Laws of Time

by Jeff Yee

  Sean jumped out of his chair in jubilation, giving high fives to the Langley team that had planned and coordinated the mission. “Thanks to all of you,” he said. “Thanks for bringing Ryan home.”

  Retrieving his mobile phone from his pocket, Sean instantly dialed his son Kris, back home at Tace Technologies in San Diego. After confirming that Ryan was alive and safe, he could hear a thunderous applause in the background as Kris relayed the triumphant news. He provided a detailed account of the mission to Kris, from the coordinated positioning of the five-member team, to the rescue, to the explosive finale. Given the circumstances, the Tace team was astonished that the mission was successful and that they had helped to determine its outcome.

  Thanking his father for the update, Kris ended the conversation, “This is incredible – absolutely terrific. I’m going to give the Graves family a call right now to let them know that Ryan is okay and that he’s coming home.”

  A gigantic smile grew on Sean’s face as he thought about the last statement. Their husband and father is coming home.

  Excited to pass along the good news to others, Sean then dialed his wife. His smile continued to grow even bigger, a grin from cheek to cheek, as he recapped the successful mission for Stacey. Ryan is coming home!

  When Sean ended his second phone conversation, he realized that the general was on direct audio with the Special Forces team. Sean forced his way closer to the general’s desk to eavesdrop on the discussion.

  General Bradshaw first conducted a mission debrief with his team and then he relayed information that would be necessary for their escape. Getting out of the country would still be difficult, he told them, but they all knew that the hard part of their mission was over. Instructions were provided to both cars, each carrying three Americans, as they drove south towards the border of South Korea. Their instructions included safe passage into South Korea where they would fly back to the United States.

  With the mission debrief completed and the escape instructions provided, General Bradshaw handed the earpiece and microphone to Sean. “Would you like to talk to Graves?” he asked.

  Sean positioned the audio equipment and answered, “Ryan? You there?”

  “Yes,” whispered the voice on the other end with a tired, scratchy tone. “Who is this?”

  “Ryan, it’s Sean. Sean Harrison.”

  “Sean… nice to hear your voice.”

  “Yours too. Believe me. Yours too. Your family and friends will want to hear your voice soon too, so hang in there. In the meantime, I want to let you know that your family is already being notified. You’re coming home, Ryan!”

  “Good… can’t wait,” Ryan said with short whispers.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Hurting. I’ll survive. I just want to get home.”

  “Ryan, save your energy. Sounds like you’ll need it. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Okay… g’bye.”

  As Sean was saying his goodbyes, an analyst in the room pointed towards a monitor and attempted to get General Bradshaw’s attention. It was the satellite feed of the Pyongyang building the team had left behind.

  “General, look at the lab,” said the analyst using a laser pointer to outline movement in the parking lot. “The van’s arrived.”

  The American team was not in any danger; they were nearly an hour away from the lab by car. Nevertheless, everyone in the room understood the importance of the van’s arrival. It was the van that they had been warned about, and it arrived on schedule, just as Sean’s note had foretold.

  Amazed by the prophecy, General Bradshaw turned to Sean and said, “So, you really believe that we’ve already tried this mission before. And it failed?”

  Sheepishly, Sean replied, “I think so. I think that I might have written myself the note after the first attempt failed.”

  “Wow! Could we have attempted this mission over-and-over until we got it right? If today’s mission had failed, could you have tried it again until we reached perfection?”

  “Yes, theoretically.”

  “Mr. Time,” said General Bradshaw using his new nickname for Sean Harrison again, “this may be the greatest military weapon ever invented! I didn’t understand the reason for keeping this out of the hands of the North Koreans until now. But now, I understand.”

  Lisa stood nearby, equally impressed with the potential use of the technology. “Sean, I have to agree. This can guarantee that we never lose a war again. But then again, it could also guarantee that our enemies never lose a war either. This must never get into the wrong hands.”

