Paradox (6 page)

“Then it isn’t worth worrying about, is
it?” Rock walked down the other hallway, toward the computer Zac had seen the
night before. “Want me to explain how it works?”

“Sure,” Zac said. He surveyed the
surroundings. He saw the small enclosure where he had found the Wand, but it
was empty. “So how do you know where to go?”

“You mean where the wormhole opens up and
spits us out?” he said. “That’s kind of technical. Even I can’t understand
that. Bryce and Emilee helped the Doc work on the program, so they understand
it a bit better. Basically, it’s sort of like GPS, but in time. The program can
pinpoint some coordinates where it opens the hole up, but we can’t be as exact
as a building or anything, just a general area. So usually we set the
coordinates for a field or something open. That way, you don’t just suddenly
appear in front of people, scaring them.” He laughed. “Although one time, we
messed up and I started out in the middle of a freeway.
Almost
got myself killed.”

Zac thought for a moment, staring at the
computer screen with all the bits of data he couldn’t comprehend. “But there
was no way for you to get killed, was there? I mean, you would’ve just been
teleported or wormholed back, right?”

Rock’s eyes got wide. “Man, I wish. No,
you can die. Your physical body is there, in the past. You can get injured
there just like anywhere else.”

“So has anyone gotten killed yet?” Zac
asked. “I mean, have you known anybody to go back and die while they were
time-travelling?”

Rock fell silent. “Yeah, there was one.
Never came back.”

“But you have a time portal,” Zac said.
“Why not travel to right when the person left and tell them not to go?”

Rock shook his head. “It’s all
complicated. They programmed the computer to have all of these specifications
and rules and junk, all to try and eliminate possible paradoxes. So for
example, when I open a wormhole and go back to the past, if something bad
happens, I can’t just return to the time before I leave and tell myself not to
go. The machine won’t allow it.”

“How does it prevent you?”

“It has parameters built in that only let
you return here about five minutes after you left. So that way, no matter what,
we avoid messing things up. It’s like a ‘buffer zone’ of sorts.”

“That’s weird.”

“Tell me about it,” Rock said, getting up
and walking back into the main room. “I could be gone for an entire day and
when I get back here to our time, only about five minutes will have passed. It
really messes with your body’s clock.
That’s why you’re gonna
need
this
,” he said, holding up a syringe.

“What’s that?” Zac asked.

“Just a little something the Doc had
developed by a friend of his.
Uses nanotechnology to regulate
things in your body.”
He jabbed the needle into Zac’s left arm, right
below his shoulder.

“Ow!” Zac said.

“Sorry, man,” Rock said. “But this should
make things better all around. Now when you travel, your body will adapt
better. Trust me. No more puking.” He pulled the needle out.
“Probably.”

Zac rubbed his shoulder. It tingled, and
it felt as if something were spreading up his arm, cold and icy.

“That feeling will go away soon,” Rock
said. “Some people feel like they’re getting a sudden fever, like Emilee did.
Some people feel like there’s ice creeping up their veins.”

Zac walked over to where Rock had written
in the notebook. “You said that you were collecting data or observing
something. What’s that all about?”

“Oh, that,” Rock said. “Did your dad tell
you how we don’t use TEMPUS to mess with the past?”

“Yeah,” Zac said, leaning against the
concrete wall. He scratched his head. The icy feeling in his arm was subsiding
now. “He said you just observe the past, get a better picture of history or
something like that.”

“Right,” Rock said. “When the Doc told me
we couldn’t change the past, I figured there’s no point in having time travel.
But here’s the cool thing: we can observe the past to affect the present
and
future.”

“How?”
Zac said.
He paced the room, walking around the wormhole platform now, watching the
swirling liquid underneath the glass floor. “If you can’t change anything, that
doesn’t make any sense.”

“No, it totally does if you think about
it. Okay, I just got back from my mission, right?”

“Yeah.
What does
that have to do with anything?”

“There was an armored car robbery
yesterday. The two guys driving the armored car were shot at point-blank range.
Had bullet-proof vests and everything, but the criminals had better weapons.
Dangerous ones.”

“So you time-travelled
to stop them from getting killed?”

“No. Remember, you can’t change things. It
might mess up things today. But I was able to go back and witness the getaway,
get descriptions of the criminals, memorize their license plate and vehicle
description, and get other data on them. And right now,” he pointed up toward
the ceiling, “Bryce is on the phone with the authorities giving them the
information. Soon, you’ll probably see it on the news that they’ll get the guys
who held up the car.”

