Fractured Time:
The teakettle whistled and two sweet-smelling pieces of cinnamon raisin bread popped up from the toaster. Billy tossed the morning paper onto the table and brought over his breakfast. He scanned the front page, looking for interesting news items. The headline across the top of the page immediately caught his eye – “Earthquake rocks Southwest U.S. and Mexico.” Billy traveled often and was very uncomfortable with the latest news of another quake.
All this earthquake business is making me nervous. That’s about the eighth or ninth one in the last month.
The headlines revealed that major earthquakes had occurred in Turkey, Iran, California, Mexico, Canada, and other areas of the world with increasing frequency. Billy sipped from his cup of tea and wondered, What could possibly cause so many quakes to occur over such a vast area of the earth? Perhaps this means the end of the world is coming. Well, if I’m lucky, the experts figure something out.
Billy read further down the page. The article named several prominent scientists who were studying the events: Prof. Thomas Platt, Dr. Robert Smith, Dr. Nikolai Athos, and Dr. Joseph Miller.
They sure sound like a scholarly bunch. I hope these guys can get a handle on the situation before it gets worse. It seems like the earth is falling apart.
He finished his tea and opened the kitchen window. The air was cool and breezy, but much to Billy’s dismay, light drizzle began to fall. He reached for the boom box on the countertop and turned on the radio. The morning news didn’t have any new information on the recent series of earthquakes. The seismologists were still baffled by their frequency and wide range of locations.
Billy wandered over to the front door and peered down the street in search of the taxi. It’s still a bit early. I did ask for the cab at 6:30.
He returned to the table and continued reading the paper. After a few more articles, it seemed that the rest of the news would be the same old garbage. Nonetheless, he glanced across the opposite page at other stories.
The first news item he focused on regarded a hit-and-run accident. An old man was killed by a stolen van, which sped through a red light. Billy shook his head in disgust and mumbled aloud, “As usual, the police are getting the blame for chasing the van.”
Next, he spotted an item describing an infant found abandoned in a trashcan. Billy grumbled in response, “Naturally, society is to blame for the parents’ crime.” he sighed in disbelief and flipped the page over.
Of late, Billy was feeling increased disdain for what he believes is a failing society. There’s no such thing as responsibility for one’s actions anymore. Right versus wrong is a big gray area where lawyers decide, at random, which is good or bad. It’s like picking the flavor of the week. Sometimes, I wish the human race could start over and do things right. That would be the only way to solve this mess.
Billy lost interest in the newspaper and the radio news. So, he switched on the CD function and reached for a disc. He blurted out in frustration, “Sometimes this world makes me sick. I’m already disgusted and it’s only 6:00 a.m.!”
Billy turned up the volume just as Rob Zombie began to play. This will get me motivated.
After tidying up the apartment, he gathered some notes and CDs, which he placed neatly inside his briefcase. By the time the third song finished playing, Billy was ready to face the world. He turned the boom box off and closed the kitchen window. After checking one more time to make sure he had everything, he stepped onto the front porch. Here comes my cab, right on time.
When the cab stopped in front of his house, he climbed into the back seat with his brief case and a small carry bag.
“To the airport, please,” he said to the driver.
He stared out the window and pondered, Why do I feel depressed about going on this trip? It’s like I’m leaving for the last time.
The sound of passing cars on the wet street seemed so melancholy. The taxicab rounded a corner, where Billy noticed a young girl waiting for a bus. He recalled his recent breakup a few weeks earlier.
Why do I feel so empty inside? Maybe the job isn’t as challenging as it used to be. As much as I like it, I feel like I’m missing something. I’m sure this doesn’t have anything to do with Charlene. I’m glad our relationship is over. It wouldn’t have lasted anyway.
Billy tried to forget about Charlene and think of something else. I like my job as an applications engineer and I think I’m doing fine as a bachelor. The job has some distinct advantages.
Billy recalled some of the interesting friends he encountered on the road. There were some real good times, particularly with a few of the women. Attractive females are definitely the best part of the job.
