November 28, 2024 • 32 mins
Callum Holt, a reluctant time traveler with a knack for chaos, is tasked with saving the world by preventing a rogue physicist, Adrian Kessler, from tearing the timeline apart. From Renaissance Italy to the Wild West—and even a prehistoric jungle teeming with dinosaurs—Callum and Kessler stumble through history on a high-stakes adventure filled with close calls, wild mishaps, and a ticking time machine that refuses to cooperate. Along the way, they learn that sometimes the best way to fix the future is to let go of the past. Packed with humor, heart, and a whole lot of running, this is a time-travel story you won’t forget.
Picture Description:
A vibrant and dynamic illustration of a chaotic scene: Callum and Kessler standing in the middle of a timeline collage, surrounded by iconic visuals from their adventure. On one side, a roaring dinosaur crashes through lush jungle foliage, while on the other, a Wild West saloon sign hangs crookedly above cowboy hats and tumbleweeds. In the background, Renaissance buildings glow in golden sunlight, with Leonardo da Vinci holding a sketchpad and looking perplexed. At the center, the Resonance Engine crackles with energy, emitting a soft blue glow, while Callum and Kessler—both slightly disheveled—look like they’re arguing mid-crisis. The whole image is framed by swirling, colorful time vortexes, giving the sense of adventure and chaos all at once.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-that-tickle--5861752/support.
Picture Description:
A vibrant and dynamic illustration of a chaotic scene: Callum and Kessler standing in the middle of a timeline collage, surrounded by iconic visuals from their adventure. On one side, a roaring dinosaur crashes through lush jungle foliage, while on the other, a Wild West saloon sign hangs crookedly above cowboy hats and tumbleweeds. In the background, Renaissance buildings glow in golden sunlight, with Leonardo da Vinci holding a sketchpad and looking perplexed. At the center, the Resonance Engine crackles with energy, emitting a soft blue glow, while Callum and Kessler—both slightly disheveled—look like they’re arguing mid-crisis. The whole image is framed by swirling, colorful time vortexes, giving the sense of adventure and chaos all at once.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-that-tickle--5861752/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Time travel isn't as glamorous as it sounds. You don't
get a shiny suit or a cool hoverboard, and there's
definitely no theme music playing when you step into another era. Nope,
you just sort of pop into existence like a soda
can someone forgot to shake. It's disorienting, a little stinky.
Nineteen seventy four smelled like a mix of exhaust fumes
(00:21):
and bad decisions. And if you're me, you immediately get
honked at by a cabby who screams, hey, genius, cross
the street on your own time.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
That's me, Callum Holt, time traveler, hero and apparently Jaywalker.
My mission save the world by stopping a guy named
doctor Adrian Kessler from accidentally blowing it up. No big deal, right,
Except Kessler wasn't some evil mastermind in a volcano layer.
He was a nerdy physicist in a university lab, probably
(00:52):
drinking too much coffee and muttering things like eureka. My
job was to make sure his experiments didn't end up
tearing a hole in the fabric of reality.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Fun right, Agent holt status report buzzed a voice in
my ear. It was Kendra, my handler. Kendra's the kind
of person who always sounds like she knows exactly what
she's doing, which is useful when you have absolutely no
clue yourself.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
I've arrived, I said, dodging a man selling hot dogs
from a questionable cart, New York City, nineteen seventy four.
Everything's groovy. Where's our guy, Columbia University, Kendra said, Physics department.
Subtlety is key here, Callum. Get close to Kessler, figure
out where he's at with his work, and guide him
away from catastrophe. Subtlety, I repeated, got it, No blowing
(01:40):
up labs this time exactly. I made my way to
the university, dodging more cabs and what I'm pretty sure
was a roller skating mime. By the time I got
to campus, I was in full undercover mode, fake glasses,
tweet jacket, and a briefcase I found in a thrift shop.
Doctor Caleb Harper, visiting academic from Oxford, ready to save
the world one awkward handshake at a time. The lecture
(02:04):
hall was packed when I arrived. Students and professors filled
the seats, all there to hear Adrian Kessler talk about
time and space. He wasn't what I expected, younger for
one his hair was a mess, his tie was crooked,
and his shoes didn't match. But his eyes had this wild,
curious energy, like he was already three steps ahead of
(02:24):
everyone else. Time he began pacing across the stage. Is
not a straight line. It's a river, twisting and turning,
influenced by every stone, every ripple, every leaf. And if
we understand it, truly understand it, we could change everything.
The audience murmured, impressed. I, however, was less impressed and
(02:45):
more worried. I'd read the history books. Kessler's experiments wouldn't
just change everything, They'd end it, and here he was
about to start the timeline's most epic game of Jenga.
After the lecture, I made my move. I joined the
crowd of people eager to shake his hand, and introduced myself,
(03:05):
doctor Kessler fascinating presentation. I'm doctor Caleb Harper, visiting from Oxford.
I'd love to discuss your theories over coffee. Oxford, huh,
he said, raising an eyebrow. Sure, let's talk, but you're buying,
And just like that, I was in. Over the next
few weeks, I shadowed Kessler, pretending to be his biggest fan,
(03:29):
while secretly trying to figure out how far he'd gotten
with his experiments. He was brilliant, no doubt about it,
but he was also scatterbrained. One minute he'd be explaining
quantum theory, and the next he'd be wondering out loud
if pancakes were better than waffles. They're not. It's waffles,
but I didn't argue. It wasn't long before I found
what I was looking for, blueprints for something called the
(03:51):
Temporal Resonance Engine. It looked like a toaster that had
eaten a time machine, but according to the diagrams, it
could bend time itself. This was the device that, if
left unchecked, would break the universe like an old vase
on a wobbly table. This is incredible, I said, keeping
my voice casual as I held up the blueprints. What's
(04:12):
it for? Kessler Grinn looking like a kid who just
built the ultimate Lego set. It's going to change the world, Caleb.
Imagine being able to rewrite history, to fix mistakes, to
make things right, or make thing worse, I said, trying
to sound friendly and not at all like a time cop.
Do you ever think about that? His grin faded. Only
(04:33):
people afraid of progress think like that. I knew I
had to act fast. Kendra's voice buzzed in my ear
one morning with an update. We've detected an energy surge
in Kessler's lab. He's testing the device, Callum, this could
be it. I bolted to the lab, nearly tripping over
my own feet. When I got there, the temporal Resonance
(04:54):
Engine was glowing, humming, and generally looking like it was
about to do something very bad. Kessler in the middle
of it all, tweaking knobs and muttering equations to himself. Adrian,
I shouted, you need to stop. He looked up, startled, Caleb,
what are you doing here? I'm here to save you
from yourself, I said, trying to sound both wise and heroic.
(05:16):
It came out more like I was choking on a pretzel.
You don't understand, he said, turning back to the machine.
This is the future. This is how we make everything better. No,
I said, stepping closer, this is how you turn the
world into a cosmic smoothie. But he wasn't listening. The
machine word louder, and the air around it began to ripple.
(05:37):
I lunged for the controls, but the energy field threw
me back like a rubber band. Sparks flew, the lights flickered,
and Kessler shouted something I couldn't hear over the roar
of the machine, and then boom, a blinding flash of light,
a noise like the universe, sneezing, and then silence. When
I opened my eyes, the lab was wrecked. The temporal
(05:59):
resonance engine was smoking, pile of junk, and Kessler was gone,
not dead, just gone. I couldn't explain it, but I
had a sinking feeling. He wasn't in nineteen seventy four anymore, Kendra,
I said, wincing as I stood up. Are you there, Callum?