A slight smile crossed Zac’s face. “So
now, those guys can’t hold up any more armored vehicles.”

“Right.
They
won’t be able to hurt anyone else. And the police can find out where those
weapons came from, too."

If this were true, then it was perfect.
Zac could finally find a way to do what he dreamed. Ever since he could
remember, he wanted to be a police officer or in law enforcement somehow. But
it always made him a bit apprehensive when he considered it. He hated
confrontation. He wasn’t tough or strong like Rock.

Yet deep down, he felt like it was what he
was meant to do. Maybe it had something to do with how his mom was killed. He
never really knew. But if he could help people with TEMPUS, maybe he would be
doing something worthwhile with his life.

They were interrupted by the sound of
footsteps running down the concrete pathway. Emilee entered the room. “The
authorities found them,” she said.

“Already?”
Rock
asked.

“Yeah,” she said, walking over to him. He
gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Your description led them right to their
doorstep.
Great work.
Let’s go out and celebrate.” She
looked over and saw Zac. “You wanna come too?”

“No, that’s okay,” he said. “I don’t do so
well in crowds.”

Rock didn’t buy his excuse. “Oh, come on,
man. We’re going to be working together now; let’s go get something to eat. Get
to know each other.”

“Seriously,” Zac said. “I appreciate it,
but maybe another time.”

“Okay,” Rock said. “Suit yourself.” They
began walking back to the main level of the office. “It’s probably best anyway.
If you’re going to be doing the training exercise tomorrow, I’d go home and get
some rest. You’re going to need it.”

Emilee had a stunned look on her face.
“Dr. Ryger’s going to make him do the training observation?” She looked at Zac
with concern in her eyes. “But he’s already experienced a time leap. Shouldn’t
that be enough?”

“Guess not. The Doc wants everyone to go
through the same training. Even
his own
son.”

“You’re not going to take him, are you?”
she asked.

“No. Bryce said he will.”

“Good,” Emilee said. “I don’t know how
Bryce is able to do this so many times, but I remember what happened to you
after the first time you went. It changed you.”

“I think that’s the point,” Rock said. He
patted Zac on the shoulder, the same one he injected the needle into, and Zac
winced. “Good luck tomorrow, man. Let me know how it goes.”

Zac sat in front of the television, eating
some popcorn and putting his feet up on the coffee table, something his dad
always hated.
Back to the Future
was on, the scene where Marty McFly
meets his dad as a teenager in the 1955 diner. He laughed to himself. Tomorrow,
he would be travelling to someplace in the past himself, only he’d be using
some glowing platform and a handheld device instead of a DeLorean.

The DeLorean would be cooler, he thought.
Who wouldn’t want to drive a car where the doors opened by spreading up like an
eagle’s wings?

His dad walked in the room, and Zac
quickly took his feet off the coffee table. “You know, I always loved this
movie,” he said.

“Imagine that,” Zac said, tossing another
handful of popcorn into his mouth. “I bet you love how Rock calls you ‘Doc,’
too.”

“Actually,” his dad said, smiling, “I kind
of do.
Makes me feel like Doc Brown in the movie.
Only
I think I have better hair.”

Zac laughed and offered his dad some
popcorn. They never really sat down like this anymore. Zac could tell something
was bothering him.

“You know, Zac, I never meant to lie to
you about anything.”

“Then why did you?” Zac asked. “I wish you
and Bryce just told me the truth the other night.”

Dr. Ryger looked down at the carpet. “You
weren’t supposed to hear what we talked about,” he said. “But for what it’s
worth, I’m sorry. I don’t want my own son thinking I don’t care about him.
That’s why this is so hard for me.”

“What is?”

“Letting you join the program. Zac, I
don’t feel comfortable with you doing this.”

Zac sat up and set the bowl of popcorn
aside. “What do you mean? You’re just going to tell me I can’t go now?”

“No,” his dad said, “not at all. But I’m
hesitant.” He breathed deep and looked at Zac. “Son, time travel isn’t a game
or a playground.”

“I know,” Zac
said,
irritation in his voice. “I’m not stupid.” He rolled his eyes.

“I never said you were. What I mean is…”
He paused to gather his thoughts. “What I mean is that time travel is
dangerous. You can die if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s like going
into a foreign land. If you’re not ready—”

“I understand,” Zac said. “Rock told me
about it. I’ll be careful.”