Once the cab neared the airport, Billy considered what his plan was for the presentation. Then he remembered that he was to meet a software engineer at the airport. What was the guy’s name? I think it was Nichols from CAE Corporation.
Billy didn’t like the idea of having a partner. He always traveled alone and preferred to keep it that way. I don’t need an assistant in this line of work. He’ll be more of a distraction than a help. Well, I’m not going to worry about it. Besides, I haven’t had an exciting trip in quite some time. I’m due for one.
Fortunately, Billy didn’t live too far from the airport, so there were few delays on the way to Logan International. Traffic was fairly light for a Wednesday morning and, judging by the weather, it was a good day to get out of town. The rain grew heavier as the cab approached the airport. Billy couldn’t help noticing that the air was very chilly for June and this spring was much damper than usual.
Moments later, the cab pulled up to the terminal. Billy paid the driver and retrieved his things. As he walked through the terminal, he looked sympathetically at the long line of people, waiting with their luggage at the main counter.
These short trips are great. I can go right to the gate without waiting in line to check luggage.
Once he reached the gate, Billy checked in with the flight attendant. He stopped in a nearby coffee shop for a snack. This morning, he was taking the 7:45 flight to Philadelphia. There was still about twenty minutes until boarding so he ordered an orange juice and a crescent roll from the waitress. This should hold me over until lunchtime.
Billy tried to picture what Mr. Nichols would be like. Worse, he imagined what a hindrance his presence would be. He scanned the area around the gate. I’ll never find this guy among all these people.
Billy surveyed the clusters of passengers while he ate his roll. No one appeared to be looking for him. I guess Nichols will find his way onto the plane.
Two tables down, a lovely woman with long blond hair caught Billy’s eye. She was very attractive, dressed in a black skirt and a white blouse. Wow, I wish that were my partner! Billy corrected himself, Boy, I have to stop this. It’s becoming an obsession! I can’t stop thinking about women.
He wondered if his little compulsion had anything to do with Charlene. Maybe I need to find a nice girl to settle down with. Mom keeps reminding me that I’m twenty-five, and I should be married with a family already. I think it’s a scary idea.
Billy thought about his failed relationship. I wasted two years of my life on Charlene. She dumped me because she was afraid to make a commitment. Funny, because two weeks later, the witch and my best friend Joey were engaged! How naïve could I have been? The thought of ever having a serious relationship makes me cringe. Maybe I should become a priest.
Billy turned his attention from the woman and focused his attention on other matters.
When he finished his juice, he paid the tab and returned to the gate. There were all sorts of people milling around, waiting to board the plane. Most of them appeared to be professionals. However, Billy couldn’t help noticing two sharp looking women sitting at the end of a row of seats. They appeared to be traveling together with no male companions.
One woman had long dark hair with brown eyes. She wore tight black jeans and a green turtleneck sweater. Billy figured that she must be about twenty-five. She carried a red satin jacket, embroidered with lettering for a rifle club tournament.
Hmm, she likes to compete in male sports. I’d like to see that.
The other woman had long auburn hair that, along with her gray denim skirt and red blouse, appeared very seductive. She also had a satin jacket, which she carried over her arm. Hers was black with gold trim and lettering, which seemed to be for a martial arts tournament. She was tall and very shapely, which made her much more alluring. Billy couldn’t read all of the print on the jacket, but he did notice “1999 Champion.” He figured that she must be very good at whatever she does. He was quite impressed with both girls.
Billy watched them for several minutes and started to daydream. I could see myself dating either or both of them. They look like they’re going on a vacation, or perhaps to a tournament. I wonder where.
The two women were laughing quite a bit as the brunette told a story. Billy just watched, wishing he could join in the conversation. Suddenly, the brunette turned her head and stared at Billy, eye to eye. She stopped talking for a moment and smiled at him as though she had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. Billy blushed over the incident and retreated to a seat in their vicinity where he could secretly admire them without being noticed again.
