The Amulet (The Time Chronicles Book 1)

by Michael Dodd

  The device, if that’s what it could be called, looked very much like an unrefined piece of gold, about half the size of a golf ball, only elongated. According to the ill-fated time traveler, merely pressing one’s thumb against one side would result in being instantaneously projected through time. Omni didn’t take long enough to find out all the particulars before hitting the man over the head with a crow bar and stealing his device. Needless to say, Omni had no idea when, how or in which direction he might travel in time; he just pressed his thumb on the surface and…poof, here he was in 2420. Bad luck all around.

  Unfortunately for him, the people of this time had developed the ability to detect any fluctuations in their own timeline. When he appeared, the Temporal Police Department, as Omni came to call them, quickly seized him and his time device, depositing him in the nearest jail cell for his troubles. Apparently, once they’d done DNA identification on him, they realized that in an alternate timeline, Omi had been the reviled dictator of the planet earth. In their history, Omni was looked upon in the same way as Adolph Hitler had been in most of the others.

  Nevertheless, even in his jail cell he had access to the computer technology of the time. It would have been considered cruel and inhuman treatment to do otherwise, in the same way alternate timelines felt it was inhuman to keep an inmate for being able to watch “Dancing with the Stars”. As providence would have it, though, Omni was lucky enough to intercept a communique from the past that was wholly untraceable by the “Temporal Police”, or whatever they called themselves. If he played his cards right, he could manipulate this, Kenneth Graham to help him change history and put him in the position of world power that he had come to expect and demand.

  According to his computer, the UT —the Universal Thingamabob (apparently they had a sense of humor)—the time travel devices used in the early twenty-first and twentysecond centuries were similar to the device he’d used to come to 2420, only they were more likely in the shape of a large coin or a small gold ingot. It was useful information if he wanted to con a man from the past.

  He’d received a reply f rom Kenneth Graham informing him that he was indeed from the future: the year 2140. He said that he’d gone back 80 years to 2060 where he had spent the last 30 years developing the Temporal-Data Delivery and Retrieval System. His description of the device he’d used to transport to 2040 was similar to the descriptions of coins or ingots; however, he called his an amulet. He also mentioned that these “amulets” could only be used once by any one person and only to go back 60 years in time, though he’d managed to go back 80 for some unknown reason.

  Obviously convinced that Omni could tell if he was lying, Kenneth Graham confessed that he wanted to obtain futuristic information and technology which would make him ultra-rich and ultra-powerful. Omni could relate to that kind of thinking. He could also use it to get what he wanted.

  ‡

  2640

  Cathy opened her eyes, expecting to see a classroomsized group of scientists staring back at her and laughing at the idea of time travel; instead, her eyes were filled with images that she could not immediately identify. At first, she assumed she’d gone back in time, perhaps way back. There before her was an ever expanding field of grass. If she was standing in the same spot, only in a different timeline, she must have gone hundreds, even thousands of years into the past…maybe millions. There was no sign of human civilization. No technology, no roads…not even paths that horses or cattle might have trodden over. In fact, she could see no sign of life from animals or birds, either.

  The air smelled fresh with just a hint of honeysuckle. The sky was clear and pocketed with fluffy, white clouds which slowly drifted over her head, occasionally crossing the sun’s path and shading the area. Cathy was both enamored and terrified at the same time. If she was back so far that there were no signs of life in the Chicago area, it must be long before the founding of America. Oh, dear God, what have I done?

  Unsure which way to go, Cathy tried to use logic as her guide. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Right now, the sun looks to either be at 10 o’clock or 2 o’clock. She sensed the season to be that of late spring or early summer. If that was true, then the sun seemed to be beginning to warm up the earth below it. She doubted it was as late as 2pm. So, assuming it was about 10am, with the ascending sun on her right, north should be directly ahead of her. If this is the area I knew as Chicago, all I have to do is head northeast and I should run into Lake Michigan. If I’m not in the same area, well….

  Cathy started off, hoping there were no wild animals around. The Great Lakes were fresh water lakes, so if she could find Lake Michigan she’d have no problem with water. Food, on the other hand might be more problematic. Hopefully, she thought, there are lots of wild berries, apple trees and other edibles growing out of the earth. The idea of having to kill an animal and eat it made her sick to her stomach. Of course, in all likelihood, it would be the animal making a meal out of her, making her stomach even more unsettled.

  The wind blew gently on the expansive grass under her feet and the trees swayed softly before her as she trod the open land, hoping to reach Lake Michigan, or what would come to be known as Lake Michigan. After about an hour, she came upon a large clump of trees. The idea of walking into what for all intents and purposes was a forest filled Cathy with uneasiness. Something could just jump out and grab her, she reasoned. Nevertheless, there was really no way around it, so she ventured into the shaded canopy and hoped for the best. After less than a minute had passed, Cathy began hearing the sound of birds, chirping and flying from tree to tree. It was both reassuring that the earth had life and a little disconcerting as to what else my lie in wait. After all, she had no idea how far back in time she’d gone. She doubted she would be running into any dinosaurs, but in an untamed wilderness, any number of wild animals could find her a tasty treat.

