Without a Trace
By: Alissa Matsumoto
September 20, 2008
Jack Force, senior class president at Oliver High, the most expensive private school in New York, entered through the front doors of the school. The crowd of students mingling in the hallway parted as Jack made his way down the hallway towards his locker. Everyone was dressed in their usual; thousand dollar outfits that they were bound to only wear once. No one in the school dared not to wear expensive clothing; they didn't want to get looked down upon by their fellow students.
Mimi Force, Jack's twin sister and most popular girl in the entire school, spotted him. Her wavy, bleach blond hair bounded as she strode towards him.
"Hi Jack. Where were you last night?" She asked him in her high-pitched voice. She gazed at his emerald green eyes with her own, aquamarine eyes.
"I was helping dad at work last night," he answered, slipping his hands in to his seven hundred dollar jeans.
"You should have called me. I was waiting for you. I needed help with math." She said
"Again?" He asked, brushing his straight golden hair out of his face with his cold, pale hand.
"You know I'm not good at calculus," she said, flipping her silky bangs off of her lightly tanned face. She played with her diamond necklace her father gave her after she begged and pleaded with him.
"Why don't you try paying attention in class?" He said, looking up and rolling his eyes.
"Ugg, you're so mean!" She said, hitting his arm and storming off towards her locker.
Jack paid no attention to his sister. Instead, his eyes were locked on Schuyler Van Allen. He fingered a present he had for her in his pocket. He planned to give her the present at lunch today.
Tomorrow was her birthday, but he would be helping his father at his company, TTR. TTR, Transportation and Technology Research, was the biggest company in the world. Jack's father, the director of the company, was planning on creating a solar-powered car and needed Jack's help.
Jack continued to gaze at Schuyler. Her straight, black hair fell to her waist in pigtails and her green eyes sparkled in the sun that streamed through the bay window of the massive hallway.
Jack and Schuyler's eyes met. Jack smiled at her. Her pale cheeks turned a deep rose color. She quickly turned away and went back to whatever she was doing, occasionally sneaking glances at Jack.
The first bell of the day rang, warning students that they had only five minutes left to get to class. Students bustled around, heading to their lockers and classes. Jack slung his heavy backpack over his shoulder and headed to his biology class.
As he entered the laboratory, the teacher welcomed him. Jack strolled to his desk next to the window, happy that Mimi was not in this class. He was getting sick of her annoyingly sweet voice. No matter how much she complained she could not get into this class with him. Only the smartest seniors were allowed in this class.
The final bell rang and the students who were in the hallway sprinted to their classes, hoping to not get marked late. As the last students hustled into class, the morning announcements blared through the speakers. Jack fiddled with the high-tech watch he had made for himself, checking the day's weather and reading his e-mails while the principal droned on and on through the loud speaker.
When the announcements ended, the teacher cleared her throat and started her lesson on the structure and function of viruses.
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When the lunch bell finally rang, Jack gathered his books and hurried out of the classroom. He eagerly scanned the hallway for Schuyler. He spotted her outside the window sitting under the shade of a willow tree near the river. He made sure he still had her present in his pocket and strolled outside.
"Schuyler," he said as he approached her. She looked up to see who had called her name.
"Oh, hi Jack," she said quietly, blood rushing to her cheeks. Jack sat down next to her in the carpet of lush green grass. The river made sloshing sounds as its waves crashed into rocks.
"It's a nice day, huh?" Jack said, sighing and gazing at the clear sky. Schuyler nodded and also looked up at the sky.
Jack grabbed Schuyler's hand and slipped a blue velvet box into it. She opened it and gasped.
"It's beautiful," she whispered, holding up the silver necklace encrusted with a diamond heart.
"Happy birthday," he whispered in her ear. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Jack!" Mimi called from behind, startling them both.
"What?" Jack asked, turning around.
"Oh hi Schuyler," Mimi said, "Jack, Want to sit with me, for lunch today?"
"I'm going to sit with Schuyler today," he answered, smiling at Schuyler.
"But we always sit together!" Mimi whined. Jack ignored her.
"Jack…" Schuyler started, "You can sit with Mimi. I'll be fine."
"See? She even says it's ok," Mimi said, pulling Jack to his feet.
