by Mark Spaid
“Again, we don’t know but if we have this with us, maybe it can jar our memory,” Warren said.
“What do we do in the meantime, Mr. Warren?” Darcy asked.
“Stay close to one another. We’ll be getting the device ready and you can bet they won’t wait long to test it…and we know it’ll work,” Warren said.
“As soon as we know it’s ready, we’ll tell everyone. At that point stay with each other,” Dave added.
“There’s one more thing called a Time Influx. When an event is changed in the past there’ll be a sensation that goes through the Earth, that’ll reflect any material changes that occurred because of the Time Infraction. It might be a sensation you feel through your entire body and it shouldn’t last very long. Then when you look around things could be different. The things around probably won’t be the same and someone who’d been right next to you might be gone. Remember to keep the packet with you to check to see who you were before the Time Influx.,” Warren reminded them.
* * *
“You two can have the bed,” Darcy said as she nodded to Dixie and Jessica.
“No, we’re all in this together,” Dixie said. This is your room, Darcy and you and Zara should get the bed. We’ll sleep on the floor in sleeping bags with the rest of the third-class passengers.” They all laughed at that.
“Fair enough but we’ll switch off each night,” Zara said. They were lying there thinking, all of them, trying to take in what Little Wolf, Dave and Warren had said.
“I’m scared,” Melanie said. Paulita put her arm around her and pulled her close.
“I think we all are, Baby,” Paulita said.
“But what if this time thing happens and I don’t remember you, Paulita?” Melanie said.
“Yeah,” Mallory said.
“Keep the packet with you at all times, like Mr. Warren said but here take these,” Paulita said and handed wallet sized photos of herself to the twins. “If something happens and we’re separated then look at these pictures. My name’s on the back.”
“I can’t lose you, Paulita,” Melanie said as her voice cracked.
“I feel the same thing about you and Mallory too.”
“I hope we can all remember each other but we can’t be sure,” Darcy said.
“When will this happen?” Jessica asked.
“In a few days,” Zara said. They were quiet for a few minutes. There was nothing to say that helped. Finally, Darcy spoke up.
“Now, look, girls, we’re not at a funeral…at least not yet. Nothing’s going to happen tonight. Let’s see if we can order pizza and enjoy some movies since were not likely to go to sleep anytime soon anyway.”
“Darcy’s right, let’s enjoy ourselves as best we can and worry about the future later,” Paulita said. They ordered pizza and had a good time with the usual amount of silliness and laughter and fell asleep around four am.
CHAPTER TEN
“Thanks for seeing us Detective Westfield and Captain Shellhause,” Jozette said as she and Tatiana sat in a booth in a late-night diner. Jozette had called Tom and arranged a meeting away from the police station. They could still be followed for all she knew but that was a chance she had to take in order to tell Tom and Captain Shellhause what was coming.
“Your past performance guarantees our attention when you ask for it,” Captain Shellhause said.
“Very well and I hope I haven’t lost any of my credibility after you hear what we have to say,” Jozette said. Tom looked at Captain Shellhause.
“Okay, we’re listening,” Tom said. It was decided that Jozette would do most of the talking.
“You’ve both known me a long time, Tom,” Jozette said.
“We have and we’ve both helped each other in the past,” Tom said.
“I want to preface what we’re about to say by telling you both that Tatiana and I are mentally sound. You may not think so after hearing what we tell you but we are. Now, I’ll ask both of you the same question….If I told you something would you believe me?”
“Yes,” Tom said.
“I would,” Captain Shellhause said.
“Good and I’ll hold you to the fact that you said it.” Jozette looked at Tatiana who nodded for her continue.
“Okay,” Tom said with a puzzled expression.
“Tom, do you remember when we brought Little Wolf home from a reservation in upstate New York?”
“I do.”
“Well, we didn’t get him from a reservation in New York. He came from Pennsylvania.”
“That’s hardly a big difference,” Tom said.
“The location no but the time…yes.” She took a deep breath. “Little Wolf was born in 1750.” Captain Shellhause blew out a puff of air and Tom leaned back and clasped his hands behind his head.
“I never believed the reservation story but I didn’t think it was anything like this,” Tom said.
“So, somehow you discovered…” Captain Shellhause started.
“You might as well say it, Captain…time travel.”
“Wow,” Tom added.
“I’ll cut it short. We were in Pennsylvania visiting Dave and Tatiana. Andy, Justin, Belinda and I were exploring the woods and stumbled onto a wartime project involving time travel.”
“They were working on many strange things during the war,” Captain Shellhause said.
“And, this was one of them. Of course, we ended up back in 1760. Little Wolf’s parents asked me to take him back with us because his people would be wiped out three years later.”
“What kind of time machine was it?” Tom asked.
“It was a time portal. High voltage that energized a rectangular wire enclosure and after a waviness appeared there was an opening and you could go back and forth.”
“How does that affect things today?” Captain Shellhause said.
“We’re in a difficult position and I have to say that the police can’t get involved,” Tatiana said.
“Are any laws being broken?” Tom asked.
