by Jason Ayres
When Robbie came in, Josh recognised him instantly from the newspaper report. The sailor went straight to the bar and ordered a pint of Guinness. The barman pointed out Josh and Alice to him, and he came over to where they were sitting.
“The barman said you were looking for me,” he said. “Are you journalists? You don’t look like journalists.”
“No, we’re not journalists,” replied Josh. “We’re from Oxford University, doing some research into unexplained phenomena.”
“We’d like to ask you a few questions about your recent experience,” added Alice.
“Now there’s a coincidence,” said Robbie. “There was another bloke in here yesterday asking the same thing.”
This was an interesting development, thought Josh. It hadn’t occurred to him that anyone else might be investigating the same thing. As far as he knew, no one else was aware of the existence of the Time Bubble outside of their own small circle. He put that thought aside for the moment as he needed answers to some questions.
“So, can you tell me exactly what happened on the day you came ashore?” asked Josh.
“There’s not a lot I can really tell you that you haven’t already read in the newspapers. I lost control of the boat, was dashed on some rocks, and managed to scramble ashore and find shelter where I must have fallen asleep. The next thing I remember is making my way back here.”
“Can you show us exactly where this was?” said Alice, producing a map of the coastline. “We’d like to go and take a look if we can.”
“I certainly can,” said Robbie. “There’s a cove right here,” and he pointed to the map, about halfway between St Ives and Zennor. “How far is it?” asked Alice.
“It’s about three miles up the coast from here,” replied Robbie. “I wouldn’t advise going up there in this weather, though. It’s not the easiest place to get to at the best of times.”
“Could you take us there by boat?” asked Josh.
“There’s no way I’m taking a boat round that coastline in these conditions. I’ve wrecked one boat up there this year already. To wreck another would be at best, foolhardy, and at worst, lethal.
“What would you recommend, then?” asked Josh.
“Your best bet would be to take the coast path,” said Robbie. “You can walk right down to the cove from there. But I really wouldn’t consider going while the weather is like this. One slip and you could be over the cliff.”
“Thanks, mate,” said Josh. “Can we get you a pint?”
“A Guinness would be lovely,” replied the sailor.
Josh and Alice had to admit he was right. They couldn’t risk trying to negotiate the coast path in a snowstorm. The good news was that it was only three miles. Josh had found that the tachyometer could pick up a signal from about two miles away. Once they got in range of The Time Bubble, assuming of course that it existed, they would be able to follow the signal.
They spent the rest of the day making plans. Later that afternoon, when the snow eased, they went out and stocked up on supplies in the hope of leaving the next day. But Wednesday brought more fresh snow. They had to wait for better conditions.
Not only did they have to get to The Time Bubble, they also had to get back. There was no question of one of them going through it and abandoning the other. They had to stick together.
Now, on Thursday morning, they had awoken to clear blue skies and sunshine. It even felt a little warmer than of late, leaving them hopeful of a possible thaw.
Cornwall was continuing to miss the worst of the weather, but even here, things were beginning to get difficult. All roads out of St Ives were now blocked and there had not been any trains for days. And as of the previous evening, there was no electricity either.
It was now or never if they were going to find the new Time Bubble. In several layers of thermal clothing, snow boots and backpacks laden with food and drink, they set out at 9am from Porthmeor beach along the coast path towards Zennor.
If they thought some of their previous treks across the Cornish landscape had been slow, this took it to a whole new level. Every step had to be carefully measured. The coast path wasn’t a particularly easy walk in normal conditions. With several inches of snow and ice underfoot it was incredibly treacherous.
The first mile took well over an hour but their spirits were lifted when Josh took the tachyometer out of his pocket, switched it on, and excitedly found that one of the five green lights on the front of the wand-like device had lit up. It had also begun to emit a low beep every few seconds.
“Look at this!” he exclaimed to Alice. “It’s registering. We’re definitely on the right track.”
With renewed enthusiasm they pressed on ahead. The weather stayed fair and they covered the next mile within an hour. A second green light appeared on the tachyometer and the frequency of the beeps began to increase.
Not long after, they rounded a small headland and saw what they were seeking. Ahead the cliff path wove down to a large cove.
“This must be it!” he said. “Come on!” he cried and quickened his pace now that his goal was in sight.”
“Go careful!” she called after him. “We’ve come this far: no need to rush the last bit.” She tried to keep up with him, but then disaster struck. She took a bad step and felt the ground disappear beneath her. She was still a good fifteen feet or more above the cove, and had inadvertently stumbled over the edge of the path.
Desperately she flailed out with her arms to try and get a grip, but it was too late. She tumbled right off the precarious path and fell to the ground below.
Josh was horrified to see her fall. “Alice!” he called, fearing the worst, but he could see that she was moving. He scrambled down the last few feet of the path and across to where she lay. He was very relieved to see she was attempting to sit up.
Despite all the trouble the snow had caused, on this occasion it had done her a favour. Anyone falling fifteen feet on to the rocky shore below under normal conditions would probably not have lived to tell the tale. As it was, it became clear quite quickly that she wasn’t going any further. As she attempted to get to her feet she winced and fell back again.
