Chapter 18 – Visitations and Revelations

"So, you think that they'll have mended the connection by tonight and the others will be able to go home tomorrow?" Luke asked.

"We can only hope," Emmy muttered.

"I think so," Flora said positively. "Everything will be back to normal real soon. I know it." She took Emmy's arm and smiled at her."

"Well, even if that is so, it still doesn't answer some of our bigger questions," the professor said. "Such as, why are our younger selves here, and how did they get here?"

"Yeah, I've been wondering that too," Flora said. "Didn't your older self say that it was impossible to travel from the past to the future because the machine wouldn't have been working back then, as they only would have fixed it, like, today."

"But then... how is that even possible?" Emmy asked, frowning.

"And there is my proof that this whole situation is even more complicated than we thought," the professor concluded. "And we are certain that Andrea is involved. For now, I suggest that we—" But the professor's suggestion was interrupted by a familiar voice calling out for him.

"Professor Layton!"

They all turned around to see Aurora running towards them.

"Hello Aurora!" Flora smiled. Aurora smiled briefly at her friend before turning back to the Professor.

"Professor, there is something terribly wrong with Professor Sycamore."

"Really? What could possibly be wrong?"

"He disappeared for three hours yesterday, and then he suddenly appeared at home, remembering nothing about what had happened to him."

"What? How could he not remember?" Emmy asked, confused.

"I'm no sure, but when I got home yesterday he wasn't there, so I went to his office and he wasn't there either, and I looked everywhere for him for hours, and when I gave up and went home, he was there. When I asked him where he was, he said that he couldn't remember and he was quite drowsy and he was dizzy."

"I think we ought to go and see him, Hershel," Emmy said. "Is he any better today, Aurora?"

"A bit, but he's still quite unwell. I think he would appreciate it if you went to see him."

"Well then, it's settled," the professor decided.

"But why didn't you come and tell us yesterday, Aurora?" Luke asked.

"I tried, but no one was home," Aurora explained.

"Wait... what time did you come round?" Emmy asked.

"About six o'clock," Aurora replied.

"Well, we were all out looking for Andrea then, so the house was empty," Luke concluded.

"I didn't want to go too far because the professor was unwell, and I wanted to get back to him..."

"We understand, Aurora," Emmy said sympathetically. "We'll go over now and see if we can't sort this out."

"Did you get anything from the surveillance yet?" Andrea asked.

"No," the man replied. "Nothing as of yet."

"Well, we need to get a rough measurement of how far down the cable the connection has been broken—"

"Shh! Listen!" they both fell silent and listened carefully to the monitor.

"I've found it" Dimitri exclaimed. "You see—there's a significant bend in the wire right here, about twenty feet from the connection point to the arms."

"That's all we needed to know," Andrea smiled. "That's last night's surveillance, right?"

"Yes, indeed it—" the man began, but they both stopped when they heard what happened next.

"What? Why isn't it working? We fixed the connection, for Christ's sake!"

"Well, we cannot rule out the possibility of there being another break," Markus said.

"Layton? Layton! How many breaks are there in the cable?"

"About five, but I can't remember where they are. "

Andrea sighed frustratedly. "Idiots! If they actually worked together to fix it would be done by now..."

"Perhaps this is exactly what they are trying to achieve," the man pointed out. "At least, what Layton is trying to achieve."

"You mean..." Andrea stopped. "Layton's doing this on purpose..."

"He knows that the machine must be done by tonight. He must also know about our surveillance. He must have remembered it from last time he was here."

Andrea scowled. "Layton..."

The man touched Andrea's arm. "We will get what we want. I'm sure of it."

"I know, father, but..." she sighed. "If I didn't love him so much, I'd hate him for what he's doing here."

"This way," Aurora said, beckoning for them to go upstairs. "He's in bed, I think."

They all followed her to the first floor. Emmy looked around. She noticed that the house was so clean, not a trace of dirt, and was so well kept and organised. She smiled. "Hershel obviously isn't too much like his brother, then." But then she peeked inside the study through the door, which was ajar. Books littered the floor, and the bin was overflowing with loose bits of paper. Emmy smiled again. I stand corrected..."

"This way," Aurora said, leading the way down the hall and opening the last door. She entered with the professor and Emmy behind her.

"How are you feeling, Professor?" Aurora asked.

"Better now, thank you," he said gratefully, sitting up and putting on his glasses. "Layton and Emmy, a pleasure to see you again. I see that Aurora managed to find you after all."

"Yes, she did." The professor studied Desmond's face, which looked washed out. His eyes were glazed over and he looked fatigued. "Aurora has told us what happened yesterday."

"Yes..." Desmond sighed. "I don't know what happened. I can't remember much of what happened at all yesterday. I remember getting up... and walking Aurora to school... and going to the office to examine some potential Azran hieroglyphics... but that's all. I can't remember passing out, or being kidnapped or chloroformed or anything of that nature... and my memory of waking up I very foggy as well..."

"You were very disorientated, Professor," Aurora said. "You couldn't even see the numbers on the clock."

"This is very peculiar," the professor said.

"What do you think, Professor?" Luke asked.

"I have a suspicion that this occurrence is connected to our current situation..."

"What situation? Is something the matter?" Desmond asked.

"Well... it is very complicated," the professor confessed. "You remember Celeste?"

"Yes."

"Well, her daughter, Claire, was a poly-dimensional researcher, as was her father. Together, before they both... passed away... they built a time machine together."

"A... time machine?" Desmond exclaimed. "A fully functional time machine?"

"Sadly, no. The machine did not take someone to another point in time, but they managed to establish some sort of a connection with the future, enabling people from the future to come here."

"Ah... I see." Desmond smiled. "So your future selves have come to this time and are stuck?"

"Yes," the professor smiled back. "Myself and Emmy have future counterparts. But it gets a little more complicated than that."

Desmond frowned. "How so?"

"We have younger counterparts as well," Emmy replied. "Me, Hershel and Uncle Leon."

Desmond stopped. "But... how? If the past can't come to the future, then..."

"That is what we're trying to figure out," the professor replied.

"And... well..." Emmy trailed off.

"Is there something else too? What else could there possibly be?" Desmond asked.

"Well... our older selves came with... with a little boy... and well..."

"You're going to be an uncle," Flora finished brightly.

Desmond's confused expression slowly changed, as he processed what had just been said, to a look of pure joy. "Oh, Emmy! You're pregnant? That's wonderful news! Congratulations!" he held out his hand to her. Emmy blushed and shook it. Desmond stood up and clapped the professor on the back. "When did you find out?"

"Last week," the professor replied. "Our older selves told Emmy."

"Well, I suppose that is as accurate as any pregnancy test," Desmond laughed. "And at least you know what gender it is, and what to call him... what is his name, by the way?"

"Alfendi," Flora said.

"Alfendi..." Desmond smiled widely. "After Alfendi Alecksa, famous Czechoslovakian photographer, I believe. A wise choice, Emmy. It's a fine name."

"Er... thanks," Emmy said uncertainly. "Who the hell is Alfendi Alecksa...?"

"I have never known anyone who has had a human baby before," Aurora said. "I think it will be very interesting to watch how he grows and develops."

"Indