The Time Stone, Third Edition (Extended Version)
Chapter 79

“Well that concludes our show.” Says the jester bowing out and cart wheeling away. “Phew, I am so glad they did not throw rotten fruit at me this time.” He says to himself walking away. The young twenty-one year old princess yawned with a restrained enthusiasm.

“Next, madam princess” says a large, sharp tongued man “we have a special surprise, prime and ready for a proper execution. They are those who dared to wallow in the royal rose bushes, trespassers who have admitted quite insanely that they fell from the future.” He moves out of the way as three Knights with full helmeted armor and lance push in bound captives Mercedes and James. Their hands tied behind their backs and mouths gagged the duo look fearfully at the pointed blades before them and the suspicious new surroundings. James wallows in doubt and self-pity seeing the luxurious looking throne room and then stops dead in his tracks as his fear left him when he saw the princess on the throne.

“Celia,” he thought. “It’s her. I will remember that face as long as I live.” The muffled screams of the duo caused the princess to feel sorry for them and ordered their gags removed with a lift of her hand. The guards complied. “Celia!!!” yells James.

She looks at him oddly, “how do you know my name?”

“We met… sort of. We’re from the future, over a thousand years from now. We know about everything you did or will do.”

“James, she doesn’t know what you’re talking about” whispered Mercedes.

“Madam Princess. We will take the loud one to the dungeon where he will be dealt with most harshly” says the large shaped man.

“I don’t think so” he broke free, but is quickly grabbed again by the guards tight iron clad grip.

“Wait” says Princess Celia looking at James and seeing something in him, something she felt that she is missing in herself, something in his eye glistened inside of her and made her realize they shared a common destiny, even if now just strangers. “Bring him to my chambers.”

“Madam Princess” says her handmaiden shocked. “It is okay.” says the princess.

“And the other, your highness?” asks the large shaped man.

“The dungeon for now.” says the princess.

“Wait a minute. James” screams Mercedes as she was hauled away.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything” he dismissed her as he gazed into the eyes of Princess Celia and felt a strong vibrant connection he lacked and yearned for. He felt what he has always been searching for is right there now before him and she felt the same, an instant sense of gratification beyond universal perfection and harmony borne by the instant attraction of togetherness and love. For James, he recognized her image and knew she sent the message of love he observed in the future. He walks towards her escorted by the large shaped man and taken by him to the princess’ chambers. She shortly followed with a curious glare.

“Unbind him Cornelius and leave us be.” She says and Cornelius complied leaving them alone face to face in her chambers. The décor over a mantel was of silver candlesticks and some small statues, as paintings and tapestries hung from the walls. There was a rug of multiple warm colors under their feet. “You have a crimson smile” she says.

“You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen” he replies. She smiles. They were mesmerized by each other.

“Where did you come from? Really” she says.

“The future” he replies. “The year 2012, when we found a device called the time stone that can take us anywhere. We visited a whole bunch of places already.”

“Uncanny. Is this really true? Where is this time stone?” Princess Celia says.

“Your guards took it. I need it back to get home. It is very true. You’re the first person I told this to. I feel I can trust you. I don’t understand why.” He speaks as if in a trance.

“Hmm… I feel I can trust you too. It is peculiar as we hardly know one another.” Princess Celia says.

“I know you” James says.

“You say you recognized me from the future?” Princess Celia questioned.

“Yes… you were a hologram… sort of a machine that helped us at one point.” James says.

“It is funny you mention this. I was born and raised in the future too, in the year 2012 as well. I was ten years old when something happened. I don’t remember much. There was a fight, a large bird lady creature; it’s all a blur….” Princess Celia confided in him.

“Oh my God, you were that little girl” James looks at her wide-eyed thinking back to the first battle with the guardians in Chronix Bay in 2012 and a little red-haired girl got too close to the open vortex and fell in before it closed. “That was you!”

“And now you are here with me?” She replies questioning.

“It’s like some type of cosmic resonance or vibrations coming full circle. Maybe destiny, fate, dimensions as one.”

