Stolen Time

by Keith Hughes

  “ I... wish... we... had more... time,” his younger twin gasped. “So... much... I... wanted to... say.”

  Ness’s heart twisted at the raw emotion in his voice. It rekindled his desolation, knowing they would never meet again. His friend's face creased in shared sadness.

  “I know,” the scientist said softly, “but there is no time. You must go. Goodbye, Ness, and thank you.”

  Ness stared as the younger man faded away, leaving an empty seat. The sound of a shattering cup indicated someone else had witnessed the departure. Across the room, the waitress stared at the bare spot, slack-jawed. She fled into the kitchen and chattered excitedly to the cook.

  He used that instant to step out of the hallway, wearing the same blue Jack Bauer for President T-shirt and gray hoodie as his former self. Dr. Bertrand's eyebrows rose as Ness slid into the booth. The scientist studied him intently.

  “Hello, Dr. Bertrand.” Ness gave him a weary smile. Regardless of the strife he had been through, Ness was happy to see his mentor again.

  “Who, him?” someone said loudly at the counter. They turned to see the cook standing next to the waitress, wiping his hands on a towel.

  “I'm telling you he disappeared before my eyes!” The waitress pointed an identifying finger at Ness.

  The cook rolled his eyes. “Hey, buddy! You planning on disappearing?”

  “Not if I can help it.” Ness grinned at the situation he had inadvertently created, although he did have some sympathy for the confused waitress.

  The cook turned away and shook his head. “You'd better switch to decaf, Dolores.” He returned to the kitchen.

  Dr. Bertrand’s attention refocused on Ness.

  “So you came back.”

  “Yes, I need some more information.”

  Dr. Bertrand sighed.

  “Unfortunately, there isn't much more I can tell you about Glenn and Paul.”

  “That little adventure got sorted out a couple years ago, my time.” Ness shook his head. “I've got new problems. It all started the day I shot Angie.”

  Dr. Bertrand raised an eyebrow but maintained silence, motioning for his student to continue. In the two years since Ness had last shared that space with his friend, he had grieved for his loss while preserving his memory as much as possible. With the version of the doctor sitting before him, the one with only hours to live, Ness could discern weariness his earlier self had been too distracted to notice. Is he worn down due to his raging cancer or from guilt at being the impetus for Intellisys’s repeated intrusions? Perhaps both.

  “Truthfully, I wasn’t the one who did that deed but a copy from the future. Intellisys had taken her, and John Fletcher used her as leverage to compel me to implement his plan. I stopped my double from killing her in my time then went forward to see what this version of me had experienced.”

  Ness shifted in his seat. “It was bad. Martial law, curfews, you name it.”

  “I've been there too.” Dr. Bertrand's expression became haunted.

  “But when I saw Angie...” Ness broke off, unable to finish. He looked away briefly, tears gathering in his eyes. “They injected her with a poison, and she gets some sort of antidote that keeps her alive. Barely.” He wiped at his face.

  “She asked the future me to kill her. To shoot her dead on the street before her abduction. Even though I knew it was Angie, I barely recognized her. She had changed so much.” Ness tapped a finger against the side of his head. “Mentally. Physically. Her essence had been destroyed.” He hid his face in his hands, and Dr. Bertrand grasped his arm.

  “Nestor, I have never regretted my invention more than I do now,” the scientist said sadly. “Forgive me for dragging you into this problem, not once but twice.”

  After a minute, Ness pulled himself together. He snatched a napkin from a dispenser and wiped his eyes and cheeks. Abruptly struck with thirst, he sipped his tea. His palate had been briefly surprised that his cup did not hold coffee, before remembering his younger self had not yet learned to like it.

  “The blame lies with others. You were doing what you were meant to do. If others twist your work for their ends, it doesn't reflect on you.”

  Dr. Bertrand did not dispute Ness’s words, although guilt was still evident upon his face.

  “I'm going to stop them,” Ness asserted. “I won't let them take her.”

  “So why are you here?” Dr. Bertrand probed. “What can I do to help?”