“Rock told you? What did he say?”

Zac shrugged.
“Nothing.
He just said that someone has already died doing this.”

His dad nodded. “And I’ve never forgiven
myself. It was the last time I went back in time myself. I wish I could fix
things, but I was careless.”

“What happened?” Zac asked, reaching down
for the television remote. He muted the TV.

“It doesn’t matter right now,” Dr. Ryger
said. “I think he’s forgiven me. Luckily, Rock’s a nice kid. He knew that he
and his brother were taking a big risk by volunteering for the program.”

“His brother?
But
he didn’t say anything about that.”

Dr. Ryger smiled. “He probably wouldn’t.
He’s got a pure heart. I’m sure he didn’t say anything because he doesn’t want
you to have a tainted image of me. But I was at fault. We were observing an
event, and I wanted to get closer to what was happening. Rock’s brother got
killed while using TEMPUS.” He stared off into space, thinking.

“So you’ve used it, too?”

“Only a couple of times,” Dr. Ryger
replied. “Because of the tremendous amount of energy used when a person travels
through the wormhole, it can wreak havoc on the traveler’s body. That’s why
I’ve enlisted younger people in the program. Their body can handle it better.”

A long silence hung in the air. Zac was at
a loss of what to say about Rock’s brother.

“I guess I just don’t want to see the same
thing happen to you,” he said. “I couldn’t bear to lose you too. You’re all
I’ve got left.”

Zac stared at the television screen,
avoiding eye contact with his dad. He knew what his dad was referring to, and
he didn’t want to think about it and start tearing up.

“I know what you’re thinking, Zac,” he
said. “I think I know why you want to do this, deep down.” Zac looked up and
met his gaze. “And you can’t do it. It won’t work. You can’t save her and bring
her back.”

Zac looked away. He was careful not to say
anything or even hint at it. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but deep down
he wondered if maybe, just maybe, if he could learn to use the technology well
enough, he could change things.

“Why not?”
Zac
asked, his voice cracking with sadness.

“It doesn’t work that way,” his dad said.
“It’s against the rules. You can’t change things. We talked about this.”

“But who made the rules?” Zac said.
“You?
If it’s your time machine or whatever, then why can’t
you do what you want with it?”

“Son, I told you,” he said, speaking
quietly to counter Zac’s rising tension, “
there
are
natural laws that govern time. I know it’s not easy to accept. I had trouble
accepting it. But we can’t bring your mom back.”

Zac turned to look at him, his eyes now
red with tears. “Did you ever try?”

Dr. Ryger was silent. After a moment, he
spoke. “No,” he said.

“Then how do you know it’s not possible?”

“I just know.”

“Bull.” Zac shook his head. His dad didn’t
try because he was afraid. But Zac wasn’t. If he could, he’d go back in time
and confront the killer, stopping him. All he needed to do was find out where
and when it took place. His dad never talked about it and refused to put the
death date on the gravestone. “Did Mom know about your secret project? Or did
you lie to her, too?”

“I worked on TEMPUS
after
she
died,” his dad said. “And don’t think for a minute that I don’t want her back.
I miss her every day I wake up. I miss coming home to see her, and I miss
telling her about my day. But things have changed; we have to accept what’s
happened in the past.” He sighed. “Some things are just meant to be.”

Anger rose inside Zac.
“How
can you just say that? ‘
Some things are just meant to be’? So you’re
saying that Mom is just
meant
to be dead?”

“Maybe.
I don’t
know.”

Zac got up off the couch and stood. “I
refuse to believe that. And you know what? If I can find a way to go back and
save her, I’ll do it. And nothing, not even you, can stop me.”

Dr. Ryger sighed. “Okay, Zac. But I’m
telling you, you can’t change the past. It’s already happened and done.”

“We’ll see about that,” Zac said.
He went to his room and slammed the door.
Meant to be dead.
How stupid was that? He turned off the light and threw himself on the bed. All
he had to do was find out what date his mom died, and he could fix everything.
He just had to think.

He was too young to remember it all. All
he could recall was a man in the crowd coming up to him and grabbing him, and
then there was a struggle and yelling, and the next thing he knew, his mom was
dead. The man who killed her had to have gotten away.

When he had his chance, Zac would make
sure that if he couldn’t save his mom, he could at least bring the killer to
justice.

The next day, Zac and Bryce stood inside
the underground room, facing the crystal-clear glass door.

