Timestamp, a novella by Michael Gullo (2009)
It was only eight o’clock when they arrived at Uncle Jake’s apartment in Hoboken, but neither Cody nor Kerrie had slept the night before, and Jake had only passed out for a couple of hours in the front seat of the rental car. They had agreed before leaving that they would all sleep in the same room, and Redd would stay awake to monitor their sleep patterns. He would wake them up when they got into their third REM cycles, and they would record their dreams. Cody fell asleep first, and Redd was surprised to see how quickly his dreams began. Autonomic storms started within twenty minutes, and Cody’s feet twitched like a puppy crashed out on the couch. He muttered and mumbled, and his eyes fluttered wildly. His sleep looked anything but restful. Kerrie seemed peaceful, but Redd could tell by her breathing that she wasn’t sleeping at all. She was watching too, and he couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind. Somehow, he had intuitively known that challenging her about not being the right type of person for time travel would spark her obviously over-developed defense mechanisms. He suspected she would be jealous and would travel the next day. That was something Uncle Jake had always wanted – a woman. All of the research showed that women generally have more lucid dreams, and that they had much better recall than men when woken up during sleep. He hoped she would try it out the next day. Besides, as a network news executive she would be in a unique position to help effect the social changes that would become necessary once they were successful in finding what they were looking for.
Jake slept peacefully, but at first, he didn’t dream about the alternate realities he had visited. Instead, he dreamed that his uncle was showing him the time machine. He dreamed that he had visited him before he died, and that Uncle Jake took great pains to explain everything to him so that in the end, Jake could pick up where he had left off. He dreamed of Uncle Jake’s manifesto and the agents who followed them from place to place. He dreamed that he looked out the window and saw Black’s eyes looking up at him from under a street lamp.
But, Black wasn’t downstairs at all. He was directly across the street on the second floor of the parking garage that serviced the ferry terminal, the bus depot, and the Hoboken Path train station into New York City. He held a special pair of binoculars that allowed him to see infrared images through the wooden facade of the building. His partner held what looked like a satellite dish and pointed it at the apartment.
“They’re not making a sound. What do you see?”
“The kids are sleeping and old Redd is sitting up in the lounge chair watching them. The girl’s faking it though. Her eyes are open, and her body temp hasn’t increased at all.”
“What’s she wearing?”
“You need a girlfriend, man. She’s went to bed in her jeans and the top she was wearing this morning. The bra’s lacy and she’s not wearing any panties.”
“Man, I love that thing. I wish they made it smaller – like sunglasses or something. Come on, let me look!”
“Seriously. You need a girlfriend, or a hooker or something.”
“We should’a grabbed them damn notebooks right off the car seat while the kid was sleeping.”
“You know that old man wouldn’t allow it. He watches like a camera.”
“Well, we could have got some of them off of the kid if we woulda’ busted him when he bought weed off the busboy like I said.”
“Yeah, but then the old man would release the story. See, that’s the problem when the boss can’t keep his hands outa’ the money jar. So long as he’s got those papers and we don’t know how that machine works, he holds the play book.”
“But who the hell cares if the President has sweetheart deals with the oil companies. That’s no secret. Everyone knows he’s an oil tycoon.”
“Right, but without those papers, there’s no wrongdoing. It’s just the typical conspiracy.”
“So we sit here night after night reacting instead of acting? We’re one step behind every step of the staircase. There has to be a way to get that machine working – then who would care about the President’s money games?”
“It’s not just the money, he’s got his paws in Pooh’s pot with these wars too – wait! He’s getting up.”
“Cody, get up son.” Redd shook him gently. “Cody.”
“I’m up. Whoa. That’s amazing!”
“It’s ok. Don’t talk now. Just write it down and go back to sleep. We can talk in the morning.”
“I have to pee.”
“Ok, but keep it fresh. Monetary systems, government, and social classes.”
“What the hell’s he mean, monetary systems, government, and social classes?”
“I don’t know. It’s just like before. Remember those couple days when they used to wake up and write and go back to bed?”
“Right, in those notebooks. That’s what I’m saying. We need those notebooks!”
“We can’t get them, so get over it.”
“Wait, what about a diversion? I mean if we can cause some kind of emergency or something and they run out without the notebooks. Can’t we get them then?”
“Well, maybe, but we would have to copy what we could and leave them behind. He can’t know we were even there or the bat’s outa’ the belfry.”
“Let’s do it!”
“Slow down, Lone Ranger. We gotta get clearance first, and what the hell kind of diversion are we gonna put on?”
“Fire alarm, of course.”
“But, when rescue gets here two minutes from now and there’s no fire, how are we gonna have enough time to take the pictures and get out?”
“What no fire? We start a little blaze in back.”
“No way! We won’t get clearance for that. What if someone gets hurt?”
“What if someone gets hurt?” the partner mocked, “what about that little warzone over there in the Middle East? There’s people get hurt every day over there – and for a lot less than this.”
“Nope. That won’t fly.”
“Look, we can’t just follow these people around day after day with nothing to show for it. We’ve been in the room. I bet that damn thing works, but those frickin’ techies just can’t figure it out. We need the notebooks, and we need to get this thing wrapped up! Come on, man, we’ll be heroes – Plus, maybe if I’m not out with you, decked out in this stink-wear every night, I might be able to get a little – maybe get an actual date.”
“Well, I certainly can’t argue with that logic. I can see the conversation now ‘Yes, Mr. President, I know we disregarded your direct orders, but my partner here needed a date. I’m sure you can understand. Besides, sir, we did get the notebooks. And, it’s like my partner says: there’s a helluva-lot more people getting hurt in Iraq. What’s one single mom and her three little babies when getting technology like this is factored into the bargain?’ This isn’t Clinton; I don’t think this one puts so much value on a blowjob.”
