Time Sprinter

By Bernadette Buchanan

Like most young men, Jamie Johnston wanted to find his place in the world. As a college student that meant joining the TKE fraternity house. When his prospective frat brothers decided to toss Jamie in the dumpster, Jamie discovers a shred of hope in the most unlikely place. A concealed spaceship and a time traveling friend. As Jamie searches for his purpose in 1960’s London, he must find a way to save the world from an alien invasion and answer the most importation question. Is this the life he was meant for?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Sep 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665728508

Bernadette Buchanan

Bernadette Buchanan is a third-generation Arizonian. She holds an AA in criminology and is currently enrolled in college to further her education. Time Sprinter is her first book.

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Copyright © 2022 Bernadette Buchanan.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Archway Publishing

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-2849-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-2850-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022915115

Archway Publishing rev. date: 9/1/2022

CONTENTS

Acknowledgment

Chapter 1The End of the First Story

Chapter 2Inside the Ripple

Chapter 3Welcome To The Past Now Your Present

Chapter 4Thumpity Thump Thump

Chapter 5A Thing or Two to Remember

Chapter 6Who Needs a Plan Anyways

Chapter 7Now Would be a Great Time to Have a Plan

Chapter 8You Know What They Say About Retrospect

Chapter 9Now There is a Plan to Follow

Chapter 10This is Me

About the Author

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

To my sister Sammy: Thanks for encouraging

me to write my story down, for listening to me

rant about it, and laughing with me, I could

never have done this without your support.

CHAPTER 1

THE END OF THE

FIRST STORY

"C ome on, Johnston. We all did it. Now it’s your turn. You want to be in the fraternity, don’t you?" sneered Mick, a flat-nose, large-eye football player.

I don’t want to smell like a dumpster, objected Jamie, digging his heels into the concrete as John and Luke pulled him closer to the gray graffiti- and slime-covered dumpster. Both were on the football team, and one of them could have lifted Jamie over his head and thrown him into the in zone if he wanted to.

It washes off, replied Luke.

Not my backpack, countered Jamie as he was pulled closer, Mick lifting the lid. The stench of the garbage stewing in the summer heat of Arizona made Jamie gag. That smell is never going to come off!

It’s just for ten minutes, Johnston. Stop whining, grumbled Luke. His breath smelled worse than the dumpster.

I’m sure this is illegal, protested Jamie.

No, it isn’t, said all three.

Yes, it is. Hazing is illegal because of all the deaths it causes. My dad said nothing about hazing to enter this club!

Well, there is, smirked Mick. See you in ten minutes!

With that, Luke and John hoisted Jamie as he squirmed to get loose and tossed him into the dumpster, the metal lid slamming down over his head. The sound of the three jocks laughing stopping abruptly with its close.

Jerks, murmured Jamie as he looked at the closed double door. Wait. What? he asked the air. The doors were clean and white.

Looking around the dumpster, his mind began to race. Clean and white, with furniture in the spacious room. A door at the far end was shut, hiding what was farther inside the dumpster.

Toto, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore, whispered Jamie. What kind of dumpster is this?

A humming picked up, a low melody that he did not recognize coming from the far end of the room. The wall on that side was full of computers, switches, leavers, and buttons. The buttons flashed different colors, and the computers slowly scrolled information. Carefully, with his combat boots hitting the linoleum floor as softly as he could manage, Jamie walked over to the control wall. A bench long enough for three people to sit on was between him and the humming, hiding the person making the noise.

A pair of legs jutted out; the upper body of the person was hidden inside part of the wall. Sky-blue pinstripe pants and black Converse All Stars covered the thin legs.

Hello? called out Jamie.

No response.

Something bumped Jamie’s foot. Looking down, the young man saw a spring bouncing and wriggling around, bumping into his foot trying to get him to move. Jamie bent down, picked up the spring, and held it in his hand. The spring wriggled around, exploring his hand while slowly tipping over. Jamie lifted his other hand to catch the spring. It fell and wriggled around before falling and landing in Jamie’s hand. He smiled at the coil of metal.

Excuse me? Jamie called out again, moving closer to the man, holding the spring close to his chest. Hello? I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I got tossed in here.

There was no response. Only the humming of some song he’d never heard of.

The young man placed the spring on top of a small jut out of the control wall and then bent over to nudge the man’s leg. When he was a hairbreadth away from the man, a great gust sent him flying backward, where he landed on the floor with a thud.

The man let out a cry of pain and surprise, emerging out of the wall while rubbing his head. What? he asked as he pushed his thick, black-frame glasses back up on his slightly crooked noise. His chocolate-brown eyes were dashing over the control panels.

You! he said as he snatched the spring. How did you get up there? What did you touch?

The glass bar running the length of the top of the control wall was glowing powder blue as a soft humming noise filled the space.

Sorry. That was my fault, piped up Jamie as he forced himself to stop staring at the man. The man’s black bowtie was crooked under the collar of his white shirt. Jamie felt underdressed in his Queen band T-shirt and dark-blue jeans.

