Through Time

It should have been easy.

Data coming back from the probe predicated a suitable environment, without any chance of interference with the local population. But as soon as I step through the timegate, I sense that something is wrong. The whole process of travelling to the future doesn’t take more than a second, but this time I get stuck in the limbo for several seconds.

Once I get to the other side of the portal I land just off shore in an ice cold sea. The cold water takes me by surprise and while my body fights against the shocking cold, I’m struggling to keep my head above the water. After a few seconds – that seemed to last for minutes – I finally regain control over the situation and I’m able to orientate myself. With the last of my remaining strength I swim towards the beach. I barely make it. After I reach the beach, I push myself to crawl a little bit further to safety. I manage to get a few extra feet of distance between myself and the shoreline before my body gives in.

My mind drifts away as I try to make sense of what just happened. This was supposed to be a trip to a secluded beach, about 200 years in the future. It was a popular destination and the 15 minutes you got to spend there, were rated by most as the best 15 minutes of their lifetime. The promise of warm, clear blue water and the smell of a salty ocean had persuaded me to book a trip to this paradise.

Sensations like these were no longer available in our world as we struggle with the effects of a polluted earth. Climate change and clouds of deadly radiation has turned earth into a place where the human race was dying. Are thirst for energy made the world inhabitable and since the discovery of time travel, the demand for power has never been higher. A trip only lasts 15 minutes as the machine that powers it all, can’t generate enough power to stay away longer. And without the machine, the time portal would open again and you’ll get stuck in the limbo; a place in space and time where a second could last an eternity.

I start to realize I’m wasting my precious time laying on the beach and I force myself to get up. With my eyes only half open I crawl back on my knees and raise my head. A cold wind coming from the sea blows in my face and forces me to cover my eyes with my hand. Through the opening of my fingers I see rocks laying around on the beach. They are scattered everywhere and look like they’ve been suffering under the relentless attacks of the waves for many generations. Another gust of wind picks up some sand from the beach and blows it into my eyes. I need both my hands to protect my face, but I’m still too weak to even sit on my knees, so I fall down in the sand a second time.

This is far from the place where I should have landed. The sea is cold and dark here. And the beach shouldn’t contain that many boulders either.

In a near distance I hear vague grunt, carried by the wind and when I try to open my eyes again a strange silhouette looms over me.

This can’t be happening!

The words rush through my mind. No one has ever made contact with human survivors in the future. It’s strictly forbidden but also almost impossible as no one has ever encountered another living human.

I feel the hands of the strange figure grabbing me and I try to fight him off, but I’m very weak and pass out.

When I wake up I’m near a fire place in some sort of cabin. I feel the warm glow of the fire through the skin of my suit. The warmth strengthens me and carefully I try to get up. I take a good look at the primitive looking bed I had been laid to rest in. Right next to the bed is an unprotected fireplace, fueled by several logs. I move a little bit away from the fire. Burning wooden logs is dangerous because trees absorbed so much radiation over time that they became radioactive themselves. Burning a log can emit a deadly dose of radiation within minutes.

As I move away from the fire, I see a silhouette of a man – hiding in a shadowy corner of the cabin. He grunts when he sees I’ve noticed him and points towards a bowl that is sitting on a small table next to the bed.

It’s filled with some sort of soup and a wooden spoon. The mysterious figure keeps pointing at the bowl of soup. I hesitate as I take the bowl and start to eat. I’m hungry, but my presence here is putting us both in danger. There have never been any reports about other humans being seen during time travels, so we are all convinced that the human race is going to go extinct. Nature would find a way to restore itself without our help. It’s incredible to see that there will be humans present in the future, how primitive they might live. But I’m starting to question how far in the future did I land?

The communicator can tell me where I am.

I had forgotten all about the communication device on my wrist. It signals the moment the time rift will re-open to pull you back to your own timeline. I take a look at my wrist, but the display is dead. I shake my wrist a few times, but no matter how fast I shake my arm or tap the screen, there’s no sign of life from the device.

The shadowy figure in the corner starts to move around restlessly. Suddenly he stands up and moves towards me. As he’s walking towards me I can see his face more clearly in the glooming light of the fireplace.

He’s about twice my size and his beard covers most of his face. He looks scared and his eyes are focused on my communicator. Even though I’m trained in basic combat skills, I highly doubt if I’d be any competition for this man. It looks like he was build from nothing but muscles and could throw me around the cabin like I was made of paper.

But the little piece of technology around my wrist seems to scare him. In that moment I realize that there isn’t any technology present in the cabin. Everything in the cabin is made of natural resources and even the clothes the man is wearing are all made of natural components. My clothes are all synthetic; as required for any form of time travel. To him, I must look like some strange creature that appeared out of the sea. Even if he would be able to grasp the concept of time travelling, he’ll probably think I’m from a distance future, while I’m in fact from the past.

I raise my hands as he keeps coming closer, signaling that I mean him no harm. But the man keeps his focus on my communicator and grabs my arm. I feel his fingers grasping tightly around my wrist while in his other hand a knife appears. I try to stop him and try to break my arm free from his grip, but the large man throws me around as easily as I thought he could and places himself between my body and my arm. My body is now caught between the wall and the back of the man and my arm is still locked in his grip. I try to wiggle my way out of the situation, but it’s useless as the man seems to prepare to stab his knife in the communicator. Suddenly I hear a faint beep coming from the communicator.

SIGNAL LOCATED

The man is thunderstruck and with one big pull, I’m able to break free from his hold. A rush of adrenaline flows through my veins and I use it to run away. I push the front door open and start running through the field outside. I keep an eye on the locator and my strength renews as I read a new message.

RETURN PROCEDURE INITIATED

They finally found a way to get me back home. Would they know something went wrong?

… 10 …

I hear a loud scream behind me and as I turn around, I see the man standing in the door opening of his cabin. He raises his knife and starts coming after me.

… 7 …

The man doesn’t run as fast as me and I’m able to keep a safe distance between us. The horizon is only a few yards away and I hope that the other side of the hill could give me some protection.

… 4 …

I’m at the horizon, but there’s no safety behind it. I’m standing at the top of a cliff and in front of me lies the wild ocean. Once again I’m greeted by the cold wind and down below the waves keep crashing relentlessly on the rocky beach. I turn around and I see the man still coming towards me. He’s not running anymore as he knows there’s no way for me to escape.

… 1 …

I can’t hide anywhere and I don’t have any time left. If I stay here, the man will see the time rift opening up; a risk I can’t take.

There is only one option left.

I close my eyes and jump. I hear the crackling sound of the time portal opening up around me and I take one last deep breath. The smell of the sea and the cold air fill my lungs one last time. It’s the only souvenir we’re allowed to take back home.