Home Again - Welcome to the New Age - Part 2

 “Why’d we even agree to coming out here?” Leila Greenrow complained, swinging her legs off the side of the white pickup truck.

“It was to prove people can time travel!” Ben Schmidt said defiantly. “I don’t regret coming out here!”

“Well good for you!” Leila snapped irritably. “We’re stuck FIVE-HUNDRED YEARS IN THE FUTURE. Iris was shot and we have no idea how to get home.”

Iris winced. She hated seeing her team fight among themselves, but getting stuck five-hundred years ahead of their time and everything else was irritating everyone. She herself had snapped at the others on a few occasions.

“Ve vorked REALLY hard to get here, Leila!” Ben exclaimed. “Lots of blood, sweat, and tears vere put into the effort of getting us here.”

“I agree with Leila,” Austin Foxtrotter said. He was leaning against the side of the pickup truck with his arms crossed. “Coming here was useless.”

“I’m staying on Ben’s side,” said Olivia Scandmoor with a heavy sigh. “We came here for science. Well, we accomplished our goal. The only problem is that now we can’t go home.”

“Vhat about you, Iris?” Ben questioned. “Who do you agree vith?”

“I’m not taking sides,” Iris declared. “I want to go home, that’s all. We can figure out a way, I’m sure of it.”

Suddenly, an orange Jeep roared into the area, leaving behind a thick cloud of choking dust. Everyone coughed as the Jeep jerked to a stop and the engine quit.

Harlem Sinquin jumped out of the driver’s side and hurried over to them. Jonas Scandmoor leaped out of the other side and followed Harlem.

“You won’t be going back anytime soon,” Harlem spat. 

“What news?” Leila asked.

“I couldn’t find the T.T.D. anywhere. Just… gone,” growled Harlem. “Those thugs took it and ransacked the place all over again. I’m afraid we’ll have to fight to get it back.”

T.T.D. was short for the Time-Travel Device. Without it, there was no way the five of them—Iris, Leila, Olivia, Austin, and Ben—were getting back to their home. Leila groaned and threw her hands up in the air.

“I give up!” She exclaimed in disgust. “I told you guys it was a mistake coming here! And nobody listened!”

“Look, Leila,” said Ben flatly, “hundreds of people poured millions of dollars into zis project. Hundreds of people have spent years to make zis vork. Ve can’t give up now.”

“Oh yeah?” Leila spat. “We’re stuck five-hundred years ahead of our own time with no way back to our families and homes and friends! In a place that’s rotten and filthy and dead! Look around you! Besides us, what else do you see that’s alive? Huh? NOTHING. This is a barren wasteland, not our home. Everything went wrong! I don’t care how much work was put into this, how much blood, sweat, and tears, I just want to go home.”

“I think we can all agree on that,” sighed Austin.

“Not me,” muttered Ben. “I don’t think the experiment went wrong. Everything was working out fine until those guys took the T.T.D.”

“So now what, Harlem?” Iris asked.

“Well, first, we need to get the T.T.D. back. However we’re going to manage that, I’m not sure. But I do have one idea…”

* * * 

“Are you sure this will work?” Ben whispered. “How do we even know these people were the ones who took it?”

“It’s our only chance to get the device back. So be quiet,” shushed Harlem.

“That’s not very reassuring,” muttered Ben.

“What has been reassuring recently?” Iris scoffed. “Nothing, that’s what.”

“I guess,” Ben murmured, mostly to himself. 

“Shh,” scolded Leila. Iris could almost feel Ben rolling his eyes.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Their group was hidden behind a large piece of scrap metal sticking out from the dry ground. It created weird shadows in the faint light of the moon.

The darkness was oppressing, but at least it gave them some cover, and brought the cool night with it; a relief from the blazing sun. From her vantage point, Iris could see the moon. It was almost right above them, not quite full yet. Iris would guess it’d be full in a few nights. Unless it was waning.

The enemies’ camp was in front of them. Everything appeared to be quiet. Tents were set up between the vehicles. There were four vehicles—a red Jeep, two black trucks, and a larger white truck. Two men were patrolling around on the other side of the silent camp.

We’ll have to hurry before they make it over here, Iris thought, noting the large rifle one man held. The other held an AR, like Harlem’s gun. 

“Where do you think it might be?” Iris murmured to Harlem, who was on her right. She tried to mask the tremble of fear in her voice as she spoke. 

