Spinning Time: a time travel adventure

by Jones, D. F.

  Rolling her eyes, Charlie sat on the ground and pulled out the picnic sandwiches, drinks, apples, cheese, and grapes with bottles of water. Charlie insisted everyone drink water most of the time. Water was the key to life, and there was no need muddying it up with a bunch of chemicals.

  Klock inched over and said, “Pop some cheese in my mouth, beautiful.”

  Charlie threw her head back laughing. “Klock, you’re such a flirt.”

  Klock barked, “I wouldn’t have to flirt if you’d adopt a bitch. I’m thinking a blonde cocker spaniel.”

  Laughing, Charlie tossed him chunks of cheese one by one, and he jumped in the air to catch each piece in his mouth. “You’re incorrigible, hound.”

  Julia adjusted her position on the quilt. “What’s he saying?”

  “Nothing of importance,” replied Charlie.

  He whined, “I need to get drunk.”

  Charlie chuckled. “Oh, I remember the last night you got lit at Moonbeams, you hit the karaoke with Bella Notte.”

  Klock wheezed with laughter. “Well, in drunk years, I’m eighty-nine.”

  Charlie pulled a small bowl out of her back pack and poured Klock water.

  Julia waddled back on the old quilt she had insisted on bringing. Leaning on her side, Julia pushed the backpack under her head. “I have no idea what y’all are talking about, but I’m a little tired. You may have to help me get up later.”

  “Hey, before you fall asleep, I want to check your pulse.” Charlie held Julia’s pulse and counted as the seconds ticked on her multifaceted watch. “You’re good. Just drink plenty of water today.”

  “Ugh, I will, but when we get home, I’m making sweet tea with sugar in the raw.”

  A couple of hours ticked away before Andy stuck his head out, giving them two thumbs up. He bounded out of the ship like a kid in a candy store. “Hand me a sandwich. Then let’s take The Bus for a spin.”

  Julia said, “Are you sure it’s safe?”

  “Nope, but there’s only one way to find out. Charlie, I’ve set the coordinates to Vinci, Italy of 1465. With any luck, will find Leo. Don’t fret, Julia. I’ll set the return coordinates to two minutes after we leave the first time. It’ll be like we never left if my theory proves true. Just in case, say a few prayers. It can’t hurt.” Andy gobbled up his sandwich and chugged a bottle of water.

  “Charlie, after you. I want you to navigate the maiden voyage. But the next place we check out, it’s my turn.” Andy dropped to his knees and hugged Julia. “It’s the only way to see if my theory works. If it does, when the baby is born, you can go home.”

  Julia wiped the tears from her face. “I’m scared—no, I’m terrified that you and Charlie are risking your lives for me.”

  He chuckled again and said, “Not just you. For my grandfather, my dad, and me too. This trip affects all of us.”

  Charlie said, “I’ve been time traveling since the seventies. It’s old hat for me. Come on, Andy, let’s ride with the wind.”

  “Let’s spin with the wind.”

  Andy and Charlie stepped into the craft and secured themselves into their harnesses. Sitting in the pilot seat, Charlie winked at Andy and clicked on the system controls.

  The Bus hummed to life. History in the making.

  Within a minute, the time machine stopped. Andy and Charlie exchanged looks, and she pressed the button on her watch to release the door. Stepping out into the rolling hills of Vinci, Andy promptly threw up.

  Charlie rubbed his back. “It happens the first time. Next time it won’t be so bad.”

  Andy rose and took a deep breath. They had really made it. They’d done it! Dozens of haystacks sprawled across an open meadow. The countryside looked like a painting. “Where to first?’

  “Let’s hope they don’t try and kill us.” Charlie placed a weapon in her boot and one in the back of her pants and handed one to Andy. “It won’t kill anyone. The bullets are called Black Beauties, meant to stun or paralyze, depending on the grade of the bullet. Only the strongest Black Beauties kill, and I don’t have any of those. We may need time to escape hostiles.”

  “Oh, boy. I didn’t think of that. I was so excited about meeting Da Vinci I didn’t think people would want to harm us.”

  “The town is to the left. Do you know any Italian?”

  “Enough, do you?”

  “Yes, I speak many languages.”