Her voice came through, crackling, but relieved what happened? Kessler
turned it on, I said, rubbing my head. He's gone.
(06:22):
I don't know where, but he's not here. There was
a long pause. This isn't over, Callum. I looked around
the ruined lab and sighed, yeah, I figured, as I
stumbled out into the cold night air. I couldn't help
but wonder what mess Kessler had landed himself in and
how I was going to clean it up. One thing
(06:42):
was clear. Time travel might be messy, but so was
trying to fix the past, and maybe, just maybe it
wasn't about fixing mistakes, but learning to live with them.
By the time I got back to my temporary hideout,
a slightly moldy apartment above a nineteen seventies laundromat, I
was already nursing an epic headache. Not from the temporal
(07:04):
resonance engine blowing up, mind you, but from the idea
of chasing Adrian Kessler through time like some kind of
history janitor. The air in the apartment smelt faintly of
detergent and regret, but it was quiet, which was all
I needed, Kendra, I said, tapping the communicator in my ear.
Any update on where Kessler might have gone working on it,
(07:25):
Kendra replied, her voice as calm and clinical as ever.
The resonance engine didn't just malfunction. It's scrambled temporal coordinates.
It's like he threw a dart at the timeline, blindfolded,
so he could be anywhere, anywhere, any time. She confirmed,
we've picked up a faint temporal signal though early fifteen hundreds,
(07:46):
possibly Italy Renaissance Italy, I asked, perking up paintings pasta
Leonardo da Vinci that doesn't sound so bad. You're romanticizing,
Kendra said, clearly unimpressed. Stay focused. If Kessler's meddling there,
it could ripple forward and mess up everything. Relax, I've
(08:07):
got this, I said, though we both knew I absolutely
did not have this. Before Kendrick could argue, I activated
my temporal relay, a fancy wristband with more buttons than
I knew how to use, with a flash and a
sound like a thousand rubber bands snapping at once. I
was gone. When the light faded, I found myself standing
in the middle of a bustling marketplace. Renaissance Italy wasn't
(08:31):
exactly as glamorous as I had imagined. Sure there were
colorful awnings, intricate stonework, and the faint aroma of freshly
baked bread. But there was also mud, so much mud everywhere.
Excuse me, shouted a vender, nearly toppling me over as
(08:51):
he wheeled a cart of vegetables past. Watch where you're standing?
Signor sorry, I called after him, only to step directly
into a putt. My sneakers squelched. Great start. I didn't
have much time to lament my muddy shoes, though above
the din of the marketplace. I heard someone shouting a
mix of panic and frustration. Following the noise, I rounded
(09:15):
a corner and froze. There in the middle of a
crowd was Adrian Kessler. He was wearing what could only
be described as a bad attempt at blending, in a
cloak that looked two sizes too big and a hat
that seemed to be waging war with gravity. He was
arguing with a man, who, if the paint brushes tucked
into his belt were any indication, was Leonardo da Vinci. Adrian,
(09:40):
I hissed under my breath, pushing through the crowd. What
are you doing? Kessler turned his eyes wide with surprise. Caleb,
how how did you find me? I have ways, I said,
glancing at da Vinci, who was now observing me like
I was an alien. And more importantly, what are you doing?
You're not supposed to be here. I'm here because I'm
(10:00):
meant to be, Kessler said, puffing up his chest. Leonardo
and I are working on something revolutionary, I turned to
Da Vinci. Don't listen to him. He's not revolutionary, he's problematic. Hey,
Kessler snapped. Da Vinci raised an eyebrow. This is most unusual.
You are rivals, No, from different guilds. Perhaps, yes, I
(10:25):
said quickly, rival guilds, big rivalry, huge, Kessler groaned. Look, Caleb,
I'm not trying to break the timeline. I'm trying to
improve it. Imagine if da Vinci had access to modern physics.
Think of the advancements we could make centuries ahead of schedule,
or I countered, imagine Da Vinci accidentally inventing a time
(10:48):
blender and turning the timeline into spaghetti. Da Vinci, clearly intrigued,
frowned a blender. You say, what is this device? It's nothing,
I said, quickly, shooting a glare at Kessler. He's just
being dramatic. The conversation might have ended there, but unfortunately
for me, Kessler had already made himself at home in
Renaissance Italy. He had set up a makeshift lab in
(11:10):
a nearby workshop, complete with stolen twenty first century tech. Worse,
he'd managed to cobble together a miniaturized version of the
resonance engine. It was humming softly in the corner, glowing
just enough to make me panic. Adrian, I said, rubbing
my temples. You can't keep doing this. The timeline is
not your science fare project. It's not a project, Kessler snapped,
(11:32):
It's an opportunity. If I can give this era a jumpstart,
we could prevent wars famines, entire centuries of suffering and
replace them with what robot knights, steam powered trebuchets. Kessler frowned, maybe,
I groaned, pacing the room. Look, I get it. You
want to help, but messing with time never works the
(11:53):
way you think it will. Trust me, I've seen what
happens when people meddle, and it's never good. Before Kessler
could respond, there was a sudden knock at the door.
It creaked open, and Da Vinci peeked inside. Pardon, but
there are men outside. They look unhappy. I glanced out
the window and blanched. A group of guards was marching
(12:15):
toward the workshop, their swords glinting in the afternoon sun.
What did you do, I hissed a Kessler. I may
have borrowed some supplies, he admitted, sheepishly. You stole from
Renaissance guards, I said, my voice rising an octave. Are
you trying to get us? Both arrested? It wasn't stealing,
Kessler insisted, it was repurposing. Repurposing, I muttered, right, and
(12:38):
I suppose they are here to thank you with hugs.
The guards burst in moments later, and chaos erupted. Kessler
and I scrambled to grab what we could blueprints, equipment,
and Da Vinci's sketches. He insisted they were too important
to leave behind. The resonance engines, still humming ominously, sat
in the middle of the room like a ticking time bomb.
Adrian shut it down, shouted I can't. He yelled back,
(13:02):
it's too unstable. The guards, clearly confused but still determined,
moved closer, their swords drawn. Da Vinci, ever, the problem solver,
grabbed a large canvas and waved it at them like
a shield. Stay back, This is very expensive art. It
brought us a few precious seconds. Kessler and I managed
(13:24):
to grab the resonance engine and haul it toward the door,
but the device was sparking, now emitting a strange, high
pitched wine. This is bad, I muttered, you think, Kessler
shot back. With no other options, I hit the activation
switch on my temporal relay. The room filled with light,
and the last thing I heard was Da Vinci shouting, wait,
(13:45):
take me with When the light faded. We were somewhere new,
somewhere dusty, somewhere with tumbleweeds rolling lazily across the horizon.
Oh no, I said, staring at the vast expanse of desert.
This is a not renaissance italy, Kessler groaned, rubbing his head.
Where are we not sure, I admitted, But judging by
(14:08):
the cowboy hat on that guy over there, we're about
to find out. When I imagine time travel, I didn't think
I'd end up in the middle of a dusty frontier
town where even the horses looked at you like you
owed them money. But there I was, standing in what
could only be described as a spaghetti western nightmare. A
saloon sign creaked ominously in the breeze, a grizzled man
(14:31):
spat tobacco into the dirt, and tumbleweeds rolled by like
they were mocking my very existence. What year is it,
Kessler asked, squinting at the sun as if it would
answer him. No idea, I said, glancing at a wanted
poster plastered on a nearby wall. It featured a man
with a comically large mustache and a bounty of one
hundred dollars. But if they're still paying people to catch mustaches.
