Summary: Jack with Ralph and the others attempts to save Simon's life that day on the beach. One shot.
A day and a half.
They had about a week before the event. They had to make it a week. They didn't want to mess it up. So a week before the moment was to happen they planned to land. Their thought was that if they saved Simon they saved Piggy. That was the thought among them anyways.
"Is it really going to work?" Ralph questioned them from his position by the door as he watched Roger and Jack play with the machine one last time. He was hopeful and curious and excited.
"Well I mean it has to work." Jack answered with a small smile on his face, hiding the sorrow beneath. Simon's death had been one of the things that haunted him since the island. "My future self already used it. It's how we are here. "
"Shocking no. That Jack of all people would end up the scientist of us all." Roger stated and the others in the room laughed. There was Robert and Maurice sitting near the window. They looked to be in their twenties, same as the rest of the party that was going on this journey. Next to them was Sam and Eric, the twins, who Jack had gotten on board with the plan long before even including Ralph. After them was a couple more others like Bill. Jack had refused to include the littluns. Something about it being the biggums fault that night and thus their responsibility to solve. "I mean I thought you would have ended up a pastor or something. But I guess life is funny."
Ralph laughed with the group not because what Roger said was super funny but because the whole thing was shocking and weird and so full of hope that anything anyone of them said could have been funny. Simon's death had haunted him like it had he realized the others as well. So it was a relief to learn they could do something about it. Something to change the outcome of that night. Even if they could not save Piggy, at least they could save Simon. Simon did not deserve to die like that.
"I know." Robert spoke from somewhere to the left of Ralph. "Jack being a scientist and not just any kind but the maker of a time machine. How rich and funny. I thought I had to live with that night forever."
"Thanks man." Robert continues and Ralph feels himself laughing with him. "I thought I would be a killer forever. "
A sharp silence fell upon them all as the words from Robert's mouth sank into everyone's ears. They were killers. Ralph could simply nod his head. They were killers, every single one of them. They had killed Simon that night. It was the number one reason why he had never told on Roger for killing Piggy when they had returned to civilization. How could he say anything when he himself had been no better? He too had been a killer that night. He too had been a savage. But no more. Jack had found the solution and they were going to do something about it.
"So how does the machine work?" Bill questioned breaking the silence.
"Well," Jack cleared his throat. "According to my older self and the manual left behind. We all enter into the machine and hold on to one of the handles while the pilots get to their positions."
The machine looked like a minibus with two seats for the pilot and co-pilot and an empty back ahead with ropes on the side for holding on to as you stood. There used to be seats but because they were so large a group Jack had removed them for standing room space. It was only logical.
"Anyways Ralph and I would be the pilot and the rest of you can stand in the back as we move backwards through time."
"Hey!" Roger stated once Jack words reached him. "How come he is co-pilot and not me!"
"Because unlike you Ralph knows some science and would understand what I am talking about. My older me said so. He said Ralph was going into physics and thus would understand the concept of multiple timelines and streams and the butterfly effects."
Ralph frowned at that statement. He had not told anyone about that yet. Even though he had not fully decided yet that he was going to go the physic route, here was Jack stating a fact he had not even told anyone yet, not even his parents.
Roger frowned but said no more. Ralph on the other hand was curious.
"This future you." He asked curiously. "What else did he say? About me that is."
Jack frowned as he looked at him for a moment then answered him while looking away. "That you will someday kill Roger because of Piggy."
Another silence entered the room and the group looked at Ralph then Roger then Ralph again. It wasn't a surprise to either one of them. Ralph could be emotional at times. Was Jack doing this because Roger got kill in the future? Or was it really for Simon's sake?
"Oh." Ralph said. He had thought about it. He looked away from Jack and smiled. He guessed it was true. They were about to do the impossible. "Am not surprised."
"Hmmm…." Jack replied and Roger simply looked from Ralph to Jack and back to Jack again. Jack had not told him that. But he guessed it made sense. Simon and Jack had not been that close so his death through tragedy could not have caused the other boy to work so extra hard to build a time machine. His death however made sense. He and Jack were best friends after all. "Anyways I hope you all study and did your research on the island like I asked you all to do three months ago. We are going to be living there for a week and can't afford to die or have anyone else die."
"Am good." Sam stated. "I learned how to fish with Eric two years ago."
"Same." Robert stated. "I learned how to fish too. So we can fish while out there."
"Good." Jack answered. "And what about out medic team? Did your learn how to heal wounds?"
"Yep." Maurice replied. "Me and Bill took that first aid class. Think we can heal him. I even bought a mis shift doctor blood transfusion kit just in case he needs a blood transfusion. His files at the school said he was AB blood type. Just like you and Roger, Jack."
Jack nodded then stood up from his position at the front of the room and approached the machine. He took his place as the pilot. This was it.
Ralph followed suit as well and took his place beside Jack in the machine Jack had been building in their old middle school building. Soon the rest of the boys entered the machine and took their places. Jack turned on the machine and not long after the room was empty of both machine and humans. The machine had worked.