Chapter Four

After several days of hard work, the Lab was beginning to look, if a little ragged in areas, more normal. Broken parts and furniture had been replaced, but TIM was still far from being back on line. Elizabeth, on a ladder, was examining circuits behind inspection panels as Janice sat at the table in front of TIM's primary control keyboard, with Clive at her side. The atmosphere was a little tense.

"Try it now" said Elizabeth. Janice typed in the login command and pressed the return key. The view screen simply flashed red several times.

"It's no use" said Janice. "Are you sure this command is correct?"

"Maybe you should try a bit harder!" barked John.

"Steady on, pal" said Clive calmly. "Everybody's trying their best."

"Sorry, Clive, you're quite right" replied John. "Sorry Janice, Elizabeth. Has anybody seen Rachel?"

"She's taken James shopping" said Elizabeth.

"Shopping?" exclaimed Anthony as he fed a cable through a bulkhead. "At a time like this?"

"He needed some clothes" explained Elizabeth. "Again please Janice." Janice re-entered the login command and pressed return. The screen flashed a number of times again, with little progress.

"So is this the sign of a blossoming romance?" asked Janice.

"Romance? With James" said Elizabeth. "I doubt it. He's not exactly conventional. Anyway, they've got Helen playing strawberry."

"Gooseberry" said Ed. "It's gooseberry."

"I said gooseberry!" said Elizabeth.

"No you didn't" said Ed.

"Yes I did" protested Elizabeth.

"You didn't" said Ed.

"No you didn't, Mum" added Anthony.

"What did I say?" asked Elizabeth.

"Strawberry" said Clive. "You said strawberry."

"No I didn't!" protested Elizabeth. "I definitely said gooseberry!"

All action ground to a halt, frozen in time as a tall youth appeared on the Jaunting pad. The boy's name was Dror, and he had travelled through time to appear in the Lab at this time. He looked round in wonder at his surroundings, before turning to the spot he'd materialised on and speaking.

"It's okay Haleh, you can come out of the sandbox now" said Dror. A very pretty petite girl, around twenty years of age, appeared as if from nowhere. She looked round.

"It looks just like the museum exhibit" said Haleh approaching TIM. "This is the biotronic that Dr Pargeter is working on. And look! Here's John! And up that ladder, that's Elizabeth! This must be just before we met them – they're wearing the same clothes."

"Are you ready to go to work?" asked Dror. Haleh quickly assessed the situation.

"Okay" said Haleh.

"Just remember not to volunteer any unnecessary information" said Dror, and with a gesture, action resumed.

"No, Liz, you definitely said straw-" said John before suddenly becoming aware of the two visitors. Everybody looked at Dror and Haleh. Dror spoke first.

"Hello" he began nervously. "I'm Dror and this is Haleh. We're here to help."

"You're another one, aren't you" said Janice looking at Dror. "A lollipop-head!"

"Janice! Really!" exclaimed Elizabeth.

"Well, look at him!" said Janice. "Listen friend, I already explained to the other two, I'm not a time - travelling criminal" she said to Dror before turning to Haleh, who seemed to be staring at her. "And what are you looking at?"

"I'm sorry" said Haleh. "I didn't mean to stare. It's just that you remind me of someone."

"Talking of staring" said Elizabeth, "you can put your eyes back in now Anthony."

"You must be Janice" said Dror. "You know Dmitri and Bethany-Christine?"

"Oh yes I know Mork and Mindy" replied Janice irritably.

"No, Dmitri and Bethany-Christine" corrected Dror.

"I know who you mean" replied Janice. "Did they send you for me?"

"No Janice" said Dror. "Actually I'm here for two reasons. The first is to bring Haleh here. She is an expert in biotronics. I understand you have a problem with your computer?"

"Yes, how did you know?" asked John.

"That's not important right now" said Dror. "Haleh is here to help. The second reason involves our friend Dmitri. He's missing, and we think he might be somewhere in this time period."

Dror explained that while returning to their own time, the sandbox that Dmitri and Bethany-Christine were travelling in became damaged. Bethany-Christine arrived injured and had to receive hospital treatment, but Dmitri was lost.

