by Jones, D. F.
Dr. Callaway narrowed his eyes at the student and calmly said, “They would, wouldn’t they? Some scientists will negate theories which are unexplainable. However, many things on the planet and the universe are unexplainable. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity gave credence to the space-time continuum. And do you honestly think that Albert Einstein would work alongside Nikola Tesla if he thought him delusional? Time Travel into the future is plausible. We prove it every day as time continues to march on. Are there any more questions?”
Another forty-five minutes of questions and answers took place before Phillip put his journal in his satchel and made for the podium to catch Dr. Callaway before he left the room. Phillip waited patiently in line for his turn.
Phillip went up to Dr. Callaway and said, “I believe time travel exists. Would you have lunch with me to discuss it further, if it’s convenient of course?” Dr. Callaway’s dog stood at his feet while a local newspaper photographer snapped several photos of Ruben with Phillip.
The dog growled and snapped at the photographer. Dr. Callaway said, “Do you think you have enough pictures or do you want Klock to eat the film?”
“Thanks, Dr. Callaway.” The photographer turned and fled the hall.
Ruben looked back at Phillip and reached out to shake his hand. “Please call me Ruben, and your name is?”
“I’m Phillip Clayborn. It’s an honor to meet you. I thought we’d go to Sissy’s Café. She has the best meat and three in the county. Although, I’m not sure they’ll allow your dog in the restaurant.”
Ruben chuckled and muttered, “Klock goes where I go.” He turned to Phillip and said, “And I hope you feel that way about me after lunch.”
Phillip had a million and one questions to ask Ruben regarding time travel as they walked across BFU’s campus which burst with spring. The tulip gardens were in full bloom with a variety of vibrant colors near the Washington Memorial Chapel. Birds sang happily in the towering evergreens.
Phillip and Ruben passed by elegant buildings that offered both charm and beauty, while students and professors chattered and walked to and from classes along the sidewalks.
Ruben glanced at Phillip and said, “So, Dr. Clayborn, you believe in time travel? Why?”
“My fiancée disappeared two years ago; she slipped and fell from Burkett Falls into the churning water. She just vanished.” Phillip explained the events before the disappearance and after. “Her remains were never found. There’s no other explanation I can fathom.”
Phillip continued talking about Julia’s disappearance as they approached Sissy’s Café which was adjacent to the campus right off Burkett Falls Boulevard. Phillip and Ruben ran across the street and went inside. The restaurant offered its patrons a buffet and a soda fountain shop. The service was quick, and the establishment prided itself on its great food.
The café had black-and-white checkered flooring with smooth high-back black vinyl upholstered booths and stainless steel tables. The soda fountain shop held forty or so revolving stools with black vinyl seats. A Wurlitzer Jukebox kept spinning the pop hits of the day. Cigarette smoke mingled with hamburger grease permeated the air. After going through the buffet line, Phillip noticed an empty booth and slipped into the seat. Ruben sat down in seat opposite of him.
Sissy stepped over and took one look at Klock and said, “If I get one complaint, you and the dog are out. Capiche?”
Ruben gave a sharp nod, and the dog ran under the table and lay next to the wall.
Phillip could barely contain himself, much less eat. Pushing his food around with his fork, he looked at Ruben. “Is it true? Does time travel really exist?”
Ruben ate heartily and gulped down his soda pop. In between bites, he said, “Yeah, time travel exists. I set up the symposium today to meet you.”
Phillip’s brows rose, and his eyes widened. “Me?”
Ruben wiped his mouth with a napkin and laid it on his plate. “I work for a secret organization tracking individuals who travel through natural time portals.” Phillip tried to interrupt, but Ruben raised his hand. “Please, give me a minute to finish. Natural time portals open and close every day all over the world. It’s my job to search out travelers to make sure the person doesn’t upset the apple cart so to speak.”
Phillip ran his hand through his hair and exhaled deeply. “Are you telling me that Julia traveled in one of those portals?”
