Lost in time Chapter 1

[Ed Man]

Where Am I
Chapter 1

Josh looked around he was in the same place but the body was gone and something wasn’t right. “Sarah do you read me? Hello Sarah come in please.” The com was silent. Josh turned the door to the control room was closed. Josh opened the door as to see a man with a armband like the one the dead man had at the controls. “Don’t mash another button or touch the armband I want some answers! But your hands up and turn around slowly.”
The man turned and spoke in a broken earth tongue reaching for the armband. Josh shook his head no as he pointed the rifle at him and motion for him to put his hands up.
The man slowly raised his hands as Josh heard Sarah. “This is your computer in your backpack I was interfaced with the scanner when we jumped. We are in the same place but a different time. Take your PDA and show the man some pictures and get him to say what they are and I’ll try to form a translation.”

Josh showed the man the pictures and named a few till the man caught on and started talking. After about 10 minutes of naming pictures Sarah replied. “Let’s try again I’ll translate.”
[Josh] “As him who the dead man was in the access corridor that had a armband like his.”
The man looked like he wanted to cry after hearing the question. [Sarah] “Scan him I think he is the man.”
Josh scanned him as Sarah replied. “It’s him we must be in the past before he was killed.”
[Josh] “Tell him what happened to me and ask what he is doing here.”
After a few minutes Sarah replied. “He’s here to set the self destruct and leave. Whoever killed him must be waiting on the outside to ambush him. He explained that the internal sensors stopped the self destruct after scanning the structure and finding his body in the passageway. He has the access codes to enter the structure they must have shot him as he was stepping out of the door and he shut it keeping them out and giving him the time to reset the armband but dieing before he was able to jump.”

[Josh] “Good that explains how we got here but how do we get back to our time?”
Sarah talked with the Man for several minutes and said. “The time machine will only allow him to jump within his life span. He said he would try and help you to get back to your own time but he has to talk to his superior and he will ask the council they work for which is governed by the Ancients.”
Josh under stood the word thank you as he shook the mans hand and said thanks.

[Sarah] “He want to know if you are a warrior?” [Josh] “Tell him only if I need to be.”
The man smiled at the reply and said good.
[Josh] “Try and find out some back ground on his group and there goal. And find out if we can jump out of here.”
[Sarah] “Unable to access any data from inside the structure. The armband has the ability to jump us out but the owner doesn’t or will not try. I have complete diagram now of the structure the systems are shut down and there is a way out through the main water pipe. It opens at the bottom of the hill.”
[Josh] “Tell him we can escape through the pipes.”
[Sarah] “He said the pipes have been changed for security reasons.”
[Josh] “Well I guess we fight then. Ask him why did they let him inside and how was he going to escape?”
Josh was starting to pick up on some of the language it was a mix languages some he had heard before and knew what they meant but they were just a few out of each sentence.
[Sarah] “A ally in there cause turned a wild animal loose near the enemy while they were watching it he slipped in.”
[Josh] “Why didn’t they just shoot them and do there job?”
[Sarah] “His group doesn’t believe in killing. He said that this is the last air making structure and it must be destroyed.” [Josh] “This may be a dumb question but why?”
[Sarah] “He said that about fifty years ago they had a war with a race the lived on the other side of the planet. They were a Reptilian Race and wanted to turn our planet into a hot jungle.
A war broke out and bombs were dropped spewing dust up into the atmosphere killing of most of the plant life as the whole planet went into a winter chill. The only areas that would support life were near the equator. The Ancient one that made this world placed 24 of these structures around the planet to clean it up and when it was clean they were to be destroyed. It took ten years for the planet to recover and now there is a group that want to keep this one intact. There goal is to finish off the Reptile Race and built a dome around the structure to live in till the planet recovers from the final war.
Our government has refused to destroy the structure for the same reason. They may need it someday.
The armband is from the Ancient One he wants the structure destroyed. I took it from my twin brother who was killed and I only know how to move back or forward 10 minutes at a time. But I do know how to start the self destruct to destroy the structure.”