“Yes, but why here and now … I was raised here as Princess Celia. I have no real memory of my life in 2012.”

“You could come back with us.” James pleaded.

“This is the only life I have ever known.” Princess Celia says.

“It is weird. Some things are strange. Einstein himself says the greatest things we can observe in life are the mysterious.”

“I really don’t understand.”

“That’s alright. I am not sure I completely understand” he laughs and she laughs with him slightly.

“You enjoy humor” Princess Celia says.

“Well I grew up on the Three Stooges” James says.

“Who are these stooges?”

“Well, they were funny men. You would like them.”

“I do like you…tell me, what else have you seen in your travels?” She asks.

“A lot, beasts from other dimensions, powers and technological stuff…weapons beyond imagination right now, let me tell you,” James bragged.

“Really, my kingdom could use some of that weaponry. We are facing a terrible crisis.” Princess Celia frowns.

“What’s that?” He asks.

“There have been threats and attacks against my people, my armies by a rival kingdom to the north, the Nefarious King Rogan. They strike without mercy and are relentless.”

“I can help you. I am… the holder of stones” he says proudly with his hands on his hips.

“And what do you imagine in goodness’s name that is?” Celia asks.

“Let me show you” he says as he waved his right hand and a silver candlestick hovered towards him and he caught it.

“You are a warlock” she screams nearly running to the door, but stopping.

“No, just a power I picked up. I can use it on affecting anything, but living things.”

“How can it be used to help against those attacking my kingdom?”

“Many ways” he looks out a window and saw several knights approaching stamping on the ground with great noise and ho-hum chatter, their uniformed armor slightly different from those of Celia’s court, as these were more dark red stained like blood with black etching. “Are those the rivals who are causing the ruckus?” He asks.

“Yes, that is them… I will summon Cornelius to get the royal guard.” She yells.

“No, wait” He beckons.

“But …” she started, but he held his right hand to her shoulder to calm her and with his remaining hand he swung and waved it out towards the window. The armor of each of the knights flung back with them in one fell swoop sending them far back for miles beyond sight. “That takes care of them” says James clasping his hands and wiping them.

“I thought it didn’t work on living things.”

“It worked on the armor or clothing they wore.”

“Ah” she embraced him and planted a kiss on his check.

“Well, you’re welcome little lady” he smirks with his John Wayne impression. “I don’t think they will be bothering you anymore.”

Miles away in the kingdom of King Rogan, an old man with a heavy gold crown adorned in jewels sits in his throne room surrounded by advisors equally aged in a dark dreary castle covered with vines as fourteen red and black etched knights enter limping with several chinks in their armor and visible signs of injury.

“What happened?” asks one advisor.

“We tried to attack the Roy Tan again. They are protected by a warlock or witch now, Sire. We cannot return.”

“It is best left for another time.” The old king says.

“I want to thank you for all you have done” says Celia. She let her hair down; her fiery golden locks curled and wiggling down her back.

“It is nothing” says James sitting on her bed.

“I am in your debt.” They look into one another’s eyes and smile. “Will you join me and my family for dinner?” She asks. James nodded.

The dinner table in the banquet hall is dressed well and elegant, cloth of gold and drapes of red velvet and orange decorated the hall, as candelabra served each corner. The long table is covered with purple linen and topped with trays of various dishes, meats, cheeses, wines, fruits, and bread. James walks in thinking he has died and gone to heaven. He sits next to Celia and is casually introduced to the dinner party as they entered. Her uncle Arch Duke Drolag Kinlyn, her younger twin siblings, and her various aunts, nieces, nephews, uncles, nobles, and duchesses from the neighboring provinces. They were impressed with the mysterious stranger whom Celia speaks very highly of in his efforts to help them. He tried to keep talk of his origins to a minimum, but speaks of his vision and his ideals, but also of the hardships surrounding his life.

James speaks: “I always wanted to help people, but never really had the chance until recently.”

