Time Is Changing: Time Is, #6

By David Booker

The idea of time travel has been around forever. A long time ago Scott Lemuel and Don Skelton decided to create a time machine or as Scott called it a Temporal Correlation Vector Transport Device. With this they traveled through time and space exploring, experiencing and eating. As more people joined them a Guild of Travelers was formed. Now they could use their knowledge and discoveries to correct the History books. Don has been leading it for a long time now and has held the Guild to his vision. For sometime the Guild has been losing it's energy and vision. Don has realized it's time to let go and let the younger team take over. With new blood comes new ideas and a new direction. Now the past present and future are open to discovery. The way is also open to an exploration of other planets. That is if they can find the time. When traveling to 4044 they discover the earth is in dire need of assistance. The two Guilds team up to do what they do best. What they do and what they find is all inside this latest book of the Time Is series. Oh, there is now a prank war going on with the Guild of Travelers from 2622. This should prove interesting.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Booker
• Release date: Jul 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223915744

David Booker

David Booker is an author who wiill try his hand at numerous styles. Short stories, mysteries, humor, horror, time travel and rants he enjoys a constant challenge. With a seven book series under the Time Is banner to A Glimpse of My Shorts and Another Glimpse he churns out books regularly. 

Book preview

DAVID BOOKER

This book is a work of Fiction.

Names, characters, places, and incidents are either created by the author or fabricated. Any resemblance to actual events, locations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2022 by David Booker

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book either in entirety or any portion thereof, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews without written permission in writing from its publisher.

For information or request address

David Booker

[e-mail]

timeiswaswillbe.wordpress.com

Dedicated to

Those who can see beyond what is before them and embrace what might be.

HIDE AND SEEK

Play is often talked about as if it was a relief from serious learning, but for children, play is serious learning, play is really the work of childhood.

Fred Rogers

Nic and Lon checked they had everything for their honeymoon. Their trip to Pompeii was something they both had been talking about since they first became a couple. With Nic now a full member of the Guild of Travelers what had seemed like a dream was about to be a reality, except instead of seeing the remains they would be visiting it in full flower. For Lon it was a chance to go to a place he considered party central. Don set the trip into the Temporal Correlation Vector Transport Device and ushered them through.

He felt that there would be no harm if he stopped back home for a few moments to work out another honeymoon. He and Honey had just sat down with a collection of travel magazines when there was a fierce knocking at the door. Don opened to a disheveled and exhausted Nic. He looked at Don for a moment before recognition snapped him back. Don, I need your help! Maybe the whole group, I don’t know. He pulled and practically dragged Don to the Lab.

In the Lab Nic stood impatiently at the time machine waiting for Don to patch them through. To his astonishment Don went to the Coffee/Tea Bar and fixed himself something to drink then sat down at the conference table. With a wave of his hand he indicated Nic was to sit. "Don, we’re wasting time! Nic’s voice was suffused with anguish. He was churning his hair as he shakily walked over to the proffered seat. Don spoke soothingly and patiently. Nic, you’re forgetting we have all the time we need but in order to do anything or know who or how many to call in I have to understand the problem."

Nic took a deep breath and worked to get his emotions under control. Don, Lon is missing. We’ve been in Pompeii a week now and he’s been acting funny since after a couple of days. Don got out a note pad wrote something down. Acting funny how? "He’s been staying awake all night he has been getting sillier than I have ever seen him. He spends hours at the bath and yesterday he wanted to play TAG!"

Don strolled to the main control board and linked into Lorna’s return. Lorna should be just about waking up after working long hours last night at the Taverna. She and Dale were given the Taverna by Linus in ancient Rome. A light shown showing the connection had been received. Lorna, are you awake?

A melodious voice came sleepily over the speaker. mmhm, Were just getting up, what’s wrong you sound tense. Lorna, Lon seems to be acting oddly. From what Nic says almost childlike, any idea why? Lorna sat up and rested her back on the wall. Let me think, he’s been very excited lately, probably hasn’t slept much if any then. How many days has he gone without sleep? Nic took over Don’s seat at the control board. Nic here Lorna, he’s on day four. he’s been acting like a kid now and he’s wandered off from the bath and I don’t know where he is.

