Here's the 2nd chapter which has suffered from massive revisions. I need to reach a point in writing where I can say 'ok, it's done' but haven't reached it yet. So much time invested for so little interst.
Oh, yeah, as some wag requested: I do not own TBBT and I do not profit from my writings nor do I entertain any such nonsense in the future.
Nya Nya.
Reparata
Chapter 2
Intervention
"Look! The blue thingy is back and – " Howard had found the next file and accessed it and Penny stated the obvious.
The blue vortex appeared, as did Sheldon. It was obvious that he was running as he darted out of the vortex and slammed into the wall and crumpled into a heap. This time the image of the vortex was accompanied by a buzzing sound that made Penny's skin crawl.
"What's that in his hand? It looks like a gun – "
He rolled over with his back against the door and pointed something nasty looking at the vortex. A bolt of bluish white plasma shot from it and the noise was like nothing any of them had ever heard before. It seemed to tear through their bodies and it was loud and the speakers on the laptop couldn't handle it.
Sheldon curled up in a little ball and pointed the thing that Penny thought looked like a TV remote control at the vortex and frantically keyed in data with a thumb.
An arm reached through the vortex and Sheldon fired his 'gun' again into the vortex with one hand and with the other, pointed the controller and this time it closed severing the arm. It fell to the concrete floor and the fingers twitched once and then stopped moving.
Leonard asked, "What's the time stamp on this image?"
"Um, this evening. About two hours ago. Try his cell phone. Wait! Don't! That thing in his hand? It's some kind of firearm. Maybe we should just let him come to us – after he calms down."
Howard reran the video file several times, the last in slow motion. They all noticed the same thing. Sheldon was wearing a rag-bag collection of clothing, carried a military-looking backpack and somehow his face was covered with several days of whiskers and he was badly in need of a haircut. And he was filthy.
Howard looked at his watch and uttered an expletive. "I forgot to pick up Bernadette from work. She's gonna kill me."
"I dropped Bernie off at your house, Howard, because you forgot to pick her up and then I came back here."
Penny seemed deep in thought while the others argued about the implications of what they'd seen.
"I really came over to see if Sheldon was here. I didn't mean to get wrapped up in some home made sci-fi video that you're all trying to prank me with just so Sheldon can get back at me for hollering at him."
She stood up and announced to the group that she 'had better things to do than wait for him to show up' and yell 'BAZINGA!'
She didn't return to her apartment but rather sat quietly on the stairs and waited for Sheldon.
CalTech
Office of Dr. Sheldon Cooper, PhD
Sheldon sat at his desk, a tattered spiral notebook lay open before him and he was transcribing notes into his laptop. The pulse pistol lay beside the notebook, ready to fire. The severed arm was in his mission pack.
Sheldon saw the date on his computer and his mind went blank for a moment and then he began to type almost furiously.
April 3, 2113
Transit #44 was a complete success. However, the world to which I'd transited was not another timeline or another alternate universe as I'd first hypothesized. I hesitate to record this for posterity but facts are facts and all data, even that which is personally embarrassing, must be recorded.
I was wrong.
It was the future. Eight years, three months and eleven days in the future. Note: Given today's date and the dates on the observation entries recorded in a spiral college-ruled notebook, it would appear that I spent 192 'days' in the future, returning two 'days' after departing. I am somewhat perplexed that my reentry date was off by so much. Theoretically, I should have reentered this time stream at the precise second I exited it.
This is interesting since Einstein's theory postulated no such lapse in time. Perhaps he was wrong but then if he was, then can anything he postulated be true? My stars! This could change the very way in which we look at the Universe!
"Focus." He said the words aloud. "Focus on the task at hand, Sheldon Cooper." There would be no time to investigate Einstein's apparent error if he did not accomplish his assigned task.
Upon arrival in the transit area, I immediately noted that the building from which I exited had been totally destroyed. I first posited an earthquake of some extraordinary magnitude but quickly revised my theory when several figures began moving in my general direction.
They were shooting at anything that moved.
The next few days were spent in hiding, moving only at night and suffering from thirst and hunger. There were no landmarks to guide me to some point of safety and I must admit to being totally lost – and afraid.
I was asleep when they found me. One moment I was asleep and the next, dragged to my feet and stripped of my messenger bag and transit control unit. I don't know what came over me but I fought back against my attackers but it was no use. Someone hit me from behind and I lost consciousness.
He was bone tired and figured that his transcription could wait. He was hungry and filthy and he wanted nothing more that to go home, take a shower and then eat and sleep without worrying about being rousted out because things were getting 'exciting' again.
Out of habit, he glanced at the Batman Chronometer on his wrist and cursed. He still looked for it even though he sacrificed its workings for the timer. Old habits die hard. His laptop displayed 2300 hours.
'Good. Everyone will be in bed and I can slip in unnoticed and then resume my normal day-to-day activities without drawing attention to myself. I have things to do that are more important than anything I might accomplish at CalTech.
It was confusing to him. He figured out that he was suffering from jet lag of sorts. He needed decent food, a shower and then a couple days' sleep before he'd tackle anything major in life. He had vacation and sick time accrued. He would just take a few personal days to finish transcribing his notes in the quiet of his apartment and then he'd begin his search.
The cab pulled up to his apartment building and Sheldon told the cabbie to 'wait here and I'll return with your money'. He left his University ID badge as collateral and hurried up the stairs. The cab driver opened up all the windows of his cab to air it out. The guy might be a University professor but he could use a bath.