“Don’t be so dramatic! Make the call. Ask for clearance for an alarm. If we get clearance, we’ll deal with the rest later.”
“What the hell’s that?”
“It’s ok. It’s just the fire alarm. It’s a diversion.”
Kerrie wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know, Redd. I smell smoke.”
“It’s a diversion. They want us to go running outa’ the building and leave the notebooks behind.”
“Jesus! It’s so loud,” Cody yelled over the din.
“We ain’t safe here. Let’s get up our stuff and go back to the office.”
“Maybe we can stop at a grocery store or something and get some supplies. They usually sell those canvas folding chairs and things. It would be much more comfortable. That place wasn’t made for a crowd.”
“That ain’t a bad idea.”
“I see light, like flames!” Kerrie yelled. “There IS a fire! This is no diversion. We have to get out of here!”
“I wouldn’t put it past them to start a small fire.” Redd looked out the front window. “Ya see, look. There’s only one out there on the roof. The other one’s probably waiting nearby to swoop in when we go running outa’ here.”
“What roof?”
“Look, over there. See? They post up on that roof every night watching. They can hear every word we say – except maybe not now with this alarm wailing. Ok, let’s get the notebooks and get outa’ here. Tuck ‘em under your shirts again. Keep their eyes off the prize.”
Black spoke into a handheld radio, “Abort! They have the notebooks! They’re leaving now. Come back here! They’re probably going mobile.” He switched channels and spoke again. “Team two, get ready. They’re going mobile. Team three, they’re loose. Get out of there.”
His partner answered on the common channel, “I’m headed for the car. Meet me there.”
“They’re probably heading back to Passaic.”
“This is team two. They’re at the car. Junior’s driving.”
“Black, where are you?” the partner barked into the radio. “I’m at the car!”
“Look out the window. I’m comin’. Move over, you’re driving.”
Sirens blared in the distance, and a large crowd grew on the sidewalk in front of the building, and the fire glowed in the back.
“What the hell! I told you not to set a fire! We didn’t have clearance for that!”
“Hey! I don’t work for you, and your boss isn’t the boss of me either.”
“I have operational command, dammit! I don’t care who you work for. We can’t endanger lives and property without clearance. It’s against the law.”
“Against the law! You have to be kidding me! Are you suggesting that your almighty and omniscient government would never break the law? Jesus! You people are so hypocritical!”
The radio burped, “Subjects headed north on Washington.”
“Washington? That don’t go anywhere. What are they up to? Two, do you have ears in that unit?”
“No, sir.”
“Drive faster! We need to be there!”
“Subjects eastbound on Shipyard Lane. They’re pulling into a grocery store, sir – King’s Grocery on Shipyard Lane.”
“Grocery store? They must be stocking up. We better hope they don’t hole up in that warehouse, or we’ll never know what the hell they’re up to!”
“What are we going to do when we get to the grocery store?”
“I dunno. Let me think.”
It was only a matter of two or three minutes before they pulled into the lot and parked.
“I’m going in,” Black said. He opened the car door and got out before his partner could even reply.
Inside, he spotted the group filling a shopping basket with folding chairs. He walked right up to them.
Redd spotted him before he could even speak. “Evenin’, agent Black. You out for a little late-night stroll?”
“Hey there Redd. I’m sorry to hear about your friend. It’s a terrible loss.”
“Yeah, it looks like I’ll get along without him though.” Redd looked at Jake and Cody. Kerrie stood behind her much taller brother.
“How’s your own health, Redd? Only good news, I hope.”
“Nope. It’s metastasized, and the tumor’s growing plenty. Thanks for askin’ though. I’m sure glad to know you care.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Hey, I been meaning to ask you. What ever happened to your other friend Condon? We saw him go in one day, but he never came back out.”
“We had a fight. He left. I guess you guys ain’t so smart as you think you are. He walked right out the way he come in. You musta’ been cleanin’ donut crumbs offa’ your shirt at the time.”
“Yeah, I thought the same thing, but when we ran back the video, he never came out.”
“Hmm, that’s funny. Maybe you were changing tapes or somethin’.”
“Yeah, maybe. Shame we missed it though. The story wouldn’t be so interesting without that little lapse. And then the family started all that hooplah about a missing person. No one’s seen him, Redd. We might have just packed up and left well enough alone if that little factoid didn’t come to our attention.”
“Yeah, I bet you would. Just like a pack of wolves leaves off a fresh kill with pups whelping back at the den. Listen, you got somethin’ you wanna say, or is this little jaw-session just for the cameras?”
“Nah, I just wanted to get introduced to Jake and Cody and Kerrie, here. I wonder if they know what they’re signing on for. Do you kids know that you’re interfering in a government investigation? You could do good hard time for…”
“Piss off!” Jake spat. “I don’t know what you’re really here for, and I don’t care, but I can tell I don’t like you right from jump.”
“Now, is that the way to introduce yourself? Eh, it doesn’t matter. I don’t need an introduction. We can get to know each other better when I give you your new bracelets.”
“Really! Get lost! I don’t have anything to say to you.” Jake turned to Redd and said, “Let’s get what we came here for and get back to the office.”
“So, you’re headed back to the warehouse? Hey Jake, wait. Are you in charge now?”
“In charge?”
“Yeah. I mean did your Uncle leave this technology to you? If so, has Redd here told you about the generous arrangements your government is willing to make.”