  Time travel technology being used for wars and military operations was not what Sean had envisioned. Sean nodded, without responding. He watched General Bradshaw consider the possible uses of his technology. The general’s wide eyes and glaring looks were not dissimilar from his own, or others that he had met that when they first grasped the power of time travel technology. However, this time, it left him with a pit in his stomach. They see this as a military weapon? He wanted to lecture the highly ranked military officer and caution him against abuse of the technology, but it was too late. The excited general was already making phone calls updating his superiors with the mission’s status and to boast about the new warfare tactic that he discovered. The secret was out, and now it would be spread throughout the Pentagon.

  Chapter 31

  On Constitution Avenue, an unmarked, black car was on its way to the Charlie Palmer Steak House for a lunch meeting. Although it was a Sunday, Cordeiros was working hard and had already spent a busy morning in his office preparing for the second week of the time regulation senate hearings. At ten minutes past noon, his car skidded to a stop at the entrance of the restaurant. Already late for his appointment, Cordeiros jumped out of the car as it arrived, leaving the driver of the car service behind him as he hurried into the steak house. He did not want to keep an army general waiting.

  It was easy to find a table on a Sunday afternoon. With very few tables occupied, Cordeiros spotted his lunch companion quickly. “Bill Bradshaw?” asked the senator as he walked towards the only man in the restaurant who was dining alone.

  “Yes,” answered the general, rising to his feet from the table to shake hands. “Rob Cordeiros, I presume?”

  “Please call me Rob. Sorry that I’m late – especially considering that I was the one who called for this meeting.”

  “No problem. I just sat down a minute ago.”

  After taking a menu from the waiter and ordering a noon-hour cocktail, Cordeiros explained, “I appreciate the time, in particular on a Sunday. I have requested this meeting because I have a proposition that I believe will interest you, and time is of the essence – no pun intended.”

  “I gathered as much. That our meeting was related too…”

  “Time travel,” Cordeiros interrupted. “As you may or may not know, I chair the Time Regulation Senate Committee. And it is my understanding, from my sources, that you had a first-hand demonstration of the power of time travel. Is that right?”

  Looking around the room first to see if anyone was listening, General Bradshaw responded, “Yes, I did.”

  “What’d you think?”

  “It’s impressive. I haven’t been able to sleep the past couple of nights because I can’t stop thinking about the possibilities.”

  Cordeiros smirked. He knew he had his man. “Makes you want to time travel yourself, doesn’t it?”

  With a concerned look on his face like he was being entrapped by the senator, he countered, “I’m aware of the temporary laws banning human travel. For the record, we only used a piece of paper to pass necessary information vital to the mission backwards in time.”

  “General, I’m not here to grill you for information,” Cordeiros said convincingly. “And I’m not out to stop time travel either – but rather to control it. I think you have witnessed its power and I hope you’ll agree with me that with such power comes great opportunities.”

  “Agreed.”

 
“I have a proposal for…”

  The waiter returned with drinks and interrupted the conversation. “Have you decided on lunch yet?”

  “Rib-eye, medium rare and a loaded potato,” demanded Cordeiros.

  General Bradshaw ordered, “Clam chowder and the Caesar.”

  After the waiter wrote down the orders, Cordeiros remarked, “The general ordering a Caesar. Very fitting.”

  Bradshaw smiled.

  Cordeiros continued where he left off. “As I was saying, I have a proposal for you. My committee will be recommending that time travel be placed under tight control. At the conclusion of our hearings, we will recommend the selection of key government officials – ambassadors if you will – to be the first to travel into the future and represent our world and our time.”

  “Interesting. Have you identified the ambassadors?”

  “My bill will suggest the creation of a new agency. It’s imperative that we convince the public that it’s necessary for the government to take control of time travel. This agency will then have full authority to make decisions. However, since this agency has not yet been established, I will make a motion to introduce a team of three ambassadors who will lead the initial team that will travel into the future. This initial team is critical because they will have the ability to control the future.”

