Time-Travel Duo

by James Paddock

  “Or we don’t send her.”

  Thomas nodded. “Or that.”

  They raced along the river, one behind the other until Annie yelled, “Any time, Patrick!” Patrick stopped, looked and then entered the trees, quickly finding an open area to set the cage down. Annie found a nearby log, burned on one end, clean on the other. She settled her butt onto the clean end. Patrick joined her. They said nothing, taking a good minute to catch their breaths. “Did you press the button?”

  “No. I figured you wanted the honors.”

  “Okay.” She performed the task and sat back down. When the hamsters once again disappeared they jogged slowly back to the camp, not wanting to be late for the sendoff at 1:00.

  “They departed as expected,” Annie said as she and Patrick entered the lab.

  “And they reappeared as expected,” Bradshaw said. “We are now two minutes from the initial send-back.”

  Annie looked at the hamsters, wide-eyed but otherwise relaxed in the chamber. “We already know it works, so it’s a bit anticlimactic.”

  “Got to complete all the motions or it doesn’t work at all,” Robert pointed out.

  “It’s all about chickens.”

  Robert, Bradshaw and Annie turned to look at Patrick, question marks plastered on their faces.

  “You know. The chicken and egg. Which came first? A prior occurrence that’s dependent upon a future occurrence. The prior occurrence is the chicken so that the egg can be laid, so that the egg could be hatched to create the chicken.”

  Annie shook her head. “No Patrick. Not the same. You’re talking about a chicken that produces its own egg. That’d be like me giving birth to myself.”

  “Spare me from having to form that picture,” Charles said over the intercom. “What the devil is he talking about?”

  “Something that happens now is dependent on something that happens later,” Annie explained, “such as us running the hamsters out into the woods because of something that happens fifteen minutes later. If the 1:00 event didn’t take place we wouldn’t have had reason to make the run fifteen minutes earlier.”

  Patrick raised his hand. “If the chicken didn’t lay the egg it wouldn’t be there to not lay the egg.”

  “Still a bad analogy, Patrick. What I was trying to say with the anticlimactic comment is that it is like watching a movie in which you already know the ending.”

  “Yes,” Robert said. “We already know what is going to happen at 1:00, but do we really know what is going to happen at 1:05?”

  “We know they are grabbed,” Bradshaw. “We have two witnesses.”

  “But do they arrive?”

  “That, at least, we don’t know. One minute; engage SMMUDWAGEN.”

  There were no more chairs so, as before, Patrick settled on the floor against the wall. Annie leaned over her grandfather’s shoulder and watched what he was doing.

  “SMMUDWAGEN engaged,” he said.

  “Thirty seconds,” Bradshaw said. “Goggles.”

  “What is SMMUDWAGEN?” Annie asked as she pulled the goggles down.

  “Synchro-Magneto-Multi-Dimension-Warp-Generator,” Bradshaw said. “Fifteen seconds. Your grandfather’s invention. It adds considerable stability to the wormhole. Five seconds.”

  “Initiating sequence,” said her grandfather.

  The second the light and whine ceased, Robert touched an icon with his tablet pen and said, “Seeker active.” A grid filled his screen. He drew a circle in the air above the display. “This is a 4-dimension representation of the event, space in 3-dimension plus time. The green dot there,” he pointed with the pen, “represents the location in time and space where the subject was dropped.”

  “The circle fifteen minutes ago,” Annie said.

  “Exactly, except that that 2-dimension circle on the ground out there is actually the base of a 3-dimension sphere. Notice that the dot is bright green. After you traveled back twelve hours this morning it was that color only until you stepped out of the sphere whereupon it turned a dark green.”

  “So your system is able to watch that circle, or sphere, for delta mass.”

  “Precisely. Also, because we know the mass of the subject sent we can tell it to watch for something only of that mass, or within a specified range.”

  “In other words a dog couldn’t walk into the sphere and become a new subject.”