  Andy pulled on his backpack with the images of Da Vinci’s inventions. They walked across the meadow, and he was in awe. His Spinning Time Machine freaking worked like a charm.

  At the end of the meadow, a teenage boy leaned against a haystack staring up at the sky. He startled and stood quickly when Andy and Charlie approached. Speaking in his native tongue, the young peasant said, “Who are you?”

  Andy replied in Italian, “We are looking for Señor Leonardo da Vinci.”

  The boy’s eyes widened, and he looked at Charlie and Andy. “I’m Leonardo da Vinci, at your service. Are you English?”

  “Sort of.”

  In Italian, Charlie began to explain to Leonardo about their mission. Leonardo’s eyes widened with surprise.

  Andy reached into his pack and pulled out the copies of Da Vinci’s work. “You are going to be famous, and not just while you’re living. Your name will be remembered for all time.”

  Leonardo looked at the drawings and said, “Sir, may I keep these drawings?”

  Charlie replied, “Keep them long enough to memorize the details, then destroy them. You don’t want to be tried as a witch. It’s been an honor to meet you, but we must return to our time.”

  Leonardo bowed, and with a smile, he said, “The pleasure has been mine.”

  Andy shook his hand, and Leonardo frowned at the gesture. “Wow, Leonardo, this is the highlight of my life, man.”

  Charlie placed her hand on Andy and said, “Julia’s waiting.”

  They turned and ran as fast as they could to the ship, Andy whooping and hollering like a banshee. Inside the ship, he reset the coordinates to Pisgah National Forest two minutes after they left. Seconds later, the machine stopped. Exiting the ship, Andy threw up again.

  Julia stood and said, “Did it work?”

  Holding his hands on his knees, and breathing hard, Andy smiled. “It worked.” He stumbled over to the quilt and collapsed. “That was so freaking cool. Oh my god, I met Leonardo da Vinci.”

  Charlie joined him on the quilt placing her hand on his thigh. “We both met him. Drink water, Andy. Lots of it before we head back to the house.” Charlie punched a button on her watch, and the ship disappeared. “I didn’t ask before because I too was caught up in the moment, but did you deactivate ATTRA’s GPS device on The Bus?”

  Raising a brow, he said, “Yes, darling. Monica has no knowledge of our expedition. I think you need to move the ship closer to the Chalet. There’s a meadow on the property less than a quarter mile away. That way we can have quicker access.”

  “Andy, do the blueprints of Needle-Horn mention any details of the Cloak Shield?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Monica has an ATTRA watch like mine.”

  Nodding in thought, he said, “I’ll study those pages later and see if I can change the software, but that may mean I’ll need to disassemble your watch.”

  “No, I need the watch. Maybe Ruben has an extra one you can use to conduct an experiment.”

  He said, “We’ll leave the craft here for now, but it needs to be moved closer to the Chalet before the snow. We’ll keep an eye on the weather. You think Ruben and his guards are back from Asheville yet? I can’t wait to work on his ship too.”

  Ruben had returned with two immortal guards from the Empyreal Palace in July. The guards were a head taller than Andy, and he’d seen their butterfly wings shimmering during the night as they patrolled the Chalet.

  Ruben had taken the immortals for supplies in Asheville. The guards made Ruben and his vehicle unseen to mortals. Julia insisted Ruben pay for the suppl
ies, and he assured her the guards would leave cash in the register after they took any item.

  Charlie looked at her watch and said, “By the time we hike back to the Chalet, they should be cooling their heels. Ruben’s going to be so jealous we went to see Leo without him.”

  Julia huffed and said, “Or mad. I hope he found me some clothes. The ones I have are getting tight. Let’s head back.”

  Charlie rubbed Andy’s back. “You up for a hike?”

  “Yup. My legs are a little weak, but I don’t want to be stuck on the mountain in the dark. They say aliens live up here.”

  Julia snorted and laughed. “Guess the ole timers were right, huh?”

  Andy had heard old tales of flying saucers and alien beings living in the mountains. He wondered if it was Charlie’s ship that had spurred the stories.

  * * *

  Clicking away on her keyboard, Monica went over the transcripts from General Agriaous. He had received and assigned jobs to the recent transport of Spinners on Veetreous. Based on the documentation, the colony was thriving.

