Ten minutes, maybe a few more, went by before Michael emerged from the hall. He had one bottle of wine, two glasses and zero signs he had been in an altercation. I smiled, knowing he had eaten some of the fruit to heal himself. He gestured for me to sit, so I took the chair to the right. He poured us both a glass of wine before he took the chair to my left and looked toward the fire.
I was tired of waiting, “I know you’re still holding something back, Michael.” He drank his wine in two big gulps while I waited some more. “The whole truth, now, please.”
He set down his empty glass, and ran both hands through his hair, sighing before he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Ever since the other night in the alley, I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you everything. Hell, I’ve probably been thinking about it since before you were born; how to make it all make sense, because it still doesn’t entirely make sense, even to me.” He paused, and I could see he was searching for the words. “There’s no other way to put it,” he finally said to the floor, “I was born in the year twenty-one sixty-one.” He looked up and locked eyes with me.
I heard the words, but my brain did nothing with them, they just hung there in my ears. Rather than processing the impossibility of what he’d said, I chose to take note of how striking his eyes were without the glasses. I stared into them for a long moment before I finally blinked.
“Sam,” he pressed gently, “I’m from the future.”
I blinked again.
“So was your grandfather.”
“Excuse me?” I really didn’t think I’d heard him right. “Did you just say...?” I couldn’t finish the sentence; it was too out there, even for me.
He gave a deep sigh, and said, “Sam, I know it seems impossible, but I promise you, I couldn’t make this shit up if I wanted to.” He took a drink from his glass; I stared until he went on. “Think of it like this, when Heinlein tried to publish Rocket Ship Galileo, there were no takers because it was ‘too out there.’ But someone did print it, in -”
“Forty-seven, nineteen forty-seven.”
“Right, and then Starship Troopers, which is far more technologically detailed, came out - wait, I know this one - fifty nine. Two years before the first man in space. Burroughs had the whole A Princess of Mars thing going long before that.”
“I’m pretty sure we would have seen Tharks in the pictures taken from the rover, if they were there.”
He laughed. “Right, no Tharks, or wondrous city of Helium found on Mars yet, as of my time. The, point is that he was dreaming, and writing of space travel only shortly after the Wright brothers made their first flight. Here we are a little over a century later, and entrepreneurs are selling tickets for space flights. Next there’ll be orbiting hotels.”
And I was finally on the same page he was. “What seems impossible today will be possible tomorrow.”
He nodded, “Which is how I’m here. Man has been writing and dreaming about time travel for centuries, maybe millennia, but the drive to make it a reality came about when the world accepted irreparable damage had been done to the environment - in the early twenty-second century. It was seen as the only way to save the planet, and ourselves.
“Your great-grandparents were the physicists in charge of the time travel project, which was run by the government. Your grandfather - Samuel Clemens Marks…” my gasp interrupted him. “Yes, Samantha Clementine Marquet, you were named after your grandfather, who was, yes, named after Mark Twain.” He shook his head at the expression of astonishment on my face. “Anyway, Samuel followed in his parents’ footsteps, though his true passion was in biochemistry.
“Generally the UCE - our government in the future - dictates an individual’s path based on aptitude. Samuel was a genius, with everything, but because he was the child of Nathaniel and Sasha Marks, and was so familiar with their work, the UCE determined he should carry it on, and forced him into that project after he completed his studies.”
“That sounds like an awful way to live,” I mused.
“It has some upsides.” He didn’t sound very convincing to me. “It’s not as totalitarian as Brave New World, or We, but yes, many of our choices were made for us. We’re not carbon copy, genetically designed clones though. We still marry and reproduce the old fashioned way, for the most part.”
I raised an eyebrow, “’For the most part?’”
He chuckled. “Another time. Let me see, where to go next. I’m giving you the Cliff’s Notes for right now.
“The first successful mission back in time was sent in twenty-one fifty-eight, just before Samuel left the colony for Earth, to continue his studies. Samuel’s interests were in bio-chemical research, which was his major at the University. The UCE, however, determined that his resources were better spent in the employ of his parents. By day he worked on the time travel project with them, but by night, he was working on something of his own.” He blurted it all out, hardly pausing for breath.
“The Flamella tree,” I whispered.
He nodded. “I was eight years old in twenty-one sixty-nine, living in the same colony I was born in on the moon, when your grandfather saved my life, and the lives of many others, from a dangerous plague. He should’ve been heralded as a hero, but instead, out of fear for his life, he fled back in time. I didn’t know it at the time, but he was right to do so.
“The UCE used propaganda to promote Samuel as a traitor to the UCE, and the world, from the minute he left. He became a villain, when he should have been treated as a savior. He sacrificed his future, and risked his life in saving ours.
“For the rest of my life, in that time, the UCE painted him as the devil. He had discovered - and taken away - something they desperately wanted. The problem was the public didn’t know what was taken, or that Samuel had created it. They only told us he had stolen government property and was a terrorist.
