Outta Time Chapter 6: The Soda Jerk, a don't starve fanfic

Chapter 6, everybody! In which Wilson has his "Mr. Sandman" moment….Wilson also references the time-travel TV show Quantum Leap here….And when I was looking it up, I found that there really were studies as to the adverse effects of Tab soda. And the pennies are because my statistics book mentioned that pennies have a longer life cycle than nickels or quarters because people tend to save them—money is often cycled back to its originating mint to be recycled into new money, so thirty-year-old coins aren't that common otherwise.

Thanks for the review, guest! Yes, it's not looking good for Wilson right now—here's hoping he sees some improvement.

Quantum Leap © 1989 Belisarius Productions

He had hidden the DeLorean and left his so-called "futuristic" gear in the passenger seat. He retained his breezy vest, however—it was still fall here.

He was still in Shanter, right?

"Think, Wilson," he muttered—he was often in the habit of talking to himself when he was alone, and the long hike to civilization did indeed promise to be a lonely one. Where was everybody? "Say, just for a minute, that you really did go back in time—so how do you get home?"

The obvious route would have been to refuel the DeLorean—but no, Professor Carter hadn't had the chance to put that case of plutonium in—

Professor Carter….

"Now stop it," Wilson chided. "You're not thinking fourth-dimensionally, Dr. Higgsbury—if you really have gone back in time, he's still alive."

And if he hadn't—

Well, he could get used to the absence, he supposed. He certainly wouldn't miss the cigar smell.

Wilson sighed as he continued on his journey.

He didn't think he could handle solitude again.

Upon finally reaching Shanter proper, Wilson was forced to admit the difference.

For one, everything was much, much cleaner—and soda parlors and old cars and gas service? The new Pat Boone record being advertised?

Bong—

The clock tower was working?

Someone threw a newspaper into a trash bin. Wilson promptly fished it back out and checked the date.

November 5th, 1955.

"Oh boy," he muttered.

He walked into the soda parlor with the intention of getting something to drink and reevaluating his strategy.

"Hello?" he asked, directing the…soda jerk? Was that what they were called? Directing his attention over to Wilson.

"What, did you just jump ship?" the soda jerk asked.

"Huh?" Wilson asked, confused.

"The life preserver."

Wilson looked down at his breezy vest—well, yes, it did kind of resemble a life jacket…."Well…no…."

"Never mind," the soda jerk said, waving him off. "What'll you have?"

Good question. "Can I have a Tab?"

"How? You haven't ordered anything yet!"

"No, not a tab—Tab is a soda…that causes cancer, actually," Wilson muttered, remembering the study he had read. "What's that other one—Pepsi Free?"

"If you want a Pepsi you have to pay for it, pal."

The use of the familiar reference prompted Wilson to drop the soda from the jerk's title. "Water! Do you have that?"

"We have a water fountain."

"Can I have a glass with ice in it?"

"That'll be a nickel."

Oi. Wilson pulled out his wallet—

Oh boy.

He went to his change pocket and began frantically searching for change with older dates on them—no need to inadvertently introduce a paradox, for crying out loud!

"What, can't you count?" the jerk asked.

He finally found several pennies from the early 1950s and handed them over.

"That answers that question," the jerk said, counting out his change and handing it over.

Wilson took the change and the glass, filled up the glass at the fountain, and sat at a booth with the intention of trying to figure something out.

First order of business—try to find Professor Carter in this timeline. If he was living in Shanter in 1955—wait, he had to be—he had referenced the area and how it looked, hadn't he?

But did he even live on the same street? Was the street the same name? Names changed, after all—he was fairly certain JFK Drive wasn't called that in 1955.

The best choice would be to check a phone book—which were normally in phone booths. There was a phone booth over there.

It took him a full minute to realize he was afraid of going over there and checking.

He slapped himself upside the head—eliciting a strange look from the jerk at the counter—and crossed over to the phone booth and locked himself in. Let's see—oh thank goodness, there was a phone book—he wasn't looking forward to trying to figure out party lines or operators. He could just imagine how that conversation would go—Excuse me, do you know if a Professor Carter lives in this county?

He found the C's—Carter, M + C.

Wilson allowed himself a moment to wonder if Professor Carter had registered Chester into the phone book, then another moment to wonder why he had registered using his middle name. Oi—what if it was the wrong Carter? But there were no other Carters listed….

Wilson muttered a small apology before ripping the page out—no time for asking for a pen and paper or anything else. He had to get the time machine fixed and get back to his own time before he caused one doozy of a paradox.

Well, besides the one he was probably going to cause anyway.

He exited the phone booth—made a beeline for the door—

And was blocked by someone he most certainly didn't expect to see.

"Biff?" Wilson squawked.