Time Possessed

By Mark Cowles

Breakout new writer Mark Cowles delivers his first book; Time Possessed ,a historical science-fiction thriller romp through medieval and the modern day Italy.
Below the surface of modern life, clandestine agents from the future and present day operate to influence events to their liking.
MIT researcher Tom Manion finds himself thrust into the midst of a conspiracy with the potential to change the tides of history.
As Neo-Nazis threaten to recreate Hitler's 1000 Year Reich, Tom must learn to navigate two worlds in ways he could never have imagined.
Aided by an agent from the future, Tom makes forays into the past to ensure the safety of one boy - and with him, life as we know it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Cowles
• Release date: Aug 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9780989770217

Mark Cowles

Mark Cowles was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1952. His first published work was a poem on John Kennedy's death. This appeared the weekly newspaper of Carrollton, MO., The Republican Record, shortly after the assassination. 50 years later, his second publication, Time Possessed, has been released.

Book preview

Chapter 1

It was a cool August night and it was very late. So many specks in the concrete were shining in the reflected light of the street lights that the sidewalk appeared as if it were lighted from below. The August heat had been dissipated by the breeze that was still rustling the tops of the trees.

Tom and Kathy had argued early in the evening, and now, after make up sex, they were still too wired to sleep and had decided to go out for a walk. At three AM they stepped out of their brick house close to the university, down their steps and onto the sidewalk, both wearing the rumpled clothes they had stripped from each other earlier. They didn't care and there was no one to notice. Had anyone been there to notice, they would have seen a handsome, slightly disheveled couple who would have fit in anywhere in suburbia.

They could have gone either way but decided to walk away from campus. The streets were deserted as they walked along holding hands without speaking. The night had an electric feel and they were the center of the universe.

They heard the car before they looked up and noticed it coming down the street, still more than two blocks away. Thinking no more about it, they turned to each other and kissed. As the car came closer, they looked up at each other, both realizing how they must look to the driver of the car. They looked toward the approaching car at the same time, too late to move as the car plowed into them, the driver was grinning from ear to ear as he slammed into them. It was the last thing Kathy saw. It was the last thing Tom saw for some time.

Tom slept fitfully on the plane since leaving New York at 9 pm the night before in spite of a cocktail of Xanax and booze. And now it was 11 am in Rome and his hip, shoulder, knee, and back were all killing him. He hoped that March in Rome would be warmer than New York had been.

The man next to him gave a snort and woke up but Tom continued looking at the Mediterranean out the window. They were descending and he could see the coast so he knew they'd be on the ground soon. Guilt washed over him as he thought about Kathy and how he had always promised to take her to Italy. Now she was dead and he was here without her.

He wasn't sure why he was here. The printed copy of the email Dave had sent inviting him to join him at the Institute of Historical Investigation didn't really say much about why he was being asked to come. Dave had told him about the project, and while computer simulation had advanced over the years, the idea that you could realistically simulate the past sounded more like a video game that a real scientific endeavor. The signature line of the email listed Dave's title as chief researcher of the institute but Tom hadn't been able to find anything about the Institute in his research on the Internet. He'd spent his whole life working toward his position at the university, but everything about the university reminded him of Kathy, so here he was on the plane.

Tom suspected that it was not a coincidence that Dave had contacted him about the project after Kathy's death and not before. They had been best friends before Kathy had chosen him instead of Dave. That had been ten years ago, and except for Christmas cards, they hadn't exchanged two words since. The cards, he was sure, were meant for Kathy, in case she changed her mind.

When they deplaned, Tom started looking around for Dave and finally spotted him. He looked much the same, athletic, tall, good looking, clean shaven with short dark hair, and an easy, glad-to-meet-you kind of disposition. Tom, on the other hand, was of medium height and build, and wore glasses, and had thinning brown hair and while not in bad shape could hardly be mistaken for an elite athlete. Tom suspected that had made Kathy's choice even more difficult for Dave. In school, Dave seemed to know things better than the professors and seemed to breeze through all his classes. Where Dave was exceptional, Tom had always been average. Tom's grades had kept pace with Dave's and he attributed it to his always doing the right thing, reading extra sources, following up on what someone else had already figured out rather than relying on inspiration and endlessly reinventing the wheel.