  Bradshaw listened intently as Cordeiros spoke, but he realized that he did not receive an answer to his question. So he asked a second time, “Who do you have in mind?”

  “That’s why we’re meeting today, General. This team should be represented by trusted officials that understand the importance and potential impact of the ability to travel in time. It should represent different branches of our government. It is you… I would like you to consider joining me on this team.”

  “I’m honored. But I also noticed that you said ‘joining me on this team’. So you’ll be nominating yourself?”

  “Yes. As the chair of the committee, I will have intimate knowledge of the impacts of time travel and given my history with the senate, I will offer my services to represent the legislative branch. And you, my friend, can be a strong ally representing our military.”

  The general considered it for a few seconds and then asked curiously, “And who is the third member of your proposed team?”

  “I haven’t asked her yet, but my team has suggested White House press secretary, Meg Jennings.”

  “Interesting...”

  “Well, General, what are your thoughts?” asked Cordeiros.

  General Bradshaw knew how to keep a straight face, like a gambler bluffing on a bad poker hand. Despite his excitement to be considered for the job of time ambassador, he answered calmly, “I don’t see why not. Whether we survive or not, at least we’ll go down in history.”

  “Good. So I can count you in and nominate you at the end of our hearings?”

  “Yes. I’m in. How far into the future are you proposing that we travel?”

  “I don’t know. Twenty? Thirty years? What do you think?”

  “Doesn’t matter to me. But let’s keep going until we hit a time when a republican is back in the Oval Office.”

  “Amen, brother,” replied Cordeiros. Lifting his cocktail, he said, “A toast, General. With our combined powers we’ll form a great partnership. Cheers!”

  “Cheers.”

  Glasses clinked.

  “And as I’ve learned,” said the general, “if it doesn’t work the first time, we can always try again until we get it right.”

  “Well said.”

  General Bradshaw surveyed the relatively empty restaurant and then gazed back at Cordeiros. “Count me in. If there’s anything that I can do to ensure that your proposal passes, let me know.” Winking at the senator with his right eye, he repeated, “Anything…”

  Chapter 32

  The high afternoon sun reflected off the tarmac at San Diego airport as friends and family of Ryan Graves gathered at the hanger of a private jet owned by Tace Technologies. In the distance, Kris Harrison could see the jet returning from South Korea. It had been a torturous week and two days since he had seen his friend. Ryan’s wife, Chelsea, and their two sons James and Shane stood by eagerly waiting for the plane to touch down. Scattered throughout the crowd were two-dozen armed military escorts and an immigration officer to check the returning international flight.

  At the first sight of the jet landing back on U.S. soil, Kris made his way through the crowd towards Ryan’s wife Chelsea. Giving her a warm hug, Kris said, “He’s home.” And then looking at Ryan’s sons, he said with a tear in his eye, “Your father is home.”

  Kris’ sister Alyssa had been standing with the Graves family, providing support as they waited for the plane. She smiled at Kris as he comforted the family.

  After a smooth landing, the plane coasted down the runway and turned towards the row of private hangers. As it pulled into the Tace Technologies hanger and came to a stop, James and Shane rushed forward to see their father. Unfortunately, the first man to board the plane was the immigration officer. The Graves family had to wait until the plane was cleared by immigration before they could see their father.

  Alyssa poked Kris in his ribs and whispered, “Poor kids. Dad’s finally home and now they have to wait even longer.”

  “Yeah, but at least he made it home,” Kris answered. “If we had not disrupted certain events in time, we probably would not have been here today.”

  “What?” Alyssa asked. “What happened?”

  “I’ll tell you later. Long story.”