  The settlements had built a water pipeline, and the solar energy panels generated enough power for tools and machinery to build the beautiful New Jerusalem. Soon, the barter system would switch over to currency bearing the image of Queen Monica the First. She giggled to herself.

  Chen knocked softly on the glass door of Monica’s office. She waved him in. “Yes, Chen?”

  “Commander, you asked me to notify you if I had any signals from Ruben’s or Charlie’s ships. Charlie’s ship left Earth and, well…”

  “Well, what?” She drummed her fingers on the desk waiting for his reply.

  “Well, Commander, the ship disappeared. We thought it could be a glitch in the system, and most of the other ships are accounted for.” Chen nervously shifted on his feet, then flinched at her scream.

  “It disappeared. How?” She stormed over to Chen glaring into his terror-filled eyes.

  Wringing his hands, he said, “There is one possibility. Charlie could’ve disengaged the GPS tracking system.”

  “Charlie is a pilot, not a mechanical engineer.” Monica shook, and her hands turned into fists. “Andy Clayborn. Charlie Fine is dead. I am going to kill that bitch.”

  “Commander?”

  “What the hell?”

  “Ruben’s ship isn’t giving off signals either.” Chen backed his way to the door.

  Rage filled Monica, and she pointed to the door. “Get out. Don’t come back until you find my ships. Do I make myself clear?”

  Chen nodded and turned, nearly sprinting out of her sight.

  “Ruben and Charlie, you want to defy me? So be it. I’ll find you and your little dog too.”

  * * *

  Ruben and Andy had refitted the Needle-Horn with the Spinning Time specifications and made a quick expedition to Colonial Williamsburg in 1784 to test the machine. Ruben’s great-great-grandfather had lived there after the American Revolutionary War. Thomas Jefferson had hired him as a land surveyor to build roads to the South. It had been one of the most thrilling experiences of Ruben’s life.

  After returning to the present day, Ruben and Charlie moved the Needle-horn and The Bus closer to the Chalet before the snow season hit. Once the snow began, the Chalet created a cocoon of warmth for the eclectic group of people: Andy and Julia, Azreal and Chayliel, and Charlie and Ruben. Julia’s pregnancy progressed nicely, and for the first time in a long while, Ruben felt like he belonged to a family.

  Christmas and New Year’s came and went with celebration. January had them playing cards and Monopoly during the day with movie marathons at night. February had unseasonably warm days, and the next plummeting temperatures had them using the chainsaw for more wood.

  The weeks of Julia’s pregnancy were coming to an end, and with it came a pause, a stillness in the house of uncertainty. Azreal and Chayliel guarded the exterior of the house night and day starting the first of March. The storms and high winds had Ruben placing Charlie and Julia in the safe place in the bathroom under the stairs more than once.

  The last week of Julia’s pregnancy had been perfect. Plenty of sunshine and warmer temps had buttercups blooming and buds on the trees threatening to burst with life.

  One morning after breakfast, Julia sat on the little loveseat in Phillip’s study talking with Andy. Ruben walked in and sat beside her. He slipped off her shoes and began to massage her swollen feet.

  “My ankles are swelling again.”

  Ruben said, “No more salt in anything. We don’t want you to develop pre-eclampsia.”

  Charlie stepped into the study and sat on the edge of Andy’s desk. “You need to drink more water, and don’t look at me like that. I get it that you pee every five seconds.”

  Julia perked up, tilting her head to the side. “So, no walking today?”

  “How about a short walk?”

  Julia’s shoulders slumped, and she released a heavy sigh.

  Charlie offered Julia a bemused smile. “Look on the bright side. Every day you’re one day closer to holding your baby boy.”

  Andy swiveled around in his chair. “Do you think she should walk with her ankles that swollen?”

  Charlie’s smile grew into a smirk. “Yes, walking helps the blood flow. But it’s your call, Julia.”

  Julia lifted her chin. “Okay, I can do it.”

  Charlie said, “Let’s go, chickens. Time waits for no one.” She started laughing and playfully popped Andy’s head. “Get it?”

