"Continuity Error"

Written by: Erin Weinstock
Novelization verison by: Reba Grayladyfalcon

I don't hold any of the copyrights in this story, and this story was made without profit.
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Teaser:

In Buck's Living quarters. With a projector sitting on Buck's coffee table, along with Buck and Fox's feet stretching out from the couch, they're watching the '01 Time Machine, on a screen being shown in mid-air. However at this moment Buck is watching the movie more than Fox, who's staring at a piece of popcorn from a bag he has in hand.

"And you say eating these seeds was a common thing to do while watching a movie?" Fox asked.

Buck looks over to Fox. "Can't watch a movie without popcorn, Fox," Buck replied.

"Bet the idea died out shortly after WW3 ended. People wanted the corn for more practical purposes," Fox said. Giving the piece of popcorn a final look, Fox pops it in his mouth and turns to watching the movie.

Buck once more turns to Fox and makes a little noise indicating wanting the popcorn. Fox turns the bag towards him and he takes a hand full of it. "Thanks, um can I ask you a question?" Buck asked.

"What about?" Fox asked.

"Time travel," Buck replied.

"Hmm?" Fox said.

"After centuries of it just being sci fi talk, why hasn't a time machine been invented yet?" Buck asked.

"This conversation doesn't leave the Defense Directorate," Fox said, sitting up straight on the couch.

"Holy.., it's possible!?" Buck asked, sitting up straight also.

"When the machine was being developed, my dad was asked to help out and that's how I know about it," Fox said.

"Fox, your dad is a historian not a scientist," Buck said.

"And that's why the ones on the project wanted him, because of how much he knows about history, just in case the project went all the way," Fox replied.

"Project? Why did the Defense Directorate take an interest in time travel? Why didn't this idea go through?" Buck asked.

"The project of developing a working time machine. The Defense Directorate at the time of working on this wanted to send fighters from the present into the past to win fights that couldn't have been won with the technology of the earlier time period. The reason why this got abandoned... "My dad, my dad found out by a slip of the tongue by another working on this, what they were doing it all for. And he told the Computer Council and they terminated the whole deal," Fox replied.

"So was the time machine never built, or was it then destroyed?" Buck asked.

"It got fully built," Fox said.

Inside Locker Janus, Fox and Buck are now standing before the time machine. It looks like a crescent moon with many thin inside layers, linked onto a large platform with a lowered ceiling also connecting at the top of the crescent moon, same size as the platform. Fox waves towards the machine. "But as you can see here the Computer Council never asked for it to be taken apart. They said they wanted it to be kept intact in case a good moral reason could be found for its use," Fox said.

Buck is looking in awe at it. "Could you turn it on?" Buck asked. Fox gives Buck a look. "I'm not going to use it, believe me there was a time when I would have, but not now; I just want to see it lit up with life," Buck said.

"I think I know how to turn it on," Fox said.

Fox goes to a console that stands before the time machine and hits a few buttons, the machine doesn't do anything till after Fox gives the machine a look then presses a few more buttons and it comes to life. The layers of crescent moon sheets start moving clockwise around the platform till they make a wall, concealing the platform altogether. Then the wall of crescent moon sheets starts moving again, only now very fast.

As Buck walks around the time machine. "A real time machine," Buck said, amazed.

"So many wonders as to its use, it's a shame what the Director wanted to do with it," Fox said.

Buck finishes walking around it. "I would have never thought before now Doctor Huer would put himself behind such a thing," Buck said.

"Doctor Huer wasn't the Director of the Defense Directorate back when this was built, Asimov was," Fox replied.

"Heard of Asimov once before. A real old war horse, right?" Buck asked, standing before the time machine.

"A retired war horse, the Defense Directorate hasn't seen or heard from the man in years," Fox replied.

"Turn it off," Buck said.

Fox goes to the console he stood at earlier and presses a few buttons. The motor's roar come to a halt after the buttons are pressed, but after that some loud crackling and sputtering of electricity for a beat.

Buck turns around to Fox. "What happened?" Buck asked, walking over to the console to join Fox.

"I think it must have blown out a circuit or something. It's 20 years old and hasn't been touched for that much time," Fox replied.

"Then no one needs to know this ever happened since the machine has no use," Buck said.