  Ness took another sip of tea, a delaying tactic to find the right words. “I planned to warn myself, but an unusual event that happened when I escaped Fletcher’s future forced me to come here first.”

  The doctor was clearly intrigued, and Ness took a lungful of air before continuing.

  “My last encounter in the future involved a fight with one of Fletcher's men, and right before I activated the return trip, he grabbed me.”

  “Oh, my.” Dr. Bertrand’s eyes widened.

  “Yeah, well, he came back to 2010 with me. I didn't know such a thing was possible.”

  “According to my calculations, it could be, but I never got to the point of testing it.” Dr. Bertrand frowned. “There are problems with this mode of travel.”

  Ness's eyebrow rose.

  “If my numbers were correct, traveling without direct contact with the machine results in an eighty to eighty-five percent decrease in the amount of borrowed time available.”

  Ness whistled. “So this guy I brought back to 2010 could only have a few hours?”

  “Such was the conclusion I derived from my formulas.”

  “What if two people travel while touching the device?”

  “Each person should have their full amount of borrowed time, according to my research,” Bertrand answered. “I must say, your exploits have delved into areas I only theorized about! I find it terribly exciting.”

  The doctor’s enthusiasm quickly drained away, and his expression became contrite. “I apologize, Ness. I got carried away. What are mainly academic considerations for me could have severe consequences for you and Angie.”

  Ness smiled reassuringly. “I understand, Doc. I’ve always known your passion for this work runs deep.”

  They sat in brief, awkward silence before Dr. Bertrand cleared his throat and returned to the topic at hand. “One downside to your temporal hitchhiker is the doubled power consumption, which is a consequence to be aware of.”

  Ness shifted at the mention of the device's power. He had neglected to grab the charger at the apartment.

  “What happens if the device runs out of battery?”

  “Well, nothing immediate,” Dr. Bertrand answered, “but without power, you would not be able to return to your home time. That could be catastrophic if you were in a time like this one that lacked the proper adapters.”

  Ness pulled out his PDA and pressed the power button. A bit of fear entered his eyes as the screen remained dark, and he pressed the button again, but the result was the same. He looked at the doctor.

  “Battery dead?”

  Ness nodded.

  “And how much borrowed time did you have?”

  “I should have about seven hours.”

  Dr. Bertrand rummaged in his coat pocket, giving his former student a wry smile. “What did I always say about planning and time travel?” He removed a small silver device with a short cord and set it on the table, showing the Energizer logo.

  “Failure to plan always ends in disaster,” Ness said, slightly abashed.

  “Just so.” He smiled. “This charger takes normal batteries and charges any device with a USB port, like the PDA.”

  Ness looked the device over. After a gesture from Dr. Bertrand, he inserted the cable into the port on the PDA.

  “A couple of minutes should be all you need to get you home.”

  “I should pick up one of these,” Ness said sheepishly.

  “That would be an excellent idea,” Dr. Bertrand agreed. “This man you brought back, will he be a danger?”

&
nbsp; “Definitely.” Ness’s mien turned grim. “He works for John. The others deferred to him, so he might be Paul's replacement.”

  “It is dangerous having such a man in your home time.”

  “Well, he's not in my home time. It's the day before,” Ness admitted sheepishly. “I was going to save Angie before the kidnapping.”

  Dr. Bertrand leaned over the table, obviously concerned.

  “You must go back and warn your earlier self. This man got away, I assume?”

  “Yes, he did.”

  “He will surely alert Intellisys, and they may react sooner than in the original series of events.”

  “You're right.” Ness turned his PDA on and saw it had enough of a charge to light the screen. He unplugged the cable and handed the device to Dr. Bertrand.

  “When you have saved yourself and Angie, destroy the device.” Dr. Bertrand’s gaze turned stern, and Ness squirmed under the implied rebuke.

  “Yeah, I know you said to after last time. But it was the last surviving part of your work, and it is such an important discovery.”