“Yeah, he told me, and I have an answer for your boss. He’ll get permission to drill in the arctic before he gets this technology at any price.”
“Are you sure that’s your position? This is a very generous offer.”
Jake turned the shopping cart down an aisle, and everyone followed him except agent Black.
“Hey, Redd,” he spoke loudly, “what did you mean when you told Cody to keep it fresh – monetary systems, government, and social classes?”
Redd didn’t even turn around. He simply reached his arm up and flipped him the bird.
“What did that mean, Redd?” Black yelled.
When he got back in the car, Black picked up the handheld. “Unit two, get in there the minute they leave and get the surveillance tapes. Get them all!”
“Ten-four.”
“What the hell you want the video tapes for?”
“No records. Besides, I asked Redd a question. Their backs were turned. I want to see the looks on their faces.”
“What did you ask him?”
“Never mind. Here they come.”
The ride back to Passaic in late-night traffic took only fifteen minutes. Redd was driving. Jake wrote in one of the notebooks the entire time. No one said a word. Black’s car followed close and even pulled up alongside so that he could taunt them with his handcuffs through the window. When they finally got everything unpacked and into the office, it was nearly 2:15 AM. Jake shut the door behind him after he made the last trip to the car.
“Jesus!” Cody exploded the second the door was closed. “What the hell was that about?”
“Now calm down, Cody,” Redd said with a smile. “That’s how they do. From time to time, they get to intimidatin’. You have to take that in stride.”
“But, how about the interfering?” Kerrie asked anxiously.
“He’s only blustering. You ain’t done nothin’ wrong. They want this thing, and they’ll try all ways to get it.”
“No way! This is wrong. I want out of here!” Kerrie exclaimed.
“Now wait a minute,” Jake started. “This is what he wanted. It’s like Redd said, he was just blustering. He wants us to come in here and start fighting. He was just trying to get into our heads and create division. Let’s not…”
“I don’t give a damn!” Kerrie said. “I want out of here!”
“Kerrie, settle down! Like I was saying, let’s not lose sight here. What we really need to be doing is comparing notes.” He turned to Cody. “What did you dream about, bro?”
“Holy shit, man! That was intense! Did you have the one with the domes, or whatever?”
“Yeah! That was sick! I think it was the first one…”
“Domes?” Kerrie asked.
“Yeah,” Cody began. “There were these enormous domes everywhere. The atmosphere was bad, and people lived inside these like polarized bubbles, but they were outrageous! Try to imagine a big glass tinted dome hundreds of feet above New York City, and everything outside the dome was a wasteland. That was the first place I went, to the edge. I almost got arrested! There was this huge concrete wall about a hundred feet high, and these guard turrets spaced at intervals along the wall. As I approached, a voice came over a loudspeaker telling me that I was out of bounds and targeted. I was scared, so I turned around…”
“Wait, where was Jake?”
“Jake wasn’t there. It was just me. Anyway, when I was on my way back toward the city, this cop car thing pulled up and a guy got out and asked me a whole bunch of questions. I told him that I was lost. I had seen a street sign a ways back – Houston Street – so I told him I was looking for it. They loaded me up in back and drove me there. Fortunately, the front and back were divided, so they couldn’t ask more questions. They told me they had my information and if I was seen out of bounds again, they would haul me in. Can you believe that? They actually said haul me in.”
“Then, how did you see this wasteland?” Kerrie asked.
Jake answered. “It was everywhere. It was like propaganda or something. The message was basically that we were only safe inside the protection of the dome.”
“Sounds familiar,” Redd inserted.
“You’ve seen this one, Redd?” Jake asked.
“Actually, that’s a common theme. I’ve seen a lot of those, but the familiar part is that message. If you stay in bounds, you safe. As soon as you step outside the little bubble the protector has set up for you, you have trouble.”
“Jake, what did you see?” Cody asked.
“Well, I was in the same bubble, or dome thing, but I was looking for the stuff. The monetary system was interesting. Everyone was poor. Did you notice that?”
“Yeah, man. That was fucked up! It was like there wasn’t enough to go around and everyone was dirty and hungry. What’s with that?”
“I tried to figure it out, but the best I could come up with before the fire alarm went off was just what you said. There wasn’t enough to go around. It was interesting, though. There didn’t appear to be any like crime or anything. Everyone shared. I didn’t have any food, and I walked into a pizzeria and they just looked at me and gave me a slice and a small cup of water. They didn’t try to charge me or anything. I didn’t even see a cash register. I tried the same thing at a deli near the park – did you see the park?”
“Yeah. That was messed up too. What was with those animal catcher guys?”
“They were trying to catch whatever they could. No one would explain it to me. It was like I was asking some taboo question or something. Anyhow, I tried the same thing at a deli near the park. I looked up at the board and ordered a turkey sandwich and the guy just told me no. So, I asked if he had anything else, and he told me I couldn’t have anything. I stood outside for a while and watched and a lady walked in with a little kid and a couple minutes later they came out with sandwiches and small cups in their hands. They sat on a bench next to me, but when I asked them what the story was, they looked at me like I was crazy and got up and walked away.”
“Wow! That’s so cool! I don’t remember eating anything. I guess I didn’t get to that part of the dream.”
“Well,” Redd said, “As you practice, you look out for it. You try to control the dream. It sounds like you have the idea, Jake, but you,” He looked at Cody, “need practice. Your dream seems to a’ run away with you.”