Suddenly a ghostlike image of Buck enters the room with blaster in hand, looking battered, and shoots and destroys a ghost image of the time machine which shows up just a moment later. The ghost image of Buck and the destroyed time machine disappear and at the sight of all this Buck and Fox just watch the whole thing wide-eyed in shock.

"What happened?" Fox asked.

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Chapter 1

"No clue; maybe.. maybe someone should be told the machine busted a fuse," Buck replied.

"Could be nothing, no one needs to know," Fox said.

Buck goes to the door and puts a hand on the access panel and it does nothing. Buck backs a little away from the door, perplexed, and pats the access panel again. Then Buck tries to press his other hand through the door. Still nothing, it won't let the hand pass. Holding his hand on the door, Buck slaps the other hand on the access panel several times. "Think the door might be broken too," Buck hollers back at Fox.

"Let me try," Fox said. Fox uses the access panel and it lets him through. "Worked for me, try it now," Fox said.

Buck tries the panel and door again to no avail. "No, still isn't working," Buck replied.

Fox puts an outreached hand through the door and Buck takes it, pulling him out of the room.

In the Hallway, lots of people are moving about at different paces. Fox stands waiting for Buck to get over eyeing the door.

"I'll have a talk with Thomas over the door," Fox said.

"Appreciated," Buck replied.

A couple of people dressed in Defense Directorate medical uniforms move quickly past Buck and Fox. "Five hundred years old, is this a joke?" Doc One asked.

"Fox found a live one.. mostly, I have to see this stasis pod, can't believe it could be working after all this time," Doc Two said.

"Hopefully the man isn't too far gone for us or a chamber to help him," Doc One said.

Buck stares at the two doctors heading down the hallway. "Another?" Buck asked.

"How is it..? We checked the whole place," Fox said.

"I guess Rick found'em in some place we somehow missed. I need to find out who," Buck said as he starts in the direction the doctors were going. Buck moves down the hallway through a thick crowd of people, after a moment he sees the two doctors far off in the distance. Buck moves faster and just as he reaches the closest of the doctors, reaching his arm out like he wants to put a hand on one of their shoulders and ask. "Who was found."

In a flash, Buck's outstretched arm fall through thin air as the two doctors disappear. Buck now looks very confused. "Odd," Buck said.

Inside Huer's Office, Huer angerly is standing behind his desk which Buck and Fox are in front of. "Buck, please explain," Huer said.

"I just wanted to see it on, I didn't think anything bad would come of it," Buck replied.

Showing anger, Huer closes his eyes. "Fox, did I ever tell you, you could tell others what's in Locker Janus?" Huer asked.

"No," Fox replied.

Huer opens his eyes. "My point, and your dad was told never to tell anyone about the project," Huer said.

"Doctor Huer, if I may?" Fox asked.

"What made you think it would be okay to tell, then show him the time machine?!" Huer asked.

"Doctor Huer, my dad was told not to tell others about the time machine. He was told this a long time ago, I..I wasn't even in training for working here back when he told me. I don't think he thought anything of telling family about it. I'm sorry sir, I thought since Buck is with the Directorate and can be trusted to keep..," Fox said.

"His mouth shut." Huer turns to Buck. "I know you can be trusted and hopefully these phantoms of misplaced time are gone now. No one has reported any in over an hour. But I don't want anything like this to ever take place again!" Huer said, turning to look at both of them. "Neither of you are to ever mess around with Defense Directorate property like that again unless I give you the authority to do so. Is this understood?" Huer asked.

"Sir I don't think something like this could ever happen again considering the time machine is broken," Fox said.

Huer closes his eyes again. "Both of you, out of my office," Huer said, pointing towards the door. Huer stands holding his desk as Buck and Fox leave the room, looking back at Huer as they're doing so. Huer with his eyes still closed, shakes his head. "What am I going to do with them?"

"Director, your security around here is a joke," a voice said.

Huer opens his eyes and takes on a look of drop-mouthed shock at what's before him.

Before Huer stands a pack of five Saurians standing in the room wearing out-of-date military garb. One of them is pointing a blaster at Huer. "What's going on here?!" Huer shouts.

The Leader, pointing the blaster. "Asimov, you need ask during a time of war? We're seizing your Defense Directorate, now bow before me as a sign of surrender," the Saurian leader said.

"I'm not Asimov, in fact he hasn't been the Director of the Defense Directorate for some time, he retired as an Admiral. I'm Elias Huer, the current Director of this establishment," Huer said.

"YOU'RE Huer?" the leader asked.

