BackTrek

by Kelvin Kelley

Jack rented a room at a local dive. He left a wake up call for nine A.M. in the morning, and crashed for the night. Exhausted beyond belief, he felt like a person with jet-lag, but on a completely different level. Two times in the last week he had seen his family slaughtered, and two times he had been unable to save them. He had regained a friend lost for years, and then lost that friend before his very eyes. He had been poked at, prodded at, and shot at. He had traveled through time. And still, his family was as dead as they had been before this roller coaster ride had begun. He was exhausted.

  He slept a deep but restless sleep. He dreamed of Tracey and though he tried, he could not touch her. So close, but not able to reach her. He heard her call to him. She needed him, but he was unable to move or respond. The phone rang, and it startled him awake. Disoriented, he looked around the room. As he tried to get his bearings, his hand instinctively drew the gun from underneath his pillow. He sat there dazed for a moment, until reality finally settled in. He reached over and grabbed the phone.

  “Mr Smith. It’s nine o’clock. Your wake up call.” The voice said.

  “Thank you.” Jack said as he hung up the phone. Smith had seemed to be an appropriate name to use. He knew one lunatic that wouldn’t be using it anytime soon, at least. As Jack showered, he savored the hot water as it ran over his body. After a deep sleep, it helped to rejuvenate him, and cleared his mind. Refreshed, he dressed in the clothes that he had worn the day before and sat on the edge of the bed. He began to try and sort out where he was, or more precisely, when he was. In this timeline, the murders had occurred last night, in his original timeline, it was actually several days ago. Ted was dead, but that was in his original timeline. In the timeline that he was in now, Ted was still alive. In fact, Jack realized, it would be today that Ted would approach him, or his other self to be more precise. Today he would try to recruit him on this time traveling madness. Jack had to warn Ted. That was the only course of action, he thought as he grabbed his phone to search for a number online, but realized instantly that it would be a waste of time. Then he started to key the number for information, when he remembered the business card that Ted had offered days ago. The one that he had ignored, and then later had picked up off of the ground. He reached into his back pocket, removed his wallet, and opened it. He reached under the flap that held the pictures of his two children and pulled out the card. He dialed the toll free number. The phone rang three times before it was answered.

  “Truman.” Ted answered.

  “It’s good to hear your voice, Ted.”

  “Who is this?” Ted asked. Jack thought for a moment. The silence on the line became louder. “Hello? Who is this?” Ted asked again.

  “It’s Jack.”

  “Jack? I’m...I’m a little surprised to be hearing from you. Are you okay?” Ted said, obviously shaken by the fact that the man who wanted to rip his head off only yesterday was on the phone.

  “No, I’m not okay, but that’s beside the point. Have you heard about the murders yet?”

  “Which murders?” Joe asked.

  “My family.” Jack said bluntly.

  “Your-”

  “My family. They’re dead. All dead.” Jack said coldly.

  “My God, Jack, I didn’t know...I hadn’t-“

  “Never mind that, that’s not why I called. Do you or have you had any intention of approaching me with an offer.”

  “Your family, Jack, I’m so sorry-”

  “Answer the question, Ted.” Jack interrupted.

  “An offer? What kind of offer, Jack?” Ted asked.

  “Employment.” Silence. Seconds passed before Ted answered.

  “Has someone else been talking to you, Jack? Who was-”

  “Do you even know if it works, Ted?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Do you know, Ted? Have you been through time?”

  “Look, Jack, I don’t know what’s going on, but you-”

  “I do, Ted. I know it works. Do you want to know how I know?” Jack asked. There was silence on the line again.

  “How?”

  “Right this minute Ted, I’m at my house scrubbing the blood of my family off of the walls of the home that we shared. Also at this same instant, I’m halfway across town in a cheesy motel talking to you on the phone. How is that possible Ted?” Jack asked. “How can that be? How can there be two of me at the same time. In the same time.”

  “You’re...you’re looped?”

  “Exactly, Ted, I’m time looped. It works and I’m here to prove it. The least you guys could have done was test the damn thing out before you sent us through. Jesus, Ted, anything could have happened.”

  “They have been testing it, Jack. But there have been some problems.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard. So you came up with a psychological profile.”

  “A psychological profile?” Jack smiled slightly and shook his head.

  “Here’s the reality. If I’m here now, then you’ve got to get me here.”

  “I don’t get it.” Ted said.

  “You came to my house today, while I was cleaning up the mess, and convinced me that I had to join you. You wouldn’t tell me the details, but you did tell me that there was a way to save my family. You gave me hope, Ted.”

  “Jack. Look. But didn’t you just say that they’re dead.”

  “I know, that’s another reason you’ve got to go back. I...the other Jack...has to have that chance to save their lives.”

  “This is confusing, Jack.”

  “Don’t tell me, I’ve got Jet-lag from hell. My family has died twice, and my best friend was...” Jack caught himself.

  “Jack, what about your friend?” Ted asked.

  “You, Ted. You are my friend...my best friend even after all of these years, and all we’ve been through. You don’t know it now, but you will. That’s another thing that has to happen today. Another reason you’ve got to go and talk to me...the other Jack."

  “What happened?” Ted asked as Jack thought about how to answer him.

  “You were shot.” There was a pause of silence again.

  “Killed?”

  “Protect yourself, Ted. Go and see me, convince me, and then help me...but watch out for yourself.” Jack hung up the phone without another word. He had warned Ted. He just hoped it was enough. He was shocked to realize that he and Ted were the first to actually successfully time travel, and that thought sent shivers down his spine. But it had worked. He had had the opportunity to save his family. But again he had failed. There was another chance. Tomorrow morning. Ted would talk to the other Jack, and convince him to help. Tomorrow the gate would open again, they would go through, and Tracey and the kids would have another chance at life. Jack planned to be there.

  Chapter 27