Listen to "Popcorn" by Gershon Kingsley for effect
Time passed and winter neve seemed to leave. If anything it only got colder and colder. Francis spent his days helping Arthur in the laboratory, but every experiment they did to try to revive the dead, was fruitless. The remains of cadavers had to be taken away as they really didn't have anywhere to store them for long and it was very unhygienic to have them there. Arthur paced the floor, deep in thought whilst Francis wrote in his journal the details of all the experiments that didn't work. The first cadaver melted like plastic, the second practically disintegrated and the third made a strange popping sound before turning into a blob of mulch. Nothing worked, much less bring anyone back to life. Each time they would carefully prepare the bodies, washed and dried and placed in the chamber of the machine, and each time something went completely wrong.
"I just don't understand it." Arthur grumbled as he tinkered with the machine and the computer. "My algorithm was perfect… it should have worked." He said moodily. "What do I have to do here?"
"Do not worry Mon Cher…" Francis said as he looked up from his journal. "You are not …'ow you say? Einstien…"
"No… I'm better than Einstien. He only said E= MC2 as if that was the be all and end all of the universe. MY equation E to the power of F divided by the square root of Pi, multiplied by MC2 and transmutated through the steam powered energy transducer which I might add contains a heart of quartz crystal… means LIFE… except it didn't work." He mumbled.
"What will this accomplish Mon Petit Lapin?" Francis asked "Maybe you should try something else non?"
"Try something else? Try..? I have worked on this for a very long time and I am not giving up now!" retorted Arthur. "I thought you believed in my experiments."
"I do Mon Cher…" Francis replied "But it is clear nonetheless that life cannot be restored to a corpse non?"
"I beg to differ." Arthur replied and paused. "I want to show you something… come with me…."
"Alright…" Francis replied as he followed Arthur out of the basement and into the cold dark derelict rooms of the mansion above them. It was freezing, but they continued up the stairs towards the attic rooms.
"The reason I want to be able to bring the dead back to life… Francis is because… I am the last of the Kirkland's. They are all dead… except me." He said and paused. "And I won't be having any children any time soon…" He continued. "However, if I could bring them back…. Just imagine the possibilities."
Francis was listening to him intently. He certainly had some big ideas, big stupid impossible ideas. Who would want to bring people back to life that had been dead for years? "I think you are forgetting one thing Arthur…" Francis said as they approached the attic. "Would not the bodies of your ancestors be decomposed and rotting by now?"
"That is why I incorporated an energy transducer into the machine… it will regenerate and more… reanimate dead tissue… trust me on that one." He said and then stopped for a moment. "Or at least it should… it just hasn't yet… I must be doing something wrong somewhere."
Arthur took him up to the little attic room where he got out an old photo album. He showed Francis the photographs of some of his ancestors.
"This distinguished gentleman here is my Great Grandfather… he was also called Arthur, actually we all are called Arthur… its more of a title than a name…" He said pointing to a photograph of someone who was very like him in looks and stature. "This Arthur Kirkland had a middle name. His full name was Arthur Hindley Kirkland. As far as I know they all used to call him Hindley. He lived in this mansion during its hey day in the years 1800 to 1880 when he died of natural causes."
"Monsieur Hindley looks a lot like you Mon Cher, he even has your eyebrows…" Francis chuckled.
"Imagine if I could bring him back… talk to him… put him back in charge of this mansion…" Arthur said reiterating his pipe dream.
Francis sighed but smiled a little. There was no way this could ever work but Arthur seemed to believe it would. He turned over the photo album and showed Francis a picture that nearly made his heart stop.
"What do you think of this?" Arthur said as he showed him it. There was, in the photo album, an old ripped photograph, faded and sepia toned, but standing next to Arthur Hindley Kirkland was a man who looked not unlike himself, apart from his clothes which were obviously from the 1800s. The date on the photograph was April 8th 1828
"Mon Dieu!" He gasped "But… I was unaware that any of my ancestors knew yours… "
"Nobody knows about him." Arthur said "It's all very mysterious. No one knew his name or where he came from, it was a mystery. Before my father died I asked him about that man and he told me to shut up."
"It is amazing, he looks almost exactly like me…" Francis gasped. "Where did this photograph come from?"
"I don't know." Arthur said. "But look how close he stands to my Great Grandfather… I would have said they were more than friends, wouldn't you?"
"You… think they were lovers?" He asked tentatively. "As you and I?"
"Perhaps." Arthur replied. "But I really want to find out. Just imagine being able to talk to Arthur Hindley Kirkland, finding out the mystery of this photograph. Who that man was, and why he looks like you?"
"Oui, it is a mystery indeed." He said as he stared at the photograph. "This must have been one of the first photographs ever taken… it is so old…"
"So you see, I have good reasons for wanting to revive the dead… and I have an algorithm… and a machine… just not life itself." Arthur said "But I will find it, and bring this man back to life, and maybe some of the others too… if it works."
"It is certainly a dream worth dreaming Mon Cher." Francis said with a smile. He knew it would never work, but he liked seeing his love motivated in his work.
"I have to try, Francis… I know I'm not going to have any children of my own, and being the last of the Kirklands… that would never do." He said as he kissed him. "I sometimes wish that men could get pregnant… I'd want you to be the other parent to my child… if it was only possible."