After picking up his luggage, they were soon driving away toward Rome in a black Mercedes with a driver.

I can't wait to show you our set up in the lab. We have a sensory feedback system that's second to none.

Tom stifled a yawn but didn't see any way around the lab tour.

They were just clearing the airport when Dave's cell phone rang.

Hello?...No, we're just leaving the airport...Ok, see you then. Dave hit the call end button. That was Mr. Orsini. This whole thing is his baby. He's the chief engineer and CEO. He put the whole thing together. He's not going to be able to meet us at the Institute today. He suggested we put off the tour until tomorrow. He's got reservations at his favorite restaurant for tonight.

That sounds good. It’ll give me a chance to recover.

Marco, Dave said to the driver, we're going to the hotel instead.

That was the hotel near the Pantheon?

That's right. Tom, I think you'll like this better than one of the chains. At least you will be able to tell you are in Rome and not in a hotel just anywhere.

The driver turned off the Autostrada. Tom noticed the driver nervously looking into the rear view mirror. Tom looked too, but didn’t see anything but a lot of traffic. After slipping through a couple of lights and again taking a few unexpected turns, the driver seemed to relax. They got a glimpse of the Coliseum and the Capitoline hill before heading down a side street.

Marco will be back to get you after 6:00. He'll take you to the restaurant.

Tom followed his luggage into the hotel. From the outside, it was just a doorway off a narrow street with a moldering sign above. Inside, the small lobby was appointed with bits of marble, dark wood, and mirrors. He was led up the marble and carpeted steps to a small but elegant room with an old fashioned tiled bath.

Tom dispatched the bell hop with what he was hoping was an appropriate amount of lira. There was some street noise but not too bad. Just the sort of place he and Kathy might have picked for themselves.

Marco picked Tom up just after 6, drove him to the restaurant, and dropped him off. The doorman took charge of him without a word, taking him by the elbow and gesturing in the direction of the entry. Once inside he was handed over to the maitre d’.

Follow me, signore.

They entered a small elevator down a short hall to the left of the foyer. After a short ride up, they entered another short hallway. Here the walls were covered with maroon drapery that hid the doorways of the private dining rooms on either side. They entered the last one on the left. Dave and another man were seated there. The difference in height was made more evident as they rose to greet him. The stranger was small and bald; the few wisps of white hair that remained were cut short and smoothed to his skull. A slight smile disturbed the man’s face only a little, with a wrinkle at the corner of the eye and the mouth. Tom continued to stare for a moment. It was like he couldn't quite focus, like there was another image lurking behind the figure he saw before him. After a few moments, he realized the man had extended his hand.

Tom, I’d like you to meet our benefactor, Signor Orsini. Signor Orsini, this is the gentleman that I told you about.

So good to meet you, Signor Manion. David tells me that you are just the person that we are looking for.

Glad to meet you as well, I’m sure, but I’m afraid Dave hasn't yet told me what I’m here for.

Well now, that may not be entirely his fault. I told him to be cautious.

Tom sat in silence for a moment, not really sure of what to say. Signor Orsini was quiet too, but without discomfort, studying Tom.

Finally Signor Orsini broke the silence, These matters are always best discussed over dinner. David, summon the waiter, and then let us pour the wine and talk like friends.

Diner was ordered.

Signor Manion, Signor Orsini continued as soon as the waiter was out of the room, I represent certain interests that understand the true prospects of this so called ‘virtual reality’. To do this we have invested in the institute and equipped it with technology beyond any now known or even contemplated by anyone in the world today. We do not do this blindly and without strings. We have a specific purpose in mind.

‘Here’s the catch,’ Tom thought and his face showed his skepticism.

Signor Orsini noticed and smiled. You will be even more skeptical when I tell you the purpose of our research.

The waiter brought in the appetizers, and Signor Orsini waited until he left to continue.

The focus of the research of our institute is time travel.

Tom nearly spit his food on Signor Orsini. You must be kidding.

We are quite serious, I assure you.

Dave who had been silent up to now, spoke up, his enthusiasm unleashed. Not only that, but we’ve actually got the equipment working. We've been able to go forward a couple of days, noted events, and they've happened.

Doubt now clouded Tom’s expression. How is this possible?

