Max Headroom
Love in Time
Theora sat at a table in The Fresh Start with Edison, and Murray. Edison seemed a bit put off and Theora knew why. He had suggested dinner at the restaurant where her brother worked, claiming that he wanted to see how Shawn was doing. Theora suspected he was trying to lure her on a date and had snuffed out that idea by suggesting that Murray come along as well. She had also tried to invite Bryce, but Edison was firmly against it. If they couldn't have a date, they could at least go out drinking afterward.
As they sat waiting for Shawn to return with their orders, a man who Theora guessed was in his upper thirties walked over to their table. She figured he was too old to be an autograph hound. She wondered what he was there for.
"Edison Carter," the man said. He had a self-assured voice, one that sounded used to dealing with celebrity. Theora wondered if he was an agent from another network, trying to lure Edison away from Network 23.
"Yes, I'm Edison Carter," Edison replied, questioningly. "What can I do for you?"
"You're doing a program tomorrow night regarding the new Zik Zak megaplex," the man said simply. "Cancel it."
He didn't wait for Edison's answer, instead turning to Theora.
"It's good to see you again, Theo'," He told her, going to sit at another table before she could respond.
"Do you know that guy?" Edison asked her.
Theora shook her head. "Never saw him before."
"I wonder why he wants us to cancel tomorrow's show," Murray pondered.
"Well, he's going to be disappointed," Edison said. "I see no reason not to go ahead. If he can't give me a reason, then that's just what I'm going to do."
Theora saw that the man must've been eavesdropping because he shook his head a little sadly before taking a sip of his coffee. Annoyed at this, she went over to his table.
"I know it's not polite to eavesdrop, Theo'," he said, motioning for her to sit down.
Theora declined the offer and remained standing.
"Suit yourself," the man said, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Why do you want Edison to cancel the megaplex show?" Theora asked.
"It's a long story," he replied. "Please, sit down."
With a sigh, Theora sat across from him. "Go on…"
"Are you familiar with Zlin?"
"Yes," Theora replied. "They're Zik Zak's major competitor."
"Zik Zak's only competitor," he corrected her. "There is an agent from Zlin in the city. It's his claim that the megaplex Zik Zak has built is partly on Zlin property."
"And…" Theora prompted.
"Let's just say that they intend to rectify the matter."
"With explosives?" Theora guessed.
He nodded. "I didn't come to stop that, it's too late. The charges are built into the building and cannot be turned off. But I wanted to save Edison if I could."
"We have to warn…." Theora began, but her new friend cut her off.
"Theora, nobody will believe you. And even if they did, that would be worse, it would look like Network 23 staged the explosion for ratings."
"So we just let it happen," Theora exclaimed, her raised voice attracting Edison's attention.
"Let what happened?" Edison asked, joining them.
"He says the new Zik Zak megaplex has been rigged with explosives," Theora said.
"They're not detectable by standard search procedures," the man added.
"Then how is it that you know about it?"
"I was there when the blast went off."
"You expect me to believe that you're a time traveler?" Edison scoffed.
"No, I don't," was the answer. "But it's true all the same."
"But if you are a time traveler, then why not just go back to before the building was made and stop the explosives from being put in in the first place?"
"Many sociological and technological advances arose from the ensuing conflict. As well as advances in medical science. We would lose all that if I stopped the war from happening."
"Then why come back at all?" Edison asked.
"Just to save your neck, Edison. I worked out that our situation could be greatly improved by your being there with us. Even if it does mean I lose Theo to you."
"You're my future boyfriend?" Theora asked, skeptically.
"No. Husband."
"Just who are you?" Edison inquired.
The alleged time traveller looked into Edison's eyes for a long moment, then replied. "Take a moment to think about it, then guess."
Then he stood up and left the restaurant.
Edison and Theora returned to their table where Murray had been waiting patiently.
"What did he want?" Murray asked.
