Time Askew

The Stuart Johnson

Chronicles II

A Sequel to

The Long Way Round

By

Peter Apps

Copyright Peter Apps 2012

ISBN: 978-0-9572205-1-5

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, situations and incidents are the product of the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

Published by TAUP UK at Smashwords

Barbara Birkin

1940-2012

The last time I spoke to Barbara, she asked me how my new book was doing. I explained that I was having trouble with my publisher and was thinking of publishing it myself.

Her final words to me were Go For It!

Barbara planned her own funeral and I was struck by the first verse of the first hymn.

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works thy hand hath made,

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed;

Now as a science fiction writer, I like to think that, in my imagination at least, I am exploring the stranger wonders of the universe. I am not an avid believer in messages from beyond the grave. It is probably just a coincidence, my imagination or wishful thinking at a sad time but-

Peter Apps

Chapter 1

Stuart was not only feeling bored and restless, but he also felt guilty for feeling so miserable. He was drifting across Endeavour, the space station he had helped to build, watching as his partner worked with a group of Terzon scientists launching a new set of probes. He could have helped. He still enjoyed working alongside Brian, and they would be talking about the day's events when they got home again that evening, but the truth was he had little to contribute. The others were all experts in various fields and were content to follow a logical and systematic approach while Stuart had received little formal training and tended to act on impulse.

He knew that Brian was getting worried about him and he realised that he had to do something. Stuart had been attracted to Brian ever since he had moved to the village. He had tried to take an interest in science to see more of Brian, but it was only when Stuart had looked after Brian, after he had been injured in one of his experiments, that he became involved in Brian's project, and they had eventually set up home together.

He thought about going to Terzon. He could find a beach in an afternoon time zone where the sun was shining and go for a swim. Alternatively, he could head back to his home on Earth and visit his mother. Heading for the portal and adjusting the controls, he stepped through to their base on Terzon and went looking for Spock.

Spock and Stuart had been friends ever since they had first met. It was an unlikely friendship considering that they lived two and a half million light years apart in different galaxies and were also as emotionally different as you could imagine. They had met when Stuart, his father and Brian had begun using the portal to explore the Andromeda Galaxy.

The portal could fold space bringing two distant points together. Imagine a piece of paper with two dots on it. Now slide the edges of the paper together so that the paper folds bringing the two dots together. When they are close enough, stick a pin through the paper and join the dots. If the paper is two dimensional and folds through the third dimension, then the portal folds our three dimensional universe through four, five or even six dimensions allowing two distant objects to be joined by the portal like the pin joins distant dots on the paper.

The portal consisted of an enormous cylinder divided into three sections by bulkheads, which were connected by an airlock. The centre section held the equipment that generated the fields while the outer sections provided access. The remote end was considerably weaker than the local end or the airlock. The theory was that if the remote bulkhead was damaged or destroyed then the field generators would also be wrecked and the field would collapse, allowing the portal to re-materialise back at their base.

Terzon was the first planet they had discovered with an advanced civilisation. In his excitement, Stuart had fallen out of the airlock cutting his head and Spock had run to his rescue. Spock had given Stuart a translator, which locked onto the speech areas in his brain. The translators communicated with each other and had picked up on Stuart's amusement at the alien's logical approach. The name, Spock, had surfaced to the top of Stuart's mind, and he had been tempted to use it. The alien had accepted the nickname because his real name would have been extremely difficult to pronounce without understanding his language first. He had also greeted Stuart by holding up his hand and saying. Live long and prosper.

I know twenty-one is adult by Earth's standards, Spock said. But you're young and immature.

Thanks, Stuart muttered huffily.

I'm not insulting you, Spock said, calmly. I'm stating a fact. You're not ready to adopt a logical approach, and you're still convinced that you're not clever enough to study further. Your achievements so far show that your emotional approach has its place and that you're more intelligent than you realise. It's illogical and immature not to work to your limits.

I think that's a compliment, Stuart laughed. But even if I went to the best University, I'd never catch up with Brian or your scientists.

Your species is so competitive, Spock replied. I find that illogical, too. It's finding your limits that's important, not beating someone else's. Are you still fascinated by time travel?

Yes, but gravitational forces play hell with the fifth level warp field, and the generators get overloaded. I've been playing around with Mandelbrot Fractals as a way of controlling it, but there are still too many variables.

Playing around doesn't sound very logical. I'm an anthropologist, so I'm not sure if I understand what you're talking about, but it does sound very advanced.

And I'm out of my depth, Stuart admitted. I've got all this weird stuff in my head, and I don't know where it's come from.

You're using the portals every day, and you wear the translator when you visit a new place. Don't forget that it supplies answers to questions that you want to ask, not the ones that you actually voice. It comes back to you being immature. You don't control your mind, so questions about the portal appear in the speech centre of your brain. The translator tries to answer them. You're not aware that you're asking the questions, so you don't realise that you've received the answer, and your brain has trouble processing the data. Are you sure that you wouldn't benefit by some form of training?