Lorna got up and splashed some cool water on her face, O.k. he’s on four days without sleep means he’s pretty punch drunk by now. When he was younger and in training for being a stoic, he would challenge himself by maintaining control and going without sleep. The less sleep meant that he would have to work harder to control his emotions. After four days he’d lose all control and start acting like a kid again.

She climbed back into bed. Has he played any games? Nic gulped and seemed almost embarrassed by his answer. Yesterday he challenged me to a game of tag. Lorna considered this, Growing up his two favorite games were tag and hide and seek. If you didn’t play one with him, he’s probably playing the second. He won’t have gone far though, when he’s in this condition he reverts to his childhood and is terrified of being very far away from family and now that’s you.

Her voice came out softly, Nic, I’m sorry, I should have explained all this to you earlier, but he seemed so happy that I didn’t want to scare you off. I think he’s afraid of losing his Stoicness and becoming too emotional. Thanking Lorna for the information he switched off her connection.  Don sat back and took a sip of his tea. Ok, we know what and why, now for where. He printed out a map of Pompeii at the time they were there and had Nic circle where Lon was last and when.

Don went to the control board and linked in on Lon’s return. Should have done this right off, he mumbled. There was no response. While Don went over the systems check Nic paced impatiently around the lab.

In the dressing room he spied a return on the table beside the mirror. Putting it on it suddenly started beeping. Don’s voice called out from the control board. "Were o.k. it just registered, must have., what the hell! It says he’s here in the lab. Nic walked out with it in his hand. He’s not, but his return is, it was on the table back there. It activated when I put it on. We must have been standing so close when we walked through, we registered as one person"

Don went into the changing room and got outfitted for Pompeii. Let’s do this on our own. Nic stood with mouth open and eyes wide. Excuse me, I thought we’d just pop back in time and warn us about this. Don grinned, "First, we didn’t, or you wouldn’t be here now, second, this is how I have fun! Don’t worry we’ll bring him home safe. and he hummed the Peter Gunn theme as he set up Fred the Time Machine and put in a message for Honey to come by when she could or get a replacement angel for on duty. Nic removed Lon’s return and placed it into his pouch. Don brought the load key over and slid it into the panel on Fred. Come on, let’s get Lon."

By the time Honey swept in Don and Lon were already gone. She slid into the hot seat and zeroed in on them. They were outside the bath and moving inwards. Walking around they were looking in anywhere and anything where Lon could be hiding. Honey unlocked the bottom desk drawer and reached in. She eagerly pulled out a VR headset. With eager hands, she plugged it into a hidden port she had added recently without telling Don. Long ago Scott and Don had planned on using Virtual Reality but never had gotten around to it. She had found the idea intriguing and decided to work it out herself.

To accomplish her goal of being in situ as a hologram she had loaded the viewer into the VR helmet, inputted some videos of herself in enough positions that it could flow as an overlay to the viewer. It required an extensive change to the blind to increase the size to match her own as well as to make it move as she would. She was using an old three button joystick to control her phantom self so that it could appear to be standing, sitting or walking around. She had added a few more overlays that should be interesting as well as useful.

The viewer with a blind overlay was positioned to be normal height for her and approximately where it would be if she were standing next to Don. If this works, She thought gleefully, Don is going to poop bricks! Once she saw that Don was in a secluded area she projected an image of herself to the viewer. Don was looking to the left and when he turned to the right he was face to face with Honey. Damn it Honey I darn near crapped my pants. Who’d you leave on duty? Over his earpiece he heard Honey laughing heartily. I’m on duty and using a VR headset to be there with you too. I can see better and clearer with this then just viewing on a screen. Hey, wanna see me fly. Instinctively Don reached for her hand. He grasped only air.