  “This is true.” Dr. Bertrand’s voice disclosed a touch of pride. His eyes briefly reflected his deep connection to the accomplishment before turning grave again. “As long as there are those who will use it to shape the world to their ends, it represents too much power. As I believe you are learning, it is simply too dangerous to contain.”

  Ness shook his head. “I assumed with Glenn and Paul gone, we would be safe. An incorrect supposition on my part, and so far, Angie has paid the price.” He lowered his head to hide the tears he could not control.

  “You can rectify this,” Dr. Bertrand said confidently. “I have faith in you. And afterward, I trust you will do what needs to be done. Destroy the device. All of them, if multiple copies exist.”

  “I will.” Ness spoke with determination, looking at his friend again.

  Dr. Bertrand beamed and held out his hand, and Ness gripped it firmly. “It has been a real pleasure seeing you again, Nestor, one I did not expect to have in the short time left to me.”

  Slowly, and with a slight grimace of pain, Dr. Bertrand rose from the booth.

  “And now if you will excuse me, I have a date to keep with my wife.” Dr. Bertrand gave Ness a warm smile. “Bon voyage.”

  “Be seeing you,” Ness said as he raised his hand, and Dr. Bertrand left the diner.

  Ness watched him depart then put a few of his 1980s bills on the table. To spare the waitress any further shocks, he left the booth and returned to the bathroom to resume his journey.

  I've got to do something to increase the glamour of time travel.

  He shook his head as he entered a shabby stall to ensure his privacy and not cause another incident during his return to 2010. Though Ness doubted anyone would believe tales of men disappearing in a twinkling, he considered it simple courtesy to avoid inflicting such mental shock on the innocents of that time. To that end, he accepted the peeling paint around him as his lot and commenced his journey home.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN: Seeing Double

  Monday, June 7, 2010, 6:05 p.m.

  In the many years since Karl had dealt with a broken nose, he had forgotten how much agony the injury delivered. In the back of a cab on his way to Intellisys, he gingerly held a tissue to his nostrils. Each daub sent a shooting pain piercing his brain. He inspected the tissue and noted most of the fluid had dried on it in a crusty brown mass. Karl grunted. Gut.

  Besides the injury, Karl felt odd in other ways. His skin was prickling as if he had a low-grade fever. He wondered whether he was coming down with something or if it was a normal side effect of time travel. He seemed to remember the arschloch scientist saying something about having most of twenty-four hours for short jumps, but he needed confirmation. He had never expected it would pertain to him, so he had not retained the information.

  Halt doch deine Ohren offen, he reprimanded himself. Yes, he should always keep his ears open.

  When they finally arrived in front of the Intellisys building, Karl threw the cabbie his fare along with a meager tip. Bills fluttered in the air as he left the worn confines of the vehicle. At the large glass doors, he waved his ID card at the black scan pad next to the door. A small green light flashed, and the lock released. Karl wrenched the door open and stalked into the lobby.

  The guard at the desk gaped. Karl knew the red, swollen, and misshapen nose had drawn his attention, along with the streaks of his blood on his shirt. A well-placed glare encouraged the employee to turn his attention elsewhere. In the elevator, he jabbed the button for the fifth floor. When the doors swished open again, Karl let out a sigh.

  Executive country. The soft lighting brought out the rich hues of the parquet flooring and created an effect of calming luxury. The highly buffed wood appeared to glow of its own accord. Contemporary sconces along the corridor provided more style than light.

  Allowing the pleasant environment to affect him, he strode to his office and admired the plaque outside, which read Karl G. Morgenstern, Security Directorate. The new name of the department felt comfortable. It reminded him of old times in East Berlin.

  His secretary, Stephanie Montague, nearly dropped her stapler and hurriedly stood when he entered.

  “Mr. Morgenstern, I thought you were in your office. Are you all right?”

  Karl grunted noncommittally and crossed to the inner door. It swung open with quiet ease, and he stepped through.

  His self from the current time was sitting behind the desk, his attention on his computer. “Ja, what is it?” his copy grumbled as the door closed with a muted click.