(14:55):
We're definitely in cowboy territory. This is bad, Kessler muttered,
clutching the resonance engine like it was a baby he
just adopted. The device was still sparking faintly, and the
hummet emitted sounded a little too much like a mosquito
about to explode. No kidding, I said, We're in the
wild West with a broken time machine, no backup. And
I stopped mid sentence as I noticed the group of
(15:17):
men emerging from the saloon. They wore dusty coats, wide
brimmed hats, and expressions that screamed we definitely do crime
for a living. One of them pointed at us, Hey,
what's that shiny thing y'all got there? Oh no, I
whispered Kessler. Please tell me you didn't land us here
holding the world's most expensive looking gadget. Of course not,
(15:38):
he said, indignantly, clutching the resonance engine. Tighter. It's only
the most advanced piece of time bending technology and existence.
Why would that tract any attention? The gang approached, boots
crunching ominously on the dirt road. Their leader, a man
with an eye patch and a scar that looked like
it had been stitched by a blindfolded doctor. Tipped his hat. Afternoon,
(15:59):
he drawled, y'all seem new around these parts. That's a
mighty fancy contraption you've got there. It's a bread toaster,
I blurted, you know, for making toast. Very boring, definitely
not worth stealing. The leader raised an eyebrow toast. Huh,
I don't reckon. We see much toast out here. Mind
(16:20):
if we take a closer look, Actually we do, mind,
Kessler said, stepping back. This is delicate, scientific equipment. Scientific equipment.
The leader's eyes gleam. Well that's even better, boys, Let's
show these fine gentlemen some hospitality. The next few minutes
were a blur of running, shouting, and what I can
(16:42):
only describe is a chaotic game of tag through the town.
Kessler and I darted into the saloon, weaving between poker
tables and a piano player who didn't stop playing even
when someone knocked over his stool. Upstairs, I shouted, pointing
to a staircase that looked like it had been nailed
together by someone in a hurry. Why upstairs, Kessler yelled back,
(17:02):
what's the plan? Plan? I repeated, dodging a flying whiskey bottle.
I don't have a plan, but it's harder to follow
us up there. We burst into a room that smelled
like old socks and regret. It had a rickety bed,
a cracked mirror, and one small window overlooking the dusty
street below. I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, panting,
(17:22):
they're going to break down this door, Kessler said, clutching
the resonance engine like a lifeline. Probably, I admitted, peeking
out the window. But if we jump out of this window,
we might land in something soft? What soft thing? Kessler asked,
panic creeping into his voice. I hesitated, there's a horse.
(17:45):
Kessler groaned, Oh, this is such a bad idea. Would
you prefer the gang with the guns? I snapped. He
didn't answer, which I took as consent. Without another word,
I climbed onto the windowsill, swung one leg out, and
jump umped. The good news. I landed on the horse.
The bad news. The horse did not appreciate being part
(18:07):
of my escape plan. Whoa, I shouted, grabbing its mane
as it reared up. Kessler followed a second later, landing
awkwardly behind me. The horse snorted angrily, but took off,
galloping down the street as the gang burst out of
the saloon, shouting after us. Do you even know how
to ride a horse? Kessler yelled over the pounding of hoofs. Nope,
(18:28):
I shouted back, But we're still alive, so let's call
it a win. We rode out of town and into
the open desert, the gang's shouts fading behind us. After
what felt like hours, we slowed to a stop near
a cluster of rocks. The horse, clearly fed up with us,
bucked slightly before trotting off, leaving us in a cloud
of dust. Well that was horrible, Kessler said, collapsing onto
(18:49):
the ground. You're welcome, I said, flopping down beside him.
I just saved us from being turned into Swiss cheese.
Saved us, he snapped. Your brilliant idea was to throw
us out a window and on to a horse, and
it worked, didn't it. Kessler groaned and turned his attention
back to the resonance engine. The sparks had stopped, but
the humming was still there, faint but insistent. This thing
(19:12):
is barely holding together, he muttered. If it breaks completely,
we're stuck. Here, I frowned. Can't you fix it? Maybe?
He said, but I need tools, advanced tools, and we're
in the eighteen hundreds. Do you know where to find
a quantum stabilizer in Cowboy Country? Uh? The general store,
I suggested weakly. Kessler glared at me. You're not helping. Fine,
(19:35):
I said, standing up and brushing the dust off my pants.
Then we need a plan. Step one, find somewhere to hide.
Step two, find a way to fix your fancy toaster
before it explodes and takes us with it. He sighed
but nodded. Agreed, But no more jumping out of windows,
no promises, I said, with a grin. Now let's go
figure out how to survive the wild West without causing
(19:57):
a temporal disaster. As we trudged into the desert, the
sun sinking low on the horizon, I couldn't help but
wonder how we were going to get out of this
one time travel. It turns out isn't nearly as glamorous
as people think, but it does have a way of
keeping things interesting. Part four. A Cowboy, a campfire, and
(20:18):
a crazy idea. By the time night fell, I was
officially done with the wild West. My feet were sore,
my mouth was dry, and Kessler had been complaining NonStop
about how unscientific it was to wander aimlessly through the desert.
I was about two eye rolls away from leaving him
in the sand when we spotted the glow of a
campfire in the distance. Finally civilization. Kessler muttered, more like
(20:42):
one guy in a pot of beans, I said, squinting,
But hey, I'll take it. We approached cautiously, because when
you're stranded in Cowboy country, the last thing you want
to do is surprise someone who probably sleeps with a
gun under their pillow. As we got closer, the figure
by the fire turned to face us. He was older,
with a bushy gray beard, a battered hat, and a
(21:04):
look that said I've seen things you wouldn't believe. Well,
I'll be he drawled, looking us up and down. You
boys lost, not lost, I said, quickly, just taking the
scenic rout. Kessler snorted, We're lost, right, the man said,
clearly unconvinced. Names gus, sit yourselves down and don't touch
my beans. I didn't need to be told twice. I
(21:28):
dropped to the ground near the fire, letting the warmth
soak into my aching limbs. Kessler, of course, stayed standing,
clutching the resonance engine like it was his firstborn child.
What's that thing you got there, Gus asked, gesturing with
a spoon. It's a portable bread toaster, I said, revolutionary
new design. Kessler gave me a sharp look, but I
(21:51):
ignored him. No way was I explaining to a cowboy
that we traveled through time and were carrying a device
that could accidentally turn the universe into soup. Huh, Gus said,
stirring his beans. Looks fancy. It's temperamental, Kessler mumbled, finally
sitting down, like everything else out here, temperamental. Huh, sounds
like my ex wife, Gus said, with a chuckle. I
(22:13):
liked Gus immediately, as we ate our fill of beans.
After getting Gus's permission, of course, Kessler tinkered with the
resonance engine, grumbling under his breath about primitive conditions and
suboptimal lighting. Gus watched him with mild interest, occasionally throwing
in a comment like you sure that thing won't blow up?
It might, I said, honestly, earning another glare from Kessler.
(22:35):
You fellas are a strange pair, Gus said, leaning back
against a rock. So what's your story? You running from someone?