"I am and I'd like it greatly if you left me alone right now. We are not in a time of war right now!" Huer said.

"Warm-blood poser, you can't be Huer; you're too old to be him! You're only in here to take a fall for your leader if need be!" the leader shouts.

The leader turns to his fellow Saurians. "Earth's Defense Directorate cannot fall until we have taken hold of the real Asimov. Search the Directorate, tell the rest of the troop we're also to keep an eye peeled for the real Captain Huer," The leader said, looking at Huer. "I doubt this poser could be worth much as a prisoner of war, but just the same he is ours now. The real Huer will make a much better one."

In Wilma's Bathroom. Wilma is standing before a mirror at the sink, toothbrush being held in her mouth tightly as she takes curlers out of her hair, when..

Theopolis: "Colonel Deering, I know I'm making this request to you in your off-hours, but if you have a spare moment, I'd like your assistance with something," Theopolis said.

Wilma takes the toothbrush out of her mouth. "Like with what, Doctor?" Wilma asked.

"I've been receiving all sorts of strange visuals and reports from staff for the last few hours, to the point I'm not sure if I can trust my sensors anymore. Colonel, if you could, could you please confirm for me if the Defense Directorate exists outside of your living quarters?" Theopolis asked.

"Huh?" Wilma asked.

"My sensors have lost all signal for thirty yards surrounding your living quarters. I don't know what has caused this signal loss, Colonel," Theopolis replied.

"I'll look into it, Doctor Theopolis," Wilma said.

Wilma carefully works away at getting a curler out of her hair as she heads for the door. At the door now, she stops working with the curler and lets it hang on her hair as she uses the door's access panel. She starts to move through the Phasoft-door and stops not even halfway through it. Wilma now backs into the living room fully with a look of shock on her face.

Returning without the curler in her hair and a blaster in hand, once more going to the door she uses the access pad and goes though the door ready for action.

In the hotel lobby, Wilma has just entered through thin air still holding the blaster at ready and looking very puzzled. The hotel lobby looks battle-worn, filthy and abandoned.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Wilma calls out. She walks around the lobby looking around. "Doctor, can you hear me?" she asked.

Metal grinding can be heard. Wilma turns her head towards the hotel lobby's door leading to the outside. She heads carefully for the door.

Outside, the street looks in the same condition as the hotel lobby. A group of four weary looking men trying to move a flipped-over, wrecked car that's in front of a store front that's had its glass shattered. A crowd of people stands a small distance from the men watching them with the same weary look on their faces. The men holding the car flip it over away from the storefront. One of the men who helped flip over the car. "Store's open," he shouts, smiling towards the crowd. The crowd as a mass starts moving towards the shattered glass storefront.

Wilma standing in the street watching the crowd enter the store through its window.

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Chapter 2

Wilma is standing in the street watching the crowd enter the store through its window.

Still looking just as puzzled as she did in the hotel's lobby, she heads towards the mass of people. Almost all of them are inside the store by the time she gets to them and asking one of the car flippers. "What's going on here? Where is this?" Wilma asked.

Man Two gives her a look. "Been hiding under a rock the last few days with your toy huh?" the man asked.

"Excuse me?" Wilma asked, confused.

"You hid in a fallout shelter with your toy gun when it happened?" man two asked.

Wilma looks at her blaster. "Standard issue Defense Directorate blaster," Wilma replied,looking back towards Man Two. "A battle happened here; what planet am I on?" Wilma asked.

Man Two and his buddies who helped him with the car start laughing. "Well, well, the war has happened, the end of the world. You're on Earth missy, in the middle of what's left of Chicago," Man Two replied.

Wilma gets a look of shock on her face, She loosens her grip on her blaster for a moment then returns to holding it better again.

"In the blink of an eye it started, where have you been the last few days not to know this?" Man Three asked.

Still looking in shock, Wilma looks to Man Three and starts moveing her mouth like she wants to say something but nothing comes out.

"Ms. are you..?" Man Two asked. Wilma turns and runs across the street and into the hotel.

In the hotel lobby, Wilma entered and immediately starts quickly looking around it. Then she moves around the room at a fast pace. Stopping, she takes notice of an elevator and goes to it. She looks at its up arrow button and hits it with her palm in the same matter she would an access panel for a Phasoft-door. The button doesn't light and none of the floor lights at the top of the elevator's door do the same.