Ruben extended his right arm on the back of the booth. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. Julia traveled nearly seventy years into the future Burkett Falls. She arrived intact, which is rare. The agency assigned me to her case, and I met her last night.”
Phillip placed his hands on the table and leaned in. “You what? You spoke with Julia last night? Holy mackerel.” He rubbed his face with his hands.
Ruben leaned toward him and whispered, “Phillip, control yourself. We don’t want to attract attention. I’m here to help you. Is there somewhere we can talk in private? Perhaps an office?”
Phillip slid out of the seat and said, “She’s alive. I knew she was alive. Come on, man. My house is just down the block.” He practically ran out the door, and Ruben and Klock followed behind him. He whipped around and asked, “Is Julia okay? Who found her? Did she mention me?”
Ruben placed his hand on Phillip’s shoulder. “It’s okay, friend. She’s fine physically. Phillip, there are some things I can’t disclose.”
Without warning, Ruben suddenly threw Phillip to the ground before sprinting into Knox Gymnasium behind Klock. It looked like he was chasing someone. Phillip raced after him to catch up. Ruben knocked what looked like a gun out of a tall redhead's hand before placing his fingers around her throat and slamming her against the lockers. “Why are you here, Charlie?” Breathing hard, Ruben glared at the woman.
Klock pawed at the woman’s leg and whined.
Charlie glared back at Ruben. “I’m trying to save your ass, you moron. Stop choking me so I can talk.”
Charlie struggled to get out of Ruben’s grasp, but he pressed his thigh against her, holding her firmly against the lockers. She turned to Phillip and said, “I’m sorry for your loss. But Julia’s never coming home again. Is she, Ruben?”
Ruben squeezed harder and said, “Phillip, pick up the gun and shoot her right between the eyes.”
Phillip bent over and reached for the weapon. His hand began to shake as he pointed it at Charlie. “I can’t do it. I can’t shoot her.”
Ruben shouted, “If you ever want to see Julia again, shoot her, now.”
Everything seemed to go in slow motion right as Phillip pulled the trigger which released a black round bullet. Charlie kicked Ruben in the balls as the bullet hit her between the eyes. Instead of splattering brains across the lockers, the black bullet spread ooze across Charlie’s face. She stood immobile and unblinking.
Ruben released Charlie and shouted, “Damn, woman,” and took a step back holding his nuts. “Let’s get her into the janitor’s closet; then we’ll go to your house. I don’t have much time.”
“What was that? Why is she frozen?”
“There are different varieties of Black Beauties. The weapon she had is designed to paralyze the victim for a short time. It scatters memories and thought patterns for about twenty-four hours, and Charlie will wake up pissed with one hell of a migraine.”
Luckily, classes hadn’t let out, and no one was in the hall. Phillip and Ruben picked up the beautiful redhead with steel blue eyes and propped her in the back corner of the janitor’s supply room. Ruben locked the door from the inside before they left the gym.
After a short walk from campus, Phillip opened the door to his pad. A simple two-bedroom brick house with one bathroom and a small backyard. Inside, he locked the door and strode into the kitchen.
Phillip opened the cabinet over the stove and pulled out a bottle of Tennessee whiskey. Grabbing a jelly glass, Phillip poured two fingers worth and killed it. Breathing hard, he turned to Ruben. “Do you want one?”
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“No. I don’t drink when I time travel.”
With a raised voice, Phillip shouted, “When you time travel? It’s like a damn Buck Rogers movie. You need to start talking before I lose my temper but good.”
Ruben didn’t seem overly concerned about his threat. He leaned against the kitchen counter, gripping the lip with Klock standing against Ruben’s leg. “Get your journal and sit down at the table. I have information to give you before I leave. You may ask questions that I can’t answer. All I can tell you is I’m trying to save Julia’s life.” Ruben crossed his arms over his chest.
Phillip went into the den and grabbed his satchel before stepping back into the kitchen. He pulled out his journal, pencils, and pen. “Please tell me what’s going on. I need to know. I love Julia, and the pain of missing her grows daily. If you can time travel, why can’t you bring her home to me?”
