TEMPUS CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
Science can lift people out of poverty and cure disease. That, in turn, will reduce civil unrest.
Stephen Hawking
“Cristian, Albert and I were talking, and we would like to learn how to fight?” Stephen said with a very serious look.
“I think that is a good idea, Stephen. I think everybody should. These are trying times.”
“I thought we would meet more resistance to the idea.”
“No, Stephen, we may be the last best hope for humanity. We are all important to the fight.”
“Thanks, Cristian.”
“Watcher, give them the information they need.”
“Everybody was kung-fu fighting, those cats were fast as lightning” sang the pocket watch.
“That’s funny.”
A few minutes later, the room was full of soldier-scientists. One at a time, they approached the weapon wall and armed themselves. From that moment on, everyone wore a sidearm.
“Lorelei, we have to leave again. We are going to meet my mother and I hope my father.”
“1 and 2 Attach the Ascalon to The Retribution. E1 load up and report to the ship.”
“On my Way.”
They arrived at the future and the planet was green again.
“Watcher take us into the cave. Lorelei full armour sweetie remember our last visit.”
“Right.”
“E1 stay inside and be ready”
“I am always ready, Cristian.”
“Cristian exited first, sword in hand.”
“I have a sword just like that. You won’t need that here Cristian” Said a tall Blond haired man.
“Last time we were here, this was a Lizards’ den and the planet was scorched.”
“Did you change that?”
“Appears so.”
“Is that when you picked up the Lizard ship and swords?”
“Actually two ships, I went back to interrogate one of the Lizards.”
“Interesting.”
“You don’t mind if we have a look around.”
“Not at all, Cristian.”
“Watcher any Lizards or deception?”
“No Cristian, the one you are speaking to is Raguel. He seems to be the donor of part of your DNA.”
“Raguel or should I call you Father, what is the status of the Earth?”
“There is a worldwide plague that is killing many right now.”
“Great we save it from scorching now the Lizards are releasing disease.”
“Are we safe in here?”
“You are safe, we have the cures for their diseases?”
“Is it safe for my wife and our baby?”
“You have a baby?”
“Yes, and you know my wife.”
“Raguel you are alive?”
“Yes Lorelei, you look wonderful, and you are with child.”
“Yes, I am carrying Cristian’s child. Where is Uriel?”
“Mary come in here bring the others. Uriel will be along soon, Lorelei.”
“Hello, Mother.”
“Cristian? How could you know?”
“Long story.”
“E1 come and meet the crowd and charge up.”
“On my way.”
“Cristian E2 and E3 are here. So are the M’s. Their weaponry is more advanced.”
“Good Watcher, I had hoped they were here.”
“So you were responsible for our protectors.”
“Actually I just drew the pictures, six of the people here plus Einstein and Hawking assembled them.”
“Watcher, is he linked to you?”
“Yes.”
“Update Raguel and the M’s. Get updates from them on this timeline and the specs on the new E series as well”
“Working on it.”
“Raguel how is the cafeteria?”
They all settled in for a meal and discussed many things. He told them about the attack and about the second version of themselves in the past. He told them about the Lizards and the scorched Earth. In the end, he ended up telling them the whole story, all the way back to when he found Watcher. All about Gold trading and Real Estate and Arthur and his Family. Then about the world wars that didn’t happen. He told them about the slaughter of the Jews Protestants and Serbs, The Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and every other conflict he could remember that didn’t happen. Climate Change, The polar ice caps, the polar bears. All of it didn’t happen, all due to some solar panels and batteries.
“And that is the whole story.”
“Incredible Cristian, Lorelei and all this in a few months of travelling.”
“Raguel we are not done, I plan to remove the infestation here on earth and destroying the Lizard homeworld before I am done.”
“I see. How will that make you different from them?”
“I am only finishing a fight they started, if I go back far enough I can save your world and all of your people.”
“I never considered that?”
“I brought you back something.”
“What did you bring, Cristian?”
“The Ascalon your ship renamed?”
“I thought you might have a need for her.”
“Actually Raguel, Uriel, I just had an idea that might save everybody. What if you were to travel back to the Lizard’s home world in their prehistoric era with altered DNA that would keep them from becoming who they are now?”
“That might work if we had some DNA to work with.”
“I have some? I have a Lizard hand in the Retribution. I will need the hand, but take a sample of the DNA. So why don’t you do that, go to their past and be the DNA-fixing Aliens that you are and save our planets.”
“We can try.”
“Good, we will go back and clean up their nest in case your part doesn’t work out. About the pandemic, how do we save the people of this timeline?”
“We can give you the vaccines to give to the scientists of the Alliance. We will give the time coordinates of patient Zero.”
“We will have to inoculate the both of you.”
“Raguel I need the cure for all the diseases of that timeline. The Lizard I interrogated mentioned a lot of them Ebola and EV-D38 and some others.”
“Take the cures to the CDC in Atlanta. Tell Dr. Freeman you know about the Colorado outbreak. That will make him pay attention.”
“Lorelei, we have a stop to make on the way out?”
“Raguel I will need some press id For Lorelei and myself from Time magazine should do it”
“I will get M1 to get it ready”
“How is that old boy?”
“See for yourself the M series are doing well.”
Out walked Alfred the butler and Harry Callahan. You two haven’t changed.”
“Cristian, you haven’t aged a day since our last meeting.”
“Who do you serve?”
“We serve the Alliance, Cristian. The scientists here are members of the Alliance.”
“I wondered where they came from.”
A familiar-looking cat wandered up and circled his leg. It was a calico with tabby markings. “That can’t be.”
“It is Cristian, a direct descendant from Cali and Deakes. That is a male Calico, very rare in your time. Cats are a rarity in this timeline at all.”
“What is his name 1?”
“Scooter.”
“Perfect name.” Scooter jumped right into his lap, sat down and purred as a mad cat does.
“We have 5 cats in the cave at the present moment.”
Cristian couldn’t imagine a world without cats.
After a visit with the cats, the time-travelling couple headed off to a past Atlanta, Georgia.