  As she walked amid the trees, watching and listening for anything that seemed ominous, she thought she heard the sound of something metallic. She wasn’t sure what it was, or even if what she’d heard was really metallic, but it didn’t sound like something you’d generally hear on a nature walk. She thought the sound came from up ahead.

  Another few minutes passed and she thought she could see the end of the tree-line. Up ahead a few hundred feet looked like the beginning of another expanse of grassland. She couldn’t tell what was beyond that. Another ten minutes and she passed the last of the trees, entering an area of grass but with a hill just ahead. Once she’d gotten about fifty yards from the trees, a loud growling sound got her immediate attention. She quickly turned to see a large black bear emerge from the trees. It was headed in her direction and it didn’t look friendly.

  Now Cathy was truly frightened for her life. How could she possibly defend herself against all the animals that might want to feed on her? As she took off on a dead run up the hill, she realized she might not have long to ponder the problem; this bear might make the matter a moot one.

  She ran as fast as she could, hoping there was somewhere on the other side of the hill where she could hide. Perhaps she’d run into a large river or lake and swim for it. Maybe Lake Michigan.

  The bear was hot on her heels as she ran faster than she thought possible. Her arms were pumping back and forth with the same steam as her legs. Still, the bear was closing and his growls were getting frighteningly loud. As she ran up the hill, she looked back and saw that the bear was within ten yards. She’d never outrun it!

  She came to the crest of the hill and planned to change directions on the way down, hopefully confusing the bear. However, when she came to the top of the hill, she realized that it did not then offer her a trip down, but leveled out on the top. Running at full speed, but tiring greatly, she could see a vast expanse of water to her right and just ahead. It was probably Lake Michigan, but could she get there in time? Would the bear jump in the water of so great a body and swim after her?

  Just steps from the water now and just as few steps awa
y from the bear, Cathy prepared to dive in and swim for all she had, but suddenly, from out of nowhere, a small, oddly dressed man appeared before her. He looked a bit confused as he stared at her, unmoving and seemingly unconcerned. Didn’t he see the freakin’ bear?

  “Look out!” she screamed, “There’s a bear behind me!”

  The look on the man’s face changed not a whit. “What are you doing out here?” he said, as calmly and matter-offactly as though a bloodthirsty bear wasn’t ten feet away.

  In an instant, Cathy found herself in a large room of some kind. It took her a moment to realize it before she stopped running. As she slowly came to a breathless stop, she turned and looked around the room.

  “What were you doing out there?” the man asked again.

  Still breathing hard from running and anxiety, Cathy looked around the enormous room. The walls looked like they were made of aluminum but they were almost transparent. The floor felt soft and pliable under her aching feet. There were couches and chairs and tables at various locations within the room, all illuminated, but without any sign of a light or a lamp of any kind. The smell was quite pleasant. As a matter of fact, it smelled like someone was cooking dinner. Perhaps, chicken?

  As she slowly walked toward the man whose facial expression had not changed one iota, a voice came from her right. “Dinner’s ready, Darvo! Call the children!” Then, another person emerged from a hidden hallway. It was a woman. She looked slightly smaller than the man, but was dressed similarly. “Who are you?” she asked, surprised that Cathy was standing in her home.

  “I was just trying to determine that, sweetie,” the man said, returning his glimpse to Cathy. “I found her outside, running for her life from a bear. How she got out there, or why she would wish to be out there is anyone’s guess.” He walked closer to Cathy. “Who are you and what were you doing outside? The outside is forbidden to human beings.” Suddenly, Darvo noticed the odd clothing Cathy was wearing and the fact that she was a good five inches taller than anyone he’d ever met. “Where are you from?” he asked.

  “That’s gonna take a little explaining,” she said, smiling with embarrassment. “May I ask you a question that may seem a little strange?”

  The man, still with the look of incredulity on this face, replied, “I doubt any question you have for me will be stranger than any answers I’m likely to get from you. Go ahead.”

  “What year is this?” Cathy asked sheepishly.

  Without hesitation, Darvo replied, “It is the year 2640.” Cathy feinted.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  2070

  After a few months had passed, Michael and Gates had managed to create some type of normalcy together. About two weeks after Cindy’s funeral, they hired a live-in nanny to take care of Little Gates and the two began trying to figure out what could be done about Kenneth Graham’s new TDDRS. Of course, Gates was still a valued and trusted member of Mr. Graham’s team, so he was quickly informed upon his return that Graham had made contact with a company 350 years in the future, and that they were amenable to assisting them. Naturally, Kenneth didn’t tell him everything. He left out the part about the assistance being quid pro quo.

  When Gates came to work Monday morning, he had decided to download as much information as he could from Mr. Graham’s hard drive and see if he and his father could make heads or tails out of it later. However, that plan took a left turn when Mr. Graham called him into his office an hour later.

  “Gates,” Kenneth said upon his entering, “I need you to do me a big favor.”

  Gates sat down in front of Mr. Graham and said, “Sure, Mr. Graham, whatever you need.”

