Time Redux by Dawn Cunningham
Sequel to Time Changes - someone wrote a comment on my Time Changes story asking why I didn't write this portion, and I can't believe I didn't think of it either. So here it is plus a little bit more... More proof that feedback helps!
This is a Planet of the Apes/Highlander crossover story. You don't really need to read Time Matters before you read this, but it may help. I think I've included enough details about both shows to understand this story. You must have read Time Changes before reading this
Note: I know my dates don't quite jive with the tv show. At the time I wrote my first story for Planet of the Apes, I didn't quite have them right based on the opening sequence. Since this is a sequel, I'm sticking with my original dates. I thought they left earth in 1988 instead of 1980. That would have made Richie only 6 when Virdon and Burke blasted off into space. And I based my time line on when the spaceship clock stopped but time kept going and they crashed in June 3086. Since I set the last story in April 3086, that was wrong. This really doesn't affect this story but I wanted to clarify in case someone wondered. I also blatantly stole the reason for how apes evolved from the original movies.
Many thanks to KippyVee for beta reading for me. Any mistakes are mine and mine alone since I keep adding things to the story.
Feedback is important!
* HL * HL * HL * HL * HL * HL
January 10, 2002. Seacouver, Washington.
Alan Virdon parked his rental car and stared at the building's address. He dug an amulet out of his shirt pocket and looked at it, then back at the building. He couldn't understand why he was hesitating. He must have done this. If he hadn't, he wouldn't be here. The amulet was supposed to contain the information that the man inside would use over the next thousand years to prepare a spaceship to return not only Alan, but his fellow astronaut, Pete Virdon, and the chimpanzee Galen to the current time.
It made his head hurt trying to think about it. Somehow he and Pete had gone into the future, and then back to the past. To make matters worse, Pete would somehow manage to save Richie Ryan's life in this time line. Just how Pete saved the life of a guy who was already immortal was beyond him. Should he tell Pete about it? If Richie Ryan wasn't alive in the future, he wouldn't have been around to save Pete's life when he got appendicitis. Which would mean Pete would be dead now.
And if that wasn't enough to make anyone's mind spin in circles, he and Pete could inadvertently do something and change their future. Which might change the fact that they returned. But if they didn't return, then how could they change something? Alan pushed those thoughts away before he drove himself crazy.
He was planning on meeting up with his fellow astronaut in a few days in Denver. Maybe he would discuss this whole time paradox issue with him. And maybe he should tell Pete of his destiny.
But that was something to worry about later. Now he just had to fulfill his own destiny.
He got out of his car, and crossed the street. For a moment he was flustered when he realized there were individual apartments. He hadn't been given an apartment number. Then he saw the names under the row of mailboxes. He found A. Pierson under apartment 3B. There were no doorbells so he tried the door and found it open. A staircase and two doors were in the lobby. One was marked 1A and the other was 1B. There was no elevator, so he started up the stairs.
Reaching the apartment, he rang the bell on the door. A few moments later the door was opened by a tall, dark haired man.
"May I help you?" Pierson asked.
Alan swallowed heavily. This whole immortal thing was kind of freaky. The man looked the same as he had a thousand years in the future. He took a deep breath, realizing that he had to convince this man that he would save them in the future.
"You don't know me... well, at least not yet. But I know you. My name is Alan Virdon, and I've brought a message for you. Can I come in?"
Pierson looked suspicious but finally let him into the apartment. "What do you mean, 'you know me'?"
"I know you are an Immortal. And about a thousand years from now you will help me and my friends come back to this time."
Pierson looked like he was regretting letting him into the apartment. "I think you have me confused with someone else. I'd like you to leave, now."
"You gave me this," Alan said, holding up the amulet.
Pierson grabbed it. "Where did you get this?" he asked sharply.
"Like I said... you gave it to me a thousand years in the future. You told me it had a secret compartment and only you would know how to access it. There are supposed to be instructions inside it on what you need to do before we meet again."
Pierson slowly turned the amulet over and over while he pondered that comment. Finally, he went over to an cabinet on a far wall. He opened the door, and pulling out a small drawer, he reached in and took out something. He returned to Alan and held up both items.
They were identical.
"Have a seat," Pierson said. "Would you like a beer? I think we have a lot to discuss."
"Sure," Alan replied, settling into a nearby chair.
Pierson returned from the kitchen and handed a bottle to Alan. He settled on the couch, stretching out his long legs across the cushions. "So, explain this whole 'thousand years from now'. Are you one of those... what did you call them?... an Immortal?"
"You know I'm not. According to the first Immortal we met, all Immortals can sense each other."
"Who was that?"
"I don't think I should mention names. But, he's the one who told us all about Immortals."
"When did you meet this so-called Immortal?"
"Over a thousand years from now. He saved Pete's life when he developed appendicitis. While Pete was recuperating, another Immortal came along and challenged him to a swordfight. We all saw the light show when our friend beheaded him. He had to tell us the truth."
"I'm still confused. How did you meet me a thousand years from now?"
"Surely, you've seen all the media blitz about me, Pete and Galen."
