Chapter 04
Six Days, 20 Hours, Fifty-five Minutes
Olga opened her mouth, knowing that now - for once in her short, crazy life - she was going to say the words that she so desperately wanted to say - that she was going to say them to someone she so desperately wanted to say them to - that she was at the beginning of a new beginning - the start of an entirely new life in a lifetime years away from a place she ever imagined she could possibly be. She looked into Channing's eyes, she opened her mouth, and -
Instead, her telephone chirped.
Channing brushed his warm body next to hers. Laughing, he quipped, "Do you want to tell me how you managed to pull that trick, sweetness?" He stroked one finger along her firm chin and added, "Do you want to tell me how it is that - when we're almost in the middle of what appears to be an Earth- shattering breakthrough in commitment - life as we know it gets turned upside down? Eh, Vukavitch? What is that? Some kind of Russian karma?"
She rolled her eyes at him. At times, he held the key to her heart. Still, in the meantime, he could be as childish as the worst man she had ever met. Grimacing, tugging the thick comforter with her as she slid toward the bedside table, she spat back, "Don't even start with me."
The phone buzzed a second time before she snatched it from the receiver.
"Hello?"
"Olga," she heard. "It's Bradley."
In his voice, she heard the sense of urgency that only seconds ago she had felt in her heart.
"Bradley, what is it?"
"There's been . we have a situation."
Suddenly, she imagined that the receiver grew cold in her palm. She tightened her fingers, uncertain as to what came next.
"What do you mean?" she asked quickly, sitting up. "What is it? What's happened?"
"I'd rather you come down here."
"Bradley, please. You're scaring me."
"Olga, I need you to get down here right away. There's been ."
His voice trailed off into utter silence. Shortly, in its place, she heard the growing thud-thud-thudding of a nervous pulse.
"Bradley, please," she whispered.
He cleared his throat, and then, flatly, he said, "Conundrum."
Gasping, she pulled her free hand up to her mouth.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about every risk we've taken in the pursuit of our own brand of temporal justice," he argued. "You heard what I said, and you know - perhaps better than the rest of us - what that singular word means. Because you do, I would imagine . right now . you're feeling exactly what I'm feeling," Talmadge offered. "I'm talking about the distinct possibility that - somehow - the very fabric of time is coming undone."
"Bradley . but how?"
"The situation room," he replied. She thought she heard other voices, now, in his office, but she couldn't be certain. Probably Ramsey. By the sounds of the crisis, she wasn't surprised. "Now, Olga. Right now. If there's ever been a time for you to hurry, this is it."
Nodding, she agreed. "I'm on my way."
"Oh, and if you happen to know the whereabouts of the world's favorite chrononaut, I'd recommend that you stop there first. Bring him along. Of all of the people assigned to Project Backstep, he'll need to hear what's happened the most."
END of Chapter 04
Six Days, 20 Hours, Fifty-five Minutes
Olga opened her mouth, knowing that now - for once in her short, crazy life - she was going to say the words that she so desperately wanted to say - that she was going to say them to someone she so desperately wanted to say them to - that she was at the beginning of a new beginning - the start of an entirely new life in a lifetime years away from a place she ever imagined she could possibly be. She looked into Channing's eyes, she opened her mouth, and -
Instead, her telephone chirped.
Channing brushed his warm body next to hers. Laughing, he quipped, "Do you want to tell me how you managed to pull that trick, sweetness?" He stroked one finger along her firm chin and added, "Do you want to tell me how it is that - when we're almost in the middle of what appears to be an Earth- shattering breakthrough in commitment - life as we know it gets turned upside down? Eh, Vukavitch? What is that? Some kind of Russian karma?"
She rolled her eyes at him. At times, he held the key to her heart. Still, in the meantime, he could be as childish as the worst man she had ever met. Grimacing, tugging the thick comforter with her as she slid toward the bedside table, she spat back, "Don't even start with me."
The phone buzzed a second time before she snatched it from the receiver.
"Hello?"
"Olga," she heard. "It's Bradley."
In his voice, she heard the sense of urgency that only seconds ago she had felt in her heart.
"Bradley, what is it?"
"There's been . we have a situation."
Suddenly, she imagined that the receiver grew cold in her palm. She tightened her fingers, uncertain as to what came next.
"What do you mean?" she asked quickly, sitting up. "What is it? What's happened?"
"I'd rather you come down here."
"Bradley, please. You're scaring me."
"Olga, I need you to get down here right away. There's been ."
His voice trailed off into utter silence. Shortly, in its place, she heard the growing thud-thud-thudding of a nervous pulse.
"Bradley, please," she whispered.
He cleared his throat, and then, flatly, he said, "Conundrum."
Gasping, she pulled her free hand up to her mouth.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about every risk we've taken in the pursuit of our own brand of temporal justice," he argued. "You heard what I said, and you know - perhaps better than the rest of us - what that singular word means. Because you do, I would imagine . right now . you're feeling exactly what I'm feeling," Talmadge offered. "I'm talking about the distinct possibility that - somehow - the very fabric of time is coming undone."
"Bradley . but how?"
"The situation room," he replied. She thought she heard other voices, now, in his office, but she couldn't be certain. Probably Ramsey. By the sounds of the crisis, she wasn't surprised. "Now, Olga. Right now. If there's ever been a time for you to hurry, this is it."
Nodding, she agreed. "I'm on my way."
"Oh, and if you happen to know the whereabouts of the world's favorite chrononaut, I'd recommend that you stop there first. Bring him along. Of all of the people assigned to Project Backstep, he'll need to hear what's happened the most."
END of Chapter 04