"No," Jack said, twisting out of Mimi's grip.
"Ooh" Mimi said, suddenly fascinated by Schuyler's necklace, "Where'd you get this?" She asked Schuyler.
"Jack gave it to me," Schuyler said softly, her voice almost a whisper.
"Jack gave it to you?" Mimi sneered in disbelief "Hey, you never gave me a pretty necklace." She said to Jack, "I like it can I have it?" she snatched the necklace out of Schuyler's hands.
"Give it back to her," Jack said, standing up and balling his fits.
"No. I want it." Mimi said trotting away. Jack ran after her. He grabbed Mimi's shoulders, stopping her from running.
"Give, me necklace," Jack said, anger apparent in his words. He wondered when his sister had become so bratty.
"No." Mimi said, "If I can't have it neither can Schuyler." She turned around and threw it into the flowing river.
"Mimi!" Jack screamed, scowling at her and running after the necklace.
"Idiot," Mimi muttered under her breath. She turned and walked back into school, flipping her hair of her shoulder and sticking her nose high up in the air. The necklace fell into the water and started to sink to the bottom.
"Jack!" Schuyler gasped, horrified, as he plunged into the river after the necklace. Jack swam against the mighty current of the river, fighting to retrieve the necklace for Schuyler.
"It's ok Jack! You don't have to get the necklace! Come back!" Schuyler cried. Jack ignored Schuyler and continued his search. The strong current of the river was pushing him back.
Jack soon realized the he couldn't fight the river any longer. He was running out of air and the current was pushing him underwater. He struggled to swim to the shore, but the current was too strong; it kept on pushing him under. His constant fighting the current drained his energy quickly. He soon found himself drowning. He tried to breathe but instead of air entering his lungs, He swallowed the salty, cold water of the river.
Suddenly the current got stronger, pulling Jack underwater for the last time.
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January 13, 2020.
"Today's date is January 13, year twenty-twenty…" Said a mechanical voice.
The sound blared through the lifeless city.
Jack opened his eyes slowly. His head felt like it was going to explode. He carefully sat up and coughed up salty water. He was on dry land but he was soaked. He slowly stood up. His soggy clothes stuck to them. He felt terrible.
"Twenty twenty?" he asked himself. There was no one around to hear him. "Now how did I end up here?" He checked his watch. It read September 20, 2008. Time travel? He thought.
Jack rubbed his eyes and looked around him. He was still in New York; he could tell by the sight smog and garbage smell. He shook out his wet hair, causing little droplets of water to splash on the hard concrete around him.
There was no one in sight. This was unusual, especially for New York. Usually the city was bustling with life. Jack just assumed the city was always like this in 2020. He stretched out his arms, causing his joints to crack. He started to walk towards the city. It was a long walk from where he woke up. He wasn't exactly sure where he was. The road he took to reach the city was not made of the usual concrete. It was made of a smooth, hard metal that Jack couldn't identify.
By the time he reached the city, he still hadn't run into anybody. Jack noticed that the buildings that towered over him were different. They were all silver and the window were electronic screens of some sort. There were robots cleaning the outside of the buildings and 3-D hologram advertisements.
Amazed by the new technology, Jack wandered around the silent city. He wasn't paying much attention to where he was going. He tripped over something and fell to the ground. The impact of his body hitting the hard, metal street was the only sound in the whole city.
Jack pulled himself to his feet and turned to see what he trip over. He shrieked when he looked down. The noise echoed through the empty streets. At his feet was a dead body. It was a little girl, maybe ten or so. Her face was twisted into an ugly expression and her whole body was stiff. It looked as if she had turned to stone. Her body was a cool grey and her body was starting to crack and crumble.
Jack felt as if he was going to vomit. He looked around him for some thing to take his mind off of the body, but the whole street ahead of him was littered with corpses. There were even animals among the dead bodies. They all seemed to have had died the same way as the little girl. Their bodies were also turned grey and crumbling. Jack took a deep breath and walked into the nearest building, hoping to find a place to rest. It wasn't any better inside. Petrified bodies were scattered everywhere on the white tile floor. Jack quickly walked over to what he assumed was the elevator. As he entered the elevator, the lights inside flickered on.