As the departure time neared, Billy’s thoughts turned to his designated partner again. The more he thought about it, the more he became irritated about having to share his trip. Unfortunately, his boss thought it was a good idea to have a software expert accompany him for this presentation. He tried to rationalize why his boss was so insistent that Nichols accompany him.
Maybe the customer is getting nervous and getting second thoughts about the deal. It’s nothing that I can’t handle, though. It’s just another deal. Maybe Mr. Lefferts doesn’t trust me. I haven’t messed anything up … have I?”
The stewardess approached the podium and spoke into the microphone. Her voice carried across the terminal as she announced, “USAir Flight 637 is now boarding for Philadelphia. USAir Flight 637 is now boarding.”
Billy looked at his watch and noticed that the boarding call was a bit early. That doesn’t happen very often. Hopefully, this is an indication of what kind of day it’s going to be. Better yet, I still don’t see anyone searching for me. If Mr. Nichols shows, he’ll have to hustle to make his way on board.
Billy heard the flight attendant call for his section. He gathered his things and quickly got in line.
Once on board, Billy promptly found his window seat. He placed his briefcase underneath and relaxed.
It’s a short flight from Boston to Philadelphia, so I should be able to catch a couple of winks before we land.
The plane was only about half full and boarding appeared to be complete. Billy marveled at his good fortune. Perhaps my wish has come true. Mr. Nichols is a no-show! We’ll be taking off in a few more minutes and I’ll be a happy man.
Billy looked out the window. The rain came down in sheets and the sky grew darker. He remembered the morning weather report, recalling that conditions were supposed to improve. I guess the weathermen were wrong again. Hopefully it won’t impact our takeoff time.
He closed his eyes, nodding off quickly.
The phone rang for what seemed to be an eternity. Penny rolled over and grabbed at it two or three times until she could feel the handset firmly in her hand.
“Yes, Mom. I’m up. Thanks. Yeah, I’ll call you when I get to Philadelphia. Okay, bye.”
My mother can be such a pain when she worries.
Penny crawled out from under the covers and staggered into the shower. The hot water felt so good on her back and neck. After about ten minutes of euphoria, she reluctantly turned off the water and toweled off. She looked at the mirror and noticed a large bruise on her shoulder. Penny recalled how she fell in karate class the previous evening.
Boy, am I clumsy. Everyone sure had a good laugh, watching me tumble into the chairs like that. I should ask for my money back because I haven’t learned much after all these lessons.
As Penny dressed, she browsed around the apartment and wondered if she should clean up a bit before leaving.
I hate coming home to a messy apartment. It reminds me of how disorganized my life is. I hate to admit it, but I don’t think that it’ll get any better until I find a good man. They are so hard to come by, though. I guess I’ll just have to keep looking.
Penny felt frustration setting in. Oh, the heck with it. The apartment can wait. She was satisfied with her decision and returned to the bedroom. The bed looked very tempting to her. She considered how easy it would be to lay down and go back to sleep.
I feel like kicking myself. I shouldn’t have stayed up so late last night. It was a waste of time for me to review all those software options. I’m sure that the client is only interested in a few of them. Unfortunately, it’s the options usually screw up the deal. Worse yet, Mr. Epstein will kill me if I don’t make a good impression on the clients.
She paced back and forth for a few more moments. If I could do this by phone, it would be so much easier. Mr. Epstein, however, doesn’t see it that way. He is so insistent that I go into the field and get some experience on my own. What’s the big deal? Besides, I really don’t like the idea of meeting up with a strange man from another company and flying out of state with him. I think this is a recipe for trouble. Maybe I’m overreacting.”
She thought about what Mr. Epstein told her… “Don’t worry, Penny. The man you’ll be meeting, Billy Brock, is quite a character.”
Penny knew what that meant. He’s probably some old guy full of war stories from twenty years ago. With my luck, he’ll be a cigar smoking, beer guzzling slob. But, I guess I’ll survive in spite of everything. It’s a good thing I’ve been taking karate lessons for the last six months. I’ll keep him in line.
“Ouch,” Penny cried as she stubbed her toe on the door.