Pierson looked at him blankly. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure what you are talking about. Who are Pete and Galen? Are you someone important?"
"Pete Burke? The talking chimpanzee, Galen? Our spaceship returning? We were all over the news... talk shows... you name it."
"Oh... I remember... about a year ago. Sorry, I don't watch television very often. You're one of the astronauts that landed on another planet that was run by apes. That still doesn't explain how you got an amulet that looks just like mine."
"That was the 'official' truth... the one the government wanted. The real truth was that we crashed here on earth, over a thousand years into the future. We went through some kind of time warp. There had been a nuclear holocaust, leaving the world totally changed. Apes were in charge, and most apes believed humans were incapable of being intelligent. In fact, even suggesting humans could be intelligent could get you killed. We were hunted by the gorillas because we knew that humans had once been in charge."
"How did the holocaust start?"
"We never found out. Obviously, you Immortals were there but none of you were forthcoming about the cause of it."
"How many of these Immortals did you meet?"
"Counting you, five. Or six if you count the one who was beheaded. We really didn't get to 'meet' him."
"And you met me?"
"Yes. You gave me the amulet with instructions to meet you here on this date and bring it back to you. You wrote yourself instructions, in an archaic language - Etruscan, I think - and put it in a secret compartment. You said you would know how to access it."
Pierson looked down at the amulets. Finally, he set one down and started manipulating the other one. Suddenly, a piece popped out. Inside there was a thin sheet of paper rolled up tightly. He carefully removed it, unrolled it, and studied it.
Alan tried to see what was written without being obvious about it. It almost looked like Greek letters but that was all he could tell. "Can you read it?" he finally asked.
"Hmmm... yes, very interesting."
"Just how old are you?"
"Old enough to be able to read this. And I'm supposed to do all this?" he waved the paper in his hand.
"If you don't we might not be able to return to this time. It could have far-reaching consequences. For instance, the Immortal who saved Pete's life by removing his appendix became seriously ill when Pete fell in love and decided to stay in that time line. Duncan..." Alan stopped himself as he realized he had given away a name that he shouldn't have.
"Duncan? You mean Duncan Macleod?"
"Yes. Anyway, he was really worried about how sick his Immortal friend was. I think he was afraid his friend would actually die if Pete didn't come back to this time."
"Why would an Immortal get sick because of that?"
"You see, somehow Pete saved the Immortal in this time period. If we didn't come back, this Immortal would be dead now so we couldn't meet him in the future. Once Pete changed his mind, the Immortal got well."
"The old time paradox issue... what would happen if you went back in the past and killed your grandfather before your father was born. Therefore, you wouldn't have been born and you couldn't go back in time to kill your grandfather. Interesting."
"And who knows what would happen to the world then."
"It would still be interesting to find out. There have always been people theorizing about what would happen."
"I would prefer not to find out. Anyway, I hope I've said and done enough to convince you," Alan said, as he stood up. "I can't force you to follow those instructions. But if you don't, who knows what the consequences will be... to us... to you... to this world. I think it's time for me to go. I can't really give you any more details, and the last thing I want to do is possibly change my future."
Pierson rose as well. "Or for that matter, change my future, since apparently I will impact yours. Thank you for the message."
"No, thank you. Because of your efforts I got back to my wife and kids. There was no greater gift you could have given me."
Pierson nodded, then Alan turned away and opened the door. He didn't look back. He just went down the stairs and out the front door. Hopefully, he'd done enough to fulfill his destiny. He still felt fine. The world hadn't changed. So, maybe everything was still on track.
* HL * HL * HL * HL * HL * HL
Methos studied the message for several hours, writing out the translation several times to be sure he had it right. He had no idea how he was supposed to do the things in the letter. It also mentioned MacLeod's name. He's the one who should have saved the world. He was the boy scout.
He was already over five thousand years old. And apparently, he would live for at least another thousand years. So would MacLeod. He was glad to know that the younger man would survive, but he wasn't so sure he want to live another millennia. And who knew what horrors they would have to face. A nuclear holocaust. Just the thought was horrific.
How was he supposed to live with this knowledge? To constantly worry that if he did something wrong, that the world would change forever. And which of MacLeod's Immortal friends would be near death? The man had way too many Immortal friends, and apparently that wouldn't change in the future. Which of them could survive a nuclear holocaust? Surely not his current protégé, Ryan. There was no way that youngster would survive a nuclear holocaust. And even if he did, Ryan wasn't a doctor. No, it had to be another one of MacLeod's friends. Should he warn MacLeod about what the future would hold? No, according to his instructions, he had to draw MacLeod to him by using telepathy.
Telepathy? Who was he kidding? Where did he even start? And why did he have to do this on his own?
Why didn't he leave himself more information?
Well, the first step was to start gathering information that he would need. And then, maybe, he'd try dropping some hints to Duncan MacLeod to be sure he would still be alive when he was needed.
* HL * HL * HL * HL * HL * HL
Duncan MacLeod parked outside of Adam Pierson's apartment. It had been almost a week since he or Joe had seen or heard from Methos. As he climbed the stairs, he felt the touch of another Immortal. Hopefully, it was his friend, and not an enemy.