You could say that, I replied, thinking of the gang
still likely hunting us figures. Gus said, this lands full
of people running from something. Lawman debts, bad decisions. You
can't outrun everything. Though his words hung in the air,
(22:57):
and I glanced at Kessler, who was staring intently at
the the resonance engine. Gus might not have known it,
but he'd just summed up Kessler's entire problem in one sentence. Hey,
When the fire had burned low and Gus had started snoring,
Kessler finally spoke, He's wrong, you know about what? I asked,
prodding the dying embers with a stick, about not being
(23:17):
able to outrun your mistakes. He said, that's the whole
point of this. He gestured to the resonance engine. If
we can control time, we can undo the worst mistakes
humanity has ever made, Wars, famines, disasters. We could stop
them before they happen. And what happens if you make
new mistakes while fixing the old ones? I countered, what
(23:38):
if you break something that was never meant to be fixed?
Kesler didn't answer, He just stared at the device in
his hands, his face lit by the faint blue glow.
For a moment, I almost felt sorry for him. He
wasn't trying to destroy the world. He was trying to
save it. He just didn't realize how dangerous his good
intentions were. The next morning, Gus to guide us to
(24:00):
a nearby town, but before we could leave, disaster struck.
The resonance engine, which had been relatively stable all night,
suddenly started sparking like a Fourth of July firework. What
did you do? I shouted, as Kessler frantically tried to
stabilize it. Nothing, he snapped, it's overheating. Well fix it,
(24:20):
I'm trying. The device let out a high pitched wine
that made my teeth hurt, and a wave of heat
rippled through the air. Gus, to his credit, didn't panic.
He just grabbed his hat and said, you boys better
step back. That thing don't look too friendly. The humming
grew louder, and a faint light began to glow around
the device. Kessler cursed under his breath, and I realized
(24:41):
with dawning horror what was about to happen. It's going
to activate. I said, we have to shut it down.
There's no time Kessler shouted, it's too unstable. Before I
could argue, the resonance engine let out a blinding flash
of light, and the world around us disappeared. When the
light faded, we were standing in a completely different landscape.
(25:04):
The desert was gone, replaced by a thick jungle, buzzing
with the sounds of insects and distant animal calls. The
air was heavy with humidity, and the ground beneath my
feet squelched like a sponge. Oh no, I said, looking around.
This is not good, said, where are we now? Kessler
(25:24):
ass still clutching the resonance engine, which was now sparking
even more ominously. I don't know, I admitted brushing a
giant mosquito off my arm, But judging by the giant
fern over there, I'd say we've gone way way back.
How far back? Kessler asked, as if on cue. A deep,
guttural roar echoed through the jungle. We both turned slowly
(25:45):
to see a massive, scaly creature stomping through the trees.
It was easily the size of a house, with teeth
like daggers and a tail that could level a building.
That far back, I said, weakly, Is that a dinosaur.
Kessler whispered, yep. The creature let out another roar, and
I grabbed Kessler's arm. Run and so, for the second
(26:07):
time in twenty four hours, we found ourselves sprinting for
our lives. Only this time it wasn't from a gang
of outlaws. It was from the biggest lizard I'd ever seen.
As we crashed through the jungle, one thought kept running
through my head. Time travel not as glamorous as it sounds.
We sprinted through the jungle like two clumsy gazelles who'd
wandered onto a predator's lunch menu. The dinosaur, let's call
(26:30):
him mister Teeth, was close behind each step, shaking the
ground like a giant drum. Kessler, still clutching the sparking
resonance engine, was wheezing harder than a broken bellow's why
are we running toward the giant trees? Kessler shouted between gasps.
Shouldn't we hide? Do you see anything but trees? I
yelled back, leaping over a particularly suspicious looking route, And
(26:52):
if you stop, I'm leaving you behind. Very heroic, he snapped,
nearly tripping over his own feet. Mister Teeth let out
another roar so loud it rattled my ear drums. Somewhere
deep in the recesses of my brain, I remembered a
documentary saying you shouldn't run from predators, you should make
yourself look big and intimidating. But I didn't think standing
(27:15):
tall would work when your predator could squash you with
one foot. Finally, we burst into a clearing and stumbled
to a halt. It was a moment of relief until
I realized the clearing ended at a steep cliff. Below,
a rushing river wound its way through jagged rocks, looking
equally as inviting as mister Teeth's toothy grin. Now what,
(27:37):
Kessler asked, panic in his voice. I looked back at
the dinosaur now crashing through the trees, and then at
the river below. Well, I have good news and bad news.
What's the good news, We don't have to run anymore,
and the bad news we have to jump. Kessler's eyes widened.
(27:57):
That's your plan, jump into a river and hope we'd die.
Got a better one. He looked over his shoulder at
the rapidly approaching dinosaur inside. I hate this. Join the club,
I said, grabbing his arm on three, one, two. I
didn't wait for three. I shoved Kessler off the cliff
and jumped after him, the sound of mister Teeth's roar
(28:19):
fading as we plummeted toward the river. Map We hit
the water with a splash that knocked the wind out
of me. For a few seconds, everything was cold and chaotic,
the current pulling me in every direction. Then my head
broke the surface and I gasped for air. Kessler, I shouted,
spinning around, Where are you here? He sputtered, flailing about
(28:40):
ten feet away, and the toasters still sparking. Great, I muttered,
paddling toward him, because this day wasn't already dangerous enough.
We managed to haul ourselves onto a rocky outcropping downstream,
coughing and shivering. The resonance engine, now dripping wet and
emitting little bursts of light, sat between us like an
angry cat. This thing is going to blow, Kessler said,
(29:03):
inspecting it with shaking hands. Can't you shut it down?
I asked, wringing water out of my shirt. Not without
resetting the core, he said, grimly. And if I do
that here, we could end up stuck in this timeline forever. Forever.
I repeated, the word, hitting me like a punch to
the gut. You're saying it's either dinosaurs or bust pretty much.
(29:25):
I stared at him, then at the jungle around us.
Somewhere in the distance, mister Teeth was still stomping around,
probably sniffing the air for a second chance. At lunch,
there wasn't time to debate, so I made an executive decision.
Reset it, I said, what reset the core. Whatever happens,
it's better than being lizard food. Kessler hesitated, his hands
(29:47):
hovering over the resonance engines controls. What if it goes wrong,
it's already wrong, I snapped, just do it. With a
shaky breath, he pressed a series of buttons. The device
began to hum louder, the light around it growing brighter
and brighter until it was almost blinding. I braced myself,
half expecting to be vaporized. Instead, there was a familiar pop,
(30:11):
and the world disappeared in a flash of white. When
I opened my eyes, I wasn't dead. That was the
good news. The bad news I was lying on something hard,
cold and metallic. Blinking. I sat up and looked around.
We were in a lab, a very clean, futuristic lab,
the kind with sleek panels, glowing lights, and absolutely no dinosaurs.
(30:34):
Kessler was next to me, still holding the resonance engine,
which was now silent and miraculously intact. Where where are we,
he asked, his voice shaky. I stood up, scanning the room.
I think we're back back. He looked around, his eyes widening.
You mean the future, I said, Relief flooding through me,
(30:56):
or at least a version of it. Before we could celebrate,
a door slid open with a soft hiss, and a
group of people in lab coats entered. At the front
of the group was Kendra, her expression a mix of
exasperation and relief. Callum, she said, crossing her arms. You're late, late,
I repeated, incredulous. We've been chased by cowboys and dinosaurs.
(31:17):
Sounds about right, she said dryly, then turned to Kessler.
Doctor Kessler, I presume, he blinked at her. You know me,
We know everything, she said, gesturing to the room, and
we're here to make sure you don't break the timeline again.