  “How many times have I told you to stop calling me Mr. Graham? Geez, Gates, you’re older than I am. You’re more like a partner than an employee. As a matter of fact, when I get done doing what I’m about to do, you have my word, I’ll make you a full partner.”

  Gates didn’t know how to react. He feigned excitement. “Wow, Mister…I mean, Kenneth. That sounds good to me. What can I do for you?”

  Kenneth put his elbows on the desk and leaned closer to Gates. “I need you to hold down the fort for a little while. I’ve got something to do and I’m not sure how long it’ll take; but, believe me, when I get back, we’re gonna have so much future information and technology to go through, it’ll take us a year just to figure it out.”

  “Are you talking about the company from 2420? Omincorp? Are they gonna give us future schematics of future technologies?”

  “They sure are, Gates,” Kenneth said with orgasmic glee, “I just have to do a little favor for the owner, that’s all. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone, but you can handle things here till I get back. I have complete faith in you.”

  “Does anyone else know about this, Kenneth?”

  “No, and I want it to stay that way until I return. Don’t mess with the TDDRS while I’m gone; just take care of any other business. When I get back, we’ll be able to go in a whole new direction.”

  “No problem,” Gates said, “When are you leaving?” “First thing in the morning,” Kenneth said. “Now, while I’m gone, you won’t be able to contact me. I’m going out of town and there’s no communication where I’m going.”

  “Wow,” Gates said, “Sounds scary.”

  “Actually,” he admitted, “It is a little scary, but it’s worth whatever I have to do to make our dreams come true. You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.”

  The next morning, Gates entered Kenneth’s office. He was told to take over complete operations of LDS and to work from Kenneth’s desk. It was the only computer in the building that had access to every phase of the company. The only inaccessible platform was TDDRS and he was told not to mess with it while Kenneth was gone.

  After getting a cup of coffee and a bagel with cream cheese, Gates sat down at Kenneth’s desk and tried to prepare a schedule for the company’s business agenda. After spending most of the day sorting out the new and old business, Gates told the secretary to go home. He’d see her in the morning. When she left and he felt he had the office to himself, Gates looked to find a way to read the correspondence Kenneth had received from and sent to Omnicorp in 2420. It was not as easy as he’d hoped.

  He called his father, an expert in computer systems, and asked for his help. Between the two of them, they managed to break Kenneth’s password—it was really kind of simple: KGLDS, his initials and the initials of the company. Kenneth must not have been too worried someone would try to break in to the system. After all, the only computer in which the password would work was the one on Kenneth’s desk.

  Gates printed off the correspondence between Omnicorp and Kenneth. It was a lot more extensive that Gates had assumed. When he’d finished printing, he stuffed the pages into his briefcase and headed for home. He’d read them at home with his father.

  When he got home, Michael was waiting. The nanny, Mrs. Feldman, a sweet, elderly woman who loved children and was happy to live in the home, brought Little Gates down so Michael and Gates, the boy’s “grandfather” could see him before bedtime. After playing with the boy for a half hour or so, Mrs. Feldman announced, “Okay, I think that’s enough excitement for one day. I’ll take him upstairs, feed him and put him to bed. I can see you gentlemen have a lot of work to do.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Feldman,” Mich ael said, watching her climb the stairs with his son, “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

  “I’m happy to be here, Michael,” she said, turning with a smile, “You’ve been through a lot of heartache. I’m glad I can help to ease a little bit of it.”

  “She’s a lifesaver isn’t she,” Gates said.

  “She sure is, Gates,” he agreed. Neither one used the terms dad or son around Mr. Feldman. She would not understand why a 30 year old man was calling a 60 year old man, Son…and vice versa.

  The two got right to work. Reading the material in chronological order, it became clear to Gates that Kenneth was in over his head.
Whoever this man was at Omnicorp, he was very likely smarter than Kenneth and not likely to give 25th century technology to a 21st century company without something extremely valuable in return. For Michael’s part, the name, Omni brought back memories of a time and timeline he’d rather forget…except for Juno. However, this Omnicorp couldn’t be directly related to the Omni who’d taken over the world in his time; there was an almost 300 year difference.

  Then, the last two pieces of correspondence, both dated yesterday, caused Michael to begin to sweat. Gates read the letters out loud:

  Kenneth,

  It was good to hear from you again. I understand your desire to become the most powerful man on earth. It is a desire that I share with you. Perhaps we can be of assistance to on another. Since we are separated by 350 years, we can both become the world’s most powerful men and not get in each other’s way. Here is what I propose.

  I have obtained information, of which I am wholly confident, that a man using a similar device as the one you have, left the year 2125 and returned to the year 2065. Apparently, he contacted the President of the United States and gave him information that changed the course of my history. It is a history I would like very much to have restored. I assure you, this change in your historical past will not affect you, your corporation or you’re ability to implement the

  technology I am prepared to give you in appreciation of your assistance. As a matter of fact, if you are able to reestablish the original timeline, I can guarantee that you will not only become the richest and most powerful man of earth of the 21st century, but will live healthily well into the 23rd century. The “Fountain of Youth”, as it was once so euphemistically described, has, for all intents and purposes been discovered in my time. I will see to it that you are provided with enough information so you can create the technology yourself.