“Helping those in need helps us become more in tune with ourselves and see the light for what it really is… God’s peace” Archduke Kinlyn speaks philosophically and advises on principles of idealism and destiny. James did not understand much, but he noticed one phrase seemed to ring in his head: “The light never dies; only our perception of it does. When we lose sight of that one simple truth in our lives we lose sight of who we are meant to be.” The dinner ended well and everyone parted to their quarters. Celia escorted James back to her room and closed the door. They sit on the bed in her room together and they look into one another’s eyes as if impatiently awaiting a climatic defining moment in their short, but sudden relationship, remaining fixated on one another as they both recognized that they were fated to come across one another like ripples across the grand chasm of space and time. Without another delay, James takes Celia in his arms and embraces her, kissing her on the lips and focused him onto her. She pulls away and unhooked her garter and dress and dropped them to the floor revealing her full body. James’s jaw dropped as she approached him and crawled beside him.

“Princess… I think I love you!” They embraced.

Time: 2042 A.D., Chronix Bay

“Who are you people? Where are you taking me?” asks Reman.

“I’m surprised you don’t recognize me,” says Tina, “after all we’ve been through.”

“Uh, I think not” says Drax “to him thirty years have passed.”

“What in the devil are you talking about?” asks Reman as he crossed his arms.

“I’m Tina… Tina Prescott. This is my sidekick, Milton.”

“Huh?” humored Drax.

“Tina Prescott? But that can’t be.”

“But it is.” She adds.

“This is some kind of trick.”

“No trick, I know you cheated on me with Bella Randolph. You were a bad egg then, but I saw hope in you. We got busted sneaking into old man Harding’s house on Eldon Street. What else? Oh, you got a big mole on your left butt cheek, you’re middle name is Edenton, and you got a tattoo of the Olympic torch near your … you know.”

“OK, it’s you …, but how?”

“How do I look so young? Cause we’re from the past.” She looks down at him with her arms crossed.

“Tina!” scolded Drax.

“He has a right to know. We travel through time … that’s our new shtick. Now you tell us how come you’re on the run from the cops here too, seems like after twenty eight years you haven’t changed.”

“You got it wrong” he says.

“Oh then maybe we should just go back” she uttered vindictively. “You know, turn ourselves in and all.”

“No, please. We must not. I will explain everything, but first take me to the old warehouse on Elm and Forest. It’s a secret, but once there, I promise I will explain everything.”

“OK” says Drax beckoning to Tina to sit and she did with a grunt and grim look on her face. They rode for blocks before arriving at what Reman pointed out to be the apparent destination.

“Right there” he says as he then got out of the car. Sirens wailed in the background.

“We have to hurry” says Reman. Drax and Tina followed him into an old warehouse that looks like it has been thoroughly vacant for ages. The cobwebs on the interior were well kept and fresh while some were aged and dust mold is growing on top of dust mold. “Be quiet” he whispered to them as they passed through the large door that he slowly closed behind them. “It is very important that they, meaning the police, do not find us here.” He led them across the room and to a set of old machinery. Tina felt she was in a horror movie as the darkness and damp and dust of the room is enough to send shivers down her spine. She yawns. “Quiet” says Reman as he walks over to an old mantle and pressed a hidden lever and button in one of the bricks on the wall with his finger above it causing the entire mantle to turn with the trio on it until they were facing a passageway on the other side.

“A secret door” says Drax.

“Yes, we have come across this place ages ago as the perfect hiding spot for our operation.”

“What operation is that?” asks Tina.

“You will see.” He replies. They made their way down the narrow shaft for half a yard before approaching an opening several feet down with well-lit lamps and furnaces, machines running, and people walking around and looking up in shock at the newcomers. “This is home for me now… much better than anything on the surface, but occasionally I have to venture up for supplies and risk being caught.”

“You’re wanted… for what exactly?” asks Drax.

“Everything, it seems just being human is illegal these days.” They climbed down a ladder led by Reman and saw lab equipment set up with workers all around, scientists, farmers, artisans, pirates, and engineers all working on various projects. “So Tina did you ever marry?” asks Reman randomly and casually with grace and sincerity.

