Disclaimer: Wes, Jen, Alex, Eric and Captain (Rob) Logan don't belong to me, they've been borrowed from BVE, I make no money from this so please don't sue me. The holo-net is technically George Lucas' baby, but almost certainly not how I've set it up. Everyone and thing else belongs to me, which includes all details of Time Force procedure and set up.
I make no apologies for the gratuitous Star Wars references. When you write future-based stories, you either think Star Trek or Star Wars, and me, I prefer my universes lived in...
With thanks to Gamine for looking over this and offering me countless hours of advice on both this and Hide and Seek -- I know it's a thankless task dealing with me sometimes and it is MUCH appreciated. Also thank you to Irina for picking out nits.
Please offer feedback -- it tells me how I'm doing.
~*~
Future Imperfect -- Back to the Future
There were, Wes reflected, some merits to being the son of Alexander Collins, Biolab C.E.O. It meant that if, for example, he suddenly decided to take his fiancée on a three-week trip to Europe no-one raised an eyebrow. After all, he was the son of a millionaire. He was supposed to be a work-shy playboy.
Wes grimaced as he dropped his hastily packed duffel bag into the luggage space of the time ship. He hated that tag and he had done his best to try and shed it since joining the Silver Guardians, but in one fell swoop it had all come back simply because he needed to cover this enforced three week absence. He supposed that at the end of the day, it didn't matter what other people thought about him. The important people in his life -- Jen, Eric and his father -- knew the truth about him, and there were a couple of people who knew him well and who would realise that this wasn't what it seemed -- Gina and Ben -- but...
"Set?"
Alex's query brought Wes back to the here and now. "What? Yeah. Think so." He took his seat. "What happens now?"
"Now Alex explains what he knows," said Jen quietly.
Wes turned to look at Alex, who was punching commands into the control unit. "That's an idea."
Alex didn't look up. "OK."
Wes looked at Jen; she looked as stunned by the easy acquiescence as he felt. "So?"
Alex entered one last command and Wes felt the time ship's turbines start up. "So." He looked up. "Eric." He sighed. "Temporal finally got done with the analysis of the time stream after Biocon's little efforts."
Wes glanced at Jen. "Which means...?"
"Any major mission or major event that could have an affect on the time stream gets analysed by Temporal," Jen explained. "Particularly when it involves someone going back in time."
Wes felt the time ship lift off. "Right." He swallowed; hoping the sudden nausea was going to go away. "They found something?"
Alex nodded. "Thanks to Biocon's messing, and as things stood when I left 3000, Eric leaves...left Silverhills this week. Unfortunately, and this is where the problem is, doing that plays right into the hands of Zafar bel Abis."
"Who is...?" The nausea was getting worse.
Alex looked a little hesitant. "He's already after my hide for telling you about tomorrow..."
"Who is Zafar bel Abis?" Jen persisted.
Alex sighed. "He can only kill me once. You know he was taken prisoner while serving in Kosovo? Well the man behind that was Zafar bel Abis."
Wes wasn't sure whether the fresh burst of nausea was as a result of the time ship clearly beginning its landing sequence or the idea of the man behind Eric's time in captivity still being on the loose.
"What happens to Eric?" Jen asked quietly.
"Truthfully, we don't know," Alex answered.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Wes demanded.
"I mean, when I left 3000, Temporal couldn't get a fix on what happened to him." Wes watched Alex's shoulders slump as the time ship touched down. "All they could trace was the Quantum Morpher...and that was in Zafar bel Abis' possession."
It took Wes several, long seconds to process the implications of what Alex had just said, in which time, the time ship hatch had opened and Captain Logan had entered, most effectively stymieing the conversation.
"Major Collins," Logan greeted.
Alex shook his head. "Not at this moment I'm not."
Logan grinned -- an expression that, for some reason, actually surprised Wes. "Fair enough, Alex. Jen, good to see you again."