“Anyhow,” Jake continued, “the government was like invisible. The people seemed to be controlled by all the signs and advertisements. I went to Times Square, and all those multi-million-dollar ads were all still there. I didn’t get it. No one seemed to have any money, but all the billboards and neon lights still advertized. It was like – well, it was as if the ads were the government. It was like the signs told people what to buy or get, or be, but no one had the funds to actually do it.”
“I didn’t get to Times Square,” Cody began. “I really didn’t remember much more than heading for that wall and being stopped by the cops. What else did you see?”
“The rest is all just disconnected snippets. I wrote them all down.” He handed the notebook to Cody, and Kerrie moved closer to him so she could read over his shoulder.
Jake turned his attention to Redd. “What do we do now?”
“Well, we need a schedule, and I think we should spend a couple of nights here instead of going back to your Uncle Jake’s. It’s safer.”
“Right. I agree with that. It won’t be very comfortable, but at least it’s safe. Cody and Kerrie need to get back to school, though.”
“Don’t you need to get back too?”
“Well, when I left, I made arrangements with my professors since it was so close to the end of the semester. They’re submitting incomplete grades for me until I can get back. I have until the middle of next semester.”
“Ok, so today’s Friday. If they can miss school today, that gives us three days to set somethin’ up.”
“Hey,” Jake turned to Cody and Kerrie. “Are you guys going back today?”
Cody answered first. “No way, man. College isn’t the future I’m thinking of right now.”
“No way, Cody!” Kerrie snapped. “You’re not dropping out of school to fool around with this thing. If you even think about it, I’m telling mom and dad. You’re coming back to school with me.”
“You’re not my mother, Kerrie. I’ll do whatever I…”
“Hang on, you two,” Jake began. “She’s right, Cody. We have no idea how long this will take. I’m getting incompletes in all of my classes this semester, but I’m not going to drop out. I’ll go back in a few weeks and see if I can get caught up. I just want to get started here. I just want to see if I can get this down before I go back.” He stopped to think for a second. Then he addressed Kerrie: “How about you two take today off and spend the weekend here and go back for classes on Monday?”
“I have finals in a week, and I graduate in ten days, Jake. I can’t…”
“What the hell, Kerrie?” Cody yelled. “You have all your books, and your laptop in the car. Why don’t you just go out and get them and study here?”
“I can’t study here!”
“Why not, Kerrie? You’re not doing anything anyway.”
“I don’t know,” she looked around, “It’s filthy. Besides, what are you doing all day long? You have finals too.”
“I can study when I get home.” He looked at Redd and Jake, “Besides, don’t I want to keep my mind clear for the dreams?”
“Technically, yes,” Redd began, “but not if it’s going to interfere with your school work.”
“Nah,” Jake cut in, “nothing interferes with his work. He’s a four point oh student and he never even bought a book. I’ve never seen him take longer than an hour to write even the longest research paper. I don’t know how he does it.”
“It’s all up here, my friend.” Cody patted his head.
“Yeah, well, I’m not that lucky,” Kerrie insisted. “I have to study.”
“Then, study here, Kerrie,” Cody said.
“Yeah, Kerrie,” Jake agreed, “study here. You’ll do fine, you always do fine.” Then he added, “Please?”
“Fine! I’m going to get my books.” She got the keys from her purse and left to get her stuff out of the trunk.
“Ok, now that that’s settled,” Cody began, “where do we start?”
“Well,” Jake began, “I think we should spend the day reading over Uncle Jake’s paperwork. You should get us up to date…”
“Aw, come on, man. Can’t we just learn as we go along? Let’s just zap - or jump, or travel, or whatever it’s called – and worry about the notes later?”
“You can’t do that,” Redd insisted, “You should only take one trip a day.”
“Why’s that? Does it mess up the machine or something? Will I leave an arm behind if I go too much or something?”
“Hah, ha – no. That’s not it. It’s that we want the best information, and making extra trips ain’t the way to do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because the dreams get confused. If you go once, your dreams get focused on one trip.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I done this already for the last two years. I literally gave my life for it.”
“Yeah, Cody, I think we should do as he suggests. We can look over the notes in the meantime.”
“Right. Plus, research will prime the dreams too.”
“That’s right. I hadn’t thought of that,” Jake said.
“Ok, but when do we go?”
“The best time’s right before bed.”
“I didn’t think of that,” Cody said. “I’m tired now, but if we stay up for a couple hours, and then go, I’ll be plenty tired for a full night’s sleep.”
Just then, Kerrie came in with a heavy backpack and her laptop computer. She grabbed one of the new chairs and set it up next to the card table and began organizing her things. Everyone watched her.
Cody spoke first. “So, what’s this manifesto about?”
“Uncle Jake thought the world was out of balance. It made no sense to him that the masses suffered, providing a heaven here on earth for the few while they themselves waited and hoped for their great reward after death. Jake didn’t believe in any god, and he didn’t really have much faith in the people who claimed allegiance to the popular ones either. He saw hatred, hypocrisy, and selfishness all around him. As far as he was concerned, the only thing people really looked up to was money.”
“That’s not such a wildly original idea, Jake,” Cody noted.
“No, it wasn’t original at all. It was actually kind of juvenile; nevertheless, he believed that this wasn’t the only way to live as a society. He viewed our existence here on earth as parasitic – and worse, greedy. He imagined the parasites not only feeding off their host, but killing each other off in the bargain to have more host for themselves – more than they could ever consume. He dreamed of a world where professional athletes and movie stars did what they do because they love it. To him, teachers and public servants were the real heroes, not multimillionaires and rock stars. He imagined a world where everyone had enough, and those who had a little more didn’t hoard it and lock it away in a useless stash like some great big game of he-who-dies-richest-dies-best.”