Sheldon was not out of breath when he got to the top of the stair and that surprised him. Normally he would be huffing and puffing after just walking up the stairs but he'd run.
Penny had retreated to her apartment when the guys and Winkle left to get some beers at a bar down the street but left the door open so she could see 4A from her vantage point on the couch.
'Where the hell can he be? He's got no where else to go but here.'
Sheldon realized that somewhere along the way he'd lost his keys. He was just grateful that he'd left his University ID on his desk when he went down to what he called his 'transit room' or he would really be in trouble.
He thought about waking Penny to get the spare key but thought better of it.
'She's either out or entertaining someone or asleep and besides, she said she didn't ever want to see me again and I must respect her wishes.'
Knock, knock, knock, "Leonard?" He repeated his habitual triple set of 3-knock until his knuckles hurt and still no one answered the door.
"Here, Sheldon. I heard you knocking and I brought over the spare key. I think the guys went out somewhere but I'm not certain. Listen, can we talk?"
He gave a startled cry and threw himself backwards flat against the wall beside his apartment door.
"Have you been drinking espresso again, Sheldon?" He seemed nervous but it was more than that but...
He snatched the key from her hand and thrust it into the lock and opened the door and stepped inside and then turned and stated simply, "No," and closed and locked the door.
Penny was aghast at how dirty 'prissy' Sheldon was and how badly he needed a bath. His 'No' shook her to the core and she felt the pressure of impending tears build up in her sinuses and eyes. He'd never been deliberately rude or hurtful to her before. It hurt.
The door was suddenly opened again and Sheldon ran past her and down the stairs. Penny stood there, not knowing what else to do so she waited for him to come back upstairs. They would have their talk and she would apologize and beg for his help.
Sheldon handed the driver a $100 bill and told him to keep the change and use it to fumigate his cab. He apologized and the driver just nodded and sped away, windows still down.
He was dead on his feet but there was much to do before he could crawl into his bed. He walked up the stairs and saw Penny waiting at his open door and sighed.
"What do you want, Penny? Whatever it is, make it quick. Wait! 'Make it quick' in your apartment. Follow me."
Penny followed Sheldon into her apartment and then was shocked speechless when he went to the kitchen cabinet where she kept her liquor and took down a bottle of rum.
"Got any Coke?" Since apparently she wasn't speaking to him, Sheldon opened up her refrigerator and pulled out a half-full 2 liter Coke bottle and sat down at her kitchen table and poured the rum into the Coke bottle, shook it up slightly to mix it, and then took a healthy pull from the plastic bottle.
"Sorry. Where are my manners? Want a drink, Penny? Bring your own glass. You backwash something terrible." His voice was tight and controlled as if he were in danger of losing his temper and his East Texas twang sheathed some of the words. She could see how tightly he held the bottle and how nervous and jumpy he seemed.
"Sh-Sheldon? What the hell happened to you? Where have you been for the past two days?" Sheldon being dirty was enough to blow her mind but a dirty, no, make that filthy, Sheldon Cooper drinking rum and Coke left her confused. Had she flipped her lid? Was this what happened when she blacked out? Was she hallucinating?
"Working on a project, Penny. Nothing unusual and I've kept out of your sight as you requested so I don't see why you're so upset and concerned. I assure you that I will replace the bottle of rum, probably with a top-shelf brand, not this nasty crap you got on sale. Still, it's better than what I've had lately."
"Sheldon Cooper, you stink. Let's go to your place and we can talk," his eyebrows raised, "through the bathroom door while you bathe. I need to talk to you, Sheldon, please? I know I behaved horribly to you and I want to apologize and ask for your help."
"No need. You were right. What you do is none of my business and I should not have interfered. I suppose I do stink, but I've become used to it and more. I'm going to take several showers and then eat something and retire. I'm sorry but I don't have time to help you, Penny. Thanks for the hooch." He started to leave the apartment.
"I saw you go into and come out of the blue thingy. The guys and I saw it on video." She needed his help and she needed his attention to plead her case.
He whirled on her and took a step towards her. "You were spying on me?" His anger was something to behold. She'd seen him 'mad' but never like this.
"No! I mean, I just came to find you and talk and the guys and Winkle were watching something on the computer and I thought it was just a sci-fi prank you were pulling on me but they were convinced it was real and then you never came home and – and…"
He handed her the half-empty bottle. "Here. You obviously need this as much as I do."
"No! I quit. Er, I'm trying to quit. I haven't been to any clubs or slept with anyone since I went off on you. I'm sorry, Sheldon. You're my bestest friend and I was so mean to you and all you wanted to do was save me from personal ruin and I – I – "
She dissolved into blubbering squalls of tears and he was momentarily unsure of what to do but then he reached over and patted her on the back saying, "There, there, Penny."
He didn't get close. He stunk. Once she seemed to calm down, he walked back to his apartment, still carrying the half-empty Coke bottle. He needed a bath since he could now smell himself.
Penny stared at his retreating back and then stomped after him. They would talk.
Sheldon slammed the door in her face and then locked it and just stood quietly, letting everything go. He was home. He was safe. So why was he crying?
His hands were shaking almost uncontrollably and he couldn't stop crying.
'Wha - ? Sheldon Cooper, I will have my say!' Penny stormed after Sheldon but it took her several tries before she was able to get the spare key into the lock. Angry tears made it hard to see the slot for the key.
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