  Ruben teased, “Weirdo.” He enjoyed seeing Charlie happy. The eight months they’d been hiding out together had been the happiest time of his life. Every day Julia came closer to delivery, Ruben knew it meant the time with Julia and Andy would end soon. How? He didn’t know. He didn’t want to.

  Julia stood and extended her hand to Ruben. “Come on, lazy bones. Let’s go for a walk. There’s a winter storm brewing this afternoon, and I want to get back before it starts.”

  Andy said, “While my program is saving to the external drive, I’ll change into my sweats. Julia, do you need anything?”

  “Nope. I’m ready. You all need to walk slowly today. Oh, crap.” Julia held onto her belly. “I think I just had a contraction.”

  With light sarcasm, Charlie added, “You’ll do anything to keep from walking. I’m timing you. If you don’t have another one anytime soon, it’s probably Braxton Hicks. But if you want, I can check your cervix in the labor and delivery room.”

  Weeks ago, Ruben and Andy had painted the extra bedroom on the second floor a soothing sage while Julia and Charlie transformed it into a labor and delivery room.

  Julia waved her hand in the air. “Oh, no. I’m sure I’m fine. To be honest, I’m scared out of my mind at giving birth. The thought of an eight-pound baby coming out of my vagina just gives me the willies. Let me pee, and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  Ruben shook his head and shivered all over. “God, Julia, stop with the vivid imagery.”

  The expression on Andy’s face changed to one of concern. “Should we take her to the hospital?”

  Charlie’s arms went around his neck. “I promise I’ve had extensive medical training regarding many different situations, including delivering a baby. If she has another contraction, I’ll check her cervix.”

  Andy shoulder-bumped Charlie “I trust you, Charlie.”

  * * *

  After leaving the master bathroom, Julia took another breath and made her way into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water for the walk. Ruben sat at the bar thumbing through an old issue of Sports Illustrated. Charlie and Andy walked down the stairs together.

  Stroking the side of her neck, Julia nodded at her new family. She had fantasized over the last eight months as her child grew in her womb about Phillip and her setting up house together, loving each other, buying baby furniture and clothes. He would’ve fussed over her, and adored her growing belly. Her parents and Sloane would’ve celebrated in their happiness.

  Julia
improvised by talking to the baby about Phillip often. Telling him the same bedtime stories Bunny and Big Joe had told her and Sloane. Julia loved her little boy more than anything else in the world. She had unconditional love for the son she would soon deliver and didn’t dwell on the what ifs. Julia allowed herself to live in the moment.

  Andy and Charlie had bought the baby furniture and baby clothes using a secure site he had set up with the untraceable device from Ruben. They had the stuff delivered two towns over in a rental apartment Charlie found and used as a provisional safe house.

  The four of them went out the front door, where Klock waited for them. Julia reached down and rubbed his ears. “Good morning, Klock. You ready for a walk, boy?” He barked and nodded.

  Ruben threw up his hand in greetings. “Good morning, we’re going on a short walk, and we’ll be back soon.” Azreal and Chayliel nodded to Ruben.

  The mature cherry trees with their massive knotted trunks in the back garden were covered in pink buds. The rock water fountain had been turned off before the freeze last fall. A great storm with swirling dark clouds brewed in the distance beyond the snow covered mountain top.

  Klock went ahead of their pack, no doubt looking for Monica’s enforcers, as Julia followed behind Charlie. Ruben and Andy followed behind her on the narrow path along the mountain trail. With every step, Julia felt like she walked in quicksand.

  So, Julia concentrated on breathing, and about a mile into the walk, she stopped, and Ruben bumped into her, nearly knocking her to the ground. He grabbed Julia and said, “What’s wrong?”

  Hair rose on her nape and arms, and Julia’s voice quaked, “My water broke.”

  Calmness resonated from Charlie as she turned around. “Do you think you can walk? Or do you want Andy and Ruben to carry you?”

  Blinking rapidly, Julia said, “I’ll walk if I can. We’ll get back faster.”

  Charlie placed a hand on Julia’s cheek. “It takes hours before you give birth, sweetie. Most first timers go eight to twenty-four hours in labor, so, don’t panic. Remember how we practiced. Concentrate on your breathing.”