"Doctor...doctor Theopolis, can you hear me?" Wilma calls out.

Taindair is in his living quarters, on his couch looking relaxed while listening to music that sounds like Doo-Wop but to an alien tongue not meant to be understood by us. A blastis heard and Taindair snaps out of his relaxed state and has his gaze set towards the entrance of his living quarters.

"Up to attention soldier, you're on a mission!" Soldier One ordered.

Taindair points towards where he's looking. "Nice period costume, where'd you get it?" Taindair asked.

Soldier One walks over to Taindair. "This is no costume, this is my uniform. Attention stat!" Soldier One ordered again.

Taindair gets up from the couch in a leisurely looking manner. "I'm the only Saurian working in this place. I only take orders from my superior officers, you're not.."

Soldier One backs away from Taindair a little. "You're a traitor!" Soldier One shouts, pointing his finger towards Taindair.

"I've heard all sorts of heated sands rumors of things going on today. You're one of those time phantoms everybody's been talking about, aren't you?" Taindair asked.

"I am no phantom, I am a soldier of Sanopp's royal army, warm-blood!" Soldier One shouts.

Buck enters the room quietly through the door to the living quarters and starts heading towards Soldier One, carrying a blaster. "Please don't insult me to where my loyalty lies, I love both Sanopp and Earth," Taindair said.

Buck is nearly behind Soldier One as Soldier One pulls his blaster on Taindair. "You soft-scaled, warm-blood, switch-tail!" he says growling.

Buck raises his blaster behind Soldier One. "Yes," Taindair said.

"You agree with..." Soldier One said. Buck knocks Soldier One over the head with the blaster, knocking Soldier One to the floor and unconscious.

"Why didn't you kill him?" Taindair asked.

"He's from the past, I don't know what are the rules with that fact," Buck replied.

"Are there any other, phantom doesn't seem like the right word anymore, you knocked him out," Taindair asked.

"At a guess there could be at least 15 more here from the royal army who still believe the war is on," Buck replied.

Looking very concerned. "Taindair, I've read about this, this is when they invaded the Defense Directorate back in 2490," Buck said.

"When I first entered here for training I got poked at some for that event, thank goodness Asimov was at the battle of Goupfit when it happened. Buck, do you know where Doctor Huer is right now?" Taindair asked.

"Not in his office, heard they took him somewhere. Do you know where Wilma and Fox are? I haven't seen them in a while," Buck asked.

In the hotel lobby, Wilma's head is leaning up on the elevator door.

"I'm sorry for how you were treated back there, times are being rough on all of us right now and some of us are having our manners slip," Man One said.

"I want to go home," Wilma said.

"Come here for a vacation when it happened?" Man One asked.

Wilma doesn't look like she wants to respond, looking down at the door in a melancholy manner.

Man One steps closer to Wilma. "Do you have a place to stay? If not I could take you to a shelter that's been set up," Man One said.

Wilma looks up. "I know of a place that's abandoned right now. I'd like to stay there," Wilma said softly in a weak voice.

"Would you like some company getting there?" Man One asked.

Wilma looks back to the elevator door, puts one of her hands on it and lets it gently slide down. "Yes, I'd like some company to..to be with," Wilma replied.

Buck's apartment building is a four-story building made out of brick with nice trim that looks like it could have been made in the 30's or 40's. Down on the street, a street sign that reads, 1039 Sir Kay Avenue.

"Your boyfriend?" Man One asked.

In Buck's apartment, Wilma picks up a picture and sees her own reflection. The picture she's holding is one that's setting is Ben's wedding. In the picture Ben and Tammy Rogers are standing very happily together as Buck in an over-dramatic pose is proudly showing them off to the camera. "He was a very good friend," she said, softly.

Wilma standing by a coffee table that's about the size of a stool in front of a very worn-looking couch . Man One is closer to the door that leads into the apartment, which is wide open. The apartment has a few pictures in it, mainly of people Buck knew back in the 20th & 21st century and one picture is of painting of a naval ship. Off to the sides of this room are doors leading to other places of the apartment. "Would you like me to stay?" Man One asked, softly.

"No, I'd like to be left alone right now," Wilma replies.

Man One leaves the apartment. Wilma stands looking at the picture she's holding, starts to move a little.

Inside the Flight Hangar. Snap, Wilma still looking at the picture until she quickly notes where she is and turns at hearing blasters going off. She sees a few fighter pilots in a firefight with Saurian soldiers off a distance in the massive room. Wilma draws out her blaster and points.