He rang the doorbell, then stepped back, ready to draw his katana if needed.
The door opened. "Duncan MacLeod, of the Clan MacLeod. Mi casa es su casa."
Duncan sighed. "Can't you say 'hello' or 'come in' like anyone else?"
"But I'm not anyone else."
"That's for sure," Duncan mumbled as he entered the apartment. "What have you been up to? Joe may go out of business if you stop drinking there."
"Oh, just doing a little research." Methos waved toward a stack of books piled on the coffee table.
Duncan went over and looked through the titles. Telepathy. Psychic powers. Chemical engineering. Aeronautics. Astronomy. "What are you looking for?"
Methos shrugged. "I'm thinking about going back to school... maybe become a rocket scientist."
Duncan stared at his friend in disbelief. "Rocket scientist? Are you crazy?"
"Maybe. But we have to keep learning. I've spent so much time learning about the past that it's time to start learning about the future."
"That's going to take a long time," Duncan pointed out.
"I have the time," Methos said.
"Unless someone takes your head."
"True, but I think I'll chance it," he said with a smirk. "It wouldn't hurt you to learn new things, MacLeod. Even in your short life, look how the world has changed. Think about what it will be like a thousand years from now. You have to be prepared for whatever may come."
"I agree. But what's up with the telepathy and psychic powers stuff?"
"You never know... maybe the way we sense each other is part of the whole psychic package. I thought it would be interesting doing a little research on that."
"So, what started all of this..." Duncan waved toward the books, "...research? Did something happen?"
"I'll tell you all about it sometime in the future," Methos replied, giving him an enigmatic look.
Duncan knew Methos was hiding something, but he had no idea what. And he knew better than to try to out-think the older Immortal.
* HL * HL * HL * HL * HL * HL
A few days later, Denver.
Pete Burke let himself into his hotel room. It had been several months since he'd seen Alan, and he couldn't wait to reconnect with his friend. It would be interesting to see how his reunion with his wife and kids had gone. While they'd only been gone for a little over a year in their life, it had been over twelve years in his family's life. His son would be practically grown now.
It would have been nice to have Galen here as well, but they still were not allowing him to do much traveling on his own. He quickly unpacked, then went to the phone and called Alan's room. A few minutes later, he was headed down the hallway.
When Alan opened his hotel door, Pete greeted him with a hug. For over a year, they had been in each other's company almost the whole time. And now it had been four months since they had seen each other.
"It's so good to see you," Alan said, waving Pete into the room. He pointed to the bar area. "Help yourself," he said before returning to his seat by the window and his own drink.
"How are you doing?" Pete asked as he poured himself a Scotch.
Alan shrugged. "It's been a rough transition back into this life."
Pete sighed. "I agree. Life is sure different now. I can't believe how much has changed in just a dozen years. How did it go with your family?"
"It wasn't easy. It's been too many years. Chris is still distant, but my wife and I are working through things."
"Do you regret coming back," Pete asked.
"No! They are still my family. We will get through this." Alan took a quick swallow of his drink. "Do you regret it?"
Pete thought about it for a while as he stared out the window. "I don't miss sleeping on the ground, the cold baths, the being chased... but I felt more... alive, there."
"Yeah. Sally and I are even talking about going back to a simpler life. Getting a cabin somewhere and trying to live off the land."
Pete raised his eyebrows at that. "Not sure I'd be willing to go back to doing that. I do like my comforts."
"And the ladies I bet," Alan said with a smile. "As a returning hero, I bet they are just flocking to your side."
Pete shrugged. "A few of them... but... well... none of them are like Manda."
"You know she lives in this time period as well. Maybe you could meet up with her."
Pete grinned. "I thought about it. Especially when I met a young Immortal by the name of Richie Ryan a few months ago. He must know her."
"Richie? You met Richie in this time line?"
"Yep."
"Do you remember when he got so sick?" Alan asked. "Then suddenly got well?"
"Yep. I finally figured out why. You see I thought I was just stopping a mugging in the park. Instead it was Hunters after Richie. They had shot him and had an ax. They were just about to cut off his head when I interrupted them. If I had stayed with Manda, I wouldn't have been there to stop them. He wouldn't have been alive in the future. Once I decided to continue on he got better."
"I wondered how you were going to save his life. I was going to tell you that you had a destiny to fulfill at this meeting. I figured it out and asked Connor about it. He didn't deny it, so I figured I had it right. I had a destiny to fulfill as well. Adam Pierson gave me an amulet to bring back to the past. It apparently contained instructions for him so that he would have the spaceship ready for us in the future."
"Whoa... so if you didn't do that, he wouldn't have had the spaceship, and we wouldn't have been able to come back..."
"And if we didn't come back, Richie would be dead. You would be dead."
"Stop!" Pete exclaimed. "My head hurts!"
"Have another Scotch and forget about it. After tonight, I don't want to think about this anymore."
"I agree. It's time to forget about this." Pete went back to the bar and poured another drink for both of them. He carried them back to the chairs and passed one to Alan.
"To destiny," he said.
"To destiny," Alan replied, clinking his glass against Pete's.
The End. (for sure this time!)