Author's Note for Ch. 7: This is a bit silly. Don't think about it too much or you may be confused. It's just silly fun.
Chapter 7: Connor's Promo
Connor walked onto the video set. Chuck, the video director, was sitting in a chair reading some papers. "Hey, it's my monster," Chuck said.
Connor smiled. "That was a blast mate! I still say I was terrifying."
Chuck chuckled. "You were. Are you ready to be bumped up from creature to star?"
"Am I? You bet. So, what's the concept, huh? Are you going to pump cool music over me while I shoot nasty beasts?"
"We've got that covered with Anderson and Becker. You're the smart guy, right? The one with the answers."
"Some of them…I guess."
"Don't be modest. You created the closing devices. You figured out how to track the anomalies. You even perfected an anomaly creating device. You are the brains."
Connor shrugged and smiled bashfully. "Yeah, I did do all that."
Chuck laughed. "You're the most modest egghead I've ever met."
"Uh…thanks?"
"So, this time we're going the scientific route," said Chuck. "We want you to focus on the time angle."
"Cool," said Connor. "Hey, can we get weird, you know, like sci-fi?"
Chuck smiled. "Well…Lester did send me a script," he said, indicating the papers he held. "As long as we address his intended points though, I'm willing to be creative."
Connor smiled. "This is going to be fun."
A week and a half later, Connor ushered everyone into Lester's office.
"What is the meaning of this incursion?" Lester asked.
Jess giggled. "Who are you calling creatures, Lester?"
Lester rolled his eyes. "I have work to do. So do you lot."
Connor paid no attention, sliding in a DVD and pushing play.
"Oh, is it movie night?" asked Lester sarcastically.
"I hope it's not one of your geek films, Connor," said Becker. Jess jabbed him in the ribs.
"Actually it is," said Connor with a grin.
The DVD played. Connor appeared on screen.
"Oh, it's your commercial," said Abby.
"My highly informative and stylized video," corrected Connor.
"Stylized? That was not in the brief I gave," said Lester. "Please tell me you did not take my script and Connor it."
Connor smirked. "Course not."
"Thank heavens."
Connor winked at Abby. "We threw it out."
"Connor!" bellowed Lester. "The video director is fired!"
"I like Chuck," said Jess. Becker growled. "Not that way, sweetie," she said, kissing him.
"You're all fired!"
"We know," said the team in unison.
"You're missing it!" cried Connor, rewinding the DVD to the start. "Here we go. Quiet!" He giggled. "This is so awesome."
Lester groaned. "Give me strength."
The video played. Connor appeared in front of an anomaly.
"Now, I know what you're thinking," he said to the camera. "You're thinking, 'large, yellow blinking light. It's cool.' Right?" He glanced behind him at the anomaly. Then he smiled that cheesy Connor grin. "Actually, it's very cool!"
Lester groaned. "Connor, I wanted to minimize fascination with the anomalies not create more."
"Have faith, Lester," said Connor.
Lester rolled his eyes.
Video Connor went on. "They're very dangerous, though."
"See?" asked Connor, sitting in the office. "No worries, Lester."
Lester exhaled with nervousness.
"Through there," and video Connor pointed at the anomaly, "is another time period! Really! I'm not making this up! Now, I know it would be cool to run through it. Think of it: time travel."
Then DVD Connor shrugged. "What the heck, let's do it!" He ran through the anomaly.
"Connor! Of all the irresponsible…" Lester broke off. He was too angry to continue.
Matt wrinkled his brow. "I'm with Lester. Where are you going with this, Mate?"
"Trust me," said Connor smiling.
The anomaly flashed alone on screen. Then Connor ran back through. He wore a shiny gold crown. "Took this off of Arthur," he said. He giggled. "Now, there's no telling the trouble I caused just from borrowing a chap's head gear."
The anomaly flashed and a brilliant white horse jumped through, a shiny silver knight sitting atop.
"Uh-oh," said DVD Connor. "Excuse me for a sec." He ran back through the anomaly, the knight chasing him.
DVD Connor soon reappeared, this time wearing an astronaut's gear. He took off the space helmet. "You wouldn't believe how far I had to go to ditch that bloke!" He laughed.
Connor, back in the office, laughed. "I love that bit," he said.
"How long does this farce continue?" asked Lester.
"Relax and enjoy," said Connor.