“Ding, ding, ding, Klock, we have a winner.” Ruben sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. He reached over for his briefcase and popped it open and pulled out a file.
He explained about ATTRA, and how the agency recruited him. “I’m giving you the plans for my craft, the Needle-Horn. No way could you even begin to build one from scratch. But I think it could be refitted to accommodate more than one person. I don’t have time to get into the specifics. You’ll have time later to study and work on formulas. Time travel is a dangerous business. It’s a miracle Julia arrived through the portal intact. There’s no way for her to go back in time without a craft. Natural time portals only propel one into the future, not into the past.”
“That’s bullshit.”
Ruben handed him the folder and said, “The information in these classified documents places you at risk. ATTRA, with the help of some advanced technologies not of this planet, created human-made portals for Trackers to travel back and forth in time machines. My craft is designed with my DNA only. One person, get it? The Needle-Horn has the capacity of traveling within a hundred-year window. The only way for Julia to go home is a spacecraft built by ATTRA. My time machine is her only chance. If you can figure out how to alter it.”
Phillip perused the first page and looked up at Ruben in dismay.
Ruben frowned and breathed in deeply and exhaled. “The human body isn’t designed for time travel. Our molecular structure changes during the process and most people arrive with limbs missing or worse. My craft, the Needle-Horn, is calibrated with my DNA. You need to figure out a way to transport more than one person in my ship. It’s impossible to bring Julia home otherwise. Look, I only play a physicist, I’m not one. I have learned a great deal since 1918 but not enough to refit the machine and make it safe.”
Pulling out a chair, Ruben sat down. “A select group of people moves through time and space without consequences. It makes Julia a commodity. She arrived whole in body and mind, and she’s on the list for ATTRA recruitment as a Tracker. The only way for her to time travel is to become a Tracker, but once you’re with the agency, you never leave unless it’s in a box.”
Phillip flipped through a few pages of the documents until he came across what he assumed was a time machine. “Is this the craft?”
“Yes, that’s my baby, the Needle-Horn. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to develop the technology, but it’s Julia’s only chance. I come from the year 2017. You have a grandson named Andy who has followed in your footsteps. You’re going to leave him dozens of journals regarding time travel. Just maybe between your work and Andy’s research, we have a chance. But we’re running out of time.”
Phillip shook from head to toe with emotion. “I have a grandson? How is that possible?” With downcast eyes, Phillip shook his head and took several intakes of breaths. “If Julia is in 2017 with my grandson, then she doesn’t come home.” He looked up at Ruben. “I will never see her again, just like Charlie said, right?”
With a sigh, Ruben said, “Time is elusive, Phillip. Never say never. We have a chance, so don’t give up, man. What happens to her now depends on you.”
With a look of determination, Phillip straightened his back and replied, “I’m ready to take any risks to bring Julia back to me.”
Ruben pushed away from the table. “Awesome. Take comfort that Julia has Andy, Sloane, and me in the future trying to help her home. Keep the journals secret and locked someplace safe. I’m going outside for a smoke while you work.”
Phillip opened his journal and began to transcribe and sketch the contents from Ruben’s folder. So many questions swirled in his mind about Julia and his grandson. He didn’t know if he could trust Ruben, but he was the only chance Phillip had to get Julia back.
* * *
Nursing a major hangover, Phillip sat behind the desk in his school office. Meeting Ruben and finding out Julia survived the time travel portal unraveled him. Julia lived in another time and place. She might as well live on a different planet. Ruben promised to keep Julia safe and help her to find a way home.
The door opened, and a young woman in her twenties walked into his office. He threw up his hand and said, “I’m not meeting with students today. You’ll need to book an appointment with the department secretary.”
The attractive redhead wore her hair pulled back in a ponytail which set off her deep blue eyes and high cheekbones. She smiled and said, “Don’t you remember me?”