Sig. Orsini had a bemused look on his face. Of course it is impossible, at least for most people. What is time? You perceive a series of events, one thing leading to another. What if that is an illusion? What if all events occur simultaneously? Then it would only be a matter of changing your focus from one thing to another. Causality is only the perception we put on things to show how they relate to one another. Maybe this is how God sees things, all things at once, where intention means more than a random series of events.

How does that make time travel possible?

"Well, if everything exists simultaneously, how do we get from one to the other? Somehow you have to break through the illusion. Somehow you have to be able to let go of now and imagine the other place and time. That is where our equipment comes into play. It tricks the mind into making a phenomenal connection between now and the other time. It guides you to the new time by providing sensory clues. Also, it helps if you know about these other events and times and have the type of imagination that would let you believe.

Our operation has entered a new phase. We have upgraded our computer systems, and I felt that David needed someone to help carry the load. So I asked him to recommend someone with the necessary skills and temperament, and someone we could trust. You can imagine what would happen if we were to succeed. If word leaked out that we had harnessed the ability to see the future and to delve into the past, all of the world would be beating down our door and trying to steal our secrets.

And so you’ve chosen me.

Indeed, David spoke most highly of you, and I must tell you that after we did some checking of our own, we agreed with his choice. You have the academic credentials; your background shows you to be trustworthy, and the fact that you are now single and with no children, means there are no complications of a family to take care of. That and the work you have already done in the field of virtual reality and your interest in history makes you a natural choice for us. And not everyone has the imagination necessary.

Tom thoughts drifted back to Kathy and didn’t answer right away. The matter-of-fact way of referring to his recent loss left him a little cold.

I don’t know, it seems so far out. I was doing some real work in my lab back at MIT.

Don’t answer me now. Let’s meet at the lab tomorrow, we’ll show you what we’ve done so far, maybe you’ll consent to work with us for a few weeks, and then if you don’t like what we’re doing, you can go back home and tell your friends you had a nice vacation in Italy. But if you do like what we are doing, think of the possibilities. What do you say to that?

All right then, I could use a little time away.

'It's a shame he didn't die like the woman,' Sherwin thought to himself. This was foreseen, he had been told; it was the fastest way for them to find out where the boy had been hidden. I didn't seem particularly fast to him. They had to wait for Tom to recover in the hospital, wait for him to learn about time travel and all the practice. Why didn't they just go in and force Orsini to tell them what they wanted to know? It made him wonder if his handlers were weak. No, that was why they'd gotten him. They were always telling him he was their weapon.

He thought of his own introduction into time travel. One of the older Nazis had started talking about the thousand-year Reich, how they would fix it next time. He just figured they'd had one too many schnapps. As they showed him more and more, he began to suspect that there was more to this than they were saying. Eventually, they told him he was one of the chosen travelers who would bring about the glory of the Aryans.

This was when things started to change. He no longer went to the skinhead rallies; he needed to rise above the rabble, they told him. Little by little he was guided and little by little he learned there was something more behind this than a bunch of old Nazis and skinheads. And now here he was, the golden boy of the movement, and the opposition was just finding their player. No longer was the new national front going to have to be content with scaring a few individuals, killing one or two people. The whole world was going to be cleansed. The pathetic rise of the lower races, like the new American president, would be wiped out before it could get started. This was going to be fun.

Sherwin tapped on the glass and told the driver to take him home.

Chapter 2

Day 2 in Rome

The next morning the same car was waiting outside the hotel to take Tom to the Institute. A few minutes later, the driver announced that they were at the Institute as he turned off the road onto a drive and went through an automatic gate. There were no signs marking the building that Tom could see, but the Institute itself was a modern building, not much more than a square monolith faced in pink marble. Only a small row of windows at the top of the building and an entryway interrupted the marble facing. One part of the drive circled up to the entryway before continuing to a small parking lot a few yards away from the building. The driver pulled up to the entry and let Tom out of the car and held the entry door open for him. Inside the lobby, the dark green uniform of the guard stood in stark contrast to the same pink marble that covered the exterior. The driver, who had followed Tom inside, spoke to the guard who immediately picked up the phone, informing someone of Tom's arrival. He smiled at Tom and offered him his own seat, there being no others in the lobby. Tom declined, pacing slowly up and down. A few minutes later, Dave emerged from the elevator.