“No, it’s all above board. There’ve been deaths in other states and the same thing could happen to us if we don’t cooperate. They can easily get to our friends and relatives and no, the police can’t protect us,” Jozette said.
“We beg you not to get involved for the sake of our families,” Tatiana said. Captain Shellhause looked at Tom who nodded yes.
“Okay, we’ll give you some distance,” Captain Shellhause said.
“Take these and keep them with you at all times at work and at home,” Jozette said as she handed the two policemen packets.
“What are these?” Tom asked.
“Information that involves you. In a few days there’ll be a time travel episode, called a Time Influx and there’s every chance that within a matter of seconds the entire world will be altered. You two may not even know each other,” Jozette said.
“I take it you know who’ll be doing these things,” Tom said and Tatiana nodded.
“And, were supposed to just sit and wait?” Captain Shellhause asked.
“Yes, sir,” Jozette said. “Our reason for meeting you is that when this happens, we may need to come and see you two for help, advice, or whatever we need. Keep the packets with you at all times.”
“Alright, we can take you at your word,” Captain Shellhause said. We told you that and we meant it.”
“And you guys?” Tom asked.
“We’re waiting and seeing as well,” Tatiana said.
“I take it your husband and Peabody are involved in all of this?” Tom asked.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Tatiana answered.
“Good luck,” Tom said as everyone got up.
“I suppose we didn’t have a choice in all of this did we?” Captain Shellhause posed.
“No,” Jozette said and she and Tatiana left.
* * *
“How long to build the transformer?” Dave asked Warren. It’d taken two days to build the portal. Thick wiring had to be strung across the ceiling and hol
low copper balls were at each upper corner. Static would build up in the metal balls to a very high level then be sent through the portal, it’d become energized and make the opening in the space/time barrier. All that was left was to build the transformer to change 240 volts into a million. (For clarification voltage could be analogized as pressure and amperage as a bullet that’s being shot from an air rifle. Fire an air rifle without a bullet and the pressure is the same but it’s harmless. Add a bullet the next time and it can kill. Same pressure but one has a bullet and one doesn’t. Static electricity, the kind that shocks us in the winter is voltage without amperage. It shocks us and we jump but it’s harmless. A hundred thousand volts without amperage will only make our hair stand up or shock us. Add a few amps and we’re dead. Warren was creating a wire frame and running one million volts thought it…with zero amperage. The field created opens the passage through time just like it did in the Pennsylvania Wilds and when it sent the gang back to 1907.
“A couple of days.”
“I guess we should tell Kleinschmidt,” Dave said.
“This is Wednesday so they might be able to test it on Friday,” Sol suggested.
“Then let’s tell him that when he gets here,” Dave said.
“Okay,” Sol said.
“Gentlemen, I hear you’ve made progress,” Kleinschmidt remarked as he made his usual five o’clock arrival.
“We have or rather Warren has. He’s the experimentalist,” Dave said. Kleinschmidt knelt down and examined the transformer then stood up smiling.
“This little thing will work? This tiny little thing will send us back in time?”
“Yes, it will,” Warren said as he continued to work.
“I thought a time machine was a huge thing that you sat in and it whisked you through time, forward or backward,” Kleinschmidt posed.
“In books and movies maybe. The idea of an object speeding through hundreds or thousands of years with a person in tow is fantasy only,” Warren remarked.
“And, Tesla?” Kleinschmidt asked.
“Tesla knew the only way to breach the time barrier was to open a door through the space-time continuum and he did but he felt his life was in danger and he jumped back. He must’ve been careless with the current, meaning he used amperage to increase his voltage. A mistake but he didn’t know what I do about the mechanics of the generator. Amperage is not necessary, only voltage and very high voltage at that.”
“I see, well then I guess we’re close to a test run.”
“Yes, in a day from now we can send someone through.”
“Don’t you test it first?”
“We’ll send through a few inanimate objects,” Warren said.
“How will you know if they’re okay?” Kleinschmidt asked.
“Because I know it’ll work and we can tie them to a rope.”
“When will you do this?”
“Tomorrow afternoon,” Warren said.
“I’ll look forward to it,” Kleinschmidt said as he started to leave. At the door he turned around. “You’ve done this before haven’t you?” Warren nodded. Kleinschmidt looked at all three of them then left.
Bloomington, Indiana
June 2020
“Why are we meeting? We’re not scheduled for another month?” Randall Willoughby asked.
“Something has come up and it is critical.” Robert Cannover said as the six couples and their sons sat in Thomas Rutherford’s living room. Strope was long since dead and Cannover took his place. He was a hardcore Nazi from Chicago and had taken over the task of preparing the descendants for the possible and now it appeared that it might finally happen. The oldest sons were thirty-five now and ready for their assignment if the opportunity ever arose. They’d been thoroughly indoctrinated into Nazi ideology and doctrine.
“What?” Robert Klay asked. He was George and Kathryn’s son.
“It appears that the SS is ready to make a time travel trip back to the past and change things,” Cannover said.
