Chapter Seven
UNQUILL PAUSED FOR a moment.
To Kenneth, it appeared the tall man collected his thoughts. When Unquill spoke, the tone of his voice dropped. He sounded like a completely different person to Kenneth.
"We call this the Golden Century, for in all of our studies of the time stream, we have yet to discover a society more prosperous than ours. We live in the 73rd century. I told you that, yes? In the middle of the 75th century, there will occur a spiritual re-awakening which will lead individuals to question the wisdom of their current way of life. We have seen this. Afterward, people will have great faith. In exchange, they will begin consuming nutrients again. With our population of one hundred and twelve trillion-"
"Trillion?"
Kenneth was incredulous. He'd heard the word used when people on the news spoke about debt, but he hadn't ever really understood the significance of the word. How many fingers would he have to count on before he reached a trillion? A trillion, of course, he suddenly thought, answering his own question. That didn't bring him any closer to conceptualizing the number in concrete terms.
"Yes, with one hundred and twelve trillion people, there just won't be enough nutrients to go around for all. It will be a time of great upheaval. The prosperity we have enjoyed thus far will come to an end, as we are told all things must come to an end. The spiritual re-awakening occurs because of a single man. He is designated Hinjo Junta. We-that is, myself together with the other members of the Temporal Constabulary-don't have a lot of information on him. We know he was born on a Saturday sometime during April 7201. We know he will die in the year 7454, during the re-awakening. His cause of death will come as a result of his refusal to continue utilizing his body's own natural processes to stay alive. A foolish man, perhaps, yet one many will come to see as a martyr. We have grown too much, we are too many, they will say.
"So it will happen-or, from the perspective of one who can see the time stream, it has already happened-that many citizens of this world will follow Hinjo's path. Death upon death upon death until the world becomes paralyzed from the loss of so many of its citizens. By the year 7500, it is estimated that a total of one hundred thousand people will remain on this planet."
Kenneth involuntarily startled. Though he didn't know exactly what a trillion was, he had a sense that the number was far greater than one hundred thousand, a number more easily imagined. One hundred thousand had always been the number his father wanted to pass in yearly salary from his job working at a pharmaceutical company.
"Ah yes, I see you realize. It is the end of our history as we know it. One hundred thousand people will remain, many of whom have lost the ability to procreate. The human race, all of its successes and failures, all of it will be destroyed by a single man. Kenneth Yardrow, I wish for you and your companion to speak with this man. To do so, you will first have to find him. We've not been able to do so. We, the Temporal Constabulary, hope that you will succeed where we have failed."
"You said, 'significant citizen' a few times," Kenneth said. "What does that mean?"
Unquill cocked his head to one side, as though he did not understand why anyone should ask such a question. He cleared his throat, then said, "Why, you are significant. It has been determined by an evaluation of the lives of every person throughout history. I won't bore you with the details. It would take eons to explain. We only have, well, half an eon. Suffice it to say that you will do great things when you grow up. Great things. Greater than any other human being who has ever lived. Your companion is of no less significance than yourself. Both of you make a couple which continues to fascinate historians even unto this day."
"Couple?" Kenneth grimaced at the word. "But I don't like her. She said my belly button smells."
"How could it do that? You don't have a nose over your stomach."
Kenneth laughed. "It's a, whatchamacallit, an expression."
"Regardless of how you may feel, it's already happened." The corners of Unquill's mouth perked up as he smiled. "We suspect that-well, I won't tell you now. It would spoil the surprise. It's such a terribly difficult thing, to know all of history. Of course, one's own history is forbidden to be known. History, especially future history, is too rigid. To know the course one's life takes, oh dear, that would be too much."
"Why did you say I have two weeks?"
"That's the allotted time we have based on your temporal alignment device. You may have noticed it attached to your hip?"
In fact, Kenneth had not noticed the device. He lifted his shirt up, looking down at himself. He found a small bulge on the right side of his hip underneath his skin. He pressed his fingers there. The device had been implanted without his permission. When he applied pressure to it, the device gave way. When he released the pressure, the device bulged forth from underneath his skin once again.
"This is a temporal thing-a-ma-jig?"
Unquill nodded, pleased. "It's a temporal alignment device, but you may call it a thing-a-ma-jig if you find the name easier to remember. While it has been placed under your skin, you needn't worry about any ill effects. By the fourteenth day, it will have dissolved into your blood stream. It is a piece of organic technology that maintains your temporal charge so that you don't-well, explode."
Kenneth asked his next question carefully. "Explode?"
"Yes, yes, yes, don't worry. It won't happen as long as the device is in place. Were it not place, your presence here in this time would cause too many problems with your biology. We have studied the phenomenon in close detail. Our first time travelers, whom we sent a day forward into the future, bridged the void easily enough. Yet, I fear to report that a prolonged stay caused rather, um, unfortunate results. We know such things have happened to travelers in the past, for our historical records tell us so. The human body synchronizes with the time period in which it exists. Here in the 74th century, we've learned how to prevent that occurrence. So while you are here to complete a task, you only have fourteen days to do so. After that, if you have not completed your task, you will die."
"I don't understand what you mean about all that stuff," Kenneth interlocked his fingers behind his head, leaning against a wall. He looked away from Unquill. "I'm just a kid, remember? Sheesh, stop talking to me in all that complicated language. The only part I understand is that I have to find this guy, convince him not to be a prick, and I can go home, right? Is that all there is to it?"
"Well, not exactly, but-"
"Okay, then let's get started," Kenneth said. He jumped off the bed. Standing before Unquill, he remembered that he was short for his age. Unquill, at least eight feet tall, towered over him. Kenneth looked up. "If it's a mystery, Kenny Yardrow, Private Eye is on the case! There's no kickball too far for me to find, no lost hanky that I can't locate. One person should be easy."
"Yes? I certainly hope so," Unquill said.
Sweat trickled down his forehead.
Journey Through Time (A Time Travel Adventure Collection Part 1) Page 7