I wasn't much good at school, Stuart said. I was always getting into trouble, and I didn't get on with the teachers. I don't want to get told off for being lazy or start doing detentions again.

I can see why you didn't like school, Spock replied. I don't understand laziness. It's a very negative emotion, but you should have been encouraged to overcome it by stimulating your mind, not punishing you for it. You need to take some sort of break. Don't you call them holidays? Spend some time on Earth away from the portals and the translators.

I could do that, but what about Brian? Stuart replied. He's too busy to go away, and I don't want to go alone. I think I will go home though, without the translators and maybe in a week or so maybe try talking to someone about the field generators. Is there someone here who could help?

Yes, of course. You should speak to Brian as well.

Maybe, but we have other things on our minds at night, Stuart smirked. It's still new to us, you know.

I do know, Spock said in his usual serious manner. It's very healthy the way you can help each other to relax.

Maybe I could take Gable to Earth and show him around. It would give me something to do, and I think he's beginning to resent being left at the digs whenever Dad goes home. I've been having some strange dreams lately, more like nightmares. They're about people I know, but they're different. In one dream, I visit you, and you don't recognise me.

We don't fully understand the function of dreams, but some have a lot of significance, Spock said. Others are because your brain is over-active. Have a rest, and then we'll see whether there's anything we should look into.

Gable was a Baard'Atchian, a race of people whom Stuart had helped. He had met Richard, Stuart's father, and they had built up a very close relationship. Stuart sat quietly for a time before making a decision then headed off to find his father and Gable.

By now, Stuart gave as little thought to using the portals as riding his trusty old push-bike. Endeavour orbited Terzon's sun in the Andromeda galaxy two and a half million light years from Earth. It was used as the hub of their communications. It now had four portals on board. One was permanently connected to Earth, in the quarry where Brian had carried out his first experiments, the second connected to their base on Terzon. The third one was used according to a very carefully planned schedule to allow scientists to plan their work while the fourth was for general usage.

When Endeavour had first been built, he had spent as much time as possible on it, learning how to live and work in weightless conditions. The large empty volume where he had played now housed two of the portals and was full of equipment. It was more of a laboratory. Stuart missed the simple freedom of just launching himself across the cavern.

The fourth portal was used most often by Richard, Stuart's father. His life had changed most of all by becoming involved with Brian's project. He had spent most of his life working in a garage and had a passion for history especially with the development of anything mechanical. The Terzons were beginning to turn their attention to their own history, and Richard was proving very useful. He still lived at home, happily married to his wife, Mavis, Stuart's mother. She thought he still worked as a mechanic, maintaining Brian's equipment, not realising the distances he travelled to be 'home in time for tea.'

Neither did she realise how Richard's life had changed in another direction. He was known to be homophobic, having beaten up a friend who had come on to him when they were young. At first, Mavis had been worried that he might go for Brian believing that he was trying to seduce Stuart. However, seeing the Terzon's relaxed attitudes to sex and seeing so many different civilisations, he had mellowed considerably.

Once Gable had become Richard's assistant, he thought it normal that he would give Richard sexual favours in exchange for being taught, clothed and fed by his master. Richard understood now that his hatred of 'queers' as he had described them was due to his efforts in hiding his own bisexuality. Until now, the portals had kept the two parts of his sexuality firmly apart, but Gable could not understand the need for secrecy.

On Baard'Atcha, men with children, especially girls, automatically became elders and important men in the community. They were obviously powerful enough to need more than a single woman could provide, so it was normal to take on a boy for extra relief. In truth, the men were scared of the women who could make a man by marrying him then break him by divorcing him and going with someone else. A boy provided a distraction without the complications.