“What’s the alternative, Jake?”
“Well, Uncle Jake believed that the various systems of social organization each had their place, and that capitalism was beginning what he thought was the inevitable slide into ruin. He believed it would collapse and mutate for a while into a more realistic world order where everyone owned a piece of the pie, and no one had exclusive rights to any part.”
“You mean, Uncle Jake was a Marxist?”
“No, not a Marxist, really. He didn’t think that Capitalism would lead to Socialism, and then become Communism. Unlike Marx, Uncle Jake thought that Capitalism would lead to a police state, and he saw evidence all around him with government cameras on street corners and those random seatbelt-check roadblocks – he called them Gestapo-Stops. He believed that the police state lead to civic disorder, and that would lead to more government control, and ultimately our own annihilation as a species. Nevertheless, he believed that each of those systems had a best-case scenario and a time and place in our history. What he thought was that all government and religion sucked. He felt that every man already had a leader – his heart. He felt that everyone knew right from wrong, and that it was society and mass media and the constant bombardment of consumerism that ruined us. He cited little children and their response to homeless people and war and violence. He watched them watch the world around them, and he knew that almost everyone had a collective unconscious and started out knowing on some basic level what was right and what was wrong.”
“So, he was a Jungian?”
“Well, in some ways, I guess so. With the lucid dreams, certainly, but I don’t think Uncle Jake ever had any leathery brown dwarfs guarding his unconscious. He certainly did have a distaste for hero-worship, and I already mentioned the collective unconscious thing. Nevertheless, he didn’t believe in ghosts, and he certainly didn’t believe that the mentally ill were people who were haunted by the ghosts of the dead.”
“Ok.”
“In the end, no matter what his beliefs were, he created this time machine so that he could fix what he thought was wrong with the world. I guess, now that he’s gone, we’ll never know exactly what he wanted to achieve. We only know that he never found it.”
“Then how are we going to find it?”
“Well, we own it now. It’s ours, essentially. We’ll travel and find a reality that we think would be some kind of representation of what Jake wanted, but ultimately, the choice will be ours.”
“Um, geniuses,” Kerrie spoke up, “have you ever stopped to consider how you’re going to implement this new world order you’re debating over there?”
“That, Kerrie, is the difficult part.”
“Well, Duhh.”
“What I mean is once we find a world we think we should emulate, we need to look at it closely. We need to examine its history. We need to pinpoint the moments in that history that led ultimately to the present state…”
“But, how do we identify those moments? History happens by the minute.”
“The only way to know is to try. I guess we start with the checklist. We go forward in time and examine the monetary systems. We research how things got that way. For instance, let’s go back to this morning – yesterday morning. Remember, we were talking about how our own monetary system came to be.”
“Hold it. What time is it, anyway?”
Redd and Kerrie both looked at their watches. Jake answered, “It’s four twenty.”
“Four Twenty? Listen, I’m getting tired. We’re chasing our tails. I need to go for a walk, and get some fresh air. I see where this is going, and to keep it short, I think we should get the checklist memorized and take a trip. I’m definitely tired enough to sleep. So, I’ll go for a walk, and Redd can get that thing fired up, and we can go when I get back. Right?”
Redd smiled, “He’s right. There ain’t no sense jawin’ over it all night long. It’s best you do what needs doin’ and get some sleep, and get started. I think you as primed as you’re gonna get.”
“Good,” Cody began. “That’s settled.”
“Ok,” Jake agreed, “You go do what you have to do, and I’ll get us set up here.”
Cody checked his pocket and headed for the door. “I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
“Be careful out there, Cody,” Kerrie said. “This isn’t the best neighborhood for a stroll.”
“The neighborhood is crawling with government agents, Kerrie. How dangerous can it be?”
“Yeah, Kerrie,” Redd smiled, “he could walk around with hundred dollar bills taped to his shirt and ain’t no one would hurt him with all those cops out there. Plus, we have our own guys too.”
“What?”
“What, you think I’m the only one? They’d run over me like water if not…”
“But, who? I mean, how did you…”
“Let’s don’t worry about that for now. It’s a story for another time. Just you know he ain’t in no danger out there.”
“Ok, I’m outa’ here for a bit. See you in ten.”
He opened the door and stepped into the yellow night. Right away, a flash of motion caught his attention. An agent on the porch of the building across the street lifted and pointed a large satellite dish at him. Cody knew right away that it was a listening device. Down the street, to his right, the corner boys took notice of him too. He gingerly plucked a joint from his pocket and jabbed it between his lips. The pungent scent of good dope wafted through his nostrils and made his mouth water. He had waited all day for this, but now, for some reason, he didn’t want it anymore. He threw the joint in the gutter and sat down on the curb to watch the sights and sounds of the city around him. An addict -- obviously not an actor, and not from this neighborhood either – wobbled up to the corner boys, and they shooed her away. “The haves, and the have-nots,” he thought. “They really aren’t that different. They both want the same thing; whatever they don’t have.”
The door opened behind him, and Redd stepped out. “Hey, Cody. I thought you was goin’ for a walk.”
“I was, Redd, but I guess I got distracted.” He looked over at the agent on the porch and stood up. “Are you ready in there?”
“Yep, we ready. You comin’ in?”
“Yep.”
Jake’s dream was different this time. It was New York City again, but Cody was there with him.
“Where is everyone?”
“I don’t know, bro.”
“Why do we keep ending up here? I mean, we started in New Jersey, but we keep ending up in the city.”
“Dude, I have no idea. It’s strange though. Maybe the continental drift is different here. It’s only a mile or so.”