“No, you know the whole wife routine is not for me. What about you?”

“I was, but she was lost during the great conflict.”

“Oh, sorry” she says nodding.

“Well it was some time ago, not for you being from the past and all, I think.” He walks ahead.

“Dear God, Tina” says Drax pointing to a symbol they recognized from the past and future, the swirling orbs that signified the Culto de Piedra Tiempo.

“Oh boy” she says as they saw the symbol on everything from uniforms, lab coats, and books to equipment and weaponry in the form of laser rifles on the walls. “Do you think this could be the beginning of the rebellion we helped in the future?” asks Tina.

“It is a good shot and the descendants of the warriors we battled in the past times” they whispered to one another, “but I don’t think we should tell them too much about our travels or we risk altering things beyond measure from now.” Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the FindNʘᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Right” she replies. “Reman, are there any other symbols like this? It could be important.”

“All over the place, it’s the norm in this place.” Reman shrugged with a curious grin. “Uh, let me introduce you to our lead geneticist, physicist, chemist, and research experimentalist Howard Kowalski.” Says Reman leading them to a small corner of the lab where a slightly plump young man in his earlier thirties sits reading a book while simultaneously examining a series of test tubes and lab tubes. “Hello Dr. Kowalski” says Reman.

“Oh hello yourself and these fine strangers here too,” he nodded.

“Unbelievable” says Tina. “We met before.”

“We did?” asks Kowalski. I don’t remember.”

“Yeah, last time we met I was saying the same thing… long story.”

“They’re from the past” whispered Reman.

“Ah” gestured Kowalski grimacing.

“Try not to broadcast it too much huh?” asks Drax.

“OK…I’ll be back then you can join us for a meal.” Reman walks away.

“We were separated from our friends during the last ‘jump’ and we don’t know where they are,” says Tina shyly.

“The time stone you speak of can in theory create an artificial hyperactive reticulum in our own timeline,” says Kowalski, “but the separation from your friends might be something called a contemplating duplication wave. The device emits a discharge of proto acid that is energy based and vaporizes after each time jump, but some residue remains. Too much can be toxic, but not enough to kill. I came up with the principle, but it is actually a colleague of mine who developed it, Hans Merriweather. The wave would cause a duality in the grid axis and split you from the others. It is a part of a fundamental precept of time dynamics, but the theory itself is only a rumor. I wish I knew where to begin to find an answer, but they could be lost anywhere. The wave could theoretically span decades or even centuries.” “

“Time travel deals with the interface of two incompatible physical theories surrounding Einstein’s theory of general relativity and also quantum mechanics” said Dr. Kowalski. “Einstein’s theory is the macro or large scale universe of stars and galaxies and quantum mechanics is the micro or the small scale world of atoms and molecules.”

“Time slows down or speeds up depending on how fast one moves relative to a stationery object or moving projectile force. This suggests that such speed could be faster than the speed of light itself and lead to travelling backwards in time. But the space-time path leads back to the starting point in space or a different space in a different time but returns to itself, in what some refer to as a “closed time curve” or “traversable wormhole” which is the whirl of yellow light the time stone emits to lead you to travel in time. Paradoxes are usually created but sometimes they are resolved as the time stone’s power remains consistent with principles of relativity, it exists in all time periods. It is purely the genius byproduct of an incredibly advanced extraterrestrial civilization. It was at the beginning of all time so can travel anywhere its bearer wishes. The problem is gaining control of one’s destination, an ability we are still figuring out.”

“Do you know where this Merriweather is now, Doctor?” asks Drax.

“No, he went off years ago for better ventures. In this day and age, I don’t know if he is still alive.”

“Oh” Says Tina.

“Don’t worry. There are worse things in life. You need some cheering up. Let me show you my experiments. There are ways to feed the people of the world, end hunger and poverty, end disease, and end war using Mother Nature as our guide.” He unveils a set of electronic components and metallic orbs near a series of plants in a glass casing.