Phillip frowned, and recognition lit his face. “Charlie? Are you here to finish the job?”
Charlie walked around the desk and leaned against the edge, clasping her hands in front of her. “You have me all wrong. I wasn’t trying to shoot you. I was aiming at Ruben.” Throwing her hands up, she said, “Did Ruben give you any information about ATTRA?”
“Yes, why?”
Charlie took a deep breath and said, “Without blowing your mind, I’ll only say Commander Adams wants something Julia has and is willing to kill for it. She sent me here to kill Ruben and bring Julia to her.”
Phillip jumped out of his chair. “Julia’s in danger?”
Charlie pressed her lips together. “You may want to sit down.”
Phillip ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “No. Tell me why you’re here.”
Charlie scratched the top of her head and said, “Very well. Ruben has already made you a player. Julia is pregnant with your son.”
Phillip fell back against the chair and slid down. “What?”
“See, I told you to sit down. I was given a direct order to kill Ruben and bring Julia to Monica, my commander. She’s seen the Plates of Prophecy which target Julia’s offspring developing a time machine that breaks the time barrier into the far distant past. That machine will give Monica, my commander, the ability to influence future events for Earth. Monica is already selling Spinners as slave labor to a General that lives in another galaxy. If Monica controls the new time machine, she has the potential of overthrowing our Sovereign, the Lord Supreme.”
Phillip’s mouth dropped open, and said, “For God’s sake stop talking.”
He opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a flask of whiskey. He poured the contents of the morning’s coffee into the trash and poured the liquor into the cup. He drank several gulps. “I’ve studied for years about science, the fabric of time and the endless possibilities that our scientists haven’t scratched the surface of yet. You’re telling me the love of my life is carrying my child, and my child will create the new version of the machine that Ruben gave me the blueprints to alter?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, Charlie said, “Well, that’s what I think. If Monica thought you were the one to develop the machine, she would’ve come for you. Instead, she thinks it’s the child. Monica’s alliance with General Agriaous is treason. She’s using his gold to build an army. That’s why I was trying to find Ruben, and then you shot me.”
Phillip’s eyes bugged, and he mumbled, “Sorry, I didn’t want to shoot you.”
“Whatever.” Charlie began to pace back and forth across the room. “Look, the past can’t change
but the future can. I hacked into Monica’s personal system in her office this morning, and a person died from my breach. I must stop Monica, and I can’t do it by myself. She killed an innocent woman when she should’ve killed me.”
She stopped and turned to Phillip. “Monica intends to travel into the past to gain information from an advanced civilization of giants that lived here before the humans. They built structures around the Earth and traveled to and from another galaxy. Monica thinks they fled Earth before the asteroid hit and wiped out most of the living organisms on the planet. She wants to know where they fled. She thinks Julia’s child will create a machine to take her far enough into the past to find them. On the flip side, the Plates of Prophecy are continually changing because humans are unpredictable.”
Placing her hand on Phillip’s shoulder, she said, “Do you know where Ruben traveled?”
“2017, Burkett Falls. He’s trying to help Julia. Charlie, I’ll work day and night trying to figure out a formula to change the Needle-Horn’s mainframe. But, without the machine to work on, it’s impossible to know if any of the theories I devise will work.”
Charlie shoved her hands into the back pockets of her brown leather pants and slowly walked to the door. She took one last glimpse at Phillip. “That’s all you can do. I have to go.”
“Charlie?”
Charlie held the doorknob. “Yeah?”
“Tell Julia I’ll never stop loving her.”
Charlie nodded and walked out the door.
Phillip poured another drink, turned up the cup, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He opened the folder and began to read through the documents on the Needle-Horn. “Please, God, open my eyes that I may see, open my mind that I may have clarity, and please, please keep Julia and my child safe.”
Hours later, Phillip walked to the window and looked up to the night sky. The pain reverberated deep in his soul. The door opened, and he jerked around startled by the intrusion.
Amelia stood in the doorway. Her voice quivered, “Have you learned something new about Julia?”