Jeanie! Wait until her parents find out that she’s with me half way across the world!” Billy’s worried overture was cut off by Dickens’ quiet laughter.
Billy felt his new found anger rise up inside. “You can stop laughing now! We’re in this mess because of you. Listen, Dickens, you need to take us back now!”
Dickens was no longer laughing as he stared at Billy. “Take you back? Do you not recollect that someone is trying to kill you? No? I assure you we’re safer here than in your time. Besides, when we return, it will be as if you both had never even left. Consider this children, how can the adults be upset when they have not even been born yet?” This earned a startled looked from both kids. “None the less, you have adequate adult supervision with me around, wouldn’t you say.”
&n
bsp; Dickens lowered himself onto a large rock and leaned upon his wooden cane. He took a deep breath and gazed up at the two young people before him. “You’re right, you deserve an explanation. Please sit and at its end, I think, you will understand everything.”
“In the 23rd century, a man by the name of Preston Thorn was studying time streams. Now, he studied the works of men like Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking of the 20th and 21st centuries. Then there was Vladimir Gorchakov and Peter Wolfscrank, who were later mathematical visionaries and many more who believed that travelling from one time stream to the other was possible.” Billy turned to look at Jeanie, but her attention was fully on Dickens.
“Let me explain further. Time on our plane of existence is linear, a beginning and an end. It is defined by events and the awareness of time passing. However, our timeline is in fact bisected by other tangents in the time stream. They form a grid like system stretching out, but are compiled of infinite planes which are inter-dimensional.” Dickens became aware of the children’s perplexed faces. “Are you both following?” Both children just continued to stare at him and numbly nodded their heads.
“The Device creates a Time Sphere. It can manipulate the space time continuum, creating a magnetic field which curves space and time. They are interconnected because time cannot exist without matter and space. This occurs because the Device holds Xycolite, a substance found deep in the galaxy. Preston Thorn discovered that when its molecular structure was altered, this matter would become so dense; it possessed the mass equal to a thousand suns. As Albert Einstein predicted, gravity and mass does indeed affect the shape of space and flow of time.
“When the device is activated, the Xycolite begins to spin while suspended within an energy field strong enough to bear its weight. As it accelerates, its mass and density create a gravitational field which curves space and time. The hyper acceleration of the super mass not only curves space but can actually bend it until the time streams meet. They interconnect, creating a temporal sphere. Whoever is holding the Device is standing in the Sphere and is no longer on any dimensional plane, but in essence…within eternity.”
“Albert Einstein theorized that the past, present and future exists simultaneously. When the time streams are interconnected, this is literally the truth within the Sphere. Within it time does not pass, it just is. There are no longer linear time lines, but ongoing and infinite time loops. However, the traveler’s molecular structure destabilizes and flows freely within the Sphere. Only the conscience mind remains intact.”
Both Billy and Jeanie continued their silence as they gazed up at the old man sitting on the rock. “This is why you both experienced no empirical senses while suspended within the Sphere, meaning you couldn’t feel anything. Physical laws don’t exist, only the laws of space and time.” Dickens stopped speaking and waited for any indication of understanding from Billy or Jeanie.
He quickly smiled when Jeanie, who had been quiet up to this point, piped up with a question. “But,” she asked as she shook her head, “then how did we get to Italy from New Orleans?”
“It’s very interesting, actually. The Sphere not only connects the streams, but also every point and place in the universe. This was an unexpected outcome, however,” added Dickens, slightly frowning.
Jeanie opened her mouth to ask another question, when Billy impatiently interrupted. “This is all very interesting, Dickens, but what does this have to with us?” he asked, gesturing to him and Jeanie.
“Well, Billy, it doesn’t. Just you.” Dickens turned to Jeanie. “I apologize, my dear, for the part you must now play in our little adventure. Then again, I have never believed in coincidences,” he said, as he gave her a quick wink.
Billy’s head began to spin. Time machines, ancient Greece and to top it all off, people trying to blow him up! He was a nobody kid who got dumped on a new family every six months! What does this guy mean this is all about him!
As Billy turned to yell these accusations at Dickens, Dickens’ gaze fell upon him. The old man’s eyes were warm; the color of the ocean on a brilliant and balmy morning and his voice was rough with emotion. “I held you when you were born, boy.”
After a moment, Dickens cleared his throat and continued. “You were born in the 23rd century and hidden within the Time Sphere in the 21st century to be precise. It was felt that it was far back enough in time to keep you safe, but also had a sufficient social structure to take care of you.”
“Are you talking about group homes?” Billy asked with disgust in his voice.