Stuart intended to spend a few days getting Gable used to the style of life on Earth so that he could fit in. His journey to find his father and Gable was a mere five billion miles - up to Endeavour then back down to the archaeological site where his father was working.

~~~~~

When he reached his father, he found him studying the wreck of an ancient ship with a Terzon colleague, Roswana. Stuart suspected that his father was having an affair with her as well. She was only one hundred years old, young by Terzon standards. Richard had also enjoyed a couple of romps with young Terzon girls in their fifties and sixties, and in between flings, there was always Gable.

Once he had lost his prejudices, he had swung in the opposite direction for a time. In spite of Stuart's suspicions, he had settled down again and was content with his wife on Earth and Gable anywhere else in the Universe.

To Gable, Richard's activities were impressive. That a man as powerful as Richard always returned to him, continuing to feed, clothe and educate him made Gable feel special.

Gable knew that Richard had a woman on Earth who was strong and independently minded. In some ways, Richard feared her in the same way that Baard'Atchian men feared their womenfolk. Although Gable could understand it he was beginning to feel that Richard would be ashamed of him on Earth. He came from a society where pride and respect was everything so he was beginning to regret his attachment to Richard.

He had also been having nightmares of his own. He could not remember much about them, but they seemed to centre on people he knew on Baard'Atcha being murdered.

Stuart's arrival was a welcome break. When Richard joined them, Stuart mentioned his dreams.

I've been having weird dreams, too, Richard said. The only part I can remember has to do with David Bradley of all people. He parades around the village as if he was the Squire and drives an extraordinary car run on a steam turbine and batteries. Maybe it's because we're not used to the translators. What do you think, Roswana?

It's not my field, but I've never heard of a reaction like that before, she replied. Has Brian said anything?

No, but he gets very restless at night when he's asleep, Stuart replied. He's not said anything though.

I've also had an unusual dream where I've never met you, Roswana said. I've only mentioned it because you seem concerned about dreams, and it seemed so real. It was almost as if I was on an alternative world where you had never arrived on Terzon.

Come to think of it, Richard exclaimed. Stuart was based in Oregon, serving in the navy maybe on HMS Resolution, Captain Cook's ship. It must be just a dream because that just doesn't make sense.

Maybe we should record our dreams and ask Brian and Spock to do the same, Roswana suggested.

No! Stuart snapped far more harshly than he intended. If it's OK with Dad, I'm going to take Gable to Earth and show him around. We'll leave the translators behind, and I'm not going to look at a computer. If Gable and I are still having dreams then we'll think again, but let's see what happens if we just take a break.

They had arrived on Earth mid-afternoon. Stuart decided to let Gable get used to Brian's house before taking him down to the village. Although Gable had grown up in draughty huts and now lived in temporary accommodation at the Terzon digs, he was more used to modern conveniences than Stuart realized. He found a natural history channel and watched programme after programme showing the variety of life on Earth. Every so often he would rush outside if he noticed a bird outside the window.

Stuart soon got bored. Most of the programmes were repeats that he had already seen, but he mentally added zoos to the places that Gable should visit. Brian arrived some time later. Stuart had prepared a meal for them, and while they ate, Gable excitedly described the animals he had seen.

He seems happy enough, Brian said when Gable had returned to his wildlife programmes.

Stuart nodded. It's strange. He was so excited when we found some ants in the garden, but he thinks our computers are rubbish compared to the translators. After growing up on a farm, you'd think that he'd be glad to get away from nature.

Not really, Brian said. Baard'Atchian farms were pretty limited. No livestock and only a small variety of crops. He's had a few months on Terzon to get used to technical gadgets, but their land based wildlife is pretty limited as well. Most was wiped out during their incessant wars, and what's left is kept in special reserves that discourage visitors. You'll have to take him into Sheffield. He won't have seen anything like that either, so all those people will really blow his mind.

Stuart was not keen on the idea. He could not imagine a bigger disaster than Gable, an alien from a different planet getting lost in a major city and exposing their activities to public investigation.

Maybe Stuart underestimated Gable or the translator had taught him more than he realized, but the week went well. Gable was introduced to Stuart's mother as Brian's cousin. For Mavis, the oddest part was the way such a well-mannered young man as Gable struggled with a knife and fork. The translators could tell Gable what they were for, but it could not give Gable the years of practice that an Earth boy would take for granted. Apart from that, by the end of week, Gable walked freely around the village and was completely accepted.

The first thing that spoiled the week for Stuart was an encounter with an old school friend, Dave Hilford. They had last gone out together some months ago. Dave knew that he was gay, but it had not bothered him. Dave now had a girlfriend who was pregnant and had a job as a labourer in a factory just outside of Howkbury, the nearest town. Once Stuart would have been content to listen to the gossip about David's workmates and details of what the factory made, but now he tended to see it in terms of the planets economy as the Terzon's would, and he was bored. David was keen on physical fitness and weight training. He kept telling Stuart that he should take it up. Stuart resisted an urge to take him up to Endeavour and try out his training exercises. The evening was not a great success. The two friends had drifted apart more than they had realized. Although they greeted each other when they passed in the street, they did not have anything more to say to each other.