Kessler looked like he was about to argue, but I
stepped between them. He gets it, I said, quickly, No
(31:38):
more experiments. No more messing with time, right Adrian, He
hesitated than nodded. Right good, Kendra said, her tone leaving
no room for debate. Welcome to debriefing. Later, as I
sat in a very uncomfortable chair sipping a very mediocre
cup of coffee, I couldn't help but reflect on the
chaos we'd just survived. Time travel wasn't glamorous, but it
(32:00):
had taught me one important thing. You can't fix everything,
and trying to control the past is a great way
to mess up the future. As for Kessler, he was
being whisked off to a secure facility where hopefully he
wouldn't have access to any more bread, toasters or time machines.
I couldn't blame him for wanting to make the world better,
(32:21):
but sometimes the best way to do that is to
live in the present and let the past be the past. Hey, Callum,
Kenders said, leaning over my shoulder, Ready for your next assignment,
I groaned, baring my face in my hands. You've got
to be kidding me. Nope, she said with a smirk.
Time doesn't fix itself, you know, And just like that,
I was back in the game. Because when you're a
(32:43):
time traveler, there's no such thing as a day off,
Time travel isn't as glamorous as it sounds. You don't
get a shiny suit or a cool hoverboard, and there's
definitely no theme music playing when you step into another era. Nope,
you just sort of pop into existence like a soda
can someone forgot to shake. It's disorienting, a little stinky.
Nineteen seventy four smelled like a mix of exhaust fumes
(00:21):
and bad decisions. And if you're me, you immediately get
honked at by a cabby who screams, hey, genius, cross
the street on your own time.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
That's me, Callum Holt, time traveler, hero and apparently Jaywalker.
My mission save the world by stopping a guy named
doctor Adrian Kessler from accidentally blowing it up. No big deal, right,
Except Kessler wasn't some evil mastermind in a volcano layer.
He was a nerdy physicist in a university lab, probably
(00:52):
drinking too much coffee and muttering things like eureka. My
job was to make sure his experiments didn't end up
tearing a hole in the fabric of reality.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Fun right, Agent holt status report buzzed a voice in
my ear. It was Kendra, my handler. Kendra's the kind
of person who always sounds like she knows exactly what
she's doing, which is useful when you have absolutely no
clue yourself.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
I've arrived, I said, dodging a man selling hot dogs
from a questionable cart, New York City, nineteen seventy four.
Everything's groovy. Where's our guy, Columbia University, Kendra said, Physics department.
Subtlety is key here, Callum. Get close to Kessler, figure
out where he's at with his work, and guide him
away from catastrophe. Subtlety, I repeated, got it, No blowing
(01:40):
up labs this time exactly. I made my way to
the university, dodging more cabs and what I'm pretty sure
was a roller skating mime. By the time I got
to campus, I was in full undercover mode, fake glasses,
tweet jacket, and a briefcase I found in a thrift shop.
Doctor Caleb Harper, visiting academic from Oxford, ready to save
the world one awkward handshake at a time. The lecture
(02:04):
hall was packed when I arrived. Students and professors filled
the seats, all there to hear Adrian Kessler talk about
time and space. He wasn't what I expected, younger for
one his hair was a mess, his tie was crooked,
and his shoes didn't match. But his eyes had this wild,
curious energy, like he was already three steps ahead of
(02:24):
everyone else. Time he began pacing across the stage. Is
not a straight line. It's a river, twisting and turning,
influenced by every stone, every ripple, every leaf. And if
we understand it, truly understand it, we could change everything.
The audience murmured, impressed. I, however, was less impressed and
(02:45):
more worried. I'd read the history books. Kessler's experiments wouldn't
just change everything, They'd end it, and here he was
about to start the timeline's most epic game of Jenga.
After the lecture, I made my move. I joined the
crowd of people eager to shake his hand, and introduced myself,
(03:05):
doctor Kessler fascinating presentation. I'm doctor Caleb Harper, visiting from Oxford.
I'd love to discuss your theories over coffee. Oxford, huh,
he said, raising an eyebrow. Sure, let's talk, but you're buying,
And just like that, I was in. Over the next
few weeks, I shadowed Kessler, pretending to be his biggest fan,
(03:29):
while secretly trying to figure out how far he'd gotten
with his experiments. He was brilliant, no doubt about it,
but he was also scatterbrained. One minute he'd be explaining
quantum theory, and the next he'd be wondering out loud
if pancakes were better than waffles. They're not. It's waffles,
but I didn't argue. It wasn't long before I found
what I was looking for, blueprints for something called the
(03:51):
Temporal Resonance Engine. It looked like a toaster that had
eaten a time machine, but according to the diagrams, it
could bend time itself. This was the device that, if
left unchecked, would break the universe like an old vase
on a wobbly table. This is incredible, I said, keeping
my voice casual as I held up the blueprints. What's
(04:12):
it for? Kessler Grinn looking like a kid who just
built the ultimate Lego set. It's going to change the world, Caleb.
Imagine being able to rewrite history, to fix mistakes, to
make things right, or make thing worse, I said, trying
to sound friendly and not at all like a time cop.
Do you ever think about that? His grin faded. Only
(04:33):
people afraid of progress think like that. I knew I
had to act fast. Kendra's voice buzzed in my ear
one morning with an update. We've detected an energy surge
in Kessler's lab. He's testing the device, Callum, this could
be it. I bolted to the lab, nearly tripping over
my own feet. When I got there, the temporal Resonance
(04:54):
Engine was glowing, humming, and generally looking like it was
about to do something very bad. Kessler in the middle
of it all, tweaking knobs and muttering equations to himself. Adrian,
I shouted, you need to stop. He looked up, startled, Caleb,
what are you doing here? I'm here to save you
from yourself, I said, trying to sound both wise and heroic.
(05:16):
It came out more like I was choking on a pretzel.
You don't understand, he said, turning back to the machine.
This is the future. This is how we make everything better. No,
I said, stepping closer, this is how you turn the
world into a cosmic smoothie. But he wasn't listening. The
machine word louder, and the air around it began to ripple.
(05:37):
I lunged for the controls, but the energy field threw
me back like a rubber band. Sparks flew, the lights flickered,
and Kessler shouted something I couldn't hear over the roar
of the machine, and then boom, a blinding flash of light,
a noise like the universe, sneezing, and then silence. When
I opened my eyes, the lab was wrecked. The temporal
(05:59):
resonance engine was smoking, pile of junk, and Kessler was gone,
not dead, just gone. I couldn't explain it, but I
had a sinking feeling. He wasn't in nineteen seventy four anymore, Kendra,
I said, wincing as I stood up. Are you there, Callum?
Her voice came through, crackling, but relieved what happened? Kessler
turned it on, I said, rubbing my head. He's gone.
(06:22):
I don't know where, but he's not here. There was
a long pause. This isn't over, Callum. I looked around
the ruined lab and sighed, yeah, I figured, as I
stumbled out into the cold night air. I couldn't help
but wonder what mess Kessler had landed himself in and
how I was going to clean it up. One thing
(06:42):
was clear. Time travel might be messy, but so was
trying to fix the past, and maybe, just maybe it
wasn't about fixing mistakes, but learning to live with them.
By the time I got back to my temporary hideout,
a slightly moldy apartment above a nineteen seventies laundromat, I
was already nursing an epic headache. Not from the temporal
(07:04):
resonance engine blowing up, mind you, but from the idea
of chasing Adrian Kessler through time like some kind of
history janitor. The air in the apartment smelt faintly of
detergent and regret, but it was quiet, which was all
I needed, Kendra, I said, tapping the communicator in my ear.