“Wow” says Tina.

“Basically, my dear, these miniature probes will produce the needed nutrients from the organic material of any living fruit, vegetable, mineral, or animal and replicate it over and over as many times as needed. It’s like the old bible story of Jesus Christ and the basket of fishes and loaves. Using advanced cloning procedures and particle manipulation we can save our planet and race from extinction, but there are those above who make such procedures wrong and punish those who pursue this line of research quite harshly.”

“So you do it in secret?” asks Drax.

“We have to for now, but not for always.”

“You punk Kowalski, you are a failure at life. You’re experiments aren’t fit to hold a bag of worms.” says a muscular man in a lab coat walking by cursing at them.

“Ah Dr. Know-it-all Julius Tybrether, he is just jealous because he didn’t come up with it first.” He yells back.

“You shouldn’t let him get to you” says Tina. “You’re better than he is.”

“Hmm maybe so… I like you.” He reached out and touched her nose.

“Thanks. I think you have the potential for greatness. Don’t give up on your dreams because others try to put you down,” says Tina. Doctor, do you remember what caused the great conflict?”

“No, why would I, I was only a child when it happened.” He frowns.

“I understand.”

“You are curious indeed.”

“Yes. Thanks.” “Do you guys ever have any encounters with ‘beasts’? Big scary man and beast looking creatures?” asks Tina.

“You know we learned a lot about the beasts out there.” Kowalski says.

“We faced so many beasts both good and bad right Drax?” Tina says.

“Uh Right” Drax says.

“Well, here is a little secret you probably didn’t know we figured out, their DNA is almost identical to man and man-like primates like chimps and apes. We are basically identical genealogically.”

“Really?” asks Drax.

“From what I can tell there was some type of contaminant or hyper meta virus a shadowy substance that spread throughout their universe. God knows what it really is, but it transformed a perfectly civilized race of humans to beasts, like men some are good and some are not so good.”

“Really, man and the beasts from this other world are the same?” Drax asks shocked.

“The same and yet some persist with the iconic notion of superiority and petty prejudices, but to say that beasts and men are different races is as absurd as saying that men of different colors are different races.”

“Wow” Tina says.

“We have bigger problems. Tell him Doctor” says Reman coming back.

“We are facing a plague here. No one knows how it started, somewhere after the great conflict,” Kowalski started and Drax and Tina turn to one another.

“A strange disease affects the liver and lungs and destroys capacity. Death is almost instantaneous once the organs are eaten away from within in a matter of days. We have tried every remedy and cure known to our research and can’t find the cure. Top government scientists and private commissioned ones have been working around the clock without hope. We have our own facilities independent of the public and private sectors, but we are failing too. It seems the death toll climbs higher every day.” Kowalski says.

“Dear God” says Tina “We’re talking total annihilation in a matter of months if this continues.”

“Is there nothing you could do?” asks Drax.

“London has a cure, special orchid Onymonos Poulla,” says Kowalski, “but it is exceedingly rare and practically extinct nowadays. History shows it grew in the wilds of Shireville, but no longer. We have been searching caves and lands near Shireville Forest near the old kingdom of Roy Tan, now part of the countryside, dead like the rest of the barren earth. It has a strong potent abstract naturally grown, which theoretically might act as a counter for the virus.”

“We are currently searching to find it, but some believe it is a losing battle as we are drawn closer every day to utter extinction,” says Reman. “The cure to the deadliest plague humanity has ever known may be just within reach, but totally unreachable. We don’t even know its full origins. All we have left were what is left in some books salvaged from the library after the great conflict.”

“Even a small amount of the flower’s native toxin would be useful due to our replication technology, but none seems to exist anymore.”

“Too bad we couldn’t simply go back for it.” whispered Tina.

“We don’t have the time stone.” says Drax.

Time: 1140 A.D., England

“This strange glowing crystal is all you need to travel across the eons” says Celia holding the time stone as she lay in bed with her covers on her next to James who smirks while on his back with his shirt off.

“Yes” says James. “We have been trying to get back home.”