"You know Arthur… bringing back the dead might be more impossible…" Francis said gently. "If I could have your children I would." He said with a smile. "I have always thought I would make a good… parent… "
"I will find a way…" Arthur said "But first let me finish my experiments on reviving the dead… " He continued. "If they do not work then that will be the next step."
Francis sighed at all of Arthurs impossible dreams, but he loved him anyway.
Absent mindedly, Francis tucked the old photograph of the man who looked like him, in the inside pocket of his waistcoat, and forgot he'd even done that. They left the attic and went down to the basement again to continue with more experiments.
"I suppose Arthur Hindley Kirkland is buried up at the family cemetery on the hill?" Francis asked as they set up the machine again. "The little houses for the dead…" He chuckled.
"Actually, he is… what's left of him." Arthur replied. "Horribly decomposed… a stinking corpse…" he uttered "…and you've just given me an idea…"
"Oh wait… you aren't going to dig him up are you?"
"Of course not." Arthur said. "His coffin is above ground.. it will be a simple case of going up there and getting it…" He said as he threw on his coat. "Come on, we've got work to do…"
"Oh Lord!" exclaimed Francis as he put on his coat and followed Arthur up to the little cemetery on the hill. "I cannot believe you are actually going to put your long dead ancestor into your machine in the hopes that it will revive him…" he said in disbelief. He had no desire to try to handle the corpse or the coffin which would very likely be heavy. Arthur opened up one of the "little houses for the dead" and they went inside. The coffin was above ground as Arthur had said and covered in a rotting British Union Jack flag. "Well here he is… old Great Grandfather Arthur Hindley Kirkland."
"Do we really 'ave to do zis?" Protested Francis. But it was no good, Arthur was determined to try this, and so after a great struggle to get the coffin down the hill, in the snow, and then down into the basement, they finally pushed it into a corner, and stopped.
"This is madness Arthur… madness…" Francis still protested, even though it was useless. When Arthur wanted to do something he did it, no matter how gruesome the task may be.
"Open up the coffin Francis… I'll fire up the machine!" He said as he put on his lab coat, and a pair of dark sunglasses. When they performed this experiment, there would be a flash of blue light so, he had to protect himself. Francis also got changed into the lab coat and glasses before opening up the coffin. He immediately threw up because the smell was so bad, and he stood there wretching as he looked at the disgusting corpse. "I am not doing zis…" He said "I am a doctor not a Necromancer…"
"Oh, stop it!" Arthur yelled. "Always trying to ruin it aren't you?"
"It's not me trying to ruin it. Look, he is dead, he is gone, he will never be revived… do you not see zis?"
"Wheel the corpse on the trolley and into the machine!" Yelled Arthur getting frustrated. "Come on, its almost ready.
"You wheel it in!" Francis yelled back and coughed. "This is disgusting this corpse…"
"Just wheel it in… I'm warning you…."
"Warning me of what?" He yelled "You wanted to do this rrrriiidiculous experiment…" Francis said, in a very animated way, as he was getting quite angry by now. "You have these, crazy, mad, English dreams zat will never come true… you drag me all ze way to a crypt to get a person who has been dead for a century… I will do zis no more.. I have had enough you stupid English…"
"Stop shouting at me you Foppish French twit!" Yelled Arthur also really angry. "I told you why I want to revive this corpse, the best thing you can do is…"
"Do not tell me what is the best thing to do. I have had enough of your orders, I will now take my leave!" Francis yelled as he walked off in completely the wrong direction, in fact he walked right into the machine without realising it. "Now I am in the machine!" he yelled "Why am I in the machine? Look what you made me do…"
Without warning, the machine chamber closed on Francis and the engine started up, there were various clanks and groans and moans as the machine moved into action.
Arthur stood there open mouthed watching as poor Francis got trapped in the chamber and it closed on him.
"Francis!" He exclaimed, no longer angry, but concerned. He had to stop the machine but everything he tried wasn't working.
The Frenchman beat on the door to the chamber erratically, screaming to be let out. "Arthur, get me out of here! Get me ouuuuut!" he yelled "Sacre Bleu… zis is torture!"
"I'm trying!" Screamed Arthur. Nothing was working, and he couldn't stop the machine, so he tried to open the door to the chamber and it wouldn't open, but he kept trying. However it was too late.. the machine let of its blast of blue light, and some strange music seemed to come from nowhere, it was very unusual, like the machine itself was making the music. Arthur watched from outside the chamber as a strange swirling mass appeared behind Francis.
"You stupid… stupid… mad scientist… I hate every bone in your stupid English bodeee!" Screamed Francis unaware of what was behind him.
Suddenly another flash of blue light appeared and the machine powered down. Arthur stood there stunned, and took off his dark glasses. The chamber opened itself but Francis was gone, he hadn't been disintegrated, he was just gone. Arthur went into the chamber to investigate, still completely stunned at what happened, and then he realised one thing. He thought about the picture he'd shown Francis earlier, and it came to him… that wasn't just a picture of a man who looked like Francis… that WAS Francis.
"Oh God… it's a time machine…" he gasped. "I'VE CREATED A TIME MACHINE!"