“I’m not sure.” Harlem’s voice was muffled by the mask he wore over his face, but Iris was sure she had heard a tremor too. “Everyone remember the plan, right?”

Everyone nodded.

“Let’s move,” Harlem instructed. He slunk off to the right, his AR gun gripped tightly in his hands.

Iris lightly touched the pistol she had strapped to her side.

Jonas crept away to the left. Iris, Austin, and Ben followed Harlem but remained a good distance behind him.

Although she couldn’t see them, Iris knew that Leila and Olivia would be with Jonas. Harlem had broken them into groups—Iris, Austin, and Ben for Group 1, Olivia, Leila, and Jonas in Group 2, and Harlem was alone.

Before long, Iris had lost sight of Harlem, and she was alone with Austin and Ben.

Iris was creeping along behind the Jeep when she heard a shout. Her heart sank. They had been caught. She whipped her gun out. Austin and Ben took their pistols out, too. Harlem had lent them all a gun.

Ben had a double-action revolver, Austin had a semi-automatic pistol, and Iris had a 22-pistol. They each had a full magazine and a full spare, too.

Iris looked around for the source of the shout. Harlem and another man were grappling on the ground.

Harlem’s AR was next to the large white truck, and a rifle was only a few feet away.

The other man was running towards a tent, shouting and waving his arms. Other people started pouring out of the tents groggily. The man shouted at the first, who quickly ducked back into the tent, his eyes wide. He emerged again a moment later, this time with a gun.

Iris trembled. She didn’t know what to do. She knew she should shoot—it was their life or hers—but somehow she couldn’t bring herself to pull the trigger. Killing another human being felt wrong.

Her hands shook.

Two shots rang out from Austin’s gun. He could do what was right.

It looked like Ben was having trouble firing as well.

The other people were retaliating, bringing out their own guns and firing at the seven. Jonas, from behind the white truck, shot one man down. A different person fired at him back, but he ducked in the nick of time.

Iris ducked behind the Jeep and closed her eyes, feeling nauseous.

Suddenly another shout rang out, “I’ve got it! I’ve—” The shout was cut off mid-sentence by a sickening gunshot. It was Leila.

Iris jumped to her feet, her blood racing in fear and shock.

Without thinking, she sprang into the middle of the action, spinning around and around to look for Leila in the chaos.

She had known Leila for years. The other members of the time-traveling team—Olivia, Ben, and Austin—she had only met because of the time-traveling project. But Iris and Leila had been friends for at least six years.

Her heart in her throat, Iris spotted Leila. She was laying against one of the black truck’s tires, clutching something wrapped in a white cloth to her chest. The bundle was shaped like the T.T.D.

Iris ran over, ducking and dodging.

She knelt by Leila’s side, surprised no one was shooting at them.

Leila was breathing shallowly, but only barely. Tears formed in Iris’s eyes.

She tried to pick Leila up, but she was too heavy. Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around Leila and picked her up gently. Iris lifted her tear-stained face to find Austin rushing off with Leila.

“Grab the T.T.D.!” Austin hollered back. Iris stared blankly down at it before another gunshot roused her. Yet another bullet was fired, and it buried itself deep into the truck behind Iris.

She grabbed the device and took off after Austin. An orange Jeep pulled up to the Texan and he carefully put Leila on the back seat, then hopped in.

Jonas drove the Jeep over to Iris and she pulled herself in, automatically scanning the area for the rest of the group. She found Olivia, who had been shot in the ankle, limping towards them with Ben.

“Where’s Harlem?” Ben shouted over the loud engine.

“I don’t know!” Jonas yelled back. He drove around the camp in a circle a few times, and all of them, besides Leila, looked for Harlem. Nobody saw him. Jonas pulled the Jeep away and started driving off as fast as he could.

“What about Harlem?” Olivia called. More gunshots hit the Jeep. Thankfully, none hit the tires, and they kept driving into the cold night.

“He’ll make it,” said Jonas, his voice tight. “If anyone could get out of there unscathed, it’s him.”

“Y’alls’ white truck is still back there, right?” Austin queried.

“Yeah.” Jonas looked a little more relieved. “He has the keys, too.” He paused. “You know, Harlem’s been like a brother to me. His parents—may they rest in peace—adopted me when my parents were killed. I was three then.”

They fell into a gloomy silence. Olivia tried to treat Leila’s wounds as best she could. She had been shot twice, once in the stomach, and the other in her chest. Everyone hoped it hadn’t hit her heart.