“Sounds like a romantic adventure amidst the prized artifact.”

“Yeah, we’re romantics at heart. If you think about it” he reached over and grabbed it from her. “The amount of ingenuity to create such power is beyond imagination.”

“There are greater things indeed in the world so full of mysteries.”

“Yeah” he put it down on a stand beside the bed.

“Which reminds me,” she says “there is something I wanted to share with you. A dream I have recently, more like portend of omens. I felt something bad is going to happen as I was in a cavern and was beginning to fall, but there was no one there to catch me. I fell to my death alone, but there is something there keeping me alive, something holding me back from dying, something greater than myself that has to be done, a mission.”

“What do you think the future has in store for us?” asks James. “

That is any of our guesses. I have always believed in predestination or divine intuition, but also free will.”

“Me too, maybe we can make our own destiny.”

“That would be nice” Celia adds.

“That is interesting. I see things too that come to me like visions or premonitions.” says James.

“Really?” asks Celia.

“Whoa.” James look forward with wide eyes as he is shocked in himself as his mind’s eye envisioned the stellar starry sky of the universe and rotated until he is envisioning a cavern with strange writing on the wall similar to what he saw in the other Times. He saw a strange white flower growing out of the rock floor and lights glowing all around it. He snapped back to his conscious mind.

“Wow!” “Are you alright? You frightened me, James.”

“I think we have to go somewhere, together.” He says smirking and she smiles. “I need my friend Mercedes too” he beckons as he hopped up and grabbed his dress shirt.

Time: 2042 A.D., Chronix Bay

“Yes, that’s them, sir.” says a young thief in rags scourging and skewering about like a troll as he looks at a photograph of two people getting out of a red car, Drax and Tina following a well-dressed gentleman into an old factory.

“Thank you Martin, you did well” says the cloaked man. “Here is the dollar you were promised.”

“Wait, it is actually two dollars.” Martin replies.

“Get lost” says the other man as his face transformed into Satyr’s face. Martin ran off in silent fear.

“Let’s get them” says Satyr. “We don’t need the police. We need patience and assistance.” The cloaked man removed his cloak and shakes his head in pain. It is Broad Staffnight.

“Are you alright?” asks Satyr.

“Yes, just a little dizzy. We will find the secret entrance and take back what is ours.” His eyes enraged with redness and vigor captivated by his clenched fists in the air.

Tina starts to think about James and the instant attraction she felt for him she looks up at the moon and wonders. “Somewhere out there wherever you are, we are looking up at the stars together. We will be reunited old friend.”

Time: 1140 A.D., England

James looks up at the moon and night stars as Celia approaches with her knights.

“I have five of my best Knights; some were decedents of the Knight Templar society. We’re ready to go.” says Celia as James is tightening his belt buckle with mace and sword.

“With a secret society and some updated quantum physics tech we can do anything,” he smirks to her confusing look. “Never mind, a clean shower, warm meal, and new clothes sure feel good” he says changing the subject as he admired his puffy nobleman white shirt and black pants, a big metal buckle fastening them.

“Yeah, after being locked up in a filthy dungeon for over a day, anything is better” pouted Mercedes rolling up the sleeves of her dark blue shirt matching her pants and belt and foil.

“Sorry, buddy, but we’re ready for another adventure.” James says.

“Grand” Mercedes replies.

Celia wore a more relaxed mode of dress similar to them. “I feel we must make our way east to the cave of Shireville, the closest point in the land similar to the vision James has, prior to day break as the road will be arduous once the sunlight hits the forenoon.”

“Who talks like that?’ Asks Mercedes rhetorically.

James gave her a dirty look.

“We will take two of my finest knights,” the five knights fully armored stands beside her.

“OK,” says James “knightly gear and dress, check, our wits about us on any day.”

“Double check” says Mercedes “Pregiver care package of dark star and time stone.”

“Check and check” says James.

“We’re ready to go” says Mercedes.

“Onward” says Celia.