Outside Buck's apartment, Man One is walking down the hall, as Jenny is walking towards Buck's apartment.

In the Flight Hangar, Wilma is firing her blaster at the Saurians engaged in battle with the other pilots.

Back at Buck's Apartment, Jenny is about to enter through the open doorway.

Back at the Flight Hangar, Wilma is still firing her weapon when in a snap she disappears.

In Buck's Apartment, Wilma snaps back here and shoots Jenny in the gut.

Wilma in shock horror. "Oh my god!" Wilma cries out.

Jenny who's holding her gut and eyes are wide with pain.

Chapter 3

In the work shop, two of the Saurian soldiers fiddle with the odds and ends of devices set throughout the room as Doctor Huer stands in one of the corners with his hands bound together with thin wires.

"Have either of you ever seen doc .. Captain Huer before?" Huer asked.

"No but we do know what kind of man the warm-blood is like," Saurian One replied.

"That being?" Huer asked.

"A Human that doesn't fear taking thunderous action against others and is uglier than a hog's bottom!" Saurian Two replied.

"Uglier than a hog's bottom!" Huer said.

"I've also heard fat," Saurian One added.

"Well.. well I've heard all you Saurian's teeth can't even crack the shell of an Earth bug!" Huer said.

"You show me an insect on this wimpy little planet and I'll show you how any Saurian could make a quick meal of it," Saurian One replied.

Huer goes up to Idiot Saurian One. "Really?!" Huer asked.

"Really!" Saurian One replied.

Huer walks to behind Saurian One. Taking Saurian One into a quickly formed embrace putting the wire mid-section of the bond holding Huer's hands together in Saurian One's mouth. "Then prove it!" Huer said.

Saurian One starts making gagging noises and moving around his mouth as Saurian Two draws his blaster on them. "Release him or I'll shoot!" Saurian Two yells.

"Not until he proves his bite!" Huer replies.

"Bite.. bite down hard! Prove yourself to this withered Human to end this shameful sight!" Saurian Two shouts.

"Ggack!" Then Saurian One snaps his mouth shut down tight on the wires holding Huer's hands together. The bond holding Huer's hands together breaks apart due to the Saurian's teeth and pulling his arms as far apart as possible. Huer gets completely behind Saurian One and knocks him with good force forward into Saurian Two, taking them both down. Huer with a foot on Saurian One's back leans down and quickly takes the blaster out of Saurian Two's hand, then shoots Saurian Two. Huer walks over Saurian One and turns back to him as he starts to get up looking at Huer. Huer turns back to Saurian One pointing the stolen blaster at him.

"I used to get quite a number of ladies in my day, I was never fat and I am a very clever person," Huer said, as he leaves the room.

Saurian One runs to the door only to find out he can't leave. In the hallway just outside of the workshop, Huer is putting the door's access panel back into place, smiling.

In classroom Five, the room has the look of a stadium, only instead of bleachers moving all the way around the room, they only slate up two of its walls. After the top of the bleachers on both sides, four feet the ceiling curves up and inwards. In the center of the room is a raised square that's a foot higher from the normal floor with a podium on top of it. Three Saurian soldiers are firing their blasters in the direction of the podium.

Buck and Taindair are by the podium firing back at the soldiers. "How could this have happened?" Taindair asked.

Buck takes on a shamed look which Taindair takes notice of. "What happened?" Taindair asked, looking at Buck's expression.

"I'm..." Buck said, as he quickly gets out of the way of a shot. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone," Buck replied.

"Can it be fixed?" Taindair asked.

"I thought you didn't know what happened?" Buck asked.

Taindair nearly gets hit by a shot. "Just a guess, what you broke can it be fixed?" Taindair asked.

Buck fires one last time and the firing ends. "I didn't break.." Buck said. Buck lowers his firing arm then takes on a smile. "In the future," Buck said softly to himself.

"Buck?" Taindair said.

Buck looks to Taindair. "I have to break it, I have to destroy it. No longer present it can't do anymore harm," Buck replied. Buck runs for the door to the room which he then goes through. Taindair runs after him. "Buck what are you talking about? What is it that must be destroyed?!" Taindair asked.

In Buck's Apartment, Jenny is lying on the floor as Wilma treats her wound. "I'm so sorry," Wilma said, softly weeping.

