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2001, Never Never Land, Operation Backstep
“So, what’ve you got,” Frank Parker said, flopping into a chair at the long table in the N.N.L. briefing room.
“We just got word that it was a bomb that blew that plane, not a bolt of lightning as was originally thought,” Bradley Talmadge answered, laying a folder on the table.
“We’re a go?” Frank asked, leaning forward.
“This being the seventh day, the Panel has authorized a backstep,” Talmadge confirmed.
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Olga Vukavtich asked. “Mr. Parker will be landing in the middle of a major lightning storm.”
“I think it is worth the risk to save those lives! Who knows, if one did strike it might be just the treatment Parker needs!” Nathan Ramsey exclaimed.
Frank scowled and was about say something, but John Ballard spoke up first, “I’ve made some modifications to the sphere so it should just absorb the lightning bolt should one strike.”
“Are sure that was a good idea? Especially considering what happened the last few times you made modifications,” Craig Donovan asked, worriedly.
“Ok people, we don’t have time to discuss the pros and cons of this,” Talmadge interjected. “Frank, go suit up, the rest of you get to work.”
Everyone nodded and started to head out of the briefing room.
* * *
Frank sat in the sphere, clutching the joystick, awaiting the call for him to engage.
“Reactor is at 90 percent, Mr. Parker,” Olga said through their radio.
Frank tensed, adjusting his grip.
“Engage!”
Frank reached over and pushed the green engage button. He immediately felt the effects of the sphere traveling back in time. He struggled to keep control of the craft. Glancing over, he saw the date rolling backward. Reaching the seven day limit, the sphere stopped it’s race back though time and entered back to normal time.
Just as Frank exited the timestream, a bolt of lightning struck the craft. Instead of absorbing the energy and letting it dissipate like Ballard’s modifications were supposed to do, it absorbed it and fed it into the reactor sending the sphere back into the timestream. Frank felt a shooting pain race through his body, but as he was losing consciousness, he glanced at the control panel. The date scrolled backward, going farther then it had ever gone before!
* * *
1986, The Foundation’s outside testing facility
Michael Knight laid comfortably on Kitt’s hood, relaxing after a routine test Kitt’s abilities. He sighed, watching the clouds drift in the sky. Suddenly, with a bright flash of light, a large blue ball burst into the sky and then crashed into the ground. Michael sprung up and after a quick glance at Bonnie Barstow, he bolted over to the sphere. Looking through a window Michael saw that there was someone inside. “Bonnie, Kitt, someone is in here!”
After searching the craft and being guided by Kitt, Michael found the hatch to open it. Pulling the door off he climbed in, followed by Bonnie. Michael walked over to the man. Pulling off his helmet, Michael looked at the man’s face. He looked to be in his late twenties, early thirties with brown hair and brown eyes.
After seeing the blood on the outside of the man’s eyes, Michael reached to feel for a pulse. Satisfied that there was one he called to Kitt, “Hey Kitt, would you call an ambulance and notify Devon for me?”
“Very well, however I think it would be wise to move out of sight of this craft,” Kitt suggested.
“How come?” Michael asked, gesturing for Bonnie to help him lift the man out of the craft, knowing Kitt would not have suggested it if the man had been to hurt to move.
“Because, we do not know anything about what this craft is and what people’s response to it would be. I’m sure you do not want the press hounding us before you know what it is,” Kitt replied.
Michael nodded in agreement. “Is it safe to take him to the hospital ourselves? We could get him there faster,” Michael questioned.
“I believe it is,” Kitt said confidently. “Also, you might want to look in his pockets, my scans indicate that he has some sort of government ID, a wallet and some sort of gun. I have never seen one quite like it before.”
Michael nodded, after carefully placing the man in the Trans Am, he grabbed the items and placed them on the backseat next to Bonnie, for later examination. Jumping into the front seat, Michael pressed the gas pedal, on his way to the hospital.
* * *
“What have you been able to find out about our mysterious visitor?” Devon asked, glancing through the hospital observation window, at the man laying unconscious on the bed.
“According to the things that where in his possession, his name is Frank B. Parker, he had an ID that said he was a member of the NSA. According to Kitt, the ID is not what an NSA ID is supposed to look like, also the dates on all his IDs and money are all wrong. He was supposedly born 15 years ago, but as you can see he is at least 15 years older than that,” Michael stated. “Kitt also took a look at his gun, it resembles some of the currant makes, but Kitt says that it has had upgrades like none he has ever seen before.”
“Why would someone go to all that trouble to make it look like he was from the future?” Devon asked.
“Devon, I’m not so sure that he isn’t from the future. I had Kitt do a background check on a Frank Parker. He found one; Frank Parker is an approximately 15 years old orphan. I called his school and they faxed over a photo. The kid looks like a 15 year old version of that man in there,” Michael said, waving his hand across the window.