"Could he be in hyperspace?" asked Elizabeth.

"No, not hyperspace" replied Dror. "Nobody uses hyperspace anymore. Far too dangerous. Besides, we've never used hyperspace for time travel. Instead, we accelerate through the timelines. Something happened after they dropped Janice off, and he was ejected from the sandbox somewhere in this time zone."

"Well, rest assured, as soon as this young lady has finished her good work on TIM, we'll keep a look-out for him" said John.

The peace was interrupted by the sound of banging on the front door, and a raised voice on the other side.

"Janice! Are you in there? Open this door now!" The voice belonged to Richard.

"It's my brother!" said Janice. "He must have followed me!"

"Get this door open now, Jan!" yelled Richard.

"He won't go, you can be sure of that. Even if he has to sleep on the doorstep, he won't go. I know Richard" said Janice.

"Janice Rosita Marsland, open this door at once!" persisted Richard.

"Rosita?" said Anthony, mockingly.

Janice approached the door. "You'd better go now, Dror" said Janice. "My brother's very inquisitive, and he will ask some awkward questions." With that, Dror entered his sandbox and disappeared and Janice operated the manual control to let Richard in. "And the name's Parry now as well you know."

Richard stepped into the Lab and looked around in awe.

"What? What is this place?" asked Richard.

"Er, well you see, this is Elizabeth's university project" said Janice thinking quickly.

"Oh, and what is it Elizabeth?" asked Richard.

"Er, well, you see Richard, what we have here is . . . well it's hard to explain" said Elizabeth.

*Don't tell him we're telepathic. Just let him think we're ordinary people* 'pathed John to Elizabeth.

"Try me" said Richard.

"What we have here is a new type of computer, it's just that Liz can't fire it up, so she's asked Popsy over there to help out" said Ed as John glared at him. John approached Ed and took him to one side.

"What are you playing at?" John whispered to Ed.

"Relax, Johnny" Ed whispered back. "I know what I'm doing. The best lies are always based on the truth."

"So long as he doesn't twig" replied John in a whisper.

"And as usual, I'm the only one left in the dark over this, am I?" said Richard. "I take it Carol's already in on it?" This last comment subdued the group. "What's up now? Something I said?" Janice sat at the telepathy table, buried her head in her hands and began to weep uncontrollably. "Hey, little 'un, what's wrong?"

"It's Carol" said Janice. "She's gone!"

"Gone?" asked Richard. "What do you mean, gone? Gone where?"

"I'm really sorry Richard" said Elizabeth, resting her hand on his shoulder. "There was an accident. She couldn't have survived."

"What kind of accident?" asked Richard.

"Better you don't know right now" said John.

"Better I don't know!" said Richard angrily. "You quite casually tell me my little sister is dead, and then have the brassneck to say it's better I don't know how?"

"Richard, just calm down" said Janice. "This is half the reason we keep you out of things. Just sit here next to me and I'll try to explain things to you the best I can." Janice persuaded her brother to sit down and calm down, and tried, tactfully, to explain what had happened in terms that he could understand without prompting too many awkward questions.

Meanwhile, Anthony was trying to get to know Haleh a little better. She had finished her initial assessment of the damage, and had begun an inventory of items in the equipment room which she could possibly use to repair TIM.

"So you're from the future, are you?" began Anthony.

"No, I'm from the present. You're from the past. I'm just a visitor" said Haleh while she busied herself.

"That's a strange accent," said Anthony. "What is it?"

"Earth" replied Haleh.

"I know it's Earth" said Anthony. "Where else would you be from. It's just that it's a bit difficult to place. I'm normally good with accents, but can't place it. I'd say either Irish or Spanish or Russian. So where are you from?"

"Vancouver Island" replied Haleh.

"Canadian?" said Anthony.

"Sorry, what's Canadian?" asked Haleh.

"Well, you are" replied Anthony. "It's the country you're from."

"I'm from Canadian?" asked Haleh.

"No, you're from Canada. People from Canada are called Canadians" said Anthony. Haleh looked puzzled. "Canada's a country."