Stuart had left Gable to his own devices to walk down to the village shop. Gable tended to forget that he had to pay for goods, so Stuart preferred to do the shopping. He had bumped into Dave just outside the shop, but instead of carrying on, Dave stopped wanting to talk.

You queers are supposed to be sensitive. What do you do if you think someone is lying to you?

I don't know about queers, but we scientists would want the truth, Stuart retorted angrily.

Dave seemed to crumple.

I'm sorry, Stuart. It's Sal. There's something wrong there, and I don't know what. It's driving me nuts, Dave began. The thing is I'm not sure if I'm Aidan's father. She won't let me have anything to do with his medical records, and he was a big one if he was a couple of months premature. Every time I ask about it, she just says it's none of my business until we're married. The only time she wants me to look after him is when she has a girls' night out.

Why are you so interested in his medical records? Stuart asked.

I wasn't at first. I had a son, and that was all that mattered, Dave replied. Sal was tired one day when she was supposed to take him to the doctor. I offered to take him, and she accused me of checking up on her. She won't let me anywhere near if there's a doctor around.

It sounds odd, Stuart said. But it could be depression or something.

Maybe, Dave replied not sounding convinced. She's OK in every other way. She just acts as if she's trying to hide something about the kid.

I don't know, Stuart said. Brian and I wasted a lot of time because we weren't honest about our feelings. Maybe you should be talking to her about this.

I've tried. All I get is I'm imagining things, and it'll be all right once we're married. There's something else, and it's a bit weird.

Go on, Stuart replied. I'm used to weird.

Promise me you won't laugh or tell anyone.

I promise, Stuart said. I've got enough secrets of my own. I know how I'd feel if someone laughed at mine.

I keep dreaming about you, Dave said. It's all mixed up, but you're with Captain Cook in the Pacific exploring Oregon. Then I'm weightless on a submarine, and you're the Captain. What's wrong?

Dave had seen the startled look on Stuart's face.

Nothing, Stuart answered. I'm just a bit surprised that I'd figure anywhere in your thoughts.

I know what you mean. I get feelings about you, too, He caught Stuart's look again. No! Not those kind of feelings. It's more like I can trust you, and you need my help.

Stuart thought for a moment. Can you do something for me, please? Stuart asked. Let me know if you hear of anyone else who's having weird dreams and write down as much as you can remember about your own.

Why? Has it got anything to do with your science stuff?

I can't see how, but you're not the only one dreaming like this, Stuart said. I've had some, too. I thought it was to do with work, so I'm taking a week off. I'm not even turning a computer on. It seems to be helping.

Maybe I need a change, Dave said. You don't need a labourer or anything, do you?

Not at the moment, Stuart replied. And there's a security aspect to taking anyone on. We couldn't just employ someone and see how it works out. We'd all have to be pretty serious about it.

Dave nodded. It was just a thought. Thanks for listening, mate. I'll see you in the pub sometime and buy you a pint.

I'll take you up on that, Stuart replied. And if you do that log of your dreams, I'll buy you one.

Stuart was becoming concerned. He had no idea why Dave should be sharing his dreams with them. So far as he knew, Dave had not spoken to his father for years, yet references to Oregon, Captain Cook and the Pacific were too much to be a coincidence. Weightless in a submarine was obviously a reference to Endeavour. Stuart knew that Dave was not interested in history, so there was even less reason for him to link Stuart with Captain Cook.

Stuart hurried home. He wanted to speak with Brian and his father before Richard headed for home.

It is odd, Brian said. But I don't see what we can do for the moment. You've been reading up on Captain Cook. Does he have any connection with Oregon?

He named various Capes, Foulweather, Perpetua and Gregory, but he didn't land there as far as I know. I can't think why it should figure so much in all this. Places like Tahiti or Hawaii played a much more significant part in his voyages. How about Australia where he ran aground. History books mention that far more often.

So why Resolution. We named our space station Endeavour. Surely that would be in people's mind, Richard asked.

He explored the Western American coastline on HMS Resolution during his third voyage. He only commanded HMS Endeavour on his first, Stuart explained.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, Brian said. I feel as though I've got some memories just below the surface, but I've never been able to remember dreams. Let's just keep our eyes and ears open and see what happens. To be honest, I don't know what else we can do.

Richard and Stuart nodded in agreement.

I must go. Mavis will be waiting for me, Richard said.

Gable will be coming down later. I'm going to teach him to shoot. It's only your old air gun, Stuart, but we keep finding guns in the digs, so I thought he should learn how they work.

Later when Brian and Stuart were alone, Stuart asked. What do you really make of all these dreams?

I don't know, Brian replied. They could be coincidence or they could be significant. I know we keep giving the same answer to the same question, but we really don't know.

Dave asked for a job with us, Stuart said. I said we couldn't take on anyone casual because of security, but the truth is all I seem to be good for at the moment is sweeping up and acting as caretaker. We don't need another.

You do seem fed up, Brian said. Is that what's wrong? You've not got anything to get your teeth into?

Stuart shrugged. You and the Terzons make exploration seem routine. Do you remember that civilisation that had scheduled flights to its moon. I'd have loved to have made a flight. I've only been on a plane a couple of times, so that would be some trip for me.

You travel to different Galaxies. Why should a rocket flight be so exciting?

Because it's different, Stuart exclaimed.