“My ankle!” she cried. “I think it’s broken. I’m in agony.”
“It might be just a sprain,” he said. “We’ll rest here for a minute.”
“It feels like more than a sprain to me,” she said, through gritted teeth. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to walk on it. What are we going to do?”
Josh looked around the cove. There were some caves on the far side, set into the jagged cliff walls. The tide was out and perhaps he could manage to support her to get her over there.
“We need to get you into shelter. Can you stand at all? I’ll try and get you into those caves.”
“I’ll try,” she said, but every movement was agony. She sat down again in the snow. “It’s no good, I can’t move. You’ll have to go on without me.”
“There’s no way I’m leaving you here alone like this,” he said. “You’ll never survive out here alone.”
There was a flock of seagulls circling overhead, squawking loudly. Josh wouldn’t have put it past them to attack and eat the stricken girl if she was left alone. The situation was desperate and they both knew it.
“I’m so sorry, Alice. This is all my fault. I should never have dragged you out here.”
“Hey, I wanted to come. There was no way I was going to stay in Oxford while you got to have all the fun.”
“It’s not looking too fun now, though, is it?”
He took off his backpack and pulled out a thermos flask of hot coffee. He couldn’t remember if you were supposed to drink hot drinks or not when it was very cold. He vaguely remembered being told once that it was actually bad for him.
It didn’t really matter now. They both needed a hot drink, and he needed time to think of way out of their predicament.
As it happened, salvation was about to arrive from a completely unexpected source.
<
br /> Alice heard it first, a faint hum above the constant din of the seagulls. “Listen!” she said.
He could hear it, too. The faint hum became a drone and developed into the unmistakeable sound of a helicopter. He scanned the skies and saw it heading almost right towards them.
He leapt up and began waving his arms in the air. “HEY! OVER HERE!” he called as loudly as he possibly could. But there was no need. It was clear the helicopter was already heading for the cove.
It landed on the beach on the snow-free area that had been washed away by the tide. As the rotor blades slowed, the door opened and a middle-aged man emerged who looked strangely familiar. As he approached, Josh suddenly realised who he was.
He was looking at an older version of himself.
Chapter Twenty
Despite the pain she was in, Alice had recognised the helicopter pilot at the same time Josh had. “Aren’t you…?” she began.
“Yes, I certainly am,” replied Future Josh.
“But…but…” Josh had so many questions to ask he could barely get any words out. Eventually he managed to come up with “How did you know we were here?”
“Oh, come on, Josh,” replied Future Josh. “You’ve studied time travel long enough to know the answer to that one. I’m you. I can remember everything you’re experiencing now.”
Josh looked at his future self. His hair was grey and he had a noticeable case of middle-aged spread developing. “You’ve let yourself go, mate,” he joked. “How much older than me are you, exactly?”
“Old enough to be your dad,” replied Future Josh. He looked down at his injured girlfriend and added, “Looks like I got here just in time.”
“How did you know where to find us?” asked Josh, still trying to get his head around the situation.
“I’m you, remember? I’ve had this date and time indelibly etched on my memory for nearly twenty years,” replied Future Josh.
“So how did you get here?” asked Josh.
“In the helicopter,” replied Future Josh. “You must have noticed it.” It seemed old age hadn’t cured his sarcastic streak.
“I didn’t mean that. But while we’re on the subject, when did you, or do I mean I, learn to fly a helicopter? I can’t even drive!”
“Well, perhaps it’s time you learned,” replied Future Josh. “To fly, that is. You know, it could literally save your life one day, not to mention Alice’s. That’s why I’m here, actually. Today’s the day.”
“How did you find us?” asked Josh.
Future Josh sighed. “Bloody hell, did I really used to be this stupid? As I explained before, I’ve already been here. Now, look, it’s freezing out here. I think we should get down to business. Have you got the tachyometer handy? I don’t know why I’m asking, because I know that you have.”
Josh reached into his coat pocket, produced the tachyometer, and handed it to Future Josh. There were three green lights glowing and it was beeping away faster than ever. Future Josh examined it and remarked, “I haven’t seen this for years – the original Tachyometer Mark 1 – it looks so quaint!”
“So what’s the plan?” asked Josh, feeling incredibly irritated by his future self and resolving not to end up that way.
“Well, you are going to go on into the cave, find The Time Bubble and go through it. I’m going to take Alice away in the helicopter to safety, and then all your worries will be over. For the time being, anyway.”
“Then what happens?” asked Josh. “I still don’t understand how you got back here. As far as I know, Time Bubbles only go forward in time. How did you do it?”
“I’m afraid you’re just going to have to figure that out for yourself,” said Future Josh. “Just keep doing the research and you’ll get there eventually.”
“So what about the weather?” asked Josh, changing the subject. “What about the future? Are our friends safe?”
“You must know I can’t tell you any of that,” replied Future Josh. “You know all about altering the timeline: we’ve watched enough movies on the subject. You wouldn’t tell me when I was you, so I’m not going to tell you now.”
