Hello everyone! So finals are over and I am free to do as I please for the next 4 weeks. Hopefully your holidays will be just as boss as I'm expecting mine to be.
Thank you so much for the people who have given reviews thus far. They are always appreciated, whether good or bad.
Chapter 5
"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. "Jon Sommers shook Franny's hand. "And this must be Wilbur. Your dad used to talk about you quite a bit."
He nodded, having not spoken to anyone since the day of the fire that had taken his dad away from them.
Wilbur surveyed the man before him. Stocky. A little shorter than his father used to be. He had to admit that the man had a face that screamed dependability.
"It's good that you didn't bring anyone else." They sat in his office, which was only ten floors below Cornelius's. He opened a drawer and rummaged inside. "The less anyone knows about this, the better."
"What's so important that you couldn't tell us any of this during the funeral?" Franny had been a bit terse lately.
"You'll find out soon enough. Even I don't know its contents. Aha! Here it is!" Jon picked up the circular disk in his hand and laid it on the table. "One of your husband's most recent inventions."
"What is it?"
"I was instructed by your husband to give this to you if anything had happened to him."
A simple, thin silver disk with only what seemed to be a red sticker placed on top of it. Jon pressed the red dot and both Franny and Wilbur were surprised as the image of his father expanded from it.
Cornelius adjusted something off the screen, which distorted the image for a moment. Wilbur had missed him so much and here he was. Dressed in his usual blue vest, red tie, white lab coat, and the golden spike of hair...
"Today is July 23, 2038. My name is Cornelius Robinson, president of Robinson Industries. If this disk should fall into your hands, please send it to my family."
Cornelius cleared his throat.
"Hi Franny. Hi Wilbur. If you're seeing this disk, it means that something has happened to me...because this...is my will."
Franny began sobbing.
"I really wasn't planning on making one so soon...but you know. Just in case." The virtual Cornelius grinned, but it could not hide the pain clearly showing on his face. "Franny... you were the best wife and companion any lonely, socially awkward man could ever hope for. And yes, my love. You were always right."
She laughed suddenly as she tried to dab the tears from her eyes.
"And Wilbur…my son. You are one of the best things that ever happened to me. You know we had our ups and downs, but I tried my hardest to be the best father for you."
Wilbur didn't want to cry. He promised himself he wouldn't.
"And I sometimes don't say it enough, but I love you. Very much. Even more than my own life. And the moment I first saw you, when you were born...I think that was when my life became complete." His father smiled. He missed that smile.
The image of his father became blurry as his eyes watered.
Cornelius looked to his left as a knocking sound came through the video. A second voice rang out. "Dad! We're going to be late for the game!"
"I'll be right there!"
"I have to wrap this up... I guess, that's all I have to say for now. I'll try to add some more at a later date. Just remember, to always keep moving forward." He turned back and again adjusted something from behind the image, and the video ended.
"It was… kind of short, Mr. Sommers."
"Yes, that surprised me a bit. He gave this to me about two weeks ago, and he was quite adamant about only allowing you and Wilbur to know about this disk. Said it was important."
"There seemed to be nothing important in there at all…" Franny's voice trailed off as the disk began to glow. "What's happening?"
"I honestly don't know."
The disk turned on, and Cornelius was once again on the screen. His face was now more exhausted, and his body, slouched over a chair in front of the camera, revealed what little sleep the man had acquired. There were dark circles under his eyes, which deepened the intensity of his gaze when he looked straight through at them.
"This is a coded message I've encrypted into the disk. It will only show if the disk is opened on exactly November 17, 2038. What I'm about to say must not leave the room."
Cornelius dragged his hand across his blond hair and sighed.
"I was warned that this would someday happen. I didn't really believe it then...but I believe it now. Someone's been following my every move for the past month or so."
To that little bit of information, Wilbur's head shot up to stare at his dad's figure.
"I didn't think so much about it…until my car couldn't brake in mid flight. Someone had tampered with the stop mechanism. It was all true." Cornelius bit his lip, as if to suppress the anxiety clearly showing on his face. "Someone is trying to kill me."
He couldn't believe it. What was his father saying?
"Little accidents here and there that could've been disasters…I haven't been home in about three weeks now. I don't want to leave my office... I can't let leave my office or they might get involved."
"I miss my family," Cornelius said, "I want to see them again…will I ever be able to see them again? I just can't allow them to get hurt...I guess, that's what's making this whole thing bearable...just knowing that they're safe."
Wilbur felt his anger rise up. Anger at his own stupidity. At what he had done. How could he have said that he had hated this man? He had never regretted saying those words more than he did then.
"What he said is coming true. I'm really going to die, aren't I?" He stopped speaking as he looked to his right.
Something within Wilbur stirred at his father's words. Who's "he"?
"It's one of my son's games today. It's quite a beautiful afternoon…I wish I was there."
"You should see what I see right now. The sun is out. It's such a clear day… I guess, my sun is about to set…but I hope my Wilbur and Franny will see thousands and thousands of splendid suns just like today's." Hand rising, Cornelius pressed a button on the remote and the video died once more.
A few seconds of silence passed between the three of them. As Jon opened his mouth to speak, the disk turned on for the final time.
"The day that he told me is fast approaching. I might as well add this in here like I'm supposed to…Wilbur…I know you're there."
"Dad?" Wilbur's voice cracked.
"Hello son. Now listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you." It may have been the some strange new part of his dad's invention or it had been coincidence; but the image of his father looked directly at him.
"Look at your watch. You should have brought it with you." Wilbur complied with this very odd request.
"He told me that when you do so, it will be exactly 3:45 in the afternoon."
Wilbur's heart stopped. "No…no way."
"Yes way…now, do you understand?" Cornelius smiled. "I was debating for a while whether I should tell you this or not. How this would change anything I don't know, but it was a favor…from a dear old friend. What comes of this…has probably already been decided."
"Franny…Wilbur…please. Keep yourself safe." The image faded, as did the glow of the disk. A line of numbers appeared in red for a few seconds before disappearing as well. To Wilbur, those numbers would have been easily forgotten, if he hadn't recognized it first.
Wilbur locked the seat belt across his lap. He pressed a button, and the time machine hummed to life. After checking the monitors for engine and turbine stability, he opened the garage doors with the remote underneath the steering wheel. Wilbur entered the string of numbers on the board to his left and flew the time machine straight up into the air.
His heartbeat quickened as the time bubble emerged, and the machine was engulfed in a swirl of purples and blues.
"Lewis…" he whispered as he looked at the photo on the dashboard, and just as suddenly, the bubble popped into nonexistence.