“Could be. Where the hell is everyone? This is Liberty Street at Financial Plaza. It’s supposed to be crawling with people!”
“The electricity’s out too.”
“Can’t have been out long; everything’s still intact.”
Cody looked at the sky. “No dome this time.”
“Yeah.” A sardonic grin crossed his face. “Maybe they didn’t get it up in time.”
“Ha, right, but then wouldn’t we be gone too?”
“There’s not even any pigeons.”
“Let’s head over to Times Square.”
“Dude, that’s like fifty blocks up town!”
“It’s a dream, Cody, make it happ…”
Kerrie dropped a book on the floor and it woke him. He heard her pick it up and shuffle through some papers. By the time he got back to the dream, they had obviously been there for longer than a couple of days. Still, he somehow remembered finding people as he passed through the residential blocks, and he remembered signing up for the room in which he sat looking out the window while Cody showered.
“Cody,” he yelled to be heard over the water, “I was thinking maybe we should stay here.”
He had expected something like this to happen. “No, Jake. We agreed to finish our research and go back this afternoon.”
“But, look at it, Cody. It’s perfect! No one’s ever… Look around, man. It’s perfect. We can’t ever make this happen in our time. No way.”
“Jake, I’m going back. I don’t belong here. This place is like Florida – It’s cool to visit, but living here would suck.”
“Come on, man! Look around you. The women are beautiful. Everyone’s friendly. Everything’s free. There’s no government telling people what’s right or what’s wrong. There’s no religion laying guilt trips on you for doing what feels good. There’s no crime. These people never argue. It’s perfect.”
Cody shut off the water, “What’s so perfect, Jake? Is it that we would never get to see our families again, or is it that we’re almost completely alone here with no one but each other to relate to? You’re right, these people never argue, but look at us, we’re arguing. The place isn’t magic, Jake, it’s the people. They’re – unreal. Do you think that if you stay you’ll magically become one of them? You don’t fit in here, Jake. These people can’t relate to you.”
“How can you say that? We’ve met hundreds of people, and all of them welcomed us as if we were family despite never having met us. There’s no mistrust, no greed, no consumerism, no violence, no opportunism, no war – there’s no unhappiness of any kind.”
“Right Jake, nobody wants anything, nobody needs anything – there’s no passion of any kind. Listen, I’m going back, and you know it will only take us back once. If I leave without you, you’re stuck in this hole forever.”
“Passionless? Look at the artwork! That takes passion, man, and what do you mean nobody wants anything? They want things. Wasn’t that lady we met at the museum on her way to visit her sister upstate? She wanted something.”
“Sure, but where’s the drive? These people are like sheep in the meadow. They have everything they’ll ever desire. They want nothing. There’s no fun – no challenge.”
“What do you mean, there’s no fun? We’ve been to baseball games, and movies, and plays – we’ve been in the park throwing the Frisbee to dogs, we’ve travelled all over, and seen anything we wanted, and we’ve done it all for free. It’s all just part of the package.”
“But that’s just it. It’s all part of the package. There’s no challenge. Who won that baseball game, Jake? Did those dogs ever miss that Frisbee? Nobody ever loses. There’s no high. And the artwork… Everyone here can create the same quality. There’s no originality. If one man can do it, anyone else can do it too.”
“So, you think it’s better back there?” Jake asked. “What’s so good about people starving in the streets, governments attacking religions, multitrillion dollar corporations laying workers off so that they can make more trillions, drug addicts, alcoholics, sex offenders, police states, dictatorships, underfunded schools, global warming, hurricanes, floods, fatherless babies, filthy rich basketball players living in eleven thousand square foot mansions with refrigerators that are bigger than the whole goddamn cardboard box another equally valuable homeless dude sleeps in under some highway overpass down by the river -- and leaders who support it all while they lie to our face about their dream of social change and improvement? What’s so good about all that?”
“It’s about the trip, man, not the destination. That same homeless dude has something to hope for. He has something to dream of – even if the dream is little more than a bottle of strawberry rum. This place is a fantasy. It’s a moment in time. It’s like that first high. You spend all the rest of your life trying to find a feeling that good again, but you never do.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“This place. It’s never going to be any better. There’s nothing to reach for. There’s no challenge – no trip. It’s all destination. There’s more to life than this.”
“There’s more to life than that hell-hole-society we come from too, Cody. This is what Uncle Jake was looking for.”
“No, it’s not. Your Uncle Jake was an addict…”
“What the fuck’s wrong with you? You’re the addict!”
“Yeah, I hear that, but Uncle Jake was too. He was addicted to an ideal. Read those notes, Jake. I’m sure any one of those times he visited could have…”
“You never even read them! You don’t know anything!”
“I know this – you can run all you like, but you’ll always be you until you change it. You’re part of the world we came from, and you’ll never be anything else. You can’t just pick up and move and automatically become something or someone better. The best you can do is learn from this place. Take what you like from the memory – or the dream or whatever – and make the changes within yourself that bring you closest to the things you admire most about these people. I can accept that you want to stay. I don’t want to, though. I can even imagine that others would feel the same way that you do – lots of them. Still, you have to agree that some would feel the way I do, and, that’s kinda my point. There is no reality that would make everyone happy unless everyone was the same – and just how happy would that kind of existence be? Uncle Jake was seeking a perfection that didn’t exist, and I can understand that, but he was an addict. Every reality he visited would have been perfection for someone.”
“Ok then, let’s say you’re right. Let’s say we go back. What do we do then? Do we give up? Do we go back and destroy it?”