"Please stop saying that," Jenny said.

"I shouldn't have shot you," Wilma said.

"Why did you shoot me, I don't know.. who are you?" Jenny asked.

"My name is Wilma," Wilma replied.

"A squatter using my boyfriend's apartment for a home, eh? I've been invited here before. Buck has never mentioned knowing anyone named Wilma. If anything I would have more reason to shoot someone in here than you," Jenny said.

"You're Jennifer!" Wilma said.

"How do you know Buck?" Jenny asked.

"He's a close friend of mine," Wilma replied.

"Good lie, now tell the truth," Jenny said.

"It is the truth, it's just hard to explain," Wilma replied.

Wilma finishes working on Jenny's wound. "Do you feel any better?" Wilma asked.

"You never answered why you shot me," Jenny said.

"I... sometimes my mind slips out of place. I thought I was in battle," Wilma replied.

Jenny starts slowly getting up from the floor. "Army? Navy? Air Force? Marines?" Jenny asked.

Wilma not sure of how to answer, stands and helps Jenny get up. "Air Force," Wilma replied.

"Rank?" Jenny asked.

"Colonel," Wilma replied.

"You love a blue streak don't you?" Jenny asked.

"It's hard to explain," Wilma said.

"If you don't explain, you're out of here," Jenny said.

Wilma starts to open her mouth then in a snap she's gone. Jenny takes on an amazed look. "Out of here, but that I'd like explained," Jenny said, still confused on seeing Wilma disappeared in front of her.

Back in the hallway, Buck pokes his head out from the indent and immediately a shot gets fired right past him and he withdraws his head from sight. In the hallway Indent, Buck and Taindair are standing, blasters drawn in ready. "Bad idea going that way," Buck said. Turning to Taindair. "Do you know of another route to Locker Janus?" Buck asked.

"Buck we're not allowed in Locker... You know what's in there, that's what you have to destroy isn't it?" Taindair asked.

Buck giving a caving in look and rolling his eyes. "Yes," Buck replies.

Taindair starts to poke his head out from the indent and immediately a shot gets fired right past him and he withdraws his head from sight. "Back through the room we just went through, corridor C-14 to the elevator to floor 10, then through corridor E-9," Taindair said.

"That would explain why I only knew one route," Buck said. Buck starts to pass through the door nearest to him and stops.

In a Restaurant, the interior of a very fine looking restaurant, in pattern a heavily decorated carpet, tables seen in the distance with laced tablecloths covering them and in the closer foreground a maitre'd standing behind a wooden podium wearing a dress-suit. The maitre'd blinks at the sudden sight. "Monsieur Rogers, this is unexpected; it's not Tuesday. Will you be having your usual?" the maitre'd asked.

The part of him that's through the Phasoft-door looks solid while the rest of him is slightly transparent. "Oh, it's - not Tuesday? Maybe when it is, Tyler," Buck replied. And with an embarrassed look, Buck backs up towards where the Phasoft-door is and disappears from sight.

"We shouldn't go that way," Buck said, pointing towards the door that he just came back from.

"More soldiers?" Taindair asked.

"No," Buck replied.

Taindair starts moving towards the door and presses the access panel. "Then what?" Taindair asked. Taindair pokes his head through the door then after a couple beats comes out from the door. Turning to Buck. "What's Halloween?" Taindair asked.

Buck takes on a stance of readiness with his blaster in hand that Taindair quickly copies. "I'll teach you next October," Buck replied.

Then in a very stiff military manner they go out of the indent to the open hallway to face the soldiers in battle.

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Chapter 4

In a greenhouse, A Saurian Captain stands with one of his soldiers. "Not a single one?" The Saurian Captain asked.

"Only little red spotted ones," the Soldier replied.

The Saurian Captain peers around himself at the ground, then looking to Soldier. "These Humans keep the worst gallery I've ever seen," The Saurian Captain said.

"I don't believe Human made galleries serve the same purpose ours do," the soldier replied.

Shaking his head. "Such an inferior species," the Saurian Captain said.

"We're not an inferior species, Captain Prahall. We kicked your tail so many times in battle when you tried to invade this planet, you guys caved in and surrendered to us," Huer replied.

"Put down that blaster, you white-haired ape or I'll have to put you down," the Saurian Captain said. The Saurian Captain pulls out his blaster and points it on Huer.