“You think you’re ready?” Bryce asked.

Zac shook his head. “No,” he said. “But I
guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Do we go now?” He took a step toward the
platform.

“Wait a minute,” he said. “We need someone
to run the program, to set the coordinates.” He looked down the hallway and
called out to someone. “Chen!”

A guy with black, buzzed hair came down
the hallway. He had on a red college t-shirt and blue jeans that were faded and
torn. He looked slightly older than Bryce and Rock, probably in graduate school.

“Yeah?” he said, but stopped when he saw
Zac.
“Oh, hey.
Nice to meet you.
Sorry I wasn’t here yesterday. I had class.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Zac said. “Are
Emilee and Rock here?”

“Not this early,” Chen said. “Usually they
come in later. I’m always up early because I have a class at seven.
Might as well get an early start.
I was just working on the
system.”

“We need you to set the parameters for the
training leap.”

Chen’s face grew serious. “Oh,” he said.
“Dr. Ryger’s still making him do it?”

“Apparently,” Bryce said.

“You guys are making me nervous,” Zac
said. “What’s the big deal about where we’re going?”

“Um, it’s not so much the
where
as
the
when
,” Chen said. “But I’m sure Bryce can explain it to you when
you’re there. I’ll set it up so you have some time to talk for a little while.”

“Not too long,” Bryce said. “And you’re
going to have to put us in the middle of the city, but just try to make it in
an open place.”

“Will do,” Chen said, offering a
thumbs-up. “Let me go back to the computer and get it ready. Just give me two
minutes, and you can do your thing.”

“Thanks,” Bryce said, and they watched him
walk down the hall. He turned to Zac. “Okay, before we do this, I have to
reiterate the rules with you.”

“I already know,” Zac said, “we can’t
change anything, right?”

“True,” Bryce said, standing back as the
glass door gently swung open with a hissing sound. The blue pentagon grew
brighter and started to hum. “Whenever possible, you never go alone. That’s why
I’m going with you now.”

“Is my dad going to be here?” Zac said.

“Not today,” Bryce said. “He pretty much
runs things upstairs. We’ll be fine. And here’s the most important thing: if
you ever are in a place in your own past where you might see yourself, you
must
avoid your past self at all costs. That way, you can’t give yourself any
information or warnings or anything. It could cause a wound in time, but we
wouldn’t know it.”

“Got it,” Zac said, taking a deep breath.
Bryce swept his arm and motioned for Zac to walk onto the platform. He was
really going to do this; he was going to travel through time. His heart pounded
in excitement. He couldn’t wait to get there and look around, see the sights
and find out what was so mysterious about this training exercise. It was
probably just some joke to scare him. His dad probably put them up to it to
discourage him from going.

He smiled, stepped on, and Bryce followed.
The door closed behind them.

“Here’s the Wand,” Bryce said, handing it
to him. He pulled out his own Wand, identical to the one Zac held. Bryce
pointed to the row of lights on the side. “These lights here tell you if it’s
working. They’re on a sort of timer. The power in them can’t last forever, so
make sure the lights don’t go out.”

The look on Zac’s face grew serious. “What
happens if the lights go out?”

Bryce stared straight ahead. “Just don’t
let them. And don’t lose your Wand. No one else should be able to use it, but
we don’t know for sure, since the one you have let
you
activate it
somehow.”

“Got it,” Zac said, squaring his
shoulders. “How do we get back?”

Bryce pointed to the top where he was
placing his thumb. “Same way we leave. Pressing it opens the wormhole and
allows us to travel through. Pressing it again re-opens the wormhole and brings
us back to the origin.
Right here.”

“Okay,” Zac said, full of excitement.
“Just tell me when.”

“In a minute.
One
thing: don’t press it to return back here until I tell you to. Ready?”

“Ready!” The machine hummed.

Bryce closed his eyes. “Go!”

Simultaneously, Zac and Bryce pressed down
on their devices. Zac felt the floor vibrate under him, and his whole body
seemed to feel as if waves were pulsating against him. A deafening sound filled
his ears, and everything blurred.

As quickly as it had started, it was over.
Zac didn’t feel the effects as badly as he had the last time. He stumbled a
bit, and was quickly pushed by a passerby on the sidewalk.

All around him was a sea of people, moving
down the sidewalk like mice through a maze. Zac looked to his left and saw
Bryce standing against a building.

“We’re here,” Bryce said.