by Marc James
“Only women and children will be boarding the lifeboats.”
Faraday looked over the edge of the ship and looked towards the boat that Sarah was on. It was around half way down the ship, Faraday glanced towards Lightoller.
“Mr Lightoller.” Faraday smiled as Lightoller looked at him. “Go fuck yourself.” Faraday quickly climbed onto the ledge of the ship and made a jump for the lifeboat.
As he fell he could hear the women in the boat screaming, as he landed he hit the only man on the boat, knocking him unconscious. The landing was hard, and as he hit the boat, one of the ropes that were lowering the lifeboat into the water dropped the boat far quicker than the other. For a moment it seemed as though the boat would tip over, dropping the passengers into the ocean.
As it did so the women screamed, Faraday almost fell off himself, but Sarah grasped his arm. The screaming continued and a woman’s hat fell off into the sea. The men eventually managed to level out the ship and continued lowering it into the water.
“How dare you!” One woman screamed.
“Who will row the boat now?” Another asked.
“He would have died if he hadn’t done it, there is plenty room.” Sarah snapped.
“They are far safer on the ship.” A woman argued.
“Believe me, they are not.” Sarah snapped.
“What a coward.” Another woman barked.
When they eventually reached the water, Faraday took one of the ores and tried to row. He had presumed that it would be easy, he was wrong. The small boat was going around in circles. As Sarah looked up at the Titanic, she could see that the front of the vessel was already submerged in water.
“Oh my God.” One of the women exclaimed.
“The ship won’t sink.” Another stated.
“Look at it.” Sarah said.
Faraday continued struggling to row the lifeboat away from the Titanic, he had only ever rowed the canoe that he and Jane had been in on the day that it had flipped at Loch Ness. This boat was considerably bigger and much heavier. He was trying to ignore the glares from the women on the boat, but he was finding it difficult.
Sarah sensed that Faraday was feeling incredibly uncomfortable, she went over to join him.
“Are you okay?” She asked.
“I'm all right, are you?”
“Yes, just ignore them.”
“Don’t be so rude!” One of the women barked.
“He is trying to help us!” Sarah snapped, turning back to face the crowd of angry women.
“He is trying to save himself.” A woman snapped back.
“He almost killed us all!” Another one shouted.
“The rest of the men are still on board.” A third woman intervened.
Sarah again turned away from the women and looked at Faraday once again.
“And here I thought you were a hero.” She smiled.
Faraday managed a wry smile which was short-lived as the lifeboat again seemed to be turning back in a circle.
“Where is Bobby?” She asked.
“It is a long story, perhaps it would be better to wait until we are back on dry land.”
Sarah nodded and looked a little worried before she retook her seat.
“Fucking thing.” Faraday snapped in frustration at the lifeboat. His foul language received more filthy looks from the women on-board.
After a few more minutes, the man that Faraday had landed on began to stir. He was right beside where Faraday was sitting.
“What is going on?” He asked softly.
“That man jumped on you!” A woman shrieked.
The man looked up at Faraday in confusion and grasped his head. He had a lump on his forehead that looked painful.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to land on you. It was a long drop.” He explained.
“The orders were women and children only.”
“I’m sorry I had to get off the ship.” Faraday began.
“You are a coward.” The man barked.
“For not wanting to die? There is plenty of room, and you need help rowing.”
“You are doing a very poor job.” The man replied.
“Do you want to take over?” Faraday asked.
“I think that would be best.”
Faraday rose from his seat and allowed the man to take the ores. He squeezed between the women that filled the boat, each of them giving him filthy looks.
“You cost me my hat.” One of them moaned.
“You are lucky to be alive!” Sarah snapped.
Faraday took his seat beside Sarah at the front of the lifeboat, they faced away from the women and towards the sinking ship. Its angle had changed considerably, and the front of the vessel was almost entirely flooded.
“So are we stuck here?” Sarah asked.
“No.” Faraday removed the generator from his inside jacket pocket and showed it to Sarah. “All we have to do is type in the date and location we want to go to and then we will be able to get back.”
“So why didn’t you just do that on the ship?” Sarah asked.
“Apparently it doesn’t work on moving vehicles.”
Sarah smirked and looked at the ship. “Would you say that ship is moving?”
Faraday looked as the water poured into the vessel, she was right. “Bloody Edward! He told me I’d need to get to dry land.”
“So you could have used it?”
“I can try just now.” Faraday turned to face the others in the boat. “Can you please stop rowing, just for a minute?”
The man frowned at Faraday in annoyance but did as he was asked. Faraday turned back to Sarah and typed in 13:15, 22nd, November, 1963 and then the address of the condo. The light flashed from red to green and the wormhole appeared.
“Walk into the light.” He instructed.
Sarah did as she was told and disappeared, the others on the boat were stunned. Faraday jumped into the light quickly and vanished.
Chapter 13
Bobby had never been so thirsty in his entire life. The salt water was so dehydrating, he had told Emmerich and Will about his experience. They had not had the pleasure of meeting Mengele, well not yet anyway.
