While I was unconscious, I started to hear voices in my head; as if they were from the future. I started to hear action going around, until an explosion rocked my unconscious that lead me to wake up. My eyes opened up, as they're blurry with one shining light in the room. I looked around to see I was in a isolated room, until I heard a bang from a table.
"WAKE UP!" a man shouted, as he continued to bang the table with his fists.
I screamed and gasped, as I look around and my vision is clear. "Where am I?! What's going you're?!"
"You're under arrest for suspension activity." the man was wearing a black-gray business suit.
"Under... what?! I didn't do anything and there should be a warrant for my arrest! What about my 'due process'?" I questioned.
"Too bad! We had security footage at a local campus in California that you were convulsing with a newly, made time machine." the interrogator spoke unjustly harsh.
I looked to see the footage to see myself venturing around with the machine. "Yeah, but I barely used it at all to go anywhere. I just wanted to see what it's like inside."
"Ohh... I see." the man spoke.
"You understand?" I asked him.
"Oh yes, I believe you may try to steal and to stop our plans, aren't you?" the man answered.
"Plans?! What plans?!"
The man became surprised that I don't know what he was saying. "Uh. I guess there's no need of telling you about our plans, because you'll be in a interference."
I looked down at my hands and I'm in cuffs. "I'm sure somebody would discover that you arrested somebody for a false claim. My family would be able to help me for sure."
"Ah yes. Your family. I understand that you technically lived unlike everyone else, or even in your family's world."
"They still love me no matter what." I firmly spoke.
"Really, what would happen if you here about this?" the man turned on the television.
"Reporting live in two different cities in California of two family houses are set on fire, as the family members have perished in the fire. The police departments have no indication of what started the fire, but probably arson might have been involved that caused the fire."
My heart sank to see my family's homes are destroyed and died in the flames. "You did this?"
A man walked into the room, as his fingers were bandaged and wears the similar suit. "Oh, Colonel Strickland."
"Everything is taken care of. They'll probably assume it maybe neighbors next door or teenagers causing mischief." the colonel spoke.
"Very well than, please take this Alex Wayne to the cell and make sure he doesn't escape." the man in the suit instructed the colonel.
The colonel nodded his head. "I'll be on it, working on this boy would be better than looking after that creature that I pulled out from the Amazons."
I cracked the puzzle, as I figured out the colonel was none other than Colonel Richard Strickland from The Shape of Water. What's he doing here in our present time? He's only a fictional character from the movie. In tears as I couldn't believe my family is gone, while being escorted to my cell. I was put into a cell and locked inside. I walked over to the bed and sat down, while looking up and down in tears. For about a half an hour, I wasn't given any food, water, or at least to have some air coming through to my cell, as it got stuffy inside, that I decided to fall asleep in effort to sleep through the damp cell or more likely a damp basement.
I began to hear locks being unlocked and opened came a man with a team that seems to be Delta Force, as I saw the division's emblem on their uniforms. Frightened to say for another capture and interrogated like before.
"Are you Wayne, Alex?" one of the operatives came close to me and asked my identification.
"Yes sir. Alex Wayne is my name." I answered nervously.
"You're safe, son. My name is Master Sergeant Wyatt Logan of U.S. Army Delta Force, we're here to rescue you." the operative spoke.
"Sergeant Logan, we need to leave now, before the warehouse goes full alert." one of the operatives warned their Master Sergeant.
"Come in, this Logan. We have the special package and we're about to head to the extraction point." Master Sergeant Logan walkies on his radio headpiece.
"Copy, Delta Team. Proceed with caution and a helio will pick up your team and the VIP package." a voice I overheard the other end of the walkie headpiece.
"Alright, team move out and stay with me kid." Logan said.
I followed the operatives, as we continued to find a way out. As soon we reached towards the docking load of the warehouse, a shot was fired up, by assailants who guarded me. The Delta Force operatives fired back at the assailants with their M4 rifles with suppressors. I kept my head down while the gunfight was taking place, as it was like a hostage rescue situation. Sound of helicopter wings were over us, as gunfire came below from gunmen on the helicopters. Ropes came down over our heads and Logan told the team to hook up, as he was hooking me up to the grapple ropes. The helicopters started to ascend higher, we're being pulled up to the air. Bullets continued to fly past us, as the assailants were shooting at the helicopters. Soon, as we're further away to safety I noticed it was warehouse somewhere in the mountains.
Everyone started to climb, as I maintain my fear of looking down, as we're high above that I could lose my grip and fall. I concentrated as I was climbing up the rope and finally climbed aboard to the helicopter that I was tied to.
"Damn, you're very lucky to get our help." Logan untied the rope that was tied to me.
"Who are you guys, besides Delta Force?" I asked.