"Where would you like to go? Please say a command," said a robotic female voice the moment Jack stepped in the elevator. A hologram screen appeared in front of him, showing what was on each level. On the top floor was TTR headquarters. Jack was mesmerized by the advanced technology of 2020.
"Top floor," said Jack, feeling as if he was talking to himself.
"Processing request…" said the voice, "one moment please. Would you like to listen to music wile you wait?"
"No" replied Jack. He really never liked music.
"Would you like to see today's news?" asked the voice.
"Yes," he replied, he wanted to know what had happened to everybody. Everyone was dead in the city except for him. The hologram screen flickered and a picture of what Jack thought was a nano machine appeared. Above was the tile "New nano machine virus—SVAD kills millions". Below the picture was a brief summary of the disease Jack scanned the article, trying to find out what had happened to everyone:
SVAD is actually a highly contagious artificial virus created from special nano machines. The nano machines enter your body through open wounds and create a powerful chemical reaction. Once infected, a person will get a slight fever and feel dizzy. After these first few symptoms, fingers and toes will turn to stone. The virus will then spread up the limbs and circulation will be lost. Slowly the person's body will turn to stone the heart is the last organ to be infected, causing the infected person to go through a slow and painful death. SVAD was originally created in 2015, by scientist and head of TTR, Jack Force.
Jack reread the last sentence many times, always stumbling over the name at the end. He couldn't believe he had murdered everyone. He couldn't think of anything that would drive him to do this. He didn't even know he could create a virus that was so advanced. How could he do such a thing?
Jack decided that he must set this right. No one deserved to die because of him. He had to find the river and somehow get to year 2015 so he could stop himself. How? He didn't know yet.
"Floor 301," said the voice. The elevator shook a little while it halted at the top floor. The glass door slid open and Jack step out. He was in an immense lobby-like room. The floor was covered in a dark red carpet and the walls were made of glass. Jack walked over to a wall and peered out the window. He scanned the city for the river. He spotted a sliver of it in between two tall sky scrapers that almost looked like the world trade centers, just more "futuristic". They looked more modern somehow. Jack memorized the way to get to the river and headed back to the elevator. The room was empty, he originally came looking for clues of what had happened but he had found the answer in the elevator.
Jack hurried into the glass elevator and said, "Main lobby." The elevator shook lightly and descended back down to the first floor. Jack pondered over the fact that he had killed everyone. No matter how many times he told himself he did, he just couldn't believe that he could come to do something so terrible. It was almost as crazy as the fact that he was going to time travel and save the world from himself. He wondered what he'd look like in the future…
The elevator shook and the glass doors opened. Jack rushed out of them and back into the streets. Nothing had changed. The metal street was still littered with petrified bodies. He walked quickly in the direction he had seen the river, hoping to leave this awful place as quick as possible.
When he reached the river, he recognized the stump that he assumed was the remains willow tree he and Schuyler sat under just a while ago, no—twelve years ago. He sighed, remembering what it was like to be back in the past. What had Schuyler done when he disappeared in the river? Was she waiting for him? He had to get back as soon as possible.
He dove in to the flowing river just as he had done before but this time he was prepared for the strength of the current. He took a deep breath and plunged underwater. He waited for something to happen. He let the current carry him down the river. Just like before, suddenly the current got stronger. It felt as if he was getting sucked into a whirlpool. The water surrounding him seemed to be crushing his body. Jack closed his eyes and waited for the turmoil to end.
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May 5, 2015
The slight spring breeze rustled the leaves and brought Jack back in to consciousness. He opened his eyes. He was not underwater anymore. He was sprawled out on a patch of vibrant green grass.
He pulled himself up quickly and ran into the city. It didn't look much different from the city in 2020. Most of the buildings were the same. He figured that technology couldn't really advance much when all the people were dead. He ran to the same building he was in before. The streets were not made of metal yet and they were not covered with dead people.
Jack sprinted into the elevator, which was not made of glass yet.
"Floor 301," He said in a rush. Then he noticed that there was a touch screen with buttons. The elevator did not respond to his command. Laughed at himself and tapped the screen to go to the top floor. The elevator seemed so slow compared to the one in 2020. It took almost five minutes to reach his destination.