  “True, but not foolproof. If the hamsters were removed and then a rabbit of the same mass entered, we’d have no way of knowing the difference.”

  “Thus another good reason for the seeker,” Annie said.

  Robert placed two index fingers on the screen and dragged them away from each other. The illusion became that of flying in closer to the green dot. “By now you and Patrick are on the run with the hamsters.” He pointed to the dot. “Notice that it is still bright green. If you look closer you’ll see a small, red spot on the green. That’s the seeker that keeps us locked, not on the sphere in the circle outside, but on the sphere surrounding the hamsters, now on the move. Also notice the broken yellow line around the dot. That tells us there is a mass mismatch.”

  “That’s because Patrick has entered the sphere,” Annie said.

  “You’ve got it.”

  “So you’re able to track the sphere in motion at whatever speed we were running. What if we had jumped into Patrick’s truck and took off down the highway at sixty miles-per-hour, or had gotten on an airplane at 500 miles-per-hour?”

  “We could follow, but until motion had ceased we couldn’t activate an event. The sphere needs to be stable in all ways in the three dimensions, mass and motion. As long as we are using the seeker the fourth dimension, time, runs parallel with our own. Without the seeker we have the liberty of jumping across time at will.”

  “In other words,” Annie said, “you could send the hamsters back to a particular time, wait a week and then pick them up five minutes later.”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s not how it worked with my mother.”

  “True. With her time tracked one-to-one. We’ve made a number of improvements this time thanks to computer advancements.”

  “And you can’t even file a patent,” Patrick said.

  “You’re quite right Mr. O’Reilly.”

  “Wouldn’t that raise some eyebrows in the patent office?” Charles said.

  “Anytime, guys,” Bradshaw said.

  The broken yellow line on Robert’s display turned solid. “We’ve got a stable lock. That means you have set the cage down somewhere. Now we’re waiting for the signal.”

  They stared at Robert’s screen for what seemed like an eternity, until Annie said, “What is suppose to happen?”

  “The signal will show up here as a blinking dot and an audible signal.” Suddenly there came the sound of a door bell; the yellow circle grew in size and started blinking. “Like that. Let’s bring them home.”

  Chapter 57

  June 15, 2007

  At 3:15 Patrick pulled his truck onto North Fork Road and headed south toward Grizzly Ranch. Annie stared out at nothing, her mind wrapped around the events of the previous seven hours. The last two were, in part, spent inspecting the hamsters and watching them. They displayed no ill effects, but then how does one tell if a hamster is brain damaged?

  The rest of the time they all sat around consuming ham sandwiches while hashing over why trying to prevent 9/11 would not work. The probability of full success was unquestionably low, the risk very high, and the possibility of creating an even bigger mess even higher. No one could disagree with that.

  The previous disagreement with her making an excursion to Camp Lejeune in January, however, seemed to be waning. That was a bit ironic because as they started coming around she began having her own doubts. Her doubts weren’t in the system; she was well satisfied that it could be done and that Grandfather’s seeker would work. Her doubt was in herself. Could she touch Tony, hold him, tell him she loved him, make love to him, all the time knowing that
she would have to say goodbye; knowing that she would be sending him on to his death?

  And if she could, would it make her crazier than she already was?

  Patrick slowed and turned onto Grizzly Road. The contrast from blacktop to dirt stirred Annie from her thoughts. As he made the final turn into Grizzly Ranch she said, “As I told Grandfather, I need to be alone for awhile, think about things.”

  “Sure. I’ll just drop you. I’ve got to go by Wal-Mart and look at the work schedule and talk to my supervisor before she goes home. I need to make amends for putting her on the spot today.”

  “You might have to put on your, ‘I’m still a little sick’ look.”

  “Yeah.”

  As they approached the pond a couple of ducks jumped into flight and then landed back in the water on the other side. All else was quiet.