“Great, I’m getting flustered already and I’m not even out the door. I should have stayed in bed. It’s probably safer there.”
Penny turned on the radio in time for the hourly news update. She grew concerned when she heard the top story.
Oh, no! I can’t believe this, another major earthquake. I hope we’re not next. Maybe the world is falling apart.
Penny had a terrible feeling that something bad was going to happen. Her horoscope had warned her to use caution in a business venture. She went to the medicine cabinet and took two aspirin to ease her headache. Hesitating, she stared at the bottle for a moment before deciding to take it with her. I’ll probably need these for later.
While she was dressing, “Rock the Kasbah” blared from the radio, signaling the end of the news. Penny winced and turned it off. It’s too early for that kind of music. Besides, the Clash was never my cup of tea.
Penny took just enough things for two nights. She had a briefcase and a small tote bag with a change of clothes. Once she finished packing, she locked up the apartment and put her things into the back of her red Volkswagen Cabriolet.
Penny pulled out of her driveway and drove to the airport. Traffic was heavy on the expressway, and the weather made the trip more difficult. She turned on the radio and flipped through several stations in search of a weather update.
Just as she found one, a loud horn sounded, scaring the daylights out of her. She screamed as her heart pounded rapidly.
A passing tractor-trailer sounded its horn at a small pick-up truck that had squeezed in front of it.
Penny yelled loudly to no one in particular, “I hate this road!”
Her only consolation was that in thirty-five minutes or so, she would be relaxing on the plane.
Unfortunately, traffic slowed to a crawl and she didn’t arrive at the airport until 7:30.
She whined to no one in particular, “This doesn’t leave me much time to get to the gate.”
Penny pulled into the first level of the parking garage and failed to find a spot. She proceeded to the next level and still couldn’t find one. As panic began to set in, she frequently checked the time. Finally, on the top level, she found an empty space. Quickly, she parked the VW and bolted for the elevator.
Penny ran to the elevator as fast as her heels would allow her. She anxiously pressed the button. It seemed like hours before the doors finally opened. Immediately, she pushed the button for the terminal level and waited. The elevator descended slowly, until it finally stopped. The doors opened, but ever so slowly.
Penny hurried down the corridor, which led to her gate. As she approached the last hallway, she cried, “Oh, no! My bags still have to be x-rayed!”
She deposited them on the belt and waited as precious seconds passed. When her bags came through the conveyor, she grabbed them and raced to the gate. She was beginning to lose hope of ever making it to the plane in time.
If they change the departure gate, I’m out of luck and maybe a job at this point.
The announcement came over the PA system, “USAir flight 637 for Philadelphia, last call for boarding.”
Penny screamed frantically as she approached the counter, “Wait, I’m coming!”
She rushed to the counter, stopping abruptly to check in.
“Finally, I made it!” she announced triumphantly to the attendant, as she presented her ticket and hurried to the door.
I’m sure if Mr. Brock was waiting for me, he surely gave up. What a way to start a business relationship. I’ve already impressed him by showing up late. But, at least I didn’t miss the plane.
Maggie Smith hollered to her husband, “Hurry, Honey! We’re going to be late for our flight.” In the bedroom, Bob Smith paged through his notes. I’ve got to get back to my lab and run this data through the computer.
Maggie entered the room and asked, “What’s taking so long, dear?”
Bob replied, “So many things don’t make sense. Why would the magnetic pull of the North and South Poles weaken so much over the last three months? Something major is happening to the earth. The boys at U. Mass. have run these numbers a dozen times on the mainframe and the results are always the same.”
Then he realized that Maggie was growing impatient. He said humbly, “I know, I’d better get my things together before we miss our flight.”
Maggie hinted, “Bob, sometimes you need to step outside the circle to understand what is happening inside. You’re not going to solve anything in the state of mind that you’re in.”
She calmly left the room and gathered their luggage.
After ten minutes, Bob finally emerged from the bedroom. Maggie acknowledged his presence and spoke, “There you are, finally! I was beginning to think that you weren’t coming.”