“They are evil.” Will stated, breaking the silence in the tiny room.
“How long have you been in this cell?” Bobby asked, his hip was now badly swollen from the prolonged pressure on it.
“I think it’s been two weeks. They let us eat whilst you were with Mengele, but that’s the first time since I’ve been in here. It was this tasteless, horrid soup, I’ve never been so hungry.” Will replied.
“There must be a way out, they told me I would see my wife at the weekend. Maybe that would be the best time to escape?” Emmerich replied.
“They lied Emmerich, she is dead.” Will spoke bluntly.
“We don’t know that yet.” Emmerich said half-heartedly.
“I do, I’ve seen it happen to hundreds, maybe even thousands of others. You will not see her again, the quicker you understand that, the easier this will be. It is you and you alone. You are the only person that you need to worry about.”
Emmerich was silent now.
“I don’t think I can stand for much longer.” Bobby said, it hurt his throat to speak as he was so dehydrated.
“You have to, if you fall then they will kill you. You are no good to them if you can’t work.” Will replied.
“We haven’t been working?” Bobby replied.
“No, but if you are put into a standard cell then you will have to work.”
“I don’t think I will be able to make it to a regular cell, not with the salt water.”
“She can’t be dead.” Emmerich mumbled.
“Emmerich believe me, she is. Would you rather she was alive and living in these hellish conditions?” Will snapped.
“Will we don’t know if they are dead or not.” Bobby interjected.
“Not you too. You should know better than anyone, you will be dead within days.”
Bobby sigh
ed, he knew that Will was right.
Chapter 14
“So how do you intend on getting us into Auschwitz?” Chase asked.
“I am only allowing you to use my device. It is not my responsibility to come up with a plan.” Edward replied unhelpfully.
“Won’t we be able to fight our way in? I fought in the eighty years war, I am quite experienced in warfare.” Guy interrupted.
“Your methods may be a little dated Guy.” Chase replied.
“Well, perhaps the weapons have changed, but warfare does not. I could get us into the camp.”
“I’m not worried about getting in Guy. That will be the easy bit, finding Bobby and getting back out will be the hard part.”
“What did you call these people?” Guy asked.
“The Nazis.”
“Perhaps a distraction would give us entry. I could cause an explosion, which would distract the guards.”
“It really will not be that simple.” Chase replied.
They were silenced when the light appeared and Faraday arrived just behind Sarah.
“Where are we now?” She asked.
“This is Bobby’s home in 1963.” Faraday replied.
Chase rose to his feet to shake Sarah’s hand. “Good to see you again.”
She smiled before replying. “I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name.”
Chase blushed. “It’s Chase Gibson.”
Sarah turned her attention to Teller. “So I see you are trying to make up for your mistakes.” She snapped.
“I just saved your life.” He snapped back.
“No, he did.” She said pointing to Faraday.
“It was because of him that you ended up being captured.”
“That’s not true, I had no idea that they were going after any of you.” Faraday tried.
“So you betrayed Bobby as well?”
Faraday nodded solemnly.
“Coward.” Sarah spat.
“I know I made a mistake, that’s why I’m trying to fix things.” Faraday replied.
“Who are you?” Sarah asked Guy.
“My name is Guy Fawkes. These men saved my life.” He said with a smile.
“You are Guy Fawkes? This is insane, I wish I’d never met any of you!” Sarah snapped.
They were interrupted as they heard the sound of a key in the front door of the condo.
“It must be Jane and Nancy. Hide in the bedroom.” Faraday ordered.
Guy, Chase, Sarah and Edward made their way into Bobby’s room and closed the door. Faraday had planned on following them, but he couldn’t miss the opportunity to see her. As the door opened, it was not who he had been expecting.
The door closed and the cold dead eyes of Jacob Cohen stared into his.
“Jacob?”
“We need to have a talk James, get the others.”
“How did you...”
“Please gather the others.”
Jacob walked passed Faraday and into the living room. Faraday opened Bobby’s bedroom door and gestured for the others to come through. When they entered the living room, Sarah let out a shriek of horror and Chase ran at Jacob.
“You son of a bitch!” Chase screamed.
Jacob punched Chase quickly in the face, causing Chase to fall in a heap on the ground.
“I am not here to hurt anyone. Please take a seat, and Dr Teller, please see if we have any beverages, I have had a long journey.”
Jacob sat down on one of the couches and only Guy was willing to sit near him. Faraday helped Chase to his feet and helped him onto the other couch beside Sarah. Faraday pulled a chair from the table by the window and pulled another one across for Teller.
“Am I looking for alcoholic beverages? Because that is all that is here.” Edward’s shouted from the kitchen.
“Bring some beers.” Jacob demanded.
Edward returned handing cans of Budweiser to everyone.
Guy looked at his as though it was a spaceship. “Allow me.” Jacob took Guy’s beer and opened it for him. “You drink from the hole.” He handed it back to Guy, who looked amazed.
“Now James, you are playing a very dangerous game here.” Jacob began before swigging from his can.
“I watched you die.” Was all Faraday could say.