How did you get in here? asked the man as he stood up. He was a head taller than Jamie, and Jamie was five-foot, ten. He extended a hand to Jamie and pulled the young man up; brown eyes met baby blue ones.

I got tossed in here as a haze, explained Jamie, tossing a thumb over his shoulder at the doors. I called out, but you didn’t hear me.

Why would you jump into the Ripple? asked the man, his thin brows furrowing.

No, I got tossed into a dumpster outside of the cafeteria, clarified Jamie. What’s a Ripple?

A dumpster? asked the man indignantly. The Ripple is not a dumpster. Why would she camouflage herself as such a thing? he huffed as he turned his attention to the controls.

I don’t know, replied Jamie. Why are you in a dumpster-Ripple thing in a university yard anyway? Who are you?

I didn’t know she made herself look like that! replied the man. If I could have moved, I would have.

Well, you can move now.

Yes, because I just fixed that part. The man looked at Jamie from under messy, brown faux-hawk hair. What is your name? he asked.

Jamie. Jamie Johnston. What’s yours?

I don’t have a name, replied the man after a moment pause.

What? Yes, you do. Everyone has a name.

Well, I do, but you won’t be able to pronounce it, said the man has he read a screen.

A second screen was before Jamie, flashing triangles with bars and circles in or on them.

I can if you tell me how, said Jamie.

The man said nothing. With a sigh, Jamie plopped onto the bench behind him.

All right, how about I call you Avery? asked Jamie, sliding his backpack off and placing in on the floor.

The man scrunched up his nose as if he smelled the dumpster Jamie had been tossed into by the frat boys. No! Please no.

What’s wrong with that? asked Jamie.

Everything.

OK. Odd flex, but OK. How about Finley?

Finley? Yes, I like that. Good job, Jamie! Finley said as he smiled. His glasses reflected the powder blue of the light bar above him. Well, Jamie I have some news for you. The spring wiggled about and typed in an unknown destination, and then hit the launch button. We are now traveling, and I have no way of knowing where or how to stop it. Have fun looking around the Ripple. I’m going back under to fix this.

With a grin the man was gone, back into the wall.

CHAPTER 2

INSIDE THE RIPPLE

"T his place is fantastic!" shouted Jamie, pausing between words.

Jamie jogged about the room now that he had permission to poke about. His head was turning this way and that, and his eyes were gazing at everything, attempting to absorb it all at once. How did you do this? he asked. "Wormholes? A tesseract? Both? Or something else entirely? This is unbelievable! It is a bit futuristic looking like in the movies! I am freaking out. Of course, I am in a strange place, but I am also nerding out. The science here is incredible; this is unbelievable!"

Finley pulled himself out of the control wall and looked at Jamie with tender, chocolate-brown eyes. He sat there holding a screwdriver and smiling at Jamie as though he were the most brilliant person alive, as if he were doing something different and fantastic just by breathing.

Who are you? What are you?

The smile faded a tad.

Where are you from? Jamie said instead. Clearly not from earth, not with this thing. Jamie gestured around the large control room they were standing in.

The man chuckled when Jamie finished questioning him. Very sharp you are, and smart. Wormholes and tesseracts. I never heard anyone say that before. The opposite, in fact. I am—well, you are right. I am not from earth, but I, um, how should I say it? I visit earth a lot. This here, he waved his arms around the room, is my home and ship. So, welcome.

Thanks, replied Jamie, waiting for an answer to his questions. He’s got a lot of energy, this mystery man, mused Jamie as he strode around the room again and waited for Finley to reply. He saw high, vaulted ceilings and a wide, spacious room that was positively stunning if only a bit plain. I can learn how to juggle in here, he said with a chuckle, or play ball.

The controls were sent into a metal wall full of buttons, switches, knobs, and levers of all shapes, sizes, and colors; most of it had a make do and mend feel to it. It had two screens, on opposite sides of the wall, and they were showing things that Jamie had no idea what they could be. But they appeared to be maps with writings in triangles that were missing bases or had lines and circles in or on them.

I see you are looking at control center, said Finley.

Um, yeah, it’s cool. What did you do exactly? asked Jamie, studying the screen, and what are all these things? He gestured at the controls and the strange language before him.

Well, they control the ship’s navigation, pitch, gravity, air, and all that good stuff. However, a bit of it is damaged and I need to fix it as much as I can. Then the rest of the repairs are up to her, he explained as he patted the controls.

What? asked Jamie.

Think of it this way, Jamie: a doctor can put your broken arm in a cast, yes?

Yes.

Yes. But it can’t heal the bone. That is up for your body to do. It has the tools and the help it needs to heal the rest is up to you. It’s the same with the Ripple.

So, she can heal herself to a certain extent? asked Jamie, looking at the controls before him in a new light.

Precisely!

Jamie looked over the controls. It as a mass of mis match parts, some that