"We're going to provide you answers, as soon we arrive in San Francisco." Logan answered.
"San Francisco? Why there?"
"Classified information. You'll when we get there." Logan answered once again.
"Yeah, but I have to get home and-" I was about to say that I needed to go home, until I remember what happened to my families' home and my heart ached and dropped into my stomach.
Logan seemed to be sympathetic about what, as if he knew. "Look son, I'm sorry what happened to your family. However, it's not safe to return you back home. You're being watched."
"That is another question? Who was watching me?" I asked.
Logan remain silent afterwards, as he sat down on his seat and spoke again on the headset that we're safe and heading back to HQ. I wonder where HQ is? Probably I'm assuming that it may be a military base or a black site. It was over about two hours that we're flying past Oakland and before we know it, we arrived at San Francisco and I could see the evening city lights, despite of clouds in the sky.
"We're not landing on a skyscraper, are we?" I asked.
Logan chuckled. "Not even close, we're not far now."
I looked down, as we're flying over the city. I couldn't even remember my last trip with my family to San Francisco, but probably around the time I started college. After flying over the city, I saw an isolated factory that I assume it may be a black site.
"Well, here we are. The end of the road." Logan holstered his rifle, as we're about to make our landing at the site.
After we landed, the operative exited out first, before I followed Logan to the factory. I looked around to figure the factory is mechanical or chemical. We approached to two security officers guarding the factory.
"Lifeboat, Mothership." Logan spoke to the officers, before allowing us clearance. We entered to see a time machine that is unlike the one that I seen back at my state university.
"Well, welcome to Mason Industries." Logan greeted.
"This is Mason Industries? What about the offices?" I questioned with doubt.
Logan chuckled. "Well, this is just a black site of one of the complexes. The main headquarters is in Downtown San Francisco."
"Oh."
"So you finally got him." a voice came to see it was the guest speaker at my state university. "It's good to see you again, Alex."
"Rufus Carlin?" I recognized his face and tried to remember his name.
"Oh, I guess you two did met." Logan was surprised.
"Just over at his state university for a fair." Rufus explained, before looking back towards me. "Are you alright, Alex?"
I shook my head. "I don't know, how I'm feeling. Sad and angry about what is happening to me."
"I'm sorry about your loss of your family and what you're going through." Rufus give me his condolences. "Now this is the time, we need to discuss about what is happening."
We walked through the hall and finally entered boardroom like room, where four different individuals are in the room. I was being seated onto a chair, as everyone sat down, while they all looked at me.
"Alright, Alex. You're in the Mason Industries hideouts. Here we're able to use our time machine, 'Lifeboat' to travel back in time." Rufus started.
"You mean the real actual 'Lifeboat'?" I asked.
"Yes, however before we're getting started with that. I thought it should be fare to introduce ourselves. I'm sure you know by now about me and Logan." Rufus started to greet me with people, who are present. "A history professor and our leader of the 'Lifeboat' team is Lucy Preston. Denise Christoper, one of the Homeland Security agent and in charge with the 'Lifeboat'. Garcia Flynn, our late asset to our team and former NSA asset. Finally, our talented programmer for Mason Industries Jiya."
Lucy had a folder which contains some information about me. "If I don't mind, I would like to ask you some questions about yourself."
"Okay." I accepted.
"You lived in the state of California, which city?"
"Sacramento or basically Elk Grove." I answered.
"You are currently enrolled in a state university for what purpose?"
"I wanted to get a Bachelor's Degree for History." I answered to her second question.
"History major. Planning to teach?"
"I'm not sure, but I wanted to do something with it. However, teaching is one of my choices."
Lucy nodded her head and looked back at the folder. "You're also living with your family or once was... why's that?"
"Well, I moved with my father's and got a job at retailing and I earned some of that money for school."
"And also about your health... you're Autistic?"
"High Functioning."
"Asperger's?" she questioned.
"No, just High Functioning Autism." I answered.
"I guess that's why you're afraid to be on your own." Lucy stated.
I nodded. "I just stick to what I know or who I know best."
"A young kid with a disability, how would that be beneficial?" Flynn questioned.
"I'm not a kid and I ended up happening to took so much of history that I could name the U.S. Presidents we had, naming the September 11th hijackers and their flight numbers, routes, and knowing what I know most about our U.S. History." I challenged.
Flynn chuckled with surprise that may let go of his doubt.
"Mr. Wayne, now that we're done with questions, it's our turn to tell what you what's happening." Lucy said. "You may know a few individuals that were brought from the different universe or alternate perhaps. They started to make plans to cause certain events in history that could be re-written by adding some characters from our culture universe to reverse the outcome of characters in film or any culture media based from movies and etc."