"Wish it was under better circumstances," Jen answered, smiling faintly.
Logan nodded. "Certainly. And you must be Wes," he finished, finally turning to Wes. "Nice to finally meet you."
"And you," Wes managed to reply.
"Rob -- think you can show Wes and Jen to their apartment?" Alex asked. "I'd do it but I have a nine o'clock meeting with Director Hawking and..."
"And you need a little sleep before trying to wrap your mind around more Temporal Mechanics?" Logan suggested.
"Sleep?" Wes echoed, bemused.
"It's two o'clock in the morning here," Logan explained.
"Oh."
"You get used to that sort of thing," Jen murmured. "It's a bit like crossing the international dateline."
"Oh."
"So, if no-one minds," Alex said, "I'm going to go and grab a few hours' sleep. I'll get Marissa to comm. you with a meeting time for tomorrow afternoon -- we'll need to go over the procedure for the trial and...I know I have a few more questions to answer."
"That," Jen agreed, "is certainly true."
Alex nodded. "Until tomorrow afternoon."
As Alex departed the time ship, Logan said, "If you can collect your bags, I'll show you to your apartment. I'd point out sights on the way past," he added to Wes, "but to be honest, there isn't really too much tourist value to be had in Central City."
Wes snickered. "Sounds just like back home."
Logan smiled. "This way."
Slinging his duffel bag over his back, Wes linked arms with Jen and they followed Logan out of the time ship. He tried not to gawk like a tourist in Time Square at his new surroundings but it was hard. Everything seemed so...white -- and clean...sterile, almost.
"What is this place?" Wes asked sotto voce.
"Time Force headquarters," Jen answered. "And no, most of it doesn't look like this," she added. "This area is the Technical and Temporal department. They need to keep it very, very clean."
"Oh. Lab work?"
"Lab work," Jen agreed. "The rest of the place looks more like the Silver Guardians' headquarters crossed with the Death Star control room."
Wes laughed. "You've been hanging out with Eric too much."
Jen grinned.
"I don't think I want to know," Logan observed. "This way."
He took a left. Wes and Jen followed and Wes found himself walking out onto a quiet but obviously central city street.
"Welcome to Central City," Logan said. "I'm afraid you'll get to see rather a lot of this area -- you've got Time Force headquarters, the Supreme Court and the Time Force academy all in the same area." Wes nodded. "And your apartment is this way," Logan added.
"Which block is it?" Jen asked. "I know the way..."
Logan held up his hand to stall her. "I know you do, but I'm currently running graveyard anyway so you're not keeping me out of bed. Besides, you're going to need me to authorise entry to the block." Logan looked a little sheepish. "Some clown in Civ-Ad took you off the authorisation list."
"The words are English but they make no sense," Wes murmured softly.
"I'll leave you to explain," said Logan. "This way."
Jen giggled. "What he means," she explained as they continued on their way, "is that he's currently rostered on the graveyard shift, so he's actually 'on shift' now." Wes nodded slowly; he'd figured that part out. "And Civ-Ad is Civilian Administration. They're the civilian branch of Time Force. They keep the records up to date."
"Ah." Wes grinned. "Or they're supposed to, huh?"
"Something like that," Jen agreed.
Wes wasn't sure what he'd been expecting from the phrase 'apartment block', but after the Time Force headquarters -- and despite what Jen had told him about that building -- the last thing he was expecting was something as 'normal' and low rise as the elegant looking building that Logan came to a halt outside of.
Logan palmed the entry port and the door slid open to reveal an open plan lobby area that reminded Wes of most hotels he'd ever stayed in, even down to the potted palm trees.
"How are we going to come and go if I don't have access?" Jen asked, as they followed Logan into the building.
"Alex will have pass cards for you tomorrow afternoon," Logan replied. "That was the best anyone could get out of Civ-Ad."
Wes didn't need to look to know Jen was rolling her eyes at that statement. "That figures," she muttered.
