The Trip

Angelique squirmed around. She felt her heart hammering inside her chest. She worried about whether her coat would be warm enough for Philadelphia after California. That is Philadelphia in 1860 as opposed to California in 2010.

“I’ve never taken a time travel trip, although I have always wanted to,” she confided to her seat mate.”I could never afford it.”

The bald man nodded, smiling.

“I won it in a bake-off. I made bread — homemade bread, just like they did 50 years ago. And I won this trip. I’m so thrilled.” Angelic babbled when she was nervous.

“Well, then congratulations are in order.” The man said, smiling even more broadly. “I travel back and forth more than I want. I am an ecology adviser for the State Department. I keep going back and trying to fix the terrible damage done in the name of progress.”

“Gee, what a cool job. I have a silly job. I hand out free food packs in Eat Me Food Stores. I’m their Sales Associate in Research and Design. But I don’t do any of that. I just go around to different areas and set up, to encourage our customers to try new foods.”

“Eat Me Foods is one of the good companies these day. Years ago when I was your age, I never thought that they would be able to make nutritious food out of recycled plastic.”

Angelique peered out the train window. It seemed to be getting dark.

“We should be leaving soon.”

“No, no,” said the man. “We already left. Didn’t you hear the conductor?

“No. I thought I would feel something too. This is nothing. I feel nothing,” pouted Angelique, her bottom lip pushing out in spite of her intentions to keep it from doing so.

“The engineers try to make it as comfortable as possible. It’s more than just traveling; it is a whole new experience, for travelers,” said the man. “I’m Michael Stone from Seattle..”

“Hello, I’m Angelique Reynolds from Long Beach.”

She looked out the window again. It seemed even darker. She opened her pamphlet. “We’re suppose to arrive at 9 o’clock in the morning. And it should take little more than an hour.”

“Don’t worry -”

A loud crashing sound shook the train and the whole car shimmied. Angelique screamed. Michael grabbed the seat arms.

“Glad we have our seat belts on.”

“Please keep your seats. There will be a minor delay.” The Captain announced over the loud speaker. “A momentary halt in our backward flight due to a weather front.”

Angelique was trembling. Michael patted her shoulder, saying, “There, there, it’s nothing to worry about.”

“I don’t know how this time travel works... I wish I had taken time to learn about it.” Angelique tossed her hair back, anxiety in her eyes. “Tell me how it works.”

“It’s simple really. The train is fractalized, sent in code to the receiving station in the time zone, and then reassembled. There’s really no mystery. It just naturally developed as more was known about electromagnetic fields. Does that make you feel better?”

At that moment there was a loud explosion that rocked the train car. Two women in the front began to scream. Suddenly the car was filled with black-garbed people wearing face masks. Angelique shrunk back against the seat. Michael slid a hand toward his pocket.

“We are capturing this car in the name of Freedom For the Past. FFP refuses to allow travelers to come back to our time zones to achieve selfish goals. Therefore we’re taking this train and its passengers hostage.” The leader had a microphone and it was turned loud.

Angelique sat still for a minute. Then she stood up.

“I don’t think you’re wrong to stop something, but most of us are only visitors or trying to help outcomes in the future. Don’t you remember what happened with the clones?” Angelique shouted. Her face, red and frowning, seemed larger than it was. Her rage spilled out to the other travelers and they began to call out suggestions.

Michael tried to pull his weapon from his chest pocket in his coat. But Angelique grabbed the tazer right out of his hand.

“You don’t need that. These people WILL listen to reason,” she yelled at him.

The leader pointed his finger at her, “Shut up and sit down.”

“I don’t think so.”

Quick, like a arrow, Angelique jumped over Michael and shot a stunning foot shot straight to the head of the leader. He dropped as though dead.

“Who’s next? We will not be taken hostage. We paid good money and we have rights, too. So get off this train. I mean it.”

Angelique spun again, this time kicking the jaw of the nearest bully. He fell to the aisle crying out that his jaw was broke.

Only two left! She went for them, her fists flying and her feet dancing.

Both panicked and ran. Ran into the waiting arms of the Time Coppers. Angelique clapped her hands together.

“Good timing, good on you!” She shouted to the Coppers. The other travelers clapped and cheered also.

Embarrassed, Angelique stepped over Michael and sat down in her seat.

“Now maybe I can visit Philadelphia like I planned. I’m going to write a book about bread and I need to research it.” She grinned and leaned back.

Michael said, “Wow, that was amazing. Where did you—”

“Here’s your tazer back. Me? Oh, I just take all kinds of lessons: judo, karate and samburro. I also make drapes and shoe horses.” She blushed. “Just pay no attention to me. I’m definitely a Type A personality.”

Michael nodded, then he said, “Do you suppose I could taste some of your bread some time? I haven’t had real bread in years.”

“Well, who knows? Let’s leave it at that.” Angelique opened her book on deep-sea diving and didn’t speak another word until they arrived in Philadelphia.

Return to the Contest index