Her image shrunk and changed to one of a hawk. She flew off into the sky above the bath. How far do you figure he’s gone? Don held out the map they had made, Honey zoomed in on the block he had drawn. I’m adding the block to my overlay, I’ll tell you if I see anything to help in that area.

Don and Nic finished their thorough search of the bath then started walking in opposite directions down the street. Don, Nic, head over to the Temple of Apollo. One of the priests just came running out and looks pretty shook up. They turned around and headed for the forum. Three blocks from where they started was the imposing temple they sought.

The priest was more than shook up, he was crying! May we inquire what troubles you? Don asked. The priest looked up at the two men in front of him and collapsed in supplicating anguish. I am lost for Apollo has not only found out all but has descended to deal with me personally.

Don raised an eyebrow. You say Apollo has descended?  Truly, he spoke to me, he said that I was a naughty boy and should be spanked and that he’d be here as soon as he could to deal with me. With a tremble the priest rose and ran off towards the Herculaneum Gates of the city. Don laughed as he looked at the retreating priest. That sounds like Lon, let’s take a look. They entered the temple and did an efficient search.

The temple though large was sparsely furnished and the search was completed quickly. Either Lon headed out in a hurry, or the priest is in for a godly spanking. Nic contemplated. Walking into the sunshine they looked around. A group of people were talking about a young man who had slunk out of the back of the temple. He had placed his toga over his head and placed his sleave over the lower portion of his face. He had gone to the right laughing in a sister fashion.

Don to Honey, I think he was here but headed out again. Did you see anyone moving from here? Honey chuckled, only the priest going hell for leather out of town. There was a pause as Honey surveyed the view beneath her. Don, I see another person looking as though they saw a ghost. Up the block and first house on the left hand side of the street."

At a run they found the house. Don approached the elderly lady who was sitting on a step. Excuse me, is there something we can do for you? She looked up through tear stained eyes. My house is haunted will you go in with me and help me rid it of their presence?

Nic and Don both helped her up and escorted her inside. On the way she grabbed a broom from beside the door. Even from the entrance they could hear a ghostly wailing which subsided into a low moan. It seemed to echo through the walls. Don mumbled as quietly as he could into the return. Honey do a link up using the J2 junction crossover with a jump to auxiliary sensors. A thermal scan on the house should show Lon if he’s here. It took a while to patch everything in and she had to check to see if Fred’s temperature remained normal. O.k. Don I can see from the top down, doing a heat sensor reading. Nothing on the second floor, moving down to the lower level. There was a pause as she swept the house. Don, I think he’s in the kitchen in the fireplace."

We might want to work from the back to the front. Don suggested. The lady of the house led them to the kitchen. They all looked around the small room. She was closest to the stove and noticed a bit of cloth at the corner. She jabbed the broom handle in. A sharp yelp and Lon scrambled out. She was hitting him with the broom as he yelped and apologized. With a remarkable burst of speed, he bolted past the woman, ducked under the broom as it flew past his head and ran out the door.

Honey swooped down in falcon form and followed as he weaved in and out of the crowded market. She lost him in the crowd but flew higher and circled around. Don and Nic emerged from the house promising to catch the miscreant. Make sure he understands not to come into people’s homes and scare them anymore,

Don looked up to find Honey in her human form circling above the market. Honey, check your settings, you look like the flying nun! Honey checked, she had bumped a setting reverting her to human form. She switched back hoping people who saw her would figure it was just the sun in their eyes.

"Don, I think I see him hiding under the fruit sellers’ bench. I’m going by the look of the sandal and the leg looks right, it’s hairy and muscular." Don edged his way politely through the crowd while Nic, who was losing patience, took the more direct route. He grabbed the garment under the table and dragged a woman who had been moving fruit from a large basket to smaller ones. She kicked, hit and bit him screaming murder as her husband entered purposefully into the fray. Donald arrived and placed himself between Nic and the angry couple. He proffered several jewels and excused themselves.

They made their way to a corner wall as several guards headed towards them. Honey covered them with a blind then added a portal over a wall that was solid. She programed a hole that showed what was on the other side.