“So you believe that he is from the future?” Devon questioned.
“I don’t know, I’m just saying don’t discount all the information pointing in that direction,” Michael sighed. “I think that man is the only person who can answer our questions.”
“It looks like he will in a few minutes,” Devon replied.
“What?” Michael asked.
“He is waking up,” Devon answered.
* * *
Frank slowly opened his eyes, in front of him stood a doctor. “Hey Doc, how am I?”
“Mr. Parker, aside from some slight burns and feeling stiff for a few days, you should be fine,” The doctor replied.
“So when can I get out of here?” Frank asked, sitting up.
The doctor smiled, “I’ll have one of the nurses send up the release papers.”
“Thanks. By the way, where are my clothes? I really don’t want to walk around in this hospital gown!” Frank requested.
“They are in the closet,” the doctor answered. “Also there are some people out here who want to see you,” the doctor said, opening the door.
Talmadge and the others sure got here quick! <%
2FI>Frank thought glancing at the clock. 4:52 pm, I st
ill have about 4 hours left! “Ok, tell them I’ll o
pen the door when I’m done,” Frank answered
, walking over to the closet.
After changing into his blue jumpsuit, Frank walked over to the door and opened it, “Come on in guys...” Frank stopped when he saw that the people standing outside the door were not Talmadge and the backstep team.
“Mr. Parker?” A tall man stepped forward.
“Yes?” Frank asked, confused.
<
P>“I’m Michael
Knight,” Michael said.
“Well you obviously know my name, what is it you want? Please make it quick, I have somewhere urgent to be,” Frank requested, folding his arms across his chest.
“What do you know about this?” Michael asked, holding out a picture of the sphere.
Frank grabbed it. “Where did you get this?”
“It landed on the Foundation’s property,” an older man said, moving to stand beside Michael.
I’ve seen him somewhere before, but where? Frank wondered, but he quickly brushed the thought away to the more pressing matter. Frank opened his mouth to say something, but a nurse walked in.
“Mr. Parker? Here is your release papers, if you will sign at the bottom?” The nurse said, holding out a pen.
Frank grabbed it and quickly signed his name. Handing the pen back, Frank said to the other occupants of the room, “Let’s take this to a more private place, shall we?”
“That might be a good idea,” Michael agreed.
Frank was about to leave the room but stopped and turned to the nurse. “Excuse me, but would you happen to know what happened to my other things? They where not in the closet.”
“I don’t know, anything that was brought in with you should be in there,” She answered. “I could check with the front desk, they might know.”
“Don‘t worry about it, we have them,” Devon supplied.
“Ok then, do you need any thing else?” She asked.“No, that’s all,” Frank said distractedly.
The nurse nodded and then walked out the door.
* * *
“Okay, who are you people and what do you want?” Frank said, sitting in the backseat of Michael’s black Trans Am.
“My name is Devon Miles and we both work for the Foundation for Law And Government,” Devon replied.
“Wait a minute, your name is Devon Miles?” Frank said astonished. That is impossible!
“Yes,” Devon confirmed.
“But, you look so young!” Frank stated.
“Now that is something I have not heard in a long time,” Devon responded. “By that you mean I look 15 years younger.”
“15 years! What year is it?” Frank asked dreadfully.
“1986,” Michael replied.
“I was afraid of that,” Frank said softly, leaning back. Ballard, how could this have happened and how am I going to fix it?
* * *
After a nervous glance around, Andrew Pys placed some coins into the payphone and quickly dialed a number. The phone rang for a few seconds and then someone picked up.
“Hello?” The voice on the other side said.
“Joel, it is me, Andrew,” Andrew replied.
“What do you want? Did something go wrong?” Joel questioned.
“No!” Andrew stressed. “Quite the contrary, this afternoon FLAG brought in some weird type of aircraft. From what I have overheard, it has some very advanced technology inside of it. Maybe more so than the Knight 2000 itself!
“Are you positive about that?” Joel asked, cautiously.
“Yes, I heard Barstow say so herself!” Andrew exclaimed.
“Very interesting,” Joel replied. “I want you to find more about it and then get back to me.”
“I don’t know if there is enough time for that,” Andrew answered.
“What do you mean?” Joel questioned.
“I’m not sure how long this craft is going to be here. From what I have heard it does not belong to the Foundation,” Andrew explained. “So, if you want to get your hands on it, I’d suggest getting it very soon.”
* * *
Bonnie sighed, walking back towards the lab, having cut her break short. After dropping their mysterious visitor off at the hospital, she had returned to the Foundation to have a look at the blue sphere. Anxious to get back to work, her thoughts wandered to the craft. The technology that machine has is amazing! I wonder if it is really from the future?