“One story they spread was he went back in time to save Adolf Hitler, in another it was Osa-” He stopped himself, but I was able to fill in the blanks. “Whoops, sorry I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Needless to say, the things that we were told he was plotting would certainly have drastic effects on our present. They turned the mission into a ‘cause for the greater good’ to encourage volunteers to enlist - to leave their lives - and apprehend him.”
“You volunteered?” I asked.
“I was recruited, but yes, I volunteered to go back. They don’t force anyone into that choice; we’re all volunteers.”
“You believed Samuel was a traitor, even after he saved you?”
His expression was clearly remorse. “There was never a hint of doubt, in the future, that Samuel was guilty. The UCE kept his father quiet, and lied to everyone else. When I came back, the truth was nothing like what I expected.”
“Does it ever get boring for you, knowing what’s going to happen next?” I wondered aloud.
He flashed his crooked grin, “I don’t know everything that’s going to happen, just the major stuff. To be honest, world history was not my best subject in school, though I suppose I am more familiar with certain historical figures and events. I’m sure you do the same? Read more about certain people, because they fascinate you?” He smiled at me again with that mischievous sparkle in his eye, “But to answer your question, no, I’m not bored. How could I be with you and your friend around to keep things interesting?”
The slow burning sensation that crept from the apples of my cheeks to my temples told me I was blushing, and I hoped he wouldn’t notice in the firelight. An archer could hit his target miles away with the tension between us on his string. For a fraction of a second, I wondered if I was one of the people he had taken an interest in, but I quickly dismissed the thought; I wasn’t a historical figure.
Just as I was about to scream to break the silence, he continued his story. “I was twenty-eight when I left twenty-one eighty-nine, and reentered the timeline in eighteen eighty-one.” He looked to be about the age he was when he left the future, t
wenty-eight at most, but some rough math put him just over one hundred and fifty years of age. “When I found Samuel, I found out the truth. The cure he had used to save me and countless others from a plague, brought to our pristine colony by a traveler, was the cause for both his flight and my pursuit.
“Unbeknownst to anyone except the UCE investigators who reported their findings, and those with the highest level of authority in the UCE, was the fact that Samuel had attained his life’s work, and developed a plant bearing a fruit that reversed the effects of aging and cured illness. He developed it in a private project unsanctioned by the UCE, and had only just made his breakthrough when this traveler brought the Antarctica Flu to the moon.
“Those of us living on the colony, having never been exposed to any flu, let alone this new strain they were battling on Earth, were extremely susceptible. More than 75,000 were lost, including Samuel’s mother, before an inoculation was mysteriously presented and the rest were saved.”
“He used the plant?”
Michael nodded, “He had only just discovered the effects of the fruit a few days before the plague broke out. Artemis had recently developed several malignant tumors, and she was declining rapidly. He had tested a few mice, with promising results, and then he tested it successfully on her. The problem was that he didn’t realize the anti-aging effects, since age is less apparent in a cat than it is in humans.
“So when his father ate the fruit, and accidentally bit into the soft fleshy seed, he began to look younger. Then he re-examined Artemis and found that she looked a little younger too, and Samuel realized that he all he needed was the flesh of the fruit. He decided that he should dilute the potency before he used it on anyone else, so he created a serum. Then, he had his friend in the lab - who was already working on the vaccine - claim he engineered it, so the UCE wouldn’t discover the true origin of the serum. Unfortunately, Nathaniel’s signs of rejuvenation were too apparent, and that was what spurred the investigation.”
“Samuel escaped to the past?”
Michael nodded, “With the help of five of his closest friends, they all escaped along with the plant, and his cat.”
“Why wouldn’t they have just followed him to the same place and time and taken him back?” I asked.
“For one thing, time travel from the future is a one way trip; we don’t have a way to go forward.”
“What about the Hoppers?”
“Samuel came up with those after he went to the past. He started working on them in the mid-nineteenth century, I believe. Your father continued his work until they actually worked, sometime in the 1930s. So far, the farthest we’ve gone into the future with them is about seventy-four hours.
“Samuel was ahead of everyone on everything. His brain never stopped running; much like both of his parents. It was rumored they read him Einstein, Newton and Hawking instead of nursery rhymes as a child.
“In 2169, the Time Project had succeeded in sending five people back in time. Of those, three managed to leave their appointed time capsule. The fourth they determined was killed shortly after his landing, due to news clippings from 1946 about a body that remained unidentified, found under mysterious circumstances. The UCE was able to locate the DNA sample and it was in fact Louis Devareaux. At the time I left, the fifth had yet to be found.”
I leaned forward and poured another glass of wine. After a sip, I nodded for him to continue.
“There were two main issues being researched at the time of Samuel’s escape. The first being that they could only go back in time, not forward, and that was still the case when I left. Samuel was working on that, and fortunately either took all of his research with him or destroyed it before he left. So for ten years, they repaired the Time Apparatus, and for the next ten they have been trying to re-create the work that was destroyed, and that remains their most pressing concern.
“The second issue was they had almost no control over where they sent the travelers, so they didn’t know where they turned up until after they received the time capsules. But that is where advancements were actually made.
“Afterward, they would review the data, make adjustments, and try again.