[Josh] “Set down and don’t touch the armband I need to think about everything you just told me.”
Sarah translated and the man sat down as Josh thought; [I don’t want to shoot my way out for all I know I should shoot him or stop him.] “Sarah we need to find a way out of here can we dig out of move something shoot a window give me some options.”
[Sarah] “There are air inlets on every side of the structure ¾ of the way up. The Structure is shaped similar to a pyramid once out side you could slide down the outside wall and escape. The structure has catwalks inside I can take the drone and remove a cleaning door by the air vent and break out the vented rock meteral with the pry bars inside the locker rooms.”
[Josh] “Good do it but try to be as quite as you can we don’t want the guards to hear. How long can we set the self destruct for?”
[Sarah] “Two hours is the upper limit.”
[Josh] “Break through the wall and give me a video of the outside so we can plan out escape route. Ask our friend about the surroundings and which way we should go when were clear.”
[Sarah] “He said there are two small airships hid on the other side of the ridge strait ahead through the woods. They came in that way because the guards only watch the door to keep trespassers from messing with the doors access panel. The Ancient gave his brother the code and they repeated it together to help his brother remember it.”
[Josh] “Ask if there is room for us in the ships?”
[Sarah] “Yes we can all fit in one ship but if his friend is still there the ships will handle better if the drone rides with his friend and you with him.”
[Josh] “I don’t like splitting up but we can. What are we going to do when we’re clear we need a place to stay till we figure out what to do.”
[Sarah] “He said we can stay with him but we need to stay hid.”
[Josh] “Tell him thanks and we will. Now go and get it done we need to be out of here and gone before daylight.”
[Sarah] “Are we going to destroy the structure?”
[Josh] “We need a friend and he’s it so yes. If I find out later it was a mistake can we build another?”
[Sarah] “Yes. It will take about 30 minutes to do everything I’ll store the rock in the back of the air duck.”

As Sarah broke through the wall and sent Josh video of the outside showing it was just as the man had said. They had three more hours of darkness to get out and away from the area. Josh and the man had already climbed to the top with all there gear as Sarah removed the last peace.
[Josh] “Sarah tell our friend he need to go down with me and let you set the self destruct and meet us in the woods. Tell him we need to work together to get out of here alive and you’re the fastest using that drone.
I’ll set up at the wood line with my rifle till I see you’re clear.”
Josh looked at the man he didn’t like the ideal but agreed as the two slid down the structure. The drone had already set the timer and was sliding down the structure and hit the ground as Josh and the man reached the wood line. The drone was across the feld and in the wood line and picking up their gear as the Man looked back at the structure one last time and headed for the ships.
As they got to the ships they were small air driven ships that could seat four and some gear. Josh noticed the ships had ID numbers on them. [Josh] “Are this numbers registered to eather of you?”
[Sarah] “He said they are forged and the color is temporary.”
[Josh] “Good lets get as far away from here as we can.”
Josh stored his rifle and gear in the cargo space behind the rear seat. The drone and scanner was able to squeeze into the cargo space in the other vehicle with the mans friend. The man put some night vision goggles and away they went flying low to stay of the radar. Josh could only trust the man flying to know what he was doing. After about thirty minutes of hugging the ground Josh seen some lights up ahead from a small town. The two air vehicles eased through the town as now they had assigned flight paths to travel as they started to gain air speed and altitude till they reached flight lane much like a space lane. Josh could see a hud screen showing ships on the same path. Josh pulled his PDA out and asked. “What do you call these vehicles?”
The man looked at the PDA and smiled as he said. “Gliders”
[Josh] “My name is Josh what is your name?” The man replied. “Josh my name is Mensch.”
Sarah had accessed a data stream and was gathering information while Josh was glad just to be able to ask the man what his name was as he looked over some of the data.
They had been flying for over two hours when they started descending into a small town. Mensch landed the glider by a old building and eased the glider under a covering pulled out a small device mashed a button on it and a door opened as he parked the glider inside what looked to be a garage. There was a extra glider sitting inside the garage. The other man parked his glider under the covering. The building had privacy fence around it so no one seen the drone as it went into te building.
The two men were watching and searching for any news of the structure.
Sarah told Josh through his earpeace. “There is a dead man in the back of that other glider.”
[Josh] “Mensch what did you do with your brothers body?”
[Mensch] “I hid him in a cooler in the back. He’s body is in the back of my glider I was going to take him back to our home and bury him.”
A news flash came across the monitor showing a figure with a blurred image of a man going into the structure and two hours later it was destroyed.
The two men were happy untill they saw a enlarged picture of Mensch going into the structure. The two were getting very upset as Mensch sat and rocked back and forth in a chair saying what can I do!

Josh spoke up. “They never seen you leave so your dead as far as they know. Where I came from I was a security specialist and there not looking for the man that went into the structure there looking for his collaborators that’s you Mensch. So you need to die. [A strange look came across there faces.]
Not you of course but you can use your brothers body to stage your fake death.”