DVD Connor said, "Now, there's no telling where the anomaly leads to…or when. Who knows what trouble awaits you on the other side."
Connor looked up to see the knight flying back through. That's right: flying. He'd traded his horse for a jet back. He still wore armor.
"How did he get that thing off the ground with all that armor on?" asked DVD Connor. The knight flew low for an attack, and instead of a lance, he fired a ray gun.
"Yikes!" cried Connor. "Excuse me again!" he yelled, running for the anomaly.
The knight flew back through.
When DVD Connor reappeared he was wearing his earlier casual clothes and sipping a tropical drink.
"You're a ham," said Becker.
Connor smiled.
DVD Connor stood calmly sipping. Then the knight's horse jumped through, rider less.
"Uh….Where did the knight go?" asked DVD Connor.
The horse ran past and jumped back through the anomaly.
"That's another danger: the possibility that you could be trapped in the wrong time. Take it from me, you don't want that."
The horse was back, this time with a reptilian creature sitting in its saddle.
DVD Connor's eyes widened. "There's no way to tell how the smallest change in time can alter the fate of things."
The creature on horseback stared at Connor. It then opened its mouth and spoke some strange language to him.
Connor looked at the camera and shrugged. "Oops. I better fix the future…or the past. Don't know which I just messed up. Hang on," he said, jumping through the anomaly.
He reappeared, dragging a bruised and battered knight with him. "One more sec," he said, bringing the knight through the anomaly again.
Connor then reappeared again. "It's all sorted. The knight and his horse are back together in the past. And the lizard thing is happy in its own time. This should be a warning to everyone out there: anomalies are not toys. Don't mess with them."
"We don't know everything about them. We're still learning. We do know that they are natural phenomena and we need to let them happen without our interference. The earth will take care of them and they'll stop on their own."
"Remember, time is tricky. Anything can alter it. We have to be very careful." DVD Connor smiled. "Oh, no. What happened to my drink?" DVD Connor's eyes got wide. "I hope a Tahitian Sunset can't alter the course of time too much. Maybe I should have had a beer instead."
The DVD ended.
"Cool, huh?"
Jess applauded briskly. "It was wonderful!"
"I like it," said Abby. "How else do you explain the oddity of time travel?"
"I know!" cried Connor.
"It was weird, like you Temple," said Becker.
Lester was still.
"Well?" asked Connor.
Lester said, "I suppose you did cover all the points I had indicated. It wasn't that humiliating. It's acceptable, Temple."
"Thanks! I can't wait for it to air."
Matt smirked. "How do you know it hasn't? After all, as you said, time is tricky."
"A horrifying thought just occurred to me," said Lester, turning pale. "Connor that was not a real anomaly was it?"
Connor snickered. "Of course not! Jeez, Lester."
Lester sighed with relief.
"The lizard thing was real though."
Lester looked ill.
"I'm joking! It was a very nice actor named Irving," said Connor.
"Thank the good Lord," said Lester. "I was afraid I'd have to call the minister and prepare him for the possibility of a reptilian world order."
Connor laughed. "I told you to trust me."
"Connor, I'd gladly trust you if you'd stop accidentally ending the world."
"Almost ending it," corrected Connor.
"I feel so much better," said Lester sarcastically.
"Where'd you get the crown?" asked Jess.
Connor's eyes widened. "Oops. I knew I forgot something. Anyone seen my anomaly creating device? What year was Camelot anyway?"
Lester collapsed into his chair.
Then Connor laughed. "Sorry. Couldn't resist."
"Temple, you're trying to kill me, I swear! Someone get him the hell out of my office!"
"That was mean," said Jess, leaving with the rest.
Connor, Becker, and Matt were still laughing.
"Funny though," said Becker. Matt nodded.
"So, did I rock or did I rock?"
Abby grabbed his arm. "Connor, you rocked."
"Thanks, Abby."
"Any more praise?"
"No," said Becker and Matt in unison.
"You're just jealous. I'm the clever one. You two are stuck being macho and sexy."
"Works for me," said Becker.
"Me too," said Jess.
"Yuck," said Connor.
"I like my men smart and sexy," said Abby.
"Thanks," said Connor.
"I have to admit that was some very nice acting, though," said Matt.
"Thanks Mate."
"No problem. I think Irving did a fantastic job in that lizard suit."
"Not funny, Matt," said Connor.