Well, come on, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover. Dave said as he urged Tom into the elevator. Wait until you see the lab. Every computer that you ever drooled over, forget it, we’ve tried them, and they weren't up to the task. So we’ve designed one for ourselves. It took forever. We had to find the right pieces, the right people to make them, and paid way more than you can imagine. We’re talking several generations ahead of anything anyone else has got. We have hundreds of teraflops, maybe a petraflop, a graphic bus and we've chained several graphics cards, optical arrays for storage, and a bunch of other stuff that I've never heard about before. We’ve got agents from governments all over the world looking out for our interests. They want to make sure they’re first in line when we take our technologies public.

You’re gushing, Dave. Tom chided.

The elevator opened onto a lavish reception area. The sofas and chairs that lined the walls were organically shaped and appeared to have never been soiled by anyone's backside. The reception desk was a fancy marble and mahogany affair that any receptionist would have been proud to inhabit, but no one was sitting at the desk.

Dave noticed Tom lifted eyebrows as he scanned the room. We don't have a lot of guests but we want to impress them when we do. Dave pushed the button to the right of the door, identified himself, stood still for a minute while he was scanned and the door opened.

A retinal scan? Pretty tight security, isn't it? asked Tom.

A retinal scan, voice recognition, and some fuzzy logic in the software. It even checks the lobby for guns. We’ve got trade secrets to protect. Dave answered his tone grim in spite of the frozen smile.

And I take it that I am to keep my mouth shut as well?

Good of you to understand. Although the computer would like to hear more of your voice sometime, just so it can get to know you. Dave's smile warmed a little.

What about all of the other staff? It’s a pretty big building for just this one lab. I haven’t seen anyone but the guard.

Now that we have things up and running, we are the only staff. The accountants and lawyers have their own places. We have cleaners that come in occasionally.

The room was dominated by a tall circular monolith that was the computer. There was a bank of computer workstations. Three technicians were fast at work at their own terminals. Along the right wall was a large tank of water.

What the hell is that?

Kind of takes your breath away doesn't it. Dave beamed.

You could say that, said Tom looking around the room.

Tom walked over to the tank and looked up thought the Plexiglas window that composed nearly the entire side of the tank of water. Suspended above the tank was a suit that looked a lot like an old fashioned dry diving suit except this one had a wrist thick bundle of wires coming out of the helmet along with air hoses.

This is a weird diving suit. Are you into a new type of diving now?

No but I got the idea from all those hours scuba diving. With the right balance of weight to buoyancy, you are weightless or weighed down, whatever you want. This is an immersion chamber, like an isolation chamber. Dave explained.

How do you keep out the light?

You wear a video helmet.

Is that a full wired suit? What about electrocution?

Our electricians assure us that this is no problem. Low voltage, no amps.

Signor Orsini swept into the lab. Buon giorno, Sig. Manion, I hope you slept well. I assume David showed you around the lab. David have you shown him any of the recorded sessions?

No, sir, not yet.

Signor Orsini stopped in front of a monitor on one of the workstations.

Let me run you though a reconstruction of one of our first tests.

Signor Orsini sat down at the keyboard. A few seconds later a video of the lab started up.

You must understand, we’ve enhanced the video to give a more complete picture. That's one of the things the system does, it fills in the missing information much like the human brain does by extrapolation based on previous images, enhancing boundaries, that sort of thing. We've spliced a bit of regular video to the beginning to give it continuity.

An obviously hand held camera panned around the room and picked up Dave slipping into what looked like space suit. The camera followed him up to the top of the tank. A helmet was lowered over his head and sealed and the umbilical cord that came out of the back of the suit was plugged into a receptacle on the side of a control panel at the side of the tank. An articulated arm was attached to a harness, also at the back of the suit. A technician moved to the control panel and pushed a few buttons. The arm picked Dave up and lowered him into the tank.

Now we go to the computer. Signor Orsini whispered.

For several moments, the screen seemed blank, with a little bit of snow.

This first part represents the initialization process; we’ve included it so you can see the whole process. The next thing you will see is the computer program interpreting the messages from David's brain.

On cue, shapes began to emerge from the background with rough edges all around. With each refresh of the screen additional details emerged until the screen appeared as if someone were carrying a camera while walking down the street.

David and the computer are now in sync. Sig. Orsini whispered.