She gave him that evil look that wives love to give their husbands. Then she said a little more civilly, “I made sure that all of your things are packed as well. It’s obvious you weren’t going to do it.”
Bob knew that she was right as usual. After a while, you learn not to respond to a woman’s cynicism.
He grabbed the largest of the suitcases and exited the door. I’ll be so glad to get home.
The Smith ’s trip had been seventeen days long. The first leg of the trip took them to Florida for four days. They visited NASA and met with the Space Research team to discuss information and data that they received via satellite, possibly related to the series of earthquakes.
Professor Thomas Platt, the team leader, detected an extraordinary change in the magnetic and gravitational fields around the earth and moon. These changes affect the forces that prevent the tectonic plates of the earth from shifting uncontrollably.
The next stop took them to the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington. Dr. Smith went through nine grueling days of data analysis on all the seismic activity recorded over the last two months. Dr. Joseph Miller discovered a shift in the orbit of both the earth and moon. The data indicated that the rotations of the earth and moon were slowing down.
Bob explained to Maggie, “The only logical reason the rotation of the earth would slow down is if there was an increase in the earth’s mass.”
He considered this idea carefully as he stared out the window of the taxi.
“That would explain the changing fields around the earth, but that’s impossible!”
Maggie asked, “Have you considered that maybe these things are symptoms and not the problem? Perhaps we aren’t looking for the problem yet.”
Bob replied, “Yes, but what else could there be?”
The last four days of the trip were spent at the University of Massachusetts with some of Bob’s former colleagues. They continued to assess the ramifications of the changes in the earth’s characteristics.
Dr. Athos, a close friend, analyzed all their data on a mainframe at the facility. He also tracked several changes in the earth’s behavioral characteristics. His conclusion was similar to Bob’s in many ways. However, eight years ago, he postulated a theory that advanced civilizations from the past, did not become extinct, as many believed. He theorized that these civilizations might have somehow slipped into some sort of time portal or alternate dimension.
Bob commented to Maggie, “Since we know very little about altered or “fractured” time, Dr. Athos’ theory sounds ludicrous. At this juncture, however, we can’t discount his idea as a legitimate explanation for what’s happening to the earth.”
Maggie had always been Bob’s assistant. Bob peeked at his wife and reminded himself, It’s a good thing that she’s such a patient woman. Maggie is the best at taking notes and cataloguing information on the computer database. I don’t think I could survive in this profession without her.
He appreciated that Maggie traveled everywhere with him. She became quite experienced in survival in some of the most remote regions of the world.
Bob admitted to Maggie, “My biggest fear is that, even if we identify the phenomenon that is occurring, we may not be able to do anything to control it. I don’t see how we can stop Mother Nature from doing her thing. I think there is an important piece of this puzzle missing and I can’t quite put my finger on it.”
He paused to consider some of the possibilities about what fractured time could do. If there was a fracturing of time or dimension, what relation could it have to our current problems? Is it possible for portions of the earth to pass through time into another dimension? After all these centuries, could the missing parts reunite with our present day earth?
Bob shrieked, “Fractured time could be catastrophic! I can’t believe that anything so farfetched could really happen like this!”
Maggie tried to calm her husband down. He was too excited to listen to her. He decided, “When I return to the lab, I need to access all the databases and search for any other clues that might indicate what’s causing these quakes.”
Maggie interjected some of her thoughts based on prior research. “We have some experience with the oceans in the form of El Nina and La Nina. Those phenomena have created meteorological turmoil but nothing that compares to this. Perhaps they were but a prelude to what we are dealing with now.”
Bob responded, “I wonder if there have been any significant changes in the oceans’ tides and currents. We’ll need to find out when we get back.”
When they arrived at the airport, the porter graciously took their luggage inside. After standing in line for twenty minutes, Bob handed the attendant their tickets and waited patiently while she tagged each of their suitcases.
They arrived at the gate with about fifteen minutes to spare. There hadn’t been much time for casual conversation lately and Bob was conscious of it.
He promised Maggie, “I owe you a nice vacation, just the two of us.”