"You're on the second floor," Logan explained, calling the elevator, "in two-oh-four."
"Is this where you lived?" Wes asked as they entered the elevator.
Jen shook her head. "I can show you tomorrow if you like. It wasn't as nice as this."
"Oh?"
"These," said Jen as the elevator reached the second floor, "are senior officers' apartments. I only just rated one when I returned to the twenty-first century. If I'd come back at the end of that particular mission, I'd have probably faced moving apartments."
Wes nodded.
"And here we are," said Logan, coming to a halt outside the door marked 204. He palmed the entry plate. As the door slid open, Wes could see the lights coming up. "I'll leave you to get settled in and get some rest. I think Alex has left some bits and pieces of information for you, Jen -- about the trial. And I think," Logan grinned faintly, "that you might find a couple of other surprises."
"Lucas or Trip?"
Logan shook his head. "I don't know. All I know is Alex was muttering darkly when he left, and I don't think it had anything to do with his mission."
Wes found himself snickering. If it wasn't for the perpetual feeling that Alex was only ever telling that which suited him best, he had a feeling he could get to like the other man.
"If you need anything, you know the comm. number of TFHQ," Logan finished. "Otherwise, I expect I'll see you when they drag me out of bed to testify."
"Thanks, sir...err..." To Wes' amusement Jen blushed.
"Alex does that occasionally, too." Logan looked amused. "Sleep well."
He turned and headed back towards the elevators while Wes followed Jen into the apartment.
"Why the blush?" Wes asked as the door slid shut behind him.
"I keep forgetting that he and I are now the same rank. I don't have to call him sir any more." Jen sighed. "Well, this is the future -- what do you think?"
Wes slowly looked around the apartment. It actually looked surprisingly similar to Jen's new apartment in Silverhills. The living room had recognisable armchairs and a comfortable looking couch all grouped around a low table. On the wall behind them was a definite sign this wasn't 2002, though -- something that looked like a cross between a Star Trek view screen and...Wes wasn't entirely sure.
"Holo-net screen," Jen explained. "Sort of like TV. But less interesting -- it's kinda like watching CNN."
"No real shows?" Wes replied, a little stunned.
"Nope. If you want something like..." Jen shrugged. "I don't know. 'Will & Grace' for example, you have to pay specifically for that show."
"Weird."
Jen shrugged. "I guess. It does mean that only the truly popular stuff gets a second season."
Wes nodded. "I guess that makes sense."
"So what do you think?"
Wes glanced around the living room again. "I don't know -- I was sorta expecting something more futuristic." Jen grinned. "But I'm not complaining."
Jen smiled. "You should recognise the bedroom. Bathroom and kitchen might be...a little more of a challenge."
"Figures." Casting another glance around the living room, he realised what he hadn't seen. "Thought Captain Logan said Alex had left you some information."
"It'll either be on the kitchen counter or in the bedroom -- about the only two places Alex knows I'm guaranteed to look," Jen explained, heading in the direction of one of the two doorways that opened off the living room. "Bedroom," she said, as she walked through the door.
Wes wasn't sure if she meant Alex's information was in the bedroom or if that doorway led into the bedroom. With a shrug, he followed her and discovered that the answer to both queries was yes. Then he saw what was on the bed.
"Two Time Force uniforms?" Wes exclaimed.
Jen was scrolling through a datapad. "You're officially a Time Force officer now, remember?" She glanced up. "And right now, you're somewhere where it means something."
That was something that Wes hadn't thought of. He grimaced. "Oh good." Thank God Eric isn't here to see this. And that was when the implications of Alex's words in the time ship finally hit him.
"Wes?"
Wes found he was sitting on the bedroom floor, his legs having apparently given way beneath him. "Eric..." He looked up at Jen. "Alex means that bel Abis is going to kill him." Wes hoped that Jen would deny his words.
"There's a better than good chance," Jen agreed softly.
TO BE CONTINUED...