“Marks was the first to solve the equation, I guess,” he shrugged. “Forgive me, I can’t explain it in full detail, I’m…”
“I know, ‘a soldier and assassin,’” I cut him off. “I’m not a scientist either, but I’m with you so far.”
“To put it in terms I understand, he knew where and when he was going. Samuel, and those who went with him, landed in 1513 Europe, just as he planned. During that time, colonization of the New World was beginning. It was easy for them to disappear into the crowds setting sail, and establish new identities for themselves in America.
“By 1560, the Society was firmly established, and well-equipped to protect their secrets. It was made up of members in various occupations, all amassing fortunes that guaranteed positions of elite social status across America and Europe.”
Artemis jumped up from the hearth and meowed, then headed toward the hall.
“Jayden must be waking up,” he said. “She’ll want to see you.”
“But...” he raised his finger to my lips, silencing them.
“We’re going to have to catch her up, and then I’ll continue.” He took my hand and led me down the hall.
***
Jayden was just sitting up, and rubbing her eyes as I entered the room. Michael hung back by the door. “Hey, you,” I said softly.
She jumped up and threw her arms around me, “OMG I’m so happy to see you.” She was crushing me and not letting go, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see you before.” She stepped back, now gripping my upper arms hard enough to leave bruises, “Do you know what kind of hell I go through being your friend?”
“I’d do it for you,” I said playfully.
“Only you could have a sense of humor at a time like this.” She looked at Michael over my shoulder, “Well you and him. He’s some piece of work, that one you have right there.”
I raised an eyebrow at her, and threw a glance at him over my shoulder before looking at her again, “Why do you say that?”
“He’s like a super soldier or something. He got swarmed by like ten guys, and they were big, and look, not even a scratch on him.”
“Oh, he had more than just a few scratches, trust me,” I assured her. The Essence of the Flamella tree did indeed work wonders; I could see why the UCE would want it. “So you’re really okay? They didn’t torture you?” I asked Jay as we headed out into the hall.
“Physically, no, but they did withhold food and water. I thought I would starve....” It must have been the look of horror on my face, she burst out laughing. “Come on, they only had me a couple hours before Mr. Action Hero busted down the door.”
“Did they get you when you left?” I asked. “Or when you were on your way, in the morning?”
“No, Sam, it was in the morning. They were spying on us, someone was in the hall of the building last night, and I just didn’t pay him any mind. They must have overheard us when I was leaving.”
“They just waited for you to walk back into their trap, and knew I would open the door expecting you.”
“Pretty much.”
As we entered the Great Hall I said, “I’m so sorry Jay, I shouldn’t have involved you.”
She gazed around taking in the room. “Don’t apologize for what those psychos did; you had nothing to do with it.” She turned back to me, and took my face in her hands. “You didn’t involve me, I involved myself. That’s what friends do, they butt in whether you want them to or not.” She planted a kiss on my forehead.
I hugged her again. “I know and I love you for it, I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
She grinned goofily at Michael, “As long as we keep him around I don’t think that’ll be an issue.”
Sometimes I wonder if she takes anything seriously, and sometimes I let it get to me. I decided to give her a pas
s on the lecture, as she’d just been rescued from my enemies. Still, I had to remind her, “This is all real, Jay.”
“I know it is,” her eyes met mine. “I promise I am taking this seriously. And I did find out some things last night, but first you have to tell me where the hell we are.”
I had to laugh. “Michael do we have another bottle of wine? We need to fill her in a bit.”
He left the room momentarily, while Jay and I dragged a sofa from the side of the room over to the fireplace so we could all sit. Michael returned with a bottle of Merlot, and poured us each a glass before taking a seat in one of the chairs. He and I took turns explaining what was happening, including her trip with the Hopper.
The first words out of her mouth were, “I got to time travel, and I was unconscious? Not fair.”
Michael chuckled, “Don’t worry; I’m sure you’ll get another chance before this is all over, probably sooner than you think. I promise I won’t knock you out next time.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” she wagged a finger at him. “But I want to know more about this UCE. What is it exactly?”
Michael sighed, clearly not wanting to discuss them more than he had to. “Its mega-government, pumped up on steroids. The UCE - or United Continents of Earth - evolved out of what you now call the UN and the Security Council. Initially, it did do a lot of good for the world. But, as with anything touched by human influence, it became tainted.”
Jay asked, “When did it form? When did the world unite?”
He gave her half of a sad smile, “I don’t know that it will ever be united, Jay, but the charters that formed the UCE were signed in twenty seventy-four.”
It was shocking to hear, but he made it convincing enough that we believed him, in his version of the future. There was a pause, and I knew that Jay was only deciding which question to ask next. If I knew her, there were at least a hundred she was debating.
I broke the silence, taking the opportunity to change the subject, “Jay, we haven’t talked about what you found out last night?”
“Ah, yes,” she sat up, ready to share. “Now is a good time to move on to matters of the present. My research didn’t get as far as I would have liked,” which translated to she fell asleep on her keyboard, “but I did turn up something interesting about Raymond Morrison.”