[Mensch] “Tell me more.” [Josh] “Your brothers body will have to be burned up in a accident. Do you have a problem with that?” [Mensch] “No but what about me and my life.”
[Josh] “Your old life is over with you’ll have to start a new one. Can we hide out at your friends place till things cool down?” [His friend agreed to let them stay as long as they needed.]
[Josh] “What were you going to do with the two gliders?”
[Mensch] “Clean the coloring off of them and go home.”
[Josh] “Sarah how easy is it to get some cash here?”
[Sarah] “I can hack any of there systems and get any amount you need or with a little currency I can trade stocks and make the amount.”
[Josh] “Borrow some funds and trade and repay the loan stilling is still stilling no matter where we are. Mensch which glider is yours?”
[Mensch] “The clean one is mine. The painted one we came in was my brothers and the other one belongs to my friend Dan.”
[Josh] “Can we all ride in his glider back to his place with no problem?” [Mensch] “Yes no problem.”
[Josh] “What’s in the drums?” [Mensch] “Fuel for the gliders.”
[Josh] “Let’s get the glider in here and get it cleaned up and fuelled up. Mensch your glider will have to stay here and get burned up with your brothers. We’ll make it look like you were cleaning the paint off your glider and this lamp fell over and started a fire killing you. That’s where your brothers body comes in to replace yours. We’ll strap his chest tite with a belt and a rope holding him up beside this counter. We’ll tie the frount of the belt with a rag so as the rag burns into his chest will expand taking in flames making it look like he was burnt to death.”
[Mensch] “You known a lot about how to cover your tracks how do I know you won’t just kill us?”
[Josh] “First off I’m not a killer I just want to get back to my home and time and to do that I need to get us out of this mess were in. I’ll help you start a new life later all I can do is give you my word if I wanted to kill you do you think you would still be alive?”
[Mensch] “Let’s get started then tell us what to do.”

Josh set the seen like a director of a play as they hurried about setting up the final act.
Mensch had placed hie ID on his brother the body was in place the gliders were ready everything was in place and the excape glider was loaded and fuelled up. Mensch under stood that he couldn’t go anywhere untill he had a new face and ID. Dan had agreed to let them stay for as long as they needed.
Josh had Sarah take the drone in for a final check as Josh turned on the light and jumped into the glider and off they went. The light would melt a peace of ice holding the lamp in place letting it fall down and break the bulb setting the fuel on fire and burninng the place down.

They took off and had made it a ways off when they seen the building explode into a ball of fire. The building was on the outskirts of the town away from everyone and easy to see from the sky.
Mensch looked back at the building as a tear ran down his face.
Josh placed his hand on his shoulder and just gave a sympathetic smile knowing Mensch had just lost everything he owned and the life he had.

They flew for a few more hours before reaching the town Dan lived in. Dan pulled the glider into a garage and closed the door. Dan’s house was the perfect place to hide with a full basement below ground and out of sight. His parents had built it during the war as a shelter with all the comforts of home. Dan’s parents were dead and he was a only child and inherited there home and small town glider dealership.

Sarah had already accessed the internet system and hacked a bank setting up an account and loan and had started trading before they woke up the next day.
Josh and Mensch were to stay inside and out of sight and Dan was to carry on as normal.
Josh used the time to learn from Mensch all there customs and language. Sarah was trading online to build up some cash to buy materials to build a small crude power unit and constructor to make a better one.

Dan and Mensch had befriended Josh and were like kids as each part was made for the makeshift units.
Josh explained every part as best he could to the two as they listened half the time not knowing what was going on trying to grasp as much of the advanced technology as they could.

[Josh] “Mensch why is space exploration not allowed? I know you have satellites and observatorys why does the government ban it?”
[Mensch] “The same one that made the structure we destroyed has banned space travel.”
Josh wasn’t sure about how his new friends felt about space travel and decided to take it one step at a time and not to shake the boat and make waves he could build a ship later when he was out on his own.
Josh returned to work as the drone handed him a circuit board with some components on it they needed to finish the units.
The power unit was about finished and they were waiting on one more part to arive and the constructor unit would be ready. The first things Josh was going to make was better units. The makeshift units would only work at 1% efficiency making them very slow and would take over two weeks to make all the parts needed for the new units. So the units were being built in a separate room downstairs so the drone could keep them in production around the clock untill the new units were built.

The plan was to build one more drone and the medical equipment needed to give Mensch a new ID.
Josh had already setup a ID for himself using his own name and Mensch was going to be his only living relative. Bank accounts had been made in a nother town and when the time was right they would be transferred to a bank where ever they decided to start out at.

[collins50]

Very good,

How long will it take Josh to get back ?

[Ed Man]

I havn't made my mind up but he will be there for a while.
And I read your last story post keep up the good work I was woundering where you were.
Thanks for your replies.