"And that's why you're our best candidate." Rufus summed it up.
"Me? Why me?" I asked in doubt.
"You know some of the different universes, unlike we do and that's why you're our best, according to your step-father." Denise said.
"My step-father? You know each other?"
"We worked together in counter-terrorism agency and he used to talk so much about you and your interests." she answered, as she recalled about my step-father.
"Well... I could be able to help, but I can't do this alone and I don't know everything, than you expected. However, I have friend by the name Jon. He's like the only person I hang out with at school, work, and online gaming."
"We can't fully rely on someone else's skills, other than yourself. We only have the file for you." Logan rejected.
"I know, but I know of his talents and knowledge. He could be asset and he's the only friend I could trust." I explained.
Lucy knew that it could be dangerous to bring an outsider, but it could be helpful to have another member of our team. "Rufus, you remember a student by the name of Jon?"
"Not fully met, but I have seen him with Alex at the fair." Rufus explained.
"Perhaps, you could have someone from the industries, perhaps Jiya to escort Jon here, without revealing the full information until he arrives." Lucy stated.
"I'll take care of it, as you and your team start your mission." Jiya volunteered and left the room.
"What mission?" I asked.
"Time travel." Rufus answered.
We than walked to where the time machine "Lifeboat" is stationed. It was round, but it seemed small, as the machine opened up to four seats.
"Are we going in there?" I asked.
"Yes. You, Wyatt and Lucy." Rufus walked us to the Lifeboat, as we stepped inside to the machine. The controls are different, unlike the time machines I have seen in the public and at the exhibition. It was almost like Mr. Peabody's WABAC Time Machine.
"Is this the machine takes us back in time?" I asked.
"Yes, but due to Connor's latest Time Machine, we installed latest features that are compatible to the latest time machines we currently have." Rufus answered.
"Meaning..."
"Meaning that we're able to travel to different universes through film or any media culture." Lucy added.
"Wow!" I was amazed that we're going to travel to the past or a different universe. "So, 'when' are we going to what century?"
The three looked at me, as I made a failed joke. "Not when, where." Lucy said.
"We're not traveling to the past." I said.
"Not yet, but I'm sure you're going to need some extra hand. We may not be able to travel with you, but you'll company of your own. Even one of our insiders is at a different universe."
"What universe is that?" I asked.
"Zootopia." Rufus answered.
"Zootopia, you mean the 'Zootopia' from the movie?" I was surprised.
"Yes, you'll meet someone there by the name of Blake Ryo. He'll be joining you on his quest and he's already there waiting for you." Rufus explained.
I nodded, as I looked around, as I'm strapping myself in with the seat-belt.
"Any last questions?" Rufus asked me.
"Does it get bumpy?" I asked.
Rufus smiled. "Real bumpy." He than left and closed the Lifeboat. Lucy, Wyatt and myself were fully strapped in and my heart is pounding.
"Are you alright?" Wyatt asked.
I shook my head rapidly. "Yes, but I never time traveled before."
"Your first hand experience." Lucy said. "At least your not too tight, are you?"
"No, you claustrophobic?" I asked her.
"Yes, small spaces never suit me." she answered.
"Oh boy..." Wyatt smirked.
"You drank again?" she questioned.
"Sort of." he answered.
"What?!" I exclaimed.
"Relax kid, I had a drink, before I rescued you." he smiled.
"Yeah, but you never know, if it spins or it becomes bumpy that you may throw up on me! And don't call me kid I'm twenty-five years old."
Wyatt laughed.
"Ready?" Lucy asked me and Wyatt.
"Yes." we both answered.
After Lucy started up the machine, she warned us to embrace ourselves and hold on. The machine started to shake and becomes bumpy and bumpy, until we felt a flash of speed, like a light speed from space that we're probably traveling to a different universe. It lasted two minutes of jerkiness like being on a wooden roller-coaster that I was getting a headache. Suddenly, the machine stopped!
"Oh. That's it." I wondered, as I said out loud.
"Not feeling dizzy so I'm good." Wyatt joked.
"Ha, ha. Don't start." I warned him.
"I think we're here." Lucy stated, as she's undoing her belt, as me and Wyatt did ours. We stood up, as Lucy unlocked the time machine's door and opened to take a peek outside. "We're here, check it out."
Wyatt and I walked towards Lucy, and to only see animals, who are anthropomorphic, walking on two legs and talking like humans. We even noticed there some minor advancements of technology or present like ours, as we could see the buildings and skyscrapers.
"This is supposed to be Zootopia." I'm shocked to see the time machine worked.
"I suppose it is, if you're correct." Lucy stated.
I couldn't believe that we're in a Disney universe of Zootopia. "This has to be a dream... I got to be dreaming..."