Time Falls Away: A Meet the Robinson and Incredibles Fanfiction
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of Disney/Pixar. I do not own them but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.
Rating: This story is rated K
Chapter 1
June 6, 2039, 5:47 pm
"So I was thinking we could go camping or something, you know? Kick off the summer with something fun." Wilbur Robinson sat on the work bench in his father's lab, casually tossing a wrench between his hands. Three days into summer vacation and he was already bored. Chargeball was off season till August and most of his friends were either away on family trips or working part-time jobs. It was going to be a long summer if Wilbur didn't find something to occupy his time.
Cornelius pulled his head out from underneath his Experimental Prototype Quantum Teleportation Device and glanced up at his fifteen-year-old son with a grin. "May I have that?" he asked, gesturing to the tool in the boy's hand.
"Oh yeah, sure." Wilbur handed his dad the wrench then absently picked up a screwdriver. Cornelius chuckled and went back to work.
"A camping trip, huh?" He tightened a few bolts on the machine. "You know I'd love to, Wil, but these next few weeks are going to be pretty busy over at Robinson Industries. We've got three debuts scheduled, plus press conferences, and the President is going to be visiting –"
"I know." Wilbur cut him off and hopped down from the work bench. He stuck his head under the E.P.Q.T.D. to look at his dad with a hopeful grin. "Which is why I didn't exactly mean you."
Cornelius knew that tone of voice. He also knew the glint in his son's eyes and suddenly realized that he probably didn't want to know exactly what his son was plotting. He pulled himself out from under the machine and gave his son his full attention. "Alright, what exactly did you mean?"
"That is an excellent question!"
"Wilbur…"
"Okay! Okay! So I was kind of thinking that since you're so busy and all right now that maybe you and I could go camping sometime when you're not so busy. Say… 2009?"
Cornelius sighed, "You want to use the time machine."
"Please! You know it'll be fun! Besides, Lewis and I haven't hung out in like, three months."
The elder Robinson crossed his arms and settled his son with a stern look. "Mhmm, the last time being when you took the time machine without permission and dragged Lewis to Ancient Greece where you nearly laid waste to the Parthenon."
Wilbur rubbed the back of his neck in shame. "Um… yeah, heh. Consider it a gesture of goodwill that I'm actually asking permission this time?" he asked sheepishly.
Cornelius chuckled. He had to admit, that trip had been fun. Unfortunately, he hadn't known anything about it until Wilbur was already gone. Time travel was funny that way. Although he could now remember all the details of the trips his younger self had made with his son, until his son actually went back in time and altered the past to be that way, he had no idea what would happen; hence his hesitance to allow such time traveling expeditions.
"I don't know Wilbur. It's dangerous."
"Aw, come on Dad! I promise I won't use the time machine to go anywhere else. And I won't bring any 2039 technology to the past with me. I'll go straight to June 6, 2009, stay for a few days and come straight back to June 10, 2039, keeping things linear and all."
'Linear' was the term they used to refer to maintaining age consistency during time travel. In other words, if you spent four days time traveling you should try to come back to the present four days after you left. Although technically a person could spend years time traveling and then return to precisely the moment he left, this would cause a severe age discrepancy. For example, a twenty-year-old returning where a fifteen-year-old had just left would disrupt the time stream. And while a few days didn't make a huge difference, Cornelius insisted upon maintaining linearity whenever possible.
Cornelius smiled, realizing that his son had thought this through pretty well. But there were still too many unknowns. "What if you're seen?"
"We'll be camping. Besides, even if we do run into anyone, it's a lot easier for me to blend in the past where I don't exist yet than it was for Lewis to blend in here, where you do. I've certainly managed it before. I don't even think Mom's realized yet that it was me who help her pick up all of her frogs at the science fair."
"That's true." Cornelius rubbed his chin, considering. "What if one of you gets hurt?"
"I'll bring a first aid kit. Both of us are certified in CPR and First Aid."
"What if both of you get hurt?"
"We'll be careful, Dad. No crazy stunts. Just camping, maybe a little fishing, and hiking on intermediate trails only."
Cornelius was running out of excuses. His son had really planned this out. On the one hand, there were still a lot of unknowns. On the other, he wanted to let his son have these experiences. He had to admit, their time together in the past as friends had brought them closer together in the present as father and son. He knew that his job kept him away from home more often than he would like. Wilbur's adventures with Lewis always gave them something to talk about when he was home. Even if he was busy in his lab, he and Wilbur could spend hours chatting while he worked.
Thinking about work, Cornelius leaned back underneath the E.P.Q.T.D. and made a few more adjustments. Wilbur poked his head beneath the machine again. "Does that mean yes?"
Cornelius kept working while he spoke. "Not just yet. Let me think for a moment. 2009… that was the year… hmm… Oh yeah, that was the year Mom and Dad went on their 10th anniversary vacation to the Alps."
"They went on vacation without you?"
"It wasn't a big deal. I had a symposium that summer so I was pretty busy. Besides, what teenager wants to go along on his parents' anniversary vacation?"
Wilbur thought that over for a moment and then grimaced. "Point taken. But hey, that means I don't have to worry about avoiding Grandma and Grandpa. So I can go, right?"
Cornelius pulled himself out from under the machine, once more and laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "Not so fast, mister. I'm not sure it's the best time. I was extremely busy getting ready for the symposium."