The eight marched onward on horseback for miles during the intense heat of the daylight sun and they stop to rest once before continuing and making their way to the caverns hovering above the terrain in mountains that were raised upward by the shifting land masses.

“Look,” says James dismounting his horse, “herbs just like in my vision.” he reached for some and then kept walking and climbing upward into the cave.

“Wait here and keep an eye on the horses men,” says Celia to the guards as she followed James and Mercedes into the cavern, crawling at first then raising up once settled into the narrow dark paths.

“I wish that we were less likely to travel in dark tunnels” says James.

“Take what you can get” says Mercedes. James pulls out his beacon and lit it.

“Is that future magic again, James?” asks Celia.

“Sort of,” says James, leading the way as they approached an opening below a large precipice inside the cave and a cave wall before them. “Dead-end” says James. Then suddenly they felt the ground shake and James turns and saw a large log hauling itself towards them on a series of ropes. James pushed Celia and Mercedes out of the way and ducked down as the log passed them and struck the cave wall before them.

“That was close” says Mercedes.

“Look” says Celia pointing to the log kissing the rock wall and the rock wall has a painting of a red circle and the log has paintings of red lines that seemed to be a natural extension like an arrow pointing somewhere. They followed this and saw upward as the arrow of red touched the walls and ceilings of the cave going back in a full circle to the wall before them. “What could that mean?” asks Celia.

“A puzzle, all the universe is connected.” James says simply. Then the moment as he speaks those words, the log moved forward more and pressed the wall inward through a hidden, button. “Get to the sides quick” screams James as he grabbed Mercedes and pushed her to the side and then complied and hugged the walls as he held Celia for dear life together from their end facing forward as the floor between them began to liquefy into quicksand.

“Oh my God” says Mercedes “just like in the other cave… how did you know that would happen again?” She looks at him shocked.

“Just a hunch, it’s a Pregiver’s cave. Puzzles, booby-traps, hidden treasures within…” says James.

“How do we do undo this?” asks Mercedes.

“Those lights up there” James looks up and pointed to the blinking red yellow blue green orange indigo and violet colors of buttons blinking in sequence from a machine etched in the rock wall high above them. “I don’t know the combination. Oh hell…” he waved his hands and pressed them all with his powers and they all shut off as the quicksand vanished and became solid floor again after a moment.

“It is an illusion” says Mercedes.

“An illusion with real killer potential if I recall” says James.

“Amazing, “says Celia.

“Indeed” he drops the herbs he picked up from outside there at the end of the dead-end wall and takes out the time stone as it glows with the five orbs within it. To the glare of his comrades he turns it and activates it upright and it glows with the five orbs there and he holds it over the herbs. A small beam of hazy yellow light emerges and the vortex appears over the herbs absorbing them and sucking them up after transforming them to a light ball of yellow energy.

“Why did you do that?” asks Mercedes.

“I don’t know. I just felt it is necessary, based on my vision and Celia’s dream omen,” says James. “That might be what you have to do and couldn’t leave the cave in your dream until it is done. You died because you didn’t have us to catch you” James smiles. “I promise I will always be there to catch you no matter what.”

“And I you” says Celia. They kiss touching their lips with a romantic embrace.

“Oh um guys” says Mercedes “get a room.” The three leave the cave to rejoin the guardsmen and horses outside.

Time: 2042 A.D., Chronix Bay

“What is that noise?” asks Tina.

“The police, they are breaking down the door. Someone tipped them off to our secret headquarters of rebels.” Reman says looking at her funny.

“I didn’t say anything” says Tina.

Reman opens a secret compartment under the steps and everyone is hiding in their respective secret compartments under the steps and Drax and Tina accompany them.

“Can’t you fight back?” asks Drax.

“We are rebels, but mostly scientists and engineers not soldiers and no real weapons exist on the premises.”

“Really?” asks Drax rhetorically looking up at the laser rifles.

“Those are historical toys, decorations, not active weapons.”