"Oh," said Haleh. "We don't have countries in our time. My Dad is from Tehran and my Mum's from Yamba."

"Yamba?" said Anthony. "Where's that?"

"I don't know what the country's called, but it's the big island in the southern hemisphere" said Haleh.

"Australia" said Anthony. "So you're Canadian, your dad's Iranian and your mum's Australian!"

Haleh looked at Anthony for a moment. "What a strange and confusing world you live in" said Haleh.

"So, you don't have countries, but you still have places like Tehran, Vancouver Island and . . and . . . what was the other one called?" asked Anthony.

"Yamba" said Haleh.

"So why bother with place names?" asked Anthony.

"You'll always need to know where you're going so you know how to get home" said Haleh. She took a small card from her pocket. "We don't have enough here to repair the biotronic, so I'll have to synthesise some parts." She passed her hand over the card, which began to glow. She placed the card on the floor, as all manner of strange looking components began slowly to appear around it.

"That's awesome" said Anthony as the materials appeared.

"It's basic molecular manipulation" said Haleh. "Old technology, but effective."

"So," Anthony continued, "how long have you lived in London? There still is a London, isn't there?"

"Oh, yes, there's a London, but I don't live there, only work there. I still live on Vancouver Island. Right in the middle of Victoria." said Haleh.

"That's a long way!" said Anthony. "How do you get in to work?"

"The bus" said Haleh.

"The bus?" said Anthony, amazed. "What kind of bus gets you that kind of distance?"

"Just an ordinary bus" replied Haleh.

"What, big red thing with a diesel engine and a wheel at each corner?" said Anthony. Haleh looked puzzled.

"It's just public transport. It's really an exponential psychic amplifier. Makes it possible to teleport over long distances" said Haleh.

"A bit like TIM?" said Anthony. Haleh looked puzzled. "The computer. We use TIM to amplify our jaunts."

"Jaunts?" said Haleh. "You mean teleporting. How quaint!

"Well, no, not really" said Haleh. "Biotronic computers aren't that efficient in that respect."

"Blimey!" said Anthony. "What do you do if you want to go to another planet? Catch the train?"

"Yes, that's right" said Haleh.

"I shouldn't really be asking you about the future, should I? I mean, it's like the butterfly effect. No, not the butterfly effect . . . what do I mean" said Anthony. "I know, it's like if you went back to the days of the dinosaurs and killed a butterfly, you could affect the far future. Or if you were to kill me, then you might cease to exist. The same if you were to go back in time and save Kennedy or John Lennon."

"Anthony, I couldn't kill you or a butterfly" said Haleh. "And I don't know who Kennedy or John Lennon are."

"I know that, I know that" said Anthony. "I mean, to me your everyday life is my future. If you tell me about my future, it could unravel the fabric of time/space."

Haleh stopped what she was doing and looked at Anthony. "Anthony, I'm from thousands of years in your future. If I were to explain to you how the matter manipulator worked, could you invent it?"

"No" said Anthony.

"If I were to show you pictures of the wheel, could you make one from scratch with what you have in your own time?" said Haleh.

"We already have the wheel" said Anthony.

"Probably not the same wheel" said Haleh. "Are you seeking a relationship with me?"

"Sorry?" said Anthony.

"Are you seeking a relationship?" repeated Haleh. "Why skirt round the subject? You only have to ask."

Anthony was dumbfounded. He obviously fancied Haleh, and the advances he made reflected that fact. "Well I . . . just wondered, if you're spending any time here, if you fancy a break, that-"

"I'm sorry Anthony" said Haleh, "but the answer is no. I have to much work to do here and once it's done I have to head home before too many awkward questions are asked." Anthony looked hurt by this answer. "Oh, I've offended you. I'm sorry, I really am. I suppose that in my time, people are more blunt than in this time."

"No, it's cool. No worries" said Anthony trying to cover his embarrassment.

Inside the Lab, Richard was slowly coming to terms with the news about Carol and reminiscing with Janice.