When the elevator dinged and the metal doors slid open, he rushed out and in o the lobby of the TTR headquarters. The walls were still made of glass, but the room was duller. Everything was white. The floor, the counters, the TV's, even the outfit of the secretary at the desk in the middle.
Jack walked up to the counter and asked were Jack force was. It seemed weird asking for himself, but the secretary didn't know who he was. When the secretary asked for his name and if he had an appointment, he used the alias of Jake Force, Jack Force's cousin. The secretary said he was in laboratory five and directed him down a long white hallway.
Jack found his way to the door of the fifth laboratory. A robotic voice similar to the on in the 2020 elevator asked:
"Please state your full name,"
"Jack William Force," he answered softly making sure no one had heard him.
"Please scan finger print" said the voice. A scanner popped out of a small hidden door in the wall in front of him. He placed his finger on the scanner and waited for the compute to process the fingerprint.
"Access granted." The voice finally said. The white metal door creaked and opened slowly. Jack entered the room cautiously.
"…You killed her. You don't deserve to live," said a silky male voice.
"I didn't kill her! She killed her self," said a squeaky female voice.
"Because you told her I was dead!" screamed the male voice.
"Who's dead?" Jack asked. Both figures turned to look at him. He recognized the female to be Mimi. She still looked young but she was taller and had a deeper tan than before. He figured the male to be him. His hair was mess and a darker brown, almost a dirty blond color. His eyes had turned to more of a dull grey than the vibrant green that they used to be. Also he looked like he was constantly under tons pf stress. There was a hysterical look in his eyes. He seemed like the evil scientist type.
"Who are you?" They both asked in unison.
"I'm… You," Jack said, looking at his older self.
"Stop playing games with me tell me who you really are," Jack's older self said. Mimi just stared at Jack in disbelief.
"I'm not lying." Jack said.
"Well who ever you are, leave, now. I have business I have to attend to," said the future Jack
"Tell me who is dead then I'll leave," Jack lied.
"Schuyler Van Allen," Mimi scoffed, as if the saying the name burned her tongue, "she committed suicide."
Jack's knees gave out. He collapsed to the floor. He couldn't believe Schuyler was dead. Now he knew why he created the virus: to kill who ever murdered Schuyler. It must have spread by accident and killed everyone.
"No, she didn't commit suicide. You killed her," the Jack of the future shouted at Mimi. Jack just sat there on the ground stunned at the news that Schuyler was dead. Was it really Mimi's fault? If it was she did deserve to die, Jack thought. He curled his hand in to fists.
"And now you will pay…" muttered the future Jack, picking up a syringe filled with a clear liquid. Jack figured that must have been the SVAD. He knew he need to stop the other Jack but he didn't know how. He didn't even know if he could stand up. His legs felt numb.
"Run!" He shouted at Mimi. But she didn't budge. He was in shock to find out that her twin brother would actually try to kill her. Tear streamed down her cheeks as the future Jack walked towards her. He grabbed her arm with one hand and took the syringe in the other. Still she didn't run away. She just looked at him, tears streaming out of her eyes, as he was about to stick the needle in to the crease at the inside of her elbow.
Jack sprang up and snatched the syringe from himself. He wasn't thinking straight. He needed to find a way to destroy the virus once and for all so it didn't spread. He panicked as the other Jack tried to retrieve the needle from him. Severally tables and chairs were knocked down as they fought over the virus.
Knowing that it was his only choice, Jack pierced his skin with the needle and injected the virus into himself. He didn't know was would happen. He could die, or he could still end up alive somehow. Either way, Jack didn't care. All he wanted was happiness and peace for the future, Even if he had to die to make it happen.
"No!" the other Jack cried. Jack waited for his body to turn to stone. A large dose of the virus would surly make him die faster. He looked down. Instead of turning to stone, his body was disappearing. He was amazed as his body glowed and seemed to evaporate into the air. His body felt numb. He felt no pain at all.
"Stop!" Screamed the other Jack; he panicked as his body disappeared too. He let out a shriek and shot an angry glare at the younger Jack.
"No," sobbed Mimi, she couldn't believe what just happened.
"Goodbye," Jack said closing his eyes as the last of his body disappeared.
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