Suddenly, after the camp had long since faded away into the night, Jonas let out a startled yell and the Jeep swerved to the left. He stopped the vehicle and jumped out.

“What happened?” Iris asked, fearing the worst. No reply.

“What are you doing out here?” She heard Jonas ask.

“We’re lost,” a quiet voice replied. Iris peered out of the Jeep. There were two kids, the first no older than twelve, and the youngest no older than four or five. The older girl clutched the little boy close to her.

“Who are you?” Jonas asked with kindness in his voice.

“I’m Lily and this is William,” the girl said. “We were attacked…” her voice trembled. “I think… I think we were the only survivors in our family.” Tears dripped down her dirty cheeks, her voice small and lonely.

“Why don’t you come with us?” Jonas questioned. “We can get you to safety. You and your brother.”

The girl hesitated. “My mother said nowhere is safe anymore.”

“We can bring you to a place you’ll be safe,” Jonas assured her gently. Lily paused, then nodded firmly. “We’ll come.”

“Hop in the Jeep. There should be enough room,” Jonas said. Iris and Ben helped pull the children into the Jeep, and Jonas roared away again.

When Lily saw Leila, she gasped and turned her brother away.

“I’m sorry,” she said and nodded toward Leila.

“It happens,” grunted Jonas. “She’ll survive.”

Finally, the solemn group arrived back at their camp.

Jonas ran to get the bandages and stuff, saying they shouldn’t move Leila. Olivia and Ben shuttled the children into one of the tents that had been set up. For the rest of the night, the group—not including the children—took turns on watch, one staying with Leila and another patrolling. No one slept well.

* * *

The morning brought a welcome surprise. A black truck pulled up to the campsite. Jonas jerked out his gun. It was one of the black trucks from the other night.

“Get to the Jeep!” Jonas yelled.

“Wait!” Harlem leaped out of the driver’s side of the truck. “It’s me!”

“Is this a trick? Are they using you as bait?” Jonas called warily, not lowering his gun.

“It does look like that, doesn’t it? I can assure you, however, that this is no trick. I still have my gun, loaded and all.” Harlem drew out his own gun and fired it into the dirt.

“Don’t repeat that,” he laughed. Then his face grew solemn. “Is everyone okay?”

Jonas lowered his gun and shook his head. “Olivia was shot in the foot, a bullet grazed Austin’s cheek, and Leila…” Jonas trailed off. “She might not make the day.”

“Did you secure the device?” Harlem queried. Jonas nodded. “I almost forgot about that.”

“Let’s get them home then,” said Harlem, nodding. Iris breathed a sigh of relief. She had almost forgotten they could go home now, too.

She and the rest of the team followed Harlem and Jonas to the Jeep.

Olivia hurried to get the children. Ben set the T.T.D. up in the dirt and took a shaky breath.

“This had better work now,” grumbled Austin. “This week here has been painful enough.”

“Can all of us go back?” Olivia wondered. She had a hand on William’s shoulder. “I mean, not just the five of us and the kids, but Harlem and Jonas too?”

“Zere are only eight handles,” said Ben. “I’m not sure it vill vork vith someone not holding a handle.”

“Did anyone even ask if they wanted to come with us?” Iris asked.

“Who wouldn’t want to leave this place?” Jonas sighed. “I’d like to come.”

“And so would I,” agreed Harlem. “I can just touch the machine. Perhaps it will still work if I’m touching it. If not… forget it. I’ll survive.”

The others agreed.

“What’s going on?” Lily asked warily.

“We’re going home, Lily,” said Olivia gently.

“Are y’all ready?” Austin looked around. He wrapped Leila’s limp fingers around a handle and held her under his arm so she wouldn’t collapse.

Everyone grasped a handle. Harlem knelt to grab the machine. He nodded.

“Let’s go.”

Ben punched in the date and, with trembling fingers, pushed the button. Nothing happened.

Then, all of a sudden, the device started to whir.

A feeling of wind sweeping through their veins accompanied the group as they raced back through time toward home. Bright colors flashed brilliantly in Iris’s eyes.

Then they were gone. Iris stood, blinking and swaying, in the control room back at Headquarters. She looked around at the others. Austin was still holding a pale-faced Leila. There was Ben, Olivia, Jonas, and Harlem.

Iris let out a sigh of relief. She was home.

And they were safe.