Tom noticed the uniform brightness of all of the surfaces on the screen the constant shifting of scene back and forth, up and down as if looking around made Tom feel a little seasick. The focus shifted to a shop, you could see the screens on the windows and the door. The door opened and they entered the shop. The old woman behind the counter smiled. A hand appeared as if from behind the camera and took a newspaper from the counter. Coins were counted out and placed on the counter. The paper was raised. The headlines were in Italian, but the date was some six months ago. The picture was one Tom had seen in a paper back home of a tanker accident in Greece. The screen went black.

We took this a week before the accident.

Tom was skeptical. This would be easy to fake. Shoot a little film after the event, make it look bad and advertise you predicted this.

Sig. Orsini’s face darkened a bit in anger but he controlled it.

A doubting Thomas I see. Well that’s easily dealt with. Would you like to try it out for yourself?

I, well, I would if it is safe.

Safe enough for someone with your experience in these things. You are in good health, aren't you?

Yeah, sure.

David, how long will it take you to get this thing running?

It’s almost finished with the diagnostic now.

There are just a few more things we need to explain before you suit up. First you will be checked out by our doctor. Then when you are suited up, you have to be able to completely relax. Have you done any meditation, yoga, or anything like that?

Not really, just a stress management thing. You know breathing and repeating a phrase.

It will have to do. Now when you’ve relaxed, the machine will start presenting you with random images. You just try relaxing and letting it wash over you. When an image comes along that you find compelling you just go with it.

That sounds kind of vague. What are the images?

"The machine is programmed to interact with your brain. The machine interprets the internal activity of your brain and feeds it back to you. It’s like a biofeedback unit but much more sophisticated. The machine can help you filter the many thoughts you have so you can focus. It provides feedback through direct stimulation of the brain and the physical feedback of various mechanical processes, so you feel what you imagine. You touch, move, and see in the suit so that you are completely immersed in your experience or imagination. The computer controls the suit and all the sensory input. There are water jets in the tank that give you the illusion of movement, on the bottom of your feet so it feels like walking for example. If you're lean over too far it can make you think you are falling.

Now what you saw in the video involves one further element. That is the ability to reach out to another mind. While this may seem impossible, I assure you, with a little ability, and our machine’s feedback loop enhancing these abilities, it is possible for you to focus on one consciousness until you are in sync with the person. The connection can be lost easily. That’s where the meditation comes in.

You mean you’re seeing through someone else's eyes?

Exactly. Of course your first time, we won’t be projecting you into the future. That will have to wait until you master this technique. We won’t be able to persuade you that we can time travel just yet. If David can get the system ready, would you like to try it now?

I guess so.

Dave, how long before we're ready to go?

Let me check here.

Dave sat down at one of the nearby screens and typed in a few commands.

By the time we get him into the suit and calibrate it for him, we should be ready to go.

All right, go see Maria, she'll get you checked out.

Tom went back through the door. He could see a pretty dark haired woman through the door across the hall from the lab. Inside it reminded Tom of the nurse's office at his Junior High School. There was a main room with cabinets full of medical supplies, laboratory equipment and a desk, and a couple of closed doors off the main room.

I'm supposed to see you. I guess you're supposed to take me to the doctor.

I am the doctor.

Sorry, I didn't mean... I mean I didn't know.

She extended her hand to Tom and introduced herself, Hello, my name is Maria Russo, Doctor Maria Russo.

Tom had a very strong Déjà Vu moment. He was sure he had never met the woman but he was just as sure he had witnessed this moment before. He tried hard to puzzle his way through the contradiction.

It's a common mistake. Italian men don't like going to women doctors. You're not like that are you?

No of course not, Tom nervously cleared his throat.

Don't worry, I'm just going to take your blood pressure and temperature. Give me your arm.

Maria went about the business of putting the cuff on, getting the stethoscope in place, and pumping up and letting the air out of the cuff.

130 over 60. Not bad.

Hey, when I came in I could have sworn I'd met you before but I can't think of where.

Have you been to Italy before?

No, have you been to the US?

No. I guess we couldn't have met before.

I suppose not. Maybe you remind me of someone I've seen.

Are you taking any medication?

Right now? No.

Recently?

I took some Xanax for the flight over. I get a little anxious on planes.