At hearing this remark, Dickens laughed. “Do you know what it was like for children in your position before child welfare? Orphanages! If the steward was not kind-hearted they could inflict cruelties upon their wards. Or perhaps running the streets and stealing your food. Sleeping in dark alleyways and risking severe punishment if caught.” Dickens let out a quiet laugh. “No, my boy, I think you were put in the right place and the right time.”
Billy began to feel angry! His fists tightened and he demanded in a strangled voice, “Why did my father have to give me up anyway? Are you saying that I lived all of these years, in how many different homes, when I had parents the whole time?”
Billy didn’t care that Jeanie could hear every word he said. It was as if everything that he had ever felt, but could never say was ready to burst out of him. What was this man saying! That everything he went through was because his parents didn’t want him, so that they stuck him in a time machine to get rid of him!
As if Dickens could read Billy’s thoughts, he said with a sad voice, “Your parents loved you. This was done for your safety.”
“My safety! If they cared about me they wouldn’t have put me where I would be punched out every day for being what I am!” Billy retorted, his voice booming.
“And what is that, Mr. Townsend?” asked Dickens, his eyes hardened and narrowed.
“For being in this so called great system you all put me in, never being accepted; always thinking I’m something less!”
“For someone who is well fed, well educated and quite frankly, has the over confidence to yell at an old man, you appear to be in tip top health and overall good form.” Dickens’s eyes continued to narrow further as he looked upon the enraged young man before him. “I think you feel entirely too sorry for yourself, boy.”
Billy stared at Dickens in disbelief as Jeanie finally found her voice. “I don’t think you’re less than anyone, Billy.”
Billy turned to look at her. She looked him steadily in the eye, almost challenging him to disagree with her. Billy didn’t know what to say and quickly shifted his gaze to the ground.
After a few moments, he returned his attention to the man sitting on the rock. “Ok, tell me more.” Billy once again felt his anger drain away and the exhaustion set in.
“As I said, the Time Sphere connects all time streams and places within the universe. Preston Thorn inadvertently opened a way to a world we call Habitat 3-42. We don’t know what the beings call it; their tongue is beyond our linguistic understanding. Anyway, this world exists beyond anyplace mankind has travelled, thousands of light-years away from us.” Dickens gave a sad smile. “In fact, we never would have met them if not for the Time Sphere.” He sat there, seeming more the old man, as he silently lamented on the events he was about to tell them.
“In their realm a gas was discovered, which humans learned to convert into an energy source. We soon learned that this gas was a necessary part of the being's existence. Somehow, it interacted with the planets of their star system and was a necessary ingredient to their biospheres. Of course, we learned this when the beings attacked us, completely destroying the extraction center stationed on the outer rim of the star system.”
In the moonlight, Billy could see Dickens eye’s shine with sadness and regret. “It was so unexpected when the beings and their armada entered into Earth’s domain. We mistook their docility for weakness, and soon learned how wrong we were. We had no idea of their strength
, their military might or their travelling capabilities until it was too late. With typical human indulgence, we took what we wanted and arrogantly took no notice of any offensive or defensive capabilities they had. We didn’t even deign to name them; only referred to them as the beings from habitat 3-42.
“Most of Earth was unaware of the travelling capabilities discovered by Thorn. Earth was now at war, which did not leave much thought to this discovery but only to survival.”
Dickens looked down at the ground, wearily shaking his head. He took a deep breath and lifted his head to meet Billy with a steady gaze. “There was only one man who had a Device which gave him access to a Time Sphere. I took charge of his precious cargo, and placed his son in the safest place in history. This man was Preston Thorn, your father.”
Billy was dumbfounded. His father was responsible for the destruction of the Earth and mankind! His breath became short and labored. “Why didn’t he use the Device to go back in time and change it? Like discovering the Time Sphere or discovering those beings?” Billy demanded.
Dickens smiled a sad smile. “Billy, how could he go back so he would not create the Device? Then it would not exist in the future, so he would never be able to go back to change it. The discovery of the beings could not be prevented; it would cause a time paradox. No human can meet themselves when the streams converge, it would shatter the fragile balance of the space time continuum.”
“Then why didn’t you go back and try to change things?” Billy’s voice was beginning to rise.
“What could I have done? Besides, your father thought he was doing the right thing when he genetically encoded the system. Which meant that only he had access to the door, preventing others with poor intentions from using it. Dickens took a deep breath. “But alas, now only he can destroy it. The only thing that mattered was getting you to safety.” Dickens stopped speaking and rubbed his forehead. “But it seems you have been found.”