Any update on where Kessler might have gone working on it,
(07:25):
Kendra replied, her voice as calm and clinical as ever.
The resonance engine didn't just malfunction. It's scrambled temporal coordinates.
It's like he threw a dart at the timeline, blindfolded,
so he could be anywhere, anywhere, any time. She confirmed,
we've picked up a faint temporal signal though early fifteen hundreds,
(07:46):
possibly Italy Renaissance Italy, I asked, perking up paintings pasta
Leonardo da Vinci that doesn't sound so bad. You're romanticizing,
Kendra said, clearly unimpressed. Stay focused. If Kessler's meddling there,
it could ripple forward and mess up everything. Relax, I've
(08:07):
got this, I said, though we both knew I absolutely
did not have this. Before Kendrick could argue, I activated
my temporal relay, a fancy wristband with more buttons than
I knew how to use, with a flash and a
sound like a thousand rubber bands snapping at once. I
was gone. When the light faded, I found myself standing
in the middle of a bustling marketplace. Renaissance Italy wasn't
(08:31):
exactly as glamorous as I had imagined. Sure there were
colorful awnings, intricate stonework, and the faint aroma of freshly
baked bread. But there was also mud, so much mud everywhere.
Excuse me, shouted a vender, nearly toppling me over as
(08:51):
he wheeled a cart of vegetables past. Watch where you're standing?
Signor sorry, I called after him, only to step directly
into a putt. My sneakers squelched. Great start. I didn't
have much time to lament my muddy shoes, though above
the din of the marketplace. I heard someone shouting a
mix of panic and frustration. Following the noise, I rounded
(09:15):
a corner and froze. There in the middle of a
crowd was Adrian Kessler. He was wearing what could only
be described as a bad attempt at blending, in a
cloak that looked two sizes too big and a hat
that seemed to be waging war with gravity. He was
arguing with a man, who, if the paint brushes tucked
into his belt were any indication, was Leonardo da Vinci. Adrian,
(09:40):
I hissed under my breath, pushing through the crowd. What
are you doing? Kessler turned his eyes wide with surprise. Caleb,
how how did you find me? I have ways, I said,
glancing at da Vinci, who was now observing me like
I was an alien. And more importantly, what are you doing?
You're not supposed to be here. I'm here because I'm
(10:00):
meant to be, Kessler said, puffing up his chest. Leonardo
and I are working on something revolutionary, I turned to
Da Vinci. Don't listen to him. He's not revolutionary, he's problematic. Hey,
Kessler snapped. Da Vinci raised an eyebrow. This is most unusual.
You are rivals, No, from different guilds. Perhaps, yes, I
(10:25):
said quickly, rival guilds, big rivalry, huge, Kessler groaned. Look, Caleb,
I'm not trying to break the timeline. I'm trying to
improve it. Imagine if da Vinci had access to modern physics.
Think of the advancements we could make centuries ahead of schedule,
or I countered, imagine Da Vinci accidentally inventing a time
(10:48):
blender and turning the timeline into spaghetti. Da Vinci, clearly intrigued,
frowned a blender. You say, what is this device? It's nothing,
I said, quickly, shooting a glare at Kessler. He's just
being dramatic. The conversation might have ended there, but unfortunately
for me, Kessler had already made himself at home in
Renaissance Italy. He had set up a makeshift lab in
(11:10):
a nearby workshop, complete with stolen twenty first century tech. Worse,
he'd managed to cobble together a miniaturized version of the
resonance engine. It was humming softly in the corner, glowing
just enough to make me panic. Adrian, I said, rubbing
my temples. You can't keep doing this. The timeline is
not your science fare project. It's not a project, Kessler snapped,
(11:32):
It's an opportunity. If I can give this era a jumpstart,
we could prevent wars famines, entire centuries of suffering and
replace them with what robot knights, steam powered trebuchets. Kessler frowned, maybe,
I groaned, pacing the room. Look, I get it. You
want to help, but messing with time never works the
(11:53):
way you think it will. Trust me, I've seen what
happens when people meddle, and it's never good. Before Kessler
could respond, there was a sudden knock at the door.
It creaked open, and Da Vinci peeked inside. Pardon, but
there are men outside. They look unhappy. I glanced out
the window and blanched. A group of guards was marching
(12:15):
toward the workshop, their swords glinting in the afternoon sun.
What did you do, I hissed a Kessler. I may
have borrowed some supplies, he admitted, sheepishly. You stole from
Renaissance guards, I said, my voice rising an octave. Are
you trying to get us? Both arrested? It wasn't stealing,
Kessler insisted, it was repurposing. Repurposing, I muttered, right, and
(12:38):
I suppose they are here to thank you with hugs.
The guards burst in moments later, and chaos erupted. Kessler
and I scrambled to grab what we could blueprints, equipment,
and Da Vinci's sketches. He insisted they were too important
to leave behind. The resonance engines, still humming ominously, sat
in the middle of the room like a ticking time bomb.
Adrian shut it down, shouted I can't. He yelled back,
(13:02):
it's too unstable. The guards, clearly confused but still determined,
moved closer, their swords drawn. Da Vinci, ever, the problem solver,
grabbed a large canvas and waved it at them like
a shield. Stay back, This is very expensive art. It
brought us a few precious seconds. Kessler and I managed
(13:24):
to grab the resonance engine and haul it toward the door,
but the device was sparking, now emitting a strange, high
pitched wine. This is bad, I muttered, you think, Kessler
shot back. With no other options, I hit the activation
switch on my temporal relay. The room filled with light,
and the last thing I heard was Da Vinci shouting, wait,
(13:45):
take me with When the light faded. We were somewhere new,
somewhere dusty, somewhere with tumbleweeds rolling lazily across the horizon.
Oh no, I said, staring at the vast expanse of desert.
This is a not renaissance italy, Kessler groaned, rubbing his head.
Where are we not sure, I admitted, But judging by
(14:08):
the cowboy hat on that guy over there, we're about
to find out. When I imagine time travel, I didn't think
I'd end up in the middle of a dusty frontier
town where even the horses looked at you like you
owed them money. But there I was, standing in what
could only be described as a spaghetti western nightmare. A
saloon sign creaked ominously in the breeze, a grizzled man
(14:31):
spat tobacco into the dirt, and tumbleweeds rolled by like
they were mocking my very existence. What year is it,
Kessler asked, squinting at the sun as if it would
answer him. No idea, I said, glancing at a wanted
poster plastered on a nearby wall. It featured a man
with a comically large mustache and a bounty of one
hundred dollars. But if they're still paying people to catch mustaches.
(14:55):
We're definitely in cowboy territory. This is bad, Kessler muttered,
clutching the resonance engine like it was a baby he
just adopted. The device was still sparking faintly, and the
hummet emitted sounded a little too much like a mosquito
about to explode. No kidding, I said, We're in the
wild West with a broken time machine, no backup. And
I stopped mid sentence as I noticed the group of
(15:17):
men emerging from the saloon. They wore dusty coats, wide
brimmed hats, and expressions that screamed we definitely do crime
for a living. One of them pointed at us, Hey,
what's that shiny thing y'all got there? Oh no, I
whispered Kessler. Please tell me you didn't land us here
holding the world's most expensive looking gadget. Of course not,
(15:38):
he said, indignantly, clutching the resonance engine. Tighter. It's only
the most advanced piece of time bending technology and existence.