"Put me down? My memory isn't as good as it should be to some things, but you're dead," Huer replied.

"Pardon? Never mind, you're just an old fool with a gun," the Saurian Captain said. The Saurian Captain turns to the Soldier. "Take him out of here."

The Soldier with weapon in hand, pointing, starts to walk towards Huer as an image of Huer 28 years younger starts to appear behind the Saurian Captain. "I'm not a fool, Captain," the younger Huer said.

"You're Human and therefore your words have no meaning to me," The Saurian Captain replies. The younger Huer draws his blaster.

"28 years ago I killed you in this room while something was distracting you," the older image of Huer said. The younger Huer fires his blaster at the Saurian Captain and he drops. Huer makes a little noise. "So much for the mystery behind that question." The younger Huer puts down his blaster. Turning to the Soldier. "Still think I'm a fool?" Huer asked.

The younger Huer turns his attention to something then disappears. Soldier: "No, I..I surrender," the Saurian soldier said.

Near a wreckage, a German shepherd pokes its head into the awkward opening, sniffs then lifts its head and howls. The wreckage is a collapsed building. Its neighbor buildings aren't in much better shape. A crowd is gathered around the collapsed building of six or seven people. At one of the large mounds of this collapsed building stands a man with the German shepherd.

"Found another one," the Man said.

Jenny walks up to the man with the dog. "Alive?" Jenny asked.

The man with the dog gets low and goes into the awkward opening a little then backs out. "Yeah, but I'm not sure for how much longer if she doesn't get treated," the man replied.

Jenny looking around at the others close by. "Anyone with an ounce of strength, come on," Jenny shouts, waves them towards herself. She stops this wave when she sees Wilma coming towards her. "What are you doing here?" Jenny asked.

"To ask a few questions and I noticed you need some extra muscle to help," Wilma replied.

Wilma goes past Jenny to where a few of the others are now at the awkward opening, Jenny just stares at Wilma for a moment. Everyone but Jenny is now trying to make the opening larger till a moment later Jenny joins them by Wilma's side.

"When did you get back?" Jenny asked.

"Just a few minutes ago," Wilma replied.

"When did you meet Buck?" Jenny asked.

Wilma continues working for a few minutes before answering. "I can't say," Wilma replies.

"Was it before or during when I was with him?" Jenny asked.

Wilma looking at Jenny in a very mellow way. "After," Wilma replied.

"Let's give it a rest, I'm going to try to reach her," the Man with the dog said.

Everybody stops moving the debris and watches the man with the dog as he halfway climbs into the now widened awkward opening.

"Is he doing well?" Jenny asked.

"You know?" Wilma asked, with a shocked look on her face.

"Your gun, disappearing into thin air, having met him after I knew him. Some things can be easily figured out despite seeming too wild to be true," Jenny replied.

Wilma smiles a little. "He was having a hard time at first but I think he's getting better now," Wilma said.

Wilma and Jenny turn their attention back to the man with the dog as with kid gloves, he lifts the woman out of the awkward opening.

"He misses you," Wilma said.

"Is he angry at me for what I did?" Jenny asked.

The man with the dog sets the woman gently on the ground and one of the people in the crowd crouches down to the woman then starts examining her.

"No, he's not angry," Wilma replied. Wilma turns her gaze to Jenny. "Do you know how his family is doing? He wonders, but unfortunately no records exist," Wilma asked.

"I haven't had any contact with them for a while, there's been no phone, cell or internet up for days," Jenny replied.

Wilma looks back towards where the woman is being treated. "It's a shame you can't come with me," Wilma said.

Jenny then returns her attention to where Wilma is looking. "When are you leaving?" Jenny asked.

"I wish I knew, I keep getting yanked back and forth," Wilma replied.

"From when?" Jenny asked.

"A long time from..." And in a snap Wilma was gone.

"Wilma?" Jenny turns to look back for her, then she takes on an understanding look.

In the hallway / Corridor E-9. Buck and Taindair look like they've just come out of a war.

"Locker Janus," Buck said, staring outwards.

"The source of all our troubles today. Buck could you please tell me.." Taindair started to say something but was stopped by Buck.

"Only if Doctor Huer tells me I can," Buck said. Buck starts walking towards the door.

"Good luck," Taindair said.

Buck without looking back. "Thanks," Buck replied. Inside Locker Janus, Buck raises and fires his blaster towards the time machine.

The End

Return to Earth