“Great, I got an idea.” Drax uses his wrist remote and types in a few commands as the scorpion car’s primary weapon heats up outside after transforming once again into its full attack mode. Within about a minute as the pounding on the door gets louder and louder and their breach seems imminent, the weapon fires an orange beam of energy and blasts a hole through the warehouse and destroys the complex from the front end and all life in the upper level.

“Come on” Reman says as he leads his people out over the dead and charred remains of the officers. They all escape into vans parked outside carefully concealed to blend into the fabric of the dark city urban streets. Reman gets into the scorpion car with Drax and Tina and they all drive away. Reman’s pocket phone beeps.

“Hello?” he answers it. “What? That’s impossible. Oh thank heavens. That’s terrific news. Our prayers have been answered. OK, we are evacuating now. I will see you back at the club.” he hung up the phone and pocketed it again.

“What is it?” asks Tina.

“They found the herbs. It’s a miracle. They were in the cave at Shireville, in England.” He smiles with a sense of relief and exasperated content on his face. “That is my assistant who is stationed there in the outskirts of London … Amelia Timewalker.”

“Huh?” Drax and Tina look at one another in shock.

“Well, Master Broad…they got away again” says Satyr in full form flapping his wings.

“Don’t worry old friend, we will get those two and their friends. We have all the time in the world.” He presses a button on his watch and he fades in a bluish dark aura of lightless nothingness, similar to the beam spot transport mechanism.

“Perhaps” says Satyr standing there in the darkness.

The Scorpion car pulls up to a dock near the open sea.

“That’s where we part company” says Reman. “I love you guys for helping us, but we can’t let outsiders’ compromise security anymore. We got a new location for our lab and research and we need to keep it completely secret.”

“We understand” says Drax as he and Tina remain in the car and Reman exits. “

Thanks Reman, for everything.” Tina squinted and kissed him on the cheek.

“What is that for?”

“Good times,” she says, “good times.”

“Thanks” he nodded. “Oh by the way, here” says Reman as he pulls out a small box from his coat and handed it to Drax.

“What is this? A going away present?” asks Drax.

“It is for you. I don’t know what it is. I was given it to hold about twenty-eight years ago and told to hold it for you, for someday I would meet you. I didn’t understand it, but here it is anyway.” He walks away towards the dock and stops and turns. “Thanks for everything.” He waves and then heads off running and vanishing into the distance near hidden ships concealed into the night ready to fare out to sea to their new location.

“You are going to miss him aren’t you?” asks Drax.

“No.” Tina says overlooking the last of him fade off into the distant darkness.

“Maybe a little?” asks Drax.

“Right.” says Tina. “Do you think we did the right thing by interfering?” asks Tina.

“We did it before. We might have changed our own future we interfered with if we didn’t interfere here further,” says Drax.

“Yeah, but I hope there are no serious consequences to our meddling.”

“Only time will tell,” says Drax, smiling.

“Yeah, maybe we’re meant to prevent disasters like the great conflict or other things like the total annihilation of humanity” says Tina.

“Anything is possible? Saving lives feels good and it’s kind of fun, but we just need to have faith and believe for all of our futures and our pasts.”

“Yeah… what do you suppose that is?” asks Tina gesturing at the box.

“One way to find out,” says Drax, opening it and finding to both their surprise the time stone inside with a note, “time waits for no man.”

“Awesome” says Tina, “let’s get out of here” and they turn it together and drive into the vortex vanishing.

Time: 1140 A.D., England

“I will miss you, James” says Celia as the vortex roars open in the throne room. They both shed a silent tear and end with a final kiss goodbye. Mercedes looks on in sorrow.

“I will come back. I promise.” says James.

“I know,” says Celia as she rose up and took her seat on the throne next to her knights, her handmaiden, and Cornelius. She nods with a salutation gesture. “Thank you for everything, holder of stones.” She speaks with a renewed sense of pride.

“Thank you dear princess.” and without another word James and Mercedes depart in the vortex sucked in as orbs of light as it slowly fades thereafter. Celia nods from her chair with a faint smile. “James Timewalker, I will love you until the end of time!”

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