Why would that tract any attention? The gang approached, boots
crunching ominously on the dirt road. Their leader, a man
with an eye patch and a scar that looked like
it had been stitched by a blindfolded doctor. Tipped his hat. Afternoon,
(15:59):
he drawled, y'all seem new around these parts. That's a
mighty fancy contraption you've got there. It's a bread toaster,
I blurted, you know, for making toast. Very boring, definitely
not worth stealing. The leader raised an eyebrow toast. Huh,
I don't reckon. We see much toast out here. Mind
(16:20):
if we take a closer look, Actually we do, mind,
Kessler said, stepping back. This is delicate, scientific equipment. Scientific equipment.
The leader's eyes gleam. Well that's even better, boys, Let's
show these fine gentlemen some hospitality. The next few minutes
were a blur of running, shouting, and what I can
(16:42):
only describe is a chaotic game of tag through the town.
Kessler and I darted into the saloon, weaving between poker
tables and a piano player who didn't stop playing even
when someone knocked over his stool. Upstairs, I shouted, pointing
to a staircase that looked like it had been nailed
together by someone in a hurry. Why upstairs, Kessler yelled back,
(17:02):
what's the plan? Plan? I repeated, dodging a flying whiskey bottle.
I don't have a plan, but it's harder to follow
us up there. We burst into a room that smelled
like old socks and regret. It had a rickety bed,
a cracked mirror, and one small window overlooking the dusty
street below. I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, panting,
(17:22):
they're going to break down this door, Kessler said, clutching
the resonance engine like a lifeline. Probably, I admitted, peeking
out the window. But if we jump out of this window,
we might land in something soft? What soft thing? Kessler asked,
panic creeping into his voice. I hesitated, there's a horse.
(17:45):
Kessler groaned, Oh, this is such a bad idea. Would
you prefer the gang with the guns? I snapped. He
didn't answer, which I took as consent. Without another word,
I climbed onto the windowsill, swung one leg out, and
jump umped. The good news. I landed on the horse.
The bad news. The horse did not appreciate being part
(18:07):
of my escape plan. Whoa, I shouted, grabbing its mane
as it reared up. Kessler followed a second later, landing
awkwardly behind me. The horse snorted angrily, but took off,
galloping down the street as the gang burst out of
the saloon, shouting after us. Do you even know how
to ride a horse? Kessler yelled over the pounding of hoofs. Nope,
(18:28):
I shouted back, But we're still alive, so let's call
it a win. We rode out of town and into
the open desert, the gang's shouts fading behind us. After
what felt like hours, we slowed to a stop near
a cluster of rocks. The horse, clearly fed up with us,
bucked slightly before trotting off, leaving us in a cloud
of dust. Well that was horrible, Kessler said, collapsing onto
(18:49):
the ground. You're welcome, I said, flopping down beside him.
I just saved us from being turned into Swiss cheese.
Saved us, he snapped. Your brilliant idea was to throw
us out a window and on to a horse, and
it worked, didn't it. Kessler groaned and turned his attention
back to the resonance engine. The sparks had stopped, but
the humming was still there, faint but insistent. This thing
(19:12):
is barely holding together, he muttered. If it breaks completely,
we're stuck. Here, I frowned. Can't you fix it? Maybe?
He said, but I need tools, advanced tools, and we're
in the eighteen hundreds. Do you know where to find
a quantum stabilizer in Cowboy Country? Uh? The general store,
I suggested weakly. Kessler glared at me. You're not helping. Fine,
(19:35):
I said, standing up and brushing the dust off my pants.
Then we need a plan. Step one, find somewhere to hide.
Step two, find a way to fix your fancy toaster
before it explodes and takes us with it. He sighed
but nodded. Agreed, But no more jumping out of windows,
no promises, I said, with a grin. Now let's go
figure out how to survive the wild West without causing
(19:57):
a temporal disaster. As we trudged into the desert, the
sun sinking low on the horizon, I couldn't help but
wonder how we were going to get out of this
one time travel. It turns out isn't nearly as glamorous
as people think, but it does have a way of
keeping things interesting. Part four. A Cowboy, a campfire, and
(20:18):
a crazy idea. By the time night fell, I was
officially done with the wild West. My feet were sore,
my mouth was dry, and Kessler had been complaining NonStop
about how unscientific it was to wander aimlessly through the desert.
I was about two eye rolls away from leaving him
in the sand when we spotted the glow of a
campfire in the distance. Finally civilization. Kessler muttered, more like
(20:42):
one guy in a pot of beans, I said, squinting,
But hey, I'll take it. We approached cautiously, because when
you're stranded in Cowboy country, the last thing you want
to do is surprise someone who probably sleeps with a
gun under their pillow. As we got closer, the figure
by the fire turned to face us. He was older,
with a bushy gray beard, a battered hat, and a
(21:04):
look that said I've seen things you wouldn't believe. Well,
I'll be he drawled, looking us up and down. You
boys lost, not lost, I said, quickly, just taking the
scenic rout. Kessler snorted, We're lost, right, the man said,
clearly unconvinced. Names gus, sit yourselves down and don't touch
my beans. I didn't need to be told twice. I
(21:28):
dropped to the ground near the fire, letting the warmth
soak into my aching limbs. Kessler, of course, stayed standing,
clutching the resonance engine like it was his firstborn child.
What's that thing you got there, Gus asked, gesturing with
a spoon. It's a portable bread toaster, I said, revolutionary
new design. Kessler gave me a sharp look, but I
(21:51):
ignored him. No way was I explaining to a cowboy
that we traveled through time and were carrying a device
that could accidentally turn the universe into soup. Huh, Gus said,
stirring his beans. Looks fancy. It's temperamental, Kessler mumbled, finally
sitting down, like everything else out here, temperamental. Huh, sounds
like my ex wife, Gus said, with a chuckle. I
(22:13):
liked Gus immediately, as we ate our fill of beans.
After getting Gus's permission, of course, Kessler tinkered with the
resonance engine, grumbling under his breath about primitive conditions and
suboptimal lighting. Gus watched him with mild interest, occasionally throwing
in a comment like you sure that thing won't blow up?
It might, I said, honestly, earning another glare from Kessler.
(22:35):
You fellas are a strange pair, Gus said, leaning back
against a rock. So what's your story? You running from someone?
You could say that, I replied, thinking of the gang
still likely hunting us figures. Gus said, this lands full
of people running from something. Lawman debts, bad decisions. You
can't outrun everything. Though his words hung in the air,
(22:57):
and I glanced at Kessler, who was staring intently at
the the resonance engine. Gus might not have known it,
but he'd just summed up Kessler's entire problem in one sentence. Hey,
When the fire had burned low and Gus had started snoring,
Kessler finally spoke, He's wrong, you know about what? I asked,
prodding the dying embers with a stick, about not being
(23:17):
able to outrun your mistakes. He said, that's the whole
point of this. He gestured to the resonance engine. If
we can control time, we can undo the worst mistakes
humanity has ever made, Wars, famines, disasters. We could stop
them before they happen. And what happens if you make
new mistakes while fixing the old ones? I countered, what
(23:38):
if you break something that was never meant to be fixed?
Kesler didn't answer, He just stared at the device in
his hands, his face lit by the faint blue glow.
For a moment, I almost felt sorry for him. He
wasn't trying to destroy the world. He was trying to
save it. He just didn't realize how dangerous his good
intentions were. The next morning, Gus to guide us to
(24:00):
a nearby town, but before we could leave, disaster struck.