"All the more reason for you to take your own vacation and spend a few days out in the open air with your favorite son and best friend, Wilbur Robinson. Come on, Dad. If I know Lewis, he hasn't been out of his lab in days and he's eaten nothing but frozen TV dinners and boxed macaroni and cheese. I know he just graduated college but he is still a kid. He needs me. Without me, he'll end up spending the best years of his life acting like an adult."
Cornelius had to laugh at that. The kid had him pegged there. Thinking back, the only glimpses he'd had of the outside world that summer were during his trips to and from the symposium. And his meals, when he did remember to eat, hardly classified as sustenance. He had to admit, it would have been nice to have someone show up and remind him to act his age.
"Alright, son. You can go."
"Yes!" Wilbur jumped up and would've sprinted to the nearest travel tube had he not been stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"Just a moment." Cornelius said. "I want to do a tune up on the time machine before you go. And you need to let your mother know that you're leaving."
Time falls away but these small hours, these small hours still remain
June 6, 2039, 7:04 pm
"All done." Cornelius slid out from under the red time machine and stood up to close the hood before turning to face his wife.
"I'm still not sure it's a good idea. He's bound to get into trouble."
"He'll be fine, Franny. He'll be with me."
"Mhmm, an absent-minded fourteen-year-old you. I remember how you were in those days."
Cornelius laughed. "Not that summer. I remember, you were twelve and your whole family spent the summer in Europe. I holed myself up in my lab till Mom and Dad came back from the Alps. Wilbur's right. I needed someone to drag me out of there. Who better than my best friend?"
Franny frowned and crossed her arms. "He may be Lewis' best friend, but he's your son."
Cornelius wiped the grease off his hands and then pulled his wife into an embrace. "Just think of it as a bonding experience. He and I will have a lot to talk about when he gets home."
"All set!" Wilbur exclaimed as he dropped into the garage. He was carrying a large backpack filled with camping supplies. Cornelius glanced over the bag.
"Nothing in there that won't have been invented yet?"
"Nope! We're going totally old school. Gonna put up the tent by hand and everything."
"What about food?" Franny asked.
"I've got my birthday money from Nonna Framagucci. We'll go shopping in the morning before we head out. I've already made a shopping list."
"Just how long have you been planning this trip?" Cornelius wondered.
Wilbur smiled. "A few days."
"And you knew I'd say yes?"
"I hoped you would."
"Alright, boys. Let's get you going before the sun sets. I'd rather not have you flying in the dark." Franny ushered her son towards the time machine. "The sooner you go, the sooner you'll be home safe and sound where I can keep an eye on you for the rest of the summer."
"Mom!" Wilbur groaned as he lifted his backpack into the back seat of the time machine but he allowed her to pull him close into a hug. He even hugged her back and whispered, "Love you, Mom."
"I love you, too, Sweetheart. Just be careful and stay out of trouble."
"I will." Wilbur felt his father's arms around him next and groaned again. "Dad, I'm gonna see you in a few minutes."
Cornelius laughed. "I know. Now, don't forget our agreement. No side trips with the time machine. Just there and back. We expect you home for dinner on the tenth."
"Got it, Dad. I promise." Wilbur turned to get into the time machine.
"One more thing." Cornelius added as his son was fastening his seatbelt. He waited for Wilbur to look at him and smiled. "Have fun."
Wilbur grinned. "Thanks, Dad. See you in the past." He closed the top and started the engine while his Dad opened the door in the roof. With a final wave to his parents, Wilbur flew the time machine out of the garage and into the sky above Todayland.
The sun was just beginning to set, painting the world in gold as Wilbur entered the correct date and time into the console. Then, with a burst of speed, the time machine was engulfed in bubbles and vanished into the atmosphere.
Time falls away but these small hours, these small hours still remain
June 6, 2009, 7:32 pm
Wilbur knew something was wrong the moment the bubbles faded and the time machine was left in darkness. It didn't make sense. He'd programmed the machine to take him exactly 30 years into the past; same day, same time, down to the minute. It should have still been evening, but he couldn't see a thing.
Suddenly, a bright flash lit up the sky. The lightening illuminated the dark clouds which blocked out any lingering sunlight. Wilbur's eyes widened as he realized that he'd arrived right in the middle of a thunderstorm. He needed to land quickly. These were not ideal flying conditions.
"Woah!" Wilbur gripped the wheel tightly as a strong gust of wind threatened to overturn the time machine. "Okay, I need to get out of this." He glanced outside, trying to get his bearings and find a safe landing site, but in between the flashes of lightening, he couldn't see a thing.
Thunder crashed loudly about him, making it difficult to focus and another gust of wind tested his control. He kept flying, not sure where he was going as the clouds opened up into a torrential downpour, obscuring his vision even more. "This is bad! This is really, really bad!"
The time machine shook violently and Wilbur suddenly wished he'd never left home, or at least bothered to check what the weather would be like upon his arrival. He knew he should try to land but, unable to see, he feared crashing into a lake or a building. He had no idea where he was or how far he'd flown off course. The sensors on the machine were going haywire with all the electricity in the air. Even the compass was out of control, spinning around randomly in both directions.
"Think, Wilbur Robinson! Think!" but his thoughts were cut off as a bolt of lightning struck the time machine. He was protected from electrocution by the machine's insulated interior, but the engine wasn't so lucky. The dashboard blacked out and the machine started to fall.
Wilbur held tight to the wheel hoping to guide the machine into a glide and thus lessen the force of impact. It was useless though. He knew he was going to crash… any moment now.
In another flash of lightening, he saw the ground rising up to meet him and then… nothing.