  Patrick said, “When you go . . . back, I’d like to be there.”

  Annie watched the ducks for a few seconds and then said, “No. I’d rather you weren’t. I need to do it alone.”

  “You won’t be alone anyway. They’ll all be there.”

  “And if I could do it without them, I would. Unfortunately, they are all necessary. You aren’t.”

  Silence prevailed until Patrick stopped his truck in front of her cabin. “See you later,” he said.

  She heard the sudden chill in his voice and realized what she’d said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that I don’t want you around; it’s just that . . . this is very personal . . . I . . .” She didn’t know what else to say. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” He looked at her for a bit. “I’ve got to get going.”

  “Sorry,” she said and got out, pulling her backpack with her. She closed the door and without another word he pulled away. For a time she looked after him, hoping his mood change had to do with worrying about his job, and not about her saying he wasn’t necessary.

  She turned her attention to a car with Montana plates parked next to hers. She walked between them and climbed her porch steps whereupon she noticed that her door was open. Due to the brightness of the day she could not see through the screen into the darker interior. Just as she reached for the door handle, a shape loomed up from inside and a face appeared.

  “Daddy!”

  Chapter 58

  June 15, 2007

  “What are you doing here?” Annie actually caught herself wanting to look around, guiltily, as though expecting her grandfather and buddies to suddenly show up, forcing her to babble explanations. She pushed that aside and then had to pull herself under control again before she started trying to explain where she had been all day.

  The screen door pushed open and her father stepped out. “That’s a heck of a greeting.” He hugged her. “I had some time so I decided to come early. I missed you.”

  Annie’s mouth went dry as she hugged him back. She sucked a bit of saliva and pushed it around with her tongue. “Wow. I missed you, too. This is a real surprise.” She tried to sound excited but she knew her words were coming out flat. All she could think about was how his presence was going to get in the way of what she was planning on doing. “How long have you been here?”

  “Landed at Glacier National about quarter of one. Got here about two.”

  “You’ve just been sitting and waiting?”

  “No. Went for a walk along the river.”

  Annie looked toward the river, which she could just see through the trees. “Which way?”

  “That way,” he pointed.

  “North? How far? Did you see anyone?”

  “What do you mean, how far? I just went for a relaxing walk along the river. Didn’t go very far because I’m not exactly dressed for it. What’s with the inquisition?”

  Annie opened her mouth, and then closed it. If she was sounding flat before, she was downright excited now. She forced her voice down to normal. “I’m sorry. You just surprised me. Have you eaten?”

  “No, I haven’t. And it doesn’t look like you’ve got all that much to pick from.”

  “If I’d known you were coming I’d have gone shopping.” And I’d have warned Grandfather.

  “On the way in I saw that the Night Owl is still here. Remember the ribs we got there during our vacation?”

  “That was the Back Room, Dad, not the Night Owl.”

  “They’re the same restaurant.”

  “Technically, yes. Same building. Same owners. Different restaurants. If you want ribs I don’t think the Back Room is open yet.”

  “You’ve been there already?”

  “I’ve been here nearly three weeks, Dad. Have to eat somewhere.” She pointed toward Grizzly Lodge. “They only serve breakfast.”

  “Night Owl or Back Room. I don’t really care. Better than airline food, which I didn’t eat any of, so I’m famished. Let’s go have an early dinner.”

  “Sure, Dad. That sounds great.”

  Annie poked at her piece of chicken, cut off a small bite and ate it. After ham sandwiches earlier, she wasn’t all that hungry, but she didn’t want to tell her father anything about what she had been doing all day, including what or where she had eaten.

  “Have you gotten in much hiking in Glacier Park?” he asked.

  “A little. Last time I nearly ran into a grizzly bear. Haven’t been back since.”

  Steven dropped his fork. “A grizzly bear?”

  “Yep. Sort of chased me down the trail.” She laughed when she saw his shocked look. “Not really, Dad.” She continued on to tell him the whole story, leaving off the part about collapsing on the side of the building and crying like a baby.