The resonance engine, which had been relatively stable all night,
suddenly started sparking like a Fourth of July firework. What
did you do? I shouted, as Kessler frantically tried to
stabilize it. Nothing, he snapped, it's overheating. Well fix it,
(24:20):
I'm trying. The device let out a high pitched wine
that made my teeth hurt, and a wave of heat
rippled through the air. Gus, to his credit, didn't panic.
He just grabbed his hat and said, you boys better
step back. That thing don't look too friendly. The humming
grew louder, and a faint light began to glow around
the device. Kessler cursed under his breath, and I realized
(24:41):
with dawning horror what was about to happen. It's going
to activate. I said, we have to shut it down.
There's no time Kessler shouted, it's too unstable. Before I
could argue, the resonance engine let out a blinding flash
of light, and the world around us disappeared. When the
light faded, we were standing in a completely different landscape.
(25:04):
The desert was gone, replaced by a thick jungle, buzzing
with the sounds of insects and distant animal calls. The
air was heavy with humidity, and the ground beneath my
feet squelched like a sponge. Oh no, I said, looking around.
This is not good, said, where are we now? Kessler
(25:24):
ass still clutching the resonance engine, which was now sparking
even more ominously. I don't know, I admitted brushing a
giant mosquito off my arm, But judging by the giant
fern over there, I'd say we've gone way way back.
How far back? Kessler asked, as if on cue. A deep,
guttural roar echoed through the jungle. We both turned slowly
(25:45):
to see a massive, scaly creature stomping through the trees.
It was easily the size of a house, with teeth
like daggers and a tail that could level a building.
That far back, I said, weakly, Is that a dinosaur.
Kessler whispered, yep. The creature let out another roar, and
I grabbed Kessler's arm. Run and so, for the second
(26:07):
time in twenty four hours, we found ourselves sprinting for
our lives. Only this time it wasn't from a gang
of outlaws. It was from the biggest lizard I'd ever seen.
As we crashed through the jungle, one thought kept running
through my head. Time travel not as glamorous as it sounds.
We sprinted through the jungle like two clumsy gazelles who'd
wandered onto a predator's lunch menu. The dinosaur, let's call
(26:30):
him mister Teeth, was close behind each step, shaking the
ground like a giant drum. Kessler, still clutching the sparking
resonance engine, was wheezing harder than a broken bellow's why
are we running toward the giant trees? Kessler shouted between gasps.
Shouldn't we hide? Do you see anything but trees? I
yelled back, leaping over a particularly suspicious looking route, And
(26:52):
if you stop, I'm leaving you behind. Very heroic, he snapped,
nearly tripping over his own feet. Mister Teeth let out
another roar so loud it rattled my ear drums. Somewhere
deep in the recesses of my brain, I remembered a
documentary saying you shouldn't run from predators, you should make
yourself look big and intimidating. But I didn't think standing
(27:15):
tall would work when your predator could squash you with
one foot. Finally, we burst into a clearing and stumbled
to a halt. It was a moment of relief until
I realized the clearing ended at a steep cliff. Below,
a rushing river wound its way through jagged rocks, looking
equally as inviting as mister Teeth's toothy grin. Now what,
(27:37):
Kessler asked, panic in his voice. I looked back at
the dinosaur now crashing through the trees, and then at
the river below. Well, I have good news and bad news.
What's the good news, We don't have to run anymore,
and the bad news we have to jump. Kessler's eyes widened.
(27:57):
That's your plan, jump into a river and hope we'd die.
Got a better one. He looked over his shoulder at
the rapidly approaching dinosaur inside. I hate this. Join the club,
I said, grabbing his arm on three, one, two. I
didn't wait for three. I shoved Kessler off the cliff
and jumped after him, the sound of mister Teeth's roar
(28:19):
fading as we plummeted toward the river. Map We hit
the water with a splash that knocked the wind out
of me. For a few seconds, everything was cold and chaotic,
the current pulling me in every direction. Then my head
broke the surface and I gasped for air. Kessler, I shouted,
spinning around, Where are you here? He sputtered, flailing about
(28:40):
ten feet away, and the toasters still sparking. Great, I muttered,
paddling toward him, because this day wasn't already dangerous enough.
We managed to haul ourselves onto a rocky outcropping downstream,
coughing and shivering. The resonance engine, now dripping wet and
emitting little bursts of light, sat between us like an
angry cat. This thing is going to blow, Kessler said,
(29:03):
inspecting it with shaking hands. Can't you shut it down?
I asked, wringing water out of my shirt. Not without
resetting the core, he said, grimly. And if I do
that here, we could end up stuck in this timeline forever. Forever.
I repeated, the word, hitting me like a punch to
the gut. You're saying it's either dinosaurs or bust pretty much.
(29:25):
I stared at him, then at the jungle around us.
Somewhere in the distance, mister Teeth was still stomping around,
probably sniffing the air for a second chance. At lunch,
there wasn't time to debate, so I made an executive decision.
Reset it, I said, what reset the core. Whatever happens,
it's better than being lizard food. Kessler hesitated, his hands
(29:47):
hovering over the resonance engines controls. What if it goes wrong,
it's already wrong, I snapped, just do it. With a
shaky breath, he pressed a series of buttons. The device
began to hum louder, the light around it growing brighter
and brighter until it was almost blinding. I braced myself,
half expecting to be vaporized. Instead, there was a familiar pop,
(30:11):
and the world disappeared in a flash of white. When
I opened my eyes, I wasn't dead. That was the
good news. The bad news I was lying on something hard,
cold and metallic. Blinking. I sat up and looked around.
We were in a lab, a very clean, futuristic lab,
the kind with sleek panels, glowing lights, and absolutely no dinosaurs.
(30:34):
Kessler was next to me, still holding the resonance engine,
which was now silent and miraculously intact. Where where are we,
he asked, his voice shaky. I stood up, scanning the room.
I think we're back back. He looked around, his eyes widening.
You mean the future, I said, Relief flooding through me,
(30:56):
or at least a version of it. Before we could celebrate,
a door slid open with a soft hiss, and a
group of people in lab coats entered. At the front
of the group was Kendra, her expression a mix of
exasperation and relief. Callum, she said, crossing her arms. You're late, late,
I repeated, incredulous. We've been chased by cowboys and dinosaurs.
(31:17):
Sounds about right, she said dryly, then turned to Kessler.
Doctor Kessler, I presume, he blinked at her. You know me,
We know everything, she said, gesturing to the room, and
we're here to make sure you don't break the timeline again.
Kessler looked like he was about to argue, but I
stepped between them. He gets it, I said, quickly, No
(31:38):
more experiments. No more messing with time, right Adrian, He
hesitated than nodded. Right good, Kendra said, her tone leaving
no room for debate. Welcome to debriefing. Later, as I
sat in a very uncomfortable chair sipping a very mediocre
cup of coffee, I couldn't help but reflect on the
chaos we'd just survived. Time travel wasn't glamorous, but it
(32:00):
had taught me one important thing. You can't fix everything,
and trying to control the past is a great way
to mess up the future. As for Kessler, he was
being whisked off to a secure facility where hopefully he
wouldn't have access to any more bread, toasters or time machines.
I couldn't blame him for wanting to make the world better,
(32:21):
but sometimes the best way to do that is to
live in the present and let the past be the past. Hey, Callum,
Kenders said, leaning over my shoulder, Ready for your next assignment,
I groaned, baring my face in my hands. You've got
to be kidding me. Nope, she said with a smirk.
Time doesn't fix itself, you know, And just like that,
I was back in the game. Because when you're a
(32:43):
time traveler, there's no such thing as a day off,
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