“I was thinking about that. Destroying it wouldn’t work.”
“Right. Someone would just make another one. We definitely can’t sell it, that’s for sure.”
“Nope – not sell it - they would just use it for their own good, which is almost invariably not the good of others. We’re screwed. Your uncle left us nothing but trouble.”
“Wait, how about commercializing it? Everyone would try this. We’d be rich.”
“You can do that if you want to, but I think that would go directly against what Uncle Jake would have wanted.”
“Oh man! Wait, I’ve got it!” Jake grabbed Cody’s shoulder.
A knock at the steel door shook them from the dream, and Redd went to answer it. Cody awoke feeling as if he’d never even slept, yet he was somehow refreshed. As Redd opened the door, the dazzling morning sun hurt his eyes. Still, even with the glare, he could tell that it was one of the corner boys, and Redd stepped out to talk. When the door closed, he looked over at Jake. “Are you sure this is the only way?”
“It’s the only way I can think of.”
“What are you two talking about,” Kerrie asked.
Cody answered her. “We need to call dad.”
“What the hell?”
“Ok, there’s not much time to explain this,” Jake cut in, “you’re just going to have to trust us. Besides, this is a lot like what you wanted in the first place. You’re right. This thing’s dangerous.”
“So, you’re going to sell it to them?”
“Nope, not that.”
“What, then?”
“We don’t have time to explain right now, Kerrie,” Cody answered. “We need to call dad.”
“Cell phones don’t work in here, Cody.”
“I know that. You have to go outside, but first we have to make sure they don’t listen in.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“I’ll cause a diversion. Stop asking questions. Take directions for once.”
“What are you talking about? You always tell me what to do, and dumbass me, I do it – and I usually regret it later too.”
“Well, you’re not going to regret this.”
Redd stepped back into the room. He looked at the kids’ faces, and asked, “What’s up?”
Jake answered. “We just realized a few things, Redd.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“First, we realized that there is no perfect reality for everyone. Each person has a different view of perfect.”
“Yeah, that one was right there for the taking wasn’t it? What else?”
“This thing isn’t safe – and we can’t ever hope to keep it safe. If we destroy it, someone will just make another one someday. If that happens, they would probably hoard it. If we sell it, whoever buys it might just use it for the wrong reasons.”
“Wait,” Kerrie interrupted. “So what if someone buys or makes this thing? So what if they hoard it?”
“Well, use your imagination for a minute, Kerrie,” Jake said. “Let’s say that Black guy out there gets his hands on this technology. What then? Is there any reason to believe that the government that already wields too much power wouldn’t go ahead and use this thing?”
“So what if they use it? Who cares? They could use it to find solutions to our problems. We do have a lot of problems you know.”
“Ok, Kerrie. Sure, they might do just that. I can imagine that some in our government would use it to solve food shortage issues, and global warming. They might even use it to find cures for all sorts of diseases – even the societal ones. But, in the end, our government has many faces, and a bunch of those faces are not so benevolent. What if they also use it to find better nuclear weapons, or technologies, which once discovered, would cause world dependence upon them? It’s not too big a blind step into the black abyss to assume that those less benevolent faces of our government would seek to capitalize on what they would perceive as the opportunity of a lifetime. What then, Kerrie? What if, in the all-powerful name of capitalism, those faces find something like – oil, let’s say – and they have exclusive access to it. Do you think for one minute that they would give it to the world that needs it? No, they would apply the convoluted laws of supply and demand, and evaluate the ultimate market tolerances in order to best maximize profitability. Then, because they have exclusive access to it, they would influence supply once the fickle world got comfortable with initial prices, and they would again manipulate those prices to reflect what would best bring about still higher profits.”
“Get real, Jake.”
“No, Kerrie. You’re the one who has to get real. That’s the way the world is. That’s the way our government is. No, they’re not all bad, and even those profiteers aren’t bad people, but they’re only as good as their world allows them to be. They think that what they’re doing is right. Nevertheless, there is a better way! I’ll admit that I can’t prove what will happen if I sell this thing to the government, but I’m not willing to bet that you could be wrong – especially not when I think I already have the best solution.”
Redd smiled. “Imagine that.” He scratched his head and continued. “I knew you wasn’t like your Uncle. I knew if I let you have some time with this thing, you’d do what’s right.”
“What do you mean, you knew?”
“Sure I knew. Remember, Jake, I used this thing too. I saw it right away, but your uncle was different. He didn’t see things the way I saw ‘em. He was a idealist. I ain’t sayin’ his heart was in the wrong place, he never wanted it for himself, but I could never make him see that choosing what’s right for everyone wasn’t exactly what’s right for everyone.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me what you thought?”
“Jake, this was the best way. Besides, we runnin’ outa’ time. That was my boy at the door. He says the private half of them that’s been watchin’ are stacking up just around the corner. There’s been some kinda fallin’ out between the two halves, and it looks like’s gonna be trouble.”
“Ha? The drug dealers are your guys?”
“Surprised?”
“Kinda, but it makes sense. How much time do we have?”
“Can’t say. My boys can hold ‘em off a bit though. How much time you need?”
“We need at least an hour.”
“An hour’s no problem. That’s how them big shot teams works. They gotta get all them bosses in line and agreein’ to the same thing. If that don’t take an hour, my boys’ll hold ‘em off.”
“Good.”
“What else can I do?”
“Kerrie needs to make a private call. We need a diversion. We need every one of those listening dishes out of commission.”
“I can do that.” Redd opened the door and went outside.