As she approached her lab, Bonnie heard muffled voices coming from within. Straining to hear, Bonnie recognized one of the voices as belonging to Andrew Pys, The other however, was one she could not discern as to whom it was. What is Andrew doing in there? He is supposed to be on break like everyone else.
Opening the door, Bonnie barged in. “Mr. Pys! What are you doing in here and who is he? You do know this is a restricted area?” Bonnie raged, marching over to Andrew.
“Dr. Barstow,” Andrew said nervously.
“Well? I‘m waiting for an answer,” Bonnie demanded, not noticing Joel sneak over to a table and grab a large metal wrench.
“It is a long story,” Andrew stalled.
“Then you’d better start...” Bonnie stopped short, a sharp pain emanating from the back of her head. She surged forward, falling unconscious.
* * *
Frank glanced out the window at the scenery passing by. He had been shocked when he’d finally realized where he knew Devon Miles from. He had been one of the passengers on the plane that had blown up. Frank remembered that the plane had been carrying some dignitaries and that FLAG had supplied the security.
He watched as the cars whizzed past. As much as I like this year, I really don’t want to relive it! He sighed. How am I supposed to get back? All the equipment and fuel is in the future! The Backstep program of this time hasn’t even built the sphere yet! If I remember my Backstep history right, they have only just come up with the design for the sphere. So there are only three possible solutions at the moment.
I can keep a low profile and try to find a way home myself. But seeing as I have limited scientific knowledge, that has a low possibility of working. The only good thing about that idea is that I would have a low chance of changing the timeline.
Maybe, I could go to N.N.L and see if they can help me. Even with their lacking amount of technology they would still know more then I do. But, if I do that, I stand a huge chance of messing up the future.
Or I could get help from FLAG. They already have seen the sphere and suspect that I’m from the future. From this car, it seems that they have an advanced science division, or know of one. If I do this, there still a possibility of changing the future! A smaller one, but still a risk.
Focusing his attention back on the passing scenery, Frank noticed that they had just past a rather large mansion. Looking further ahead he saw that they were approaching some sort of warehouse. “Is that where you are keeping the sphere?”
“Yes,” Devon replied, turning slightly to face him.
As the Trans Am drew closer to the building, they could hear alarms echoing from within.
“Kitt, scan the building! Find out what is wrong,” Michael demanded, speeding up the car.
Who’s he talking to? There’s no person named Kitt in here! Frank thought, glancing around the car.
“My sensors indicate that there is a large semi leaving the warehouse. The sphere is inside,” Kitt replied. “My sensors also detect a person unconscious inside the building. Michael, it is Bonnie!”
This car can talk! Frank thought surprised, then what Kitt said registered. “The sphere? They have the sphere? You can’t let them get away! That is my only way home!”
* * *
Michael glanced uneasily at Frank then at the warehouse. He didn’t want to let them get away either, but he didn’t want to leave Bonnie without any assistance.
Devon spoke relieving him of his dilemma. “Michael, you go after them, I’ll stay and make sure Bonnie is okay.”
Michael sighed, thankful. “Okay Devon.” Devon quickly open his door and got out. As soon as the door was closed Michael pressed on the gas. “Kitt, can you get a fix on the semi?”
“Yes, Michael,” Kitt answered, bringing up the semi’s position on the screen in the dash.
“Thanks Kitt,” Michael said, glancing to his right as Frank climbed into the front. He quickly sat down in the passenger seat.
“This is some car you have here!” Frank commented.
“Thanks,” Michael replied distractedly, carefully maneuvering the Trans Am to avoid the slower moving cars. After what felt like hours, the semi finally came into view. “Kitt, can you get a copy of their license plate?”
“Sure thing Michael,” Kitt answered.
They sped alone the back-roads weaving between the cars around them, rapidly catching up to the semi. As the semi crossed an intersection, a car suddenly pulled out in front of them. Have no room or time to turbo-boost, Michael slammed on the breaks, jerking the Trans Am to a halt. As Michael was preparing to reverse, the man in the car got out and approached the Trans Am.
“What does this guy want?” Michael grumbled.
“It might be wise to see what he wants,” Kitt commented.
“Why’s that?” Michael replied.
“Because, that car is sporting police license plates,” Kitt answered. “So it is logical to assume that he is a police officer.”
“Ok,” Michael sighed. “Kitt please keep an eye on the semi while I....”
“We,” Frank interrupted.
Michael shot Frank an annoyed look. “While we find out what the officer wants,” Michael concluded.
“I will endeavor to do so,” Kitt replied. “But I do suggest hurrying up, the semi will be leaving my scanner range in approximately seven minutes.”
“Okay Kitt,” Michael replied, climbing out, followed by Frank.
“I‘m sorry that I had to run out in front of you, but we need to talk,” the man said.
That voice! I know him! Michael thought, trying to place where he knew him from. Then it hit Michael. John Herald! We went to the academy together.
* * *
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