"You know, I had no idea all this was going on. I mean why Carol? Why ordinary, unspectacular little Carol?" said Richard. Janice tried hard not to react too tellingly when Richard described Carol as ordinary. "There was this one little incident that summed her up perfectly. You know how Dad was always kidding around, well this was while Mum was expecting with you. Dad prepared breakfast for us all, and gave us each just one slice of toast with our cup of tea. Then he said that as times were hard and money was tight, we could only afford one piece of toast each, and that we'd have to sell the baby. Well, Carol did nothing more than cut her piece of toast into three, give each of us a piece, and divide the contents of her cup into ours. Then she said that she didn't need meals if it meant we didn't have to sell the baby!"

"What would Dad do now, I wonder?" said Janice. Janice looked up at the flashing screen. Suddenly, her manner changed. "I know what Dad would do" she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Richard.

"Remember what Dad always said. Look at the screen!" said Janice. Everybody looked. "Don't you get it?" Everybody looked blank. Everybody except Richard.

"Of course!" said Richard. "Good old Dad! You know what this means, don't you?"

"Yes" said Janice.

"What I don't understand is exactly what the message means" said Richard.

"I'd be happy just to know what you two are on about" said John.

Janice began to explain. "When our Dad retired from the RAF, he spent one evening a week training Air Cadets how to use radio."

"And?" asked John sceptically.

"Including Morse Code" said Richard. "He made sure all three of us had a better than basic grasp of it."

John suddenly realised. "The flashing on the screen?" he said.

"Carol's still alive!" said Janice. "I think that's one-nil to the Saps! The message on that screen reads 'Carol here in future' again and again and again".

At that point Haleh came out of the equipment room, being attracted by the raised voices.

"Has something happened?" she asked.

"We've found my sister!" said Janice. "We've found Carol!"

"Wait a minute" said Haleh. "That's who you remind me of! I have a friend called Carol. Could it be? No, the Carol I know lives in my time, that's silly."

"That must be what happened" said Elizabeth. "She must have been jolted into the future when TIM exploded. So how do we get her back?"

"I can contact Dror. He can bring her back!" said Haleh. At that point, a tall dark haired girl appeared in the Lab.

"Hello, sorry to startle" she said. "My name's Susia."

"Another one!" said Janice.

"Another what?" asked Clive.

"Another . . . you know . . . like Dror and Bethany-Christine and Dmitri!" said Janice.

"Yes" said Susia. "Has anybody seen Dmitri yet? He's still missing."

John explained to Susia what had happened and how they'd concluded that Carol was trapped in the future. He asked Susia if she could bring Carol back.

"Well, I'd like to" said Susia, "but it's not so straightforward."

"What do you mean not straightforward?" said Janice. "Just go back and fetch her. What's complicated about that?"

"So far, you only have the flimsiest suggestion that the Carol you've identified in the future is your Carol. What if she isn't and I bring her here without a licence? She could be risking prison. The only reason we were able to bring Haleh is that she's got a research licence" said Susia.

"So what's the answer?" asked John.

"You'll have to come with me to identify her. You can't be prosecuted because you're from the past" said Susia as Helen appeared on the jaunting pad.

"What the hell just happened there?" said Richard, seeing Helen materialise.

"Not right now" said Janice.

"Where are Rachel and James?" asked John.

"I saw that look in her eye. You know the one. The one that says she's just about to explode, so I decided to leave her to it. That boy's hard work" said Helen.

"Getting back to the subject" said Susia "I suggest two of you come with me."

"I'll go" said Helen.

"You don't know what you're volunteering for" said Ed.

"Too late" said Helen.

"I'll go too" said Elizabeth. "Might get next week's lottery numbers!"

Susia lead Helen to where Elizabeth stood, then the three of them disappear.

"I'll wake up in a minute" said Richard.

Rachel appeared on the jaunting pad. Next to her was an amorphous glowing mass. "Dad, it's James. Something's happened to him. I think he's ill."

John approached James. Gradually, the amorphous form resolved itself and James collapsed into John's arms.

"Dmitri!" said Janice. "That's Dmitri!"

"His name's James" said Elizabeth.

"No," said Janice "he's Dmitri! He's the one the lolli . . . Dror has been looking for!"