  It took five agonizing minutes for the plane to be cleared by the immigration officer, but once completed, Ryan Graves was the first person to step off the plane. He was no further than three steps down the stairway when his sons met him. Reaching no higher than his waist, each son embraced his father by holding onto a leg – one for each son. A roaring applause erupted from the audience of friends, family members and security personnel. A bruised and battered Ryan Graves stood on the stairway waving ecstatically to his friends, with his sons stuck firmly on his legs.

  Kris watched the tearful reunion as Ryan hobbled down the stairs to the hangar floor where he met his wife Chelsea, waiting for him with open arms. They wept with joy as they hugged and kissed, happy to see each other again. After a long cuddle with his wife, Ryan made his way through the crowd, shaking hands with family and friends. Even security personnel, whom he had never met before, were eager to shake hands with the famous scientist. As Ryan approached his boss, the close proximity made it easier for Kris to view the cuts and bruises from the torture that Ryan had endured in North Korea. A patch covered his left cheek, and bandages wrapped his arms. Dark bruises surrounded each eye, and underneath the baseball cap that Ryan was wearing, bandages were visible, hiding the head injuries that Ryan had sustained.

  “Ryan, it’s good to have you home,” said Kris to his old friend as he gripped him with two hands gently on his shoulders before giving him a hug.

  “It’s nice to be home.”

  “Welcome home, Ryan!” Alyssa added.

  “Thanks.”

  With James and Shane in tow, and his wife Chelsea a step behind them, Ryan continued walking towards a waiting car. “Sorry for the short reunion, but I really want to get home,” said Ryan. “I’ve had a long week.”

  Kris nodded. “I understand. But do you need to see a doctor first?”

  “No, I spent yesterday at the hospital in South Korea. I have my meds. I just need rest now.”

  As they walked towards the car, Kris briefed Ryan on the events that had transpired in the week that he was missing. “We have a lot to catch up on when you’re feeling better, but take your time. Call me when you are well. I’d like to come and see you. In the meantime, I want you to know that you and your family are safe. We’ve all been under protective custody, including Chelsea and your family, since your disappearance. If you need anything, just inform your security detail.”

  “Thanks. I was already b
riefed on the way home. I appreciate everything that you guys have done.”

  “Don’t thank me. It was the government. In fact, sorry that my dad could not be here for your homecoming. He’s been in Washington. He’s flying back today and was trying to make it back in time, but he had a flight delay. I know he wants to see you, but we’ll find another time.”

  “Yeah, give me a few days.”

  “Get well, Ryan,” said Kris as they reached the car prepared to take the Graves family to their home. Kris opened the car door for the kids. Shane entered first, followed by James. Kris then said goodbye to Chelsea when she climbed into the car after her kids.

  “Kris, there’s one thing that is bothering me,” said Ryan before getting into the car.

  “What is it?” Kris inquired.

  With one hand on the door, Ryan explained, “The night that I was kidnapped. I was thrown into the van. They immediately threw a hood over my head, but I could still hear what they were saying. Of course, it was pointless for me. They were speaking an Asian language, which I know now must have been Korean.”

  “Must have been…” acknowledged Kris.

  “But here’s what is bugging me. We drove for a bit and all I heard was Korean mumble jumble. Then, a transfer was made. I was pushed out of one car and into another. I have no idea why, but after getting into the second car, one of the Koreans made a phone call. He said something like ‘mission accomplished’ and that ‘we have him’, or something like that.”

  “Okay,” acknowledged Kris again.

  “Kris, you missed the point. I understood the conversation. It was in English.”

  “Oh!” Kris exclaimed, understanding its importance. Stunned, Kris asked a question that he knew his friend would not be able to answer. “Why was it in English? Why would he not have reported it to someone in Korean?”

  “I don’t know. Right now, I’m just happy to be back.”

  “I’ll pass this information onto the right people,” Kris said with an arm on Ryan’s right shoulder. “Go home and take care of yourself and we’ll wrap things up for you. We haven’t been able to find any ties to the North Korean government. So if there are more people to expose and bring down, we’ll find them. You have my word.”