“How will that affect us?” Randall Willoughby Jr. asked.
“We don’t know,” Cannover answered.
“If events are changed then people might not be born. Maybe none of us will be born,” Walter West surmised.
“You’re correct but the essence of your mission is to re-create The Greater Reich. Nothing more and nothing less.”
“So, we might all disappear since we may not have existed,” Steven said.
“Yes, including myself. My grandfather might’ve died fighting the invasion from Europe. Then I wouldn’t exist. We don’t know anything for certain. We’ve all known that for years,” Cannover said.
“But if we exist now, wouldn’t we still exist after a change but maybe in a different scenario?” Thomas Rutherford Jr. asked.
“Possibly and in fact that very argument is one that’s made by many people who’ve studied time travel.”
“But, if the new SS members go back and convince Hitler not to invade Russia and things change would they even need to father the six original children, our grandfathers?” James West asked.
“An interesting question but they have directives to convince the Nazi higher ups to go ahead with the children at Schensburg,” Cannover said.
“So, we sit and wait?” Steven asked.
“Yes.”
“When will this event take place?” Donald Wright Jr. asked.
“In the next two days.” The room went silent and after a few minutes Cannover adjourned the meeting and they all went back to their homes.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Okay, this is the time we told you about,” Dave said as everyone gathered around.
“Tomorrow,” Lexi muttered nervously as she sat next to Will and held his hand.
“Yes, tomorrow.”
“And the results could be immediate,” Justin posed.
“They almost certainly will be since, however, long it takes these men to convince the Nazis to change their path, it’ll have happened back in the 1940’s. So, even though it may take these guys weeks or months to convince Hitler in 1939 to alter course, it could be like seconds to us back in 2020,” Sol explained. “Though, were not entirely sure. It can vary between incidents. We don’t know all of the mitigating factors. We’ve gone back in time but we never knowingly changed anything.”
“Stay close to one another and especially keep Gabby and Beth close to you. They’ll likely be the most frightened and remember they may not even know you, at least as you are now,” Warren said.
“Okay, so this’ll happen tomorrow and if they’re successful then what’ll they ask of you?” Jozette said.
“We don’t know…it could be that they’ll conquer the world without the advanced weapons. If that’s the case then we become expendable,” Dave said.
“Won’t they need you to continue the time travel thing?” Belinda asked.
“Possibly but the device I’ve constructed is actually fairly simple considering the things it can do and any decent engineer could reverse engineer the transformer,” Warren said.
“So, what does this mean?” Ariel asked.
“It means we need to be ready for anything,” Dave said.
“Should we run?” Andy asked.
“No, they’re watching our every move. You have to stay here and the three of us will try to make ourselves seem useful,” Dave said. There wasn’t much more to say and after an hour or so they went to bed. Around three am Tatiana heard a noise and got up. She went downstairs and saw Little Wolf sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea.
“Can’t sleep?” Tatiana asked.
“You either, I see.”
“You made noise…I thought Indians were supposed to be quiet and sneak up on people.”
“I lost my stealth living with you noisy white people.”
“Touché,” Tatiana said as she poured herself some tea and sat down.
“It’s coming, Miss Tatiana, you know that.”
“Yes, I know and I also know it’s g
oing to be up to you and me and maybe Julieta to keep the lid on things.” He nodded.
“There’re so many of us…it’s going to be hard to keep everyone together and safe.”
“I understand but we have to find a way.”
“You know the odds are against us.”
“They were against us in Russia and South America but we came through,” Tatiana said.
“Isn’t this worse?”
“Much worse but we can find a way…we have to because I don’t want any sad endings.” They drank tea in silence for a few minutes.
“I’m guessing they’ll come for all of us in a large van or even a tractor-trailer,” Little Wolf said.
“That’s my feeling too.”
“We need to bring Julieta into this.”
“Yes, your mom will be occupied with Beth and Belinda with Gabby and of course your mom will have to look after Belinda as well.”
“And we’ll look after all of them.” Tatiana nodded and grinned at Little Wolf.
* * *
“Are you ready?” Kleinschmidt asked as Warren made some last-minute adjustments to the chronometer.
“We are.”
“Okay, let’s see it.” Warren looked at Dave and Sol and they nodded.
“Here goes,” Warren said and punched in the settings and hit execute. There was a hum as the transformer warmed up then a vibration and sparks began to be emitted from the copper balls atop the wiring in the ceiling. The presence of an electrostatic field could be sensed by all as Kleinschmidt felt the hair on his arms and saw the hair on Dave’s head begin to stand up. It took about three minutes then there was a loud pop from the ceiling and the wavy feature that Dave, Sol and Warren were familiar with appeared in the center.
“It’s ready,” Dave said.
“What about a test?”
“We can if you like,” Dave said.
“We must see if it works,” Kleinschmidt said.
“Very well, Dave,” Sol said and Dave grabbed a block of wood tied to a rope and threw it into the portal and it disappeared. In a few seconds Dave pulled it back.
“What does that prove?” Kleinschmidt asked.