"Just some guy with a fantastical tale looking for an ear to tell it in," Edison remarked.
"Then you're going ahead with the story," Theora said. "What if he was telling the truth?"
"Come on, Theora," Edison said. "You don't really believe all that hullabaloo about time travel."
"No," Theora said. "I think that part was an embellishment. But that doesn't mean the part about the explosives isn't real. Maybe he was part of it and wants to repent?"
"He didn't look like the type of guy that Zlin or Zik Zak would hire," Edison remarked. "They tend to be a bit more Polynesian. But whoever he really is, I am doing tomorrow's show."
"This is Edison Carter," the said the next evening on a TV screen in a corner of the Fringes. "coming to you live and direct at the grand opening of the Zik Zak Know-Mega."
"Well, I tried," the man sighed. He walked away, not wanting to see the carnage a second time. He headed for Caligula's instead and quietly lost himself in the nightly crowd.
At Network 23 Murray and Theora were watching Edison with great interest. Theora had told Murray the man's story. He had sat up half the night wrestling with whether or not to cancel the show. In the end Edison had convinced him that the man was just a crazy attention seeker and they had elected to go ahead with it.
"And now the moment we've all been waiting for," Edison said, "as Zik Zak Vice President Kyoko turns on the lights of the new megaplex."
Kyoko flipped the switch.
Instead of a dazzling display of neon and fluorescents, there was a terrible loud explosion. Theora and Murray saw something fly towards the camera, then the connection was lost.
"Edison!" they both shouted.
Theora's vu-phone lit up.
"Oh my god!" Bryce was shouting on the screen. "Theora, do you think Edison's all right?"
"I don't know, Bryce," Theora told him. "I need you to take over at my desk. I have to go find out."
"What about Murray?"
"I'm going, too," Murray told him. He disconnected Bryce then brought up the number for Chopper 7.
"Martinez," he said. A sudden thought occurred to him. "Can you see Edison?"
"I can't see a thing through all the smoke," the chopper jockey told him. "I'll pick you up if you want, but I warn you it's going to be a bitch getting through all that."
"We'll meet you on the helipad," Murray told him as Bryce hurried into the room and took Theora's place at her computer.
"Let me know as soon as you find out," he requested as they raced to the helipad.
Almost as soon as they'd landed, a motorcycle pulled up to them. It's rider took off his helmet, revealing himself to be the same man whose warning Edison had rejected.
"You should go back to Network 23," he warned them. "Trust me, you don't want to see it."
"I have to," Theora told him.
He sighed and patted his motorcycle, which Theora noticed had an old-fashioned sidecar.
"Murray can sit in the sidecar," he told her. "It will be faster and probably safer for you if I take you there."
"You still haven't told me your name," Theora said as she got onto the motorcycle seat behind him and fastened her arms around his waist. "Shouldn't a woman know the name of her future husband?"
"So, you believe me now?"
"I don't know why," Theora replied," but yes."
"Shame Edison didn't," he told her as they arrived at the site where Edison had last been.
"What do you do in the future?" Theora asked him.
"War correspondent," was the reply.
The first thing Theora noticed was most of Edison draped over a pile of broken cement. The second thing she noticed was his head, upper right side, and right arm lying amidst the rubble several yards away, the hand still locked around the remains of his vidicam.
Theora screamed and staggered off the bike, dropping to her knees to be violently sick.
Both Murray and their new acquaintance went to her side.
"Who are you?" Murray demanded. "And don't jerk us around. I want to know who you are and how you knew this was going to happen."
"I already told Theora and Edison where I came from and why."
"I don't believe in science fiction stories," Murray said.
"Fine. Then take me back to Network 23 and have them do a med-scan. I think you'll be surprised at the results."
"Well," Theora asked as Dr. Duncan studied the results of the man's med-scan.
"There must be something wrong with the scanner," Dr. Duncan told her.
"Why do you say that?" Murray asked.
"Because this guy is reading as Bryce Lynch."