  “I was worried about this idea of yours to hike Glacier Park. Maybe the bear scared some sense into you.”

  “I think maybe he did, Dad.”

  “So tell me about this guy you met; Patrick. Was that him who dropped you off?”

  “Yeah. We were just out . . . exploring. He’s okay. Don’t worry, Dad. I’m not going into any kind of relationship right now. It is way too soon.”

  “Does he know that?”

  “Yes. He knows about Tony. We are good friends.”

  “Do you like him?”

  “As a friend, yes. Anything else, like I said, I’m not going there.”

  He held up his hands. “Okay. It’s my job as a father to worry about you.”

  “And to scare off the guys.”

  “I’m not trying to scare him off. Haven’t even met him yet. I expect I will, though.”

  “Meet him or scare him off?”

  “Meet him, of course. Scare him off, that remains to be seen.” He grinned at her. “You’re not looking as good as I expected you would. You’re picking at your food. Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine, Dad. Patrick and I had eaten not long before he dropped me off, so I wasn’t all that hungry.”

  “Ah.” Steven nodded his head. “Where at?”

  “What do you mean, where at?”

  “Where did you guys eat?”

  Annie opened her mouth, thought fast and said, “In Kalispell.” Her mind raced across various eating establishments. “At Wendy’s.”

  He looked at her for a bit. “You’re rubbing your earlobe.”

  Annie dropped her hand to the table, red-faced to have been caught by her oldest, regrettable habit, rubbing her earlobe when she lied. “So what?”

  “You’re an adult now, Annie. If you want to eat high calorie junk food, you don’t have to lie to me about it.”

  The tension released across Annie’s shoulders, relieved that she could slide out of this one that easy. She allowed a guilty smile. “Okay, I didn’t eat at Wendy’s. It may be high calorie, but there are nutrients in a Big Mac, both of which one actually needs when doing long hikes.” There. I took away the lie and allowed him his own assumption.He nodded. “I’ll give you that one. So, when did you get the telescope?”

  Relieved with the change of subject, Annie said, “Tuesday.”

  “You’ve probably got the ent
ire night sky memorized by now.”

  “Only the part I can see, Dad.”

  He laughed. “Since when did you start reading Steven King and Tolstoy?”

  “Did you poke through everything in my cabin?”

  “They were lying out in the open. Not a big deal. Just unusual for you who never reads fiction.”

  “I couldn’t get up the nerve to go back to Glacier Park and I was looking for something to occupy my time. Hence, the telescope and then the thick novels.”

  “I suppose you’ve digested them both already.”

  “Some of Tolstoy, which I found strange, but interesting. Haven’t cracked King yet. Doubt I will. He’s not my type. Make a good paper weight, though.”

  Steven laughed again. “I’d think you’d be more comfortable with Demtröder and his Molecular Physics.”

  “True, but I am on vacation.”

  There was silence for a time and then Steven said, “You haven’t heard from your grandfather, have you?”

  Annie had to react quickly to control her voice. “No, why?”

  “I tried calling him several times this week to let him know I was coming out here; left messages; even went by his house. Haven’t been able to find him.”

  “Don’t know, Dad. He doesn’t check in with me. Besides, my cell doesn’t work well around here. Maybe he took his own vacation.”

  “That’s what I’m assuming. I checked with his department secretary and she said he suddenly decided to take some time off but hadn’t provided any other details.”

  “Bet he went to Mexico.”

  “Mexico? Why do you say that?”

  “I was talking to him . . . some time back and he said something about wanting to visit friends in Puerto Vallarta.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. That’s what he said.” She nodded her head and took a couple of bites of her chicken. Did she touch her earlobe again? She didn’t think so. “Let’s go get you some decent clothes. By the time we’re done with that it’ll be time for the nightly marshmallow roast and storytelling.”