Jacob let out his manic laugh for the first time since his arrival. “Bullet proof vest I’m afraid.”
“I can shoot you in the head if you prefer.” Faraday snapped.
“There’s no need for that kind of talk Mr Faraday.” Guy interrupted.
“You don’t know him!” Chase shouted.
Guy was taken aback and instead of replying took the opportunity to sip from his beer.
Jacob laughed once again. “None of you know me. And none of us knew Abaddon. Each and every one of us have been lied to, with the exception of you Guy.”
“I have not been lied to.” Teller replied.
Jacob could not control his laughter. “Is that so doctor? Do you think he was going to let you live? Do you think he would have left you in control of the wormhole generators?”
“That was the arrangement.” Teller replied.
“Would you like to know what your precious friend did with your generator?”
“What did he do?” Teller asked.
“He used it to transport nuclear warheads from the future back to 1969, he went to war with the Soviets and he blew half the world to hell.”
There was silence as the words sank in.
“Excuse me, I do not understand, what is a nuclear warhead?” Guy asked.
“Well Guy, imagine if there were barrels of gunpowder that could destroy entire cities and countries in seconds, killing millions in the process.” Jacob replied.
“What are the Soviets?” Guy asked.
“Russia.”
“I thought you wanted the end of communism?” Faraday asked.
“Oh yes, I did. But he screwed me like he screwed all of you. He told me that I would be made head of the CIA if I helped him. So I did as I was asked, just like you did. But Abaddon had me over a barrel, to speak in a language that Guy here will understand. I was a fugitive, he wanted rid of me because I knew too much. He gave me the choice of death or travelling to the future. I chose the latter and decided that I would pay dear David Lewis a visit. I was going to kill him as I was told he was the only surviving member of your little team, and then I saw you. I was astonished, he had lied to me again. He had told me you were all dead, all gone. Then things started getting strange.
All of a sudden, Guy Fawkes was no longer a household name. I looked it up online and discovered that the gunpowder plot no longer existed. It was described as a fire that burned down the parliament building, killing only guards.”
“So the King survived?” Guy asked, sounding disappointed.
“Yes, he did. Then all of a sudden there were conspiracy theorists that claimed the Titanic was sunk by time travellers or aliens. A woman and a man fitting your descriptions had appeared on the scene and disappeared. The theorists argued that they had boarded a lifeboat, before disappearing into a bright blinding light. Just like that, now having one of these.” Jacob pulled out a portable wormhole generator, identical to the one that they had. “The description sounded somewhat familiar. So then, I looked online for any other instances where people had appeared and disappeared in strange circumstances. That’s when I traced the tail of Bobby Stinson, the man who appeared from nowhere before dying a death at the hands of Dr Mengele.”
“Dr Mengele?” Sarah asked in horror.
“How did you know we were here?” Faraday asked.
“It seemed a fitting moment for you to choose.” Jacob replied. “Back to where it all began.”
“Where is Bobby?” Sarah asked.
“So why are you here?” Chase interrupted.
“Excellent question.” Jacob laughed.
“Tell us the answer then.” Sarah snapped.
Jacob stopped laughing and stared straight at Sarah. “Beca
use you need me. If you want to save Bobby, then I am your best chance.”
“Where is Bobby?” Sarah repeated.
“Why would you help us?” Faraday asked.
“Two reasons James. We all have a common enemy, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Secondly there is another situation that I cannot deal with alone.”
“What situation?” Chase asked.
“Where is Bobby?” Sarah yelled this time.
“Auschwitz.” Faraday replied.
“You put him there!” She snapped. “How could you?”
“I didn’t know what Abaddon was going to do.” Faraday insisted.
“What situation Jacob?” Chase asked again.
“Our dear President Abaddon Wolf is planning a political assassination to ensure that the American Empire stays strong.”
“Did you say American Empire? America could never have an Empire, you are a colony.” Guy stated.
“Times change Guy. Abaddon showed the world how powerful America is. We have weapons that exceed those of other countries by hundreds of years. His private army of my former CIA colleagues murdered any political enemies, and he threatened all countries in the world with war, unless they became vessel states of our country.”
“So America rules the entire world?” Chase asked in amazement.
“Well, not officially but after Eastern Europe was destroyed, followed by Vietnam and then Korea, other countries knew that they would have to submit to American demands. Other countries run their policies by Abaddon and his cabinet, and from the White House, he runs everything that happens here on Earth.”
“So there are still other governments?” Faraday asked.
“Indeed there are. But in name only, well until quite recently. Sarah would you like to tell us about your parents?” Jacob asked.
She blushed and shifted uncomfortably. “Why?”
“Please?” Jacob asked before laughing a little.
“I grew up in an orphanage.” She replied.
“Sad isn’t it. Do you know anything about your parents?”
“No.” She spoke softly.
“Well, your mother died in childbirth, she had met a man in a bar and you were conceived. She only knew his name, and they never met again. That man was Scottish, and he went on to have another child, a son he named Alex.”
Faraday’s jaw dropped. No one else seemed to know where this was going. Jacob laughed at Faraday’s surprise.