“Ok, Kerrie. You need to go out and call your dad. Get a news crew down here. Tell him to get at least ten other news agencies too. Don’t tell him what for, just make him do it. And have him bring a copy machine – a fast one.”
“What are you going to do?”
“You’ll see.”
Redd came back in. “Done. My boys been waitin’ a long time for that.”
“That fast?”
“That fast. They been waitin’.”
“Ok, Kerrie. Go ahead. Tell him one hour at the most. And don’t forget the copy machine.”
Within thirty minutes, the street in front of the building swarmed with news vans and crews milling about with no goal in sight. They had knocked at the door, but no one answered.
“Ok, so we have the story?” Jake asked, “I’ll do all the talking, and I won’t take any questions. I’ll keep it simple and ask if anyone wants to try it out. Kerrie, do you have all the specs ready for the net? This thing has to get out fast so they can’t squash it.”
“I’m ready, but we’ll need a connection.”
“They wouldn’t dare block one of those vans out there. We’ll use their access. Look for Fox 5 news.”
Redd opened the door, and before he could speak, the crowd erupted with questions. He called out, “I need the Fox Five team.”
A lady directly in front of him spoke up immediately. “I’m Melissa Blevins with Fox Five News. Are Kerrie and Cody in there?”
“Yep, they here. They want you in.” Redd opened the door the rest of the way and shuffled out to speak with the crowd, “Listen up everyone! Only twenty people fits in here. We lettin’ Fox Five bring a camera. The rest of you gonna have to pick someone to represent you inside. We won’t close the door, so the rest can see what they see from out here.” He turned his back to them and walked inside.
Cody was telling Melissa, “No shit, it’s a time machine.”
She looked almost disappointed, “Listen, I don’t know what you kids are up to, and I know your dad set this thing up for you, but we aren’t going live on national news with some time machine story.”
Jake looked outside. “I bet one of them will.”
“Hey! Don’t muscle me, kid. This is ridiculous!”
“You’re right about that – ok, listen up. You put this on, and let’s say it’s a hoax. Well, then you get a story about celebrity kids and the crazy stuff they do.”
“Yeah, but this celebrity is my boss.”
“Look, it’s a time machine! It’s too complex to prove in the kind of time we have…”
“Yeah, right because a government hit team’s on its way right now to confiscate it – right. I hear ya, kid.” She turned to her cameraman, and noted the throng outside. “The kid’s right; if we don’t air it, someone will.”
He shrugged.
“Ok, Cody, you got yourself a newscaster. Let’s hear your story.”
“Did you bring the copy machine?”
“What the hell for?”
“We need copies.”
She lifted her phone and spoke. Curiously, she didn’t dial any numbers. “Is the copier here yet? Ok, bring it in.”
Cody turned to Kerrie, “Ok, it’s on its way. You make one set fast and give it to her,” he pointed at Melissa.
“Yeah, sure, assign the office work to the girl…”
“Oh – would you prefer to tell all about all those times you traveled in alternate universes – Good… After you make the copies, you go out to the News Five van and upload those schematics.”
Redd spoke up above the crowd that was getting louder and louder. “Black’s here. He wants in!”
Jake answered. “So, let him in. He can’t stop us now.” Then he turned to Melissa. “Get this on tape.”
“Well, Jake,” he said as he crossed the room. “I gotta hand it to you. We worked thousands of models on this one, and we considered this angle, but we never figured you’d actually go this way.” He shook his head. “So what’s the plan, now? You planning a little fire-sale? Let it go to the highest bidder?”
“Nah, that’s your game, douche bag.”
“That’s not nice, Jake. I didn’t call you any names. So, what, then? Are you exposing it so everyone knows it’s out there, and they can keep an eye on how it’s used?”
“Nope, that’s not it either. Wanna go oh-for-three?”
Melissa asked, “Who is this guy, Jake?”
“He’s the government hit team.”
“Jake, that’s not nice.”
Jake spoke past Black. “Ok, let them in. It’s time to get started.”
“But, I have one guess left, Jake.”
“Yeah? Go ahead. Guess.”
Black leaned in close to Jake’s ear so no one else could hear. He whispered, and turned to shove through the crowd on its way in.
“What did he say, Jake?”
“He didn’t strike out, I can tell you that.”
“What did he say?”
“We have to get started.” He turned, and walked toward the closet where they had already prepared a chair for him to address the crowd. “Listen up. There’s no way to pre-position this except to warn you that if you make one sound while I’m talking, I’ll have you escorted out.” He looked at Redd who had assembled his team at the door with half of them looking into the room, and the other half keeping the rest of the crowd outside.
Redd nodded.
“So, I’m just going to come right out and say it. You’re standing in a working time machine…”
“Jesus Christ!” one reporter blurted in disbelief, “do you expect me…”
One of Redd’s boys grabbed the guy and shoved him toward the door. Others had spoken out, but he had been first, and the minute he was grabbed, everyone else stood in silence.
“You’re standing in a working time machine, and we called this press conference to expose it to the world. We will not be selling this technology, and we will not be using it for our own direct benefit. We’re giving it away. We have assembled all working schematics and specifications, and as we speak, they are being uploaded to thousands of computers around the globe. By this time tomorrow, millions of people will have access to this technology to do with whatever they want. At the same time, we’re applying for a Public Domain Patent to ensure that no private person, public entity, or government agency can lock down this technology for their own advantage. We’re preparing a packet that details the history of the machine, its creator, and all that we know about any possible side effects. Consider yourselves warned: this is the most dangerous technology ever known to human kind, and its misuse will have deadly consequences – It’s yours, people, do with it what you will. Thank you.”