Anything else?

Since my wife's death, I've taken some antidepressants.

I'll need to contact your doctor for your medical history and do a complete workup later. Here, put this in your mouth.

After a few moments the thermometer beeped.

36.6. A little low but still in the normal range.

36.6? That's downright cold blooded.

That's Celsius. Go tell them you get a pass.

Tom got up and turned back to get another look at Maria and got a smile in return.

Tom returned to the lab and Dave escorted him up the steps around the tank and onto the platform. The suit was lowered down and unhooked from the winch. Tom slipped into the suit. Before the helmet was lowered over his head, Dave warned, The electrodes automatically extend from inside the helmet to your scalp. It is going to hurt a little bit.

He could hear the air rushing into the suit as it was being pressurized. Tom heard a snap and then it felt like he'd been stung all over his head by a swarm of bees. He was trying to rub his head through the helmet when the winch lifted him off his feet. He swayed as he was swung over the tank and a moment later he felt his feet hit the water.

Then Dave's voice came over the helmet intercom, Are you doing OK in there?

So far, so good.

How’s the sound?

It’s OK, a little tinny, answered Tom.

Tom heard what seemed at first to be a high pitched whine that changed to sound like soft f sharp chord.

Now how’s the sound?

It seemed to Tom that Dave was whispering in his ear and almost bloodied his nose on the side of the helmet when he turned his head in that direction.

Yeah, that’s pretty good.

The system is almost ready. We’ll turn on the display when you are completely submersed. When your visor goes opaque, you'll know the process has started. If you have a question, just speak up, otherwise just relax and enjoy.

Tom watched Dave walk around the lab, the line of water now just below the level of his eyes. The sound followed the image. Even though he was now sealed inside a sound proof suit it sounded as if Tom were in the room with Dave. For a moment, something passed in front of Tom’s eyes so that he blinked. Dave was still pacing the room, but now the line of water was above his line of sight.

What’s the scenario? Do you have any pastoral environments?

That’s really up to you. We’ve been working on some new technology that greatly improves on our ability to scan and send feedback directly to the Virtual Reality environment. Once you’ve acclimated you can completely alter your environment to one that the computer has never been preset for.

Now that sounds like fun.

Don’t get carried away. You can get lost in there if you’re not careful. After a while, you begin to believe what you see. What do you think of it so far?

It sounds great, go ahead and turn it on.

Tom, it is on. We turned it on about the time the water reached eye level.

Really?

And when we’ve got this thing working completely right, you’ll even have a sense of smell

Oh, I don’t know it smells pretty bad in here already.

Just a minute Tom. Dave walked over to computer screen, clicked a couple of buttons. A couple of minutes later there was the slightest whir of fans in the background. Sorry about that, the ventilation system wasn’t going. There’s a manual override, or we could always get out the Hoover and suck the bad air out.

Is the smeller on yet?

It should be coming up now. It doesn’t kick in unless the ventilations system is working. We use the real thing for some of the smells, especially if we have it here in the lab. It adds to the realism. And of course some of those things might not be too good for you. Wouldn’t want you inhaling gas fumes, especially if you don’t have a ventilation system, would we?

I still feel like I’m hanging around in a suit in a big water tank in a lab.

Of course you do, because that is all we’ve given you so far. Let's open the virtual world up a little more.

Tom could see Dave sit down at a monitor and start to click on a couple of things on the screen. Slowly Dave's shirt began to change colors, and then it felt as if he were standing on the floor of the tank. Then he took a step to keep his balance. He tried walking some more; pretty soon he was walking around the tank. While he was near the edge of the tank, he nearly lost his balance again and reached for the wall of the tank. Instead of stopping, his hand passed right through the tank, as if it wasn’t there. He found himself standing half in and half out of the tank.

Hey Dave what gives?

What’s the problem, Tom?

Oh nothing, I forgot for a moment where I am. Tom then walked straight out of the tank. Pretty soon, even the lingering images of the suit went away, and it was just as if he were standing in the lab. He walked over to Dave and tapped him on the shoulder. Dave didn’t react.

Dave.

Yes Tom.

If this thing is good enough for me to feel like I’m standing next to you, why doesn’t your image react to me?

"It’s the way we have it programmed. If we’re going to interface the virtual reality with actual reality, somewhere