“Excuse me,” interrupted Alice. “Much as I hate to break up this family reunion, I am actually in absolute agony here. Can we please dispense with the time travel talk and get me out of here?”
“Of course, babe,” said Future Josh. “Come on, Josh. Let’s get her into the helicopter.”
“Less of the babe if you don’t mind,” replied Josh. “She’s my girlfriend, remember!”
Future Josh laughed. “I can call her babe: she’s my girlfriend, too. Anyway, hasn’t Alice told you yet that she’s into older men?” He seemed to be enjoying this immensely.
“I can quite categorically assure you that if you don’t get me into that chopper – no corny puns, please, neither of you will be getting anywhere near me ever again!” said Alice.
Between them they carried the prone girl to the helicopter and got her inside. Future Josh produced a medical kit, rolled up her trouser leg and gave her a painkilling injection which swiftly brought relief.
“Now you must go,” said Future Josh, “and quickly. I can’t say much, but let’s just say you may not be the only one searching for this Time Bubble.”
“There’s so much I want to ask you, though,” said Josh.
“All will become clear in the fullness of time,” said Future Josh. “Trust me.”
“I guess this is goodbye for now, then,” said Josh to Alice. He kissed her on the lips and squeezed her hand. “One thing’s for sure – we know we’ll definitely see each other again.”
“I’ll take care of everything,” said Future Josh. “She’ll be waiting for you when you get back.”
They said their final farewells, and Josh stepped back as the helicopter lifted off, taking his girlfriend away to safety. He watched until they had disappeared over the horizon, then turned and began the final trudge across the cove to the caves.
By the time he got inside, the tachyometer was beeping furiously, with all five green lights glowing brightly. As he pointed it in the direction of the far corner of the cave and moved towards it, the beeping became one continuous note. He walked forward and vanished, almost eleven years to the day since he’d last stepped into a Time Bubble.
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At the base, recruitment was going well. With no sign of any assistance coming from outside, Dan was able to grow his band of followers quickly.
He’d found a stock of old Army uniforms in a store room which had been ideal for his purpose. He, Ryan, Neil and Colin had donned the uniforms, and then gone out to look for new people to join their community.
They headed into the housing estates of the town and went around knocking on doors. By this time, those people who remained were hungry, cold and afraid. When men dressed in Army uniforms came knocking on their doors offering them food and warmth, they were only too happy to accept.
Dan was doing an excellent job of portraying himself as their saviour. Getting people to join him was easy. He hadn’t even had to show the gun. No one questioned his credentials: the authenticity of his uniform was enough. As far as everyone who joined them was concerned, he was the bona fide face of the British Army, come to save them.
The uniform that Dan had chosen was that of a captain, so before they went recruiting, he had announced to the others that he was to be henceforth known as Captain Fisher.
He wasn’t quite sure what the penalty was for impersonating an Army captain, but he was confident he could justify it later. He was a hero, saving lives, looking after the people. If the world got through this and things returned to normal, they might even pin a medal on him.
By Thursday, the community had grown to 43 people of all ages, including children. Once they were settled in the base, Dan made it quite clear that they weren’t getting their bed and board for nothing. He expected them to work for him, and swear allegiance to him. As long as they did as they were told, they’d li
ve a comfortable existence under his benevolent rule.
Work was apportioned as Dan saw fit. He wasn’t into equality or political correctness. He had the women washing and cleaning, and the men out searching for food or bringing back fuel from the tanker.
There were few protests, particularly after what happened on Thursday night when a situation arose that gave him an opportunity to demonstrate his authority.
Everyone who joined them had been forced to sign a charter laying down the laws he had devised for the “good of the community”. One of these laws was that food and drink were to be strictly rationed, and nothing could be taken from the stores without signed approval by either him or one of his three lieutenants.
So, on Thursday evening, when Ryan brought two teenagers to his office who had been caught stealing a bottle of tequila from the stores, the chance to wield his power had come.
The two couldn’t have been older than about nineteen, a boy and a girl. The boy had a gothic look, black, spiky hair and lots of piercings. She had short, blonde hair, mostly covered by a woolly hat, a matching scarf trailing down around a long green coat. They looked like students to Dan, and he hated students. He had to admit the girl was pretty, though. He’d seen her somewhere before, but he didn’t recognise the boy.
“Names?” he barked.
“Jack Taylor, sir,” said the boy.
“Aimee Willis,” said the girl.
“So, you thought you could steal from the community, did you?” began Dan.
“I’m sorry,” said Jack. “We won’t do it again. Look, I’ll pay you for the tequila.” He began to reach into his pocket.
“Keep your money,” said Dan. “It’s no use to us here, is it?” He decided now would be a good time to show them he was not to be messed with, and casually moved a newspaper that had been sitting on the desk. Beneath it was one of the guns. Aimee gasped when she saw it.
“You see, the point is, we are under martial law here,” continued Dan. “Under such conditions, looters can be shot. Do you understand me?”