  Karl sat heavily in one of the visitor chairs. The copy glanced away from his work and gaped. “Mein Gott,” he finally exclaimed. “Wo kommst du denn her?”

  “From your future — 2015,” Karl responded in his native tongue.

  “How? Why?”

  “The Ness Relevont from this time infiltrated John's base of operations at his residence and attempted an escape,” Karl said. “In the middle of hand-to-hand combat, he initiated a time jump. I... hitched a ride.”

  “Amazing.”

  Karl silently agreed.

  “What happened to your nose?”

  “Relevont has a hard elbow.”

  “The Relevont who visited your time, he knows about the operation tomorrow to abduct his wife?”

  “Yes, I think so,” Karl answered.

  “We may have to adjust the timetable,” his double murmured.

  Karl nodded and wiped his forehead. His malaise was getting stronger.

  “Are you all right?”

  Karl shook his head. “My skin prickles like I have a fever, but in my time, I had no such symptoms.”

  “A side effect of time traveling?” his double asked.

  Karl had no idea and shook his head.

  “We should visit Dix. He may have some insights.”

  “Ass,” Karl muttered.

  “Yes.” His double grimaced. “But he's the best we have for now.”

  The double picked up his phone and dialed a number. “Mrs. Montague, could you please go to the mail room?” he said, smoothly switching to English. “I believe there is a package waiting for me.”

  “A package?” Karl inquired as his double hung up.

  “A fiction.” The doppelganger waved his hand. “Seeing us together would likely make her faint and cause no end of attention. We will wait a minute.”

  Karl strode around the office. He had not done much to change the space over the next five years, so he enjoyed the familiar surroundings. His younger self finally rose and went to the door, and he followed. Instead of turning left in the hallway toward the main elevator, his copy turned right toward the executive elevator. It had no visible buttons, just another of the black entry pads. Karl's double brandished his card, which caused the elevator to chime, and the doors opened. Once inside, the other Karl pressed the third-floor button.

  When the burnished brass panels slid aside at the
ir destination, Karl kept out of view until his double indicated the hallway was empty. As they passed the various doors, Karl glanced at the signs next to them. Each bore an element from the periodic table, and Karl did not recognize most of the cryptic designations. His double led him to the portal marked PU, one of the few elements he recognized. Another wave of the card, and they were in the lab's empty reception area. The current occupant needed no secretary. Karl's double opened the inner door, and Karl followed at his heels.

  “Dr. Dix, I am in need of your assistance.”

  A thoroughly disheveled young man turned to face them. He froze at the sight of the two identical men before a large smile split his face. “Awesome!” He sounded for all the world like a teenager with a new video game.

  “Arschloch,” Karl muttered again.

  Dix looked at him. “I know what that means, you know. I Googled it.” The scientist looked pleased with that bit of internet sleuthing.

  “This man is me from 2015,” Karl's double said. “He arrived with another person.”

  “Another person?” Dix asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Yes.”

  “And he had a time machine?” The scientist's expression turned quizzical.

  “Obviously.”

  Karl noticed that his current-day counterpart became uneasy with the little man's questions.

  “Awesome,” Dix repeated and approached to inspect Karl instead of asking anything further. He focused on the swollen protuberance first.

  “Your nose?”

  “It happened after.”

  Dix tsked as he examined the duplicate. He peered into Karl's eyes and laid a clammy hand on his forehead.

  “How do you feel?” Dix wiped his hand on the lab coat partially hiding a Battlestar Galactica T-shirt.

  “Like I have a slight fever.”

  Dix turned away to rummage in a drawer before extracting a digital thermometer. He wiped it on his grimy shirt.

  “Open up,” he ordered.

  Karl hesitated before deciding that whatever germs existed on the thermometer could be no worse than anything he had stuck in his gullet during combat. He opened his mouth, and Dix stuck the instrument in then grabbed Karl's wrist and timed his pulse against a clock on the wall. The device finally beeped, and Dix plucked it from his lips, raising his glasses to peer at the display. He threw the thermometer back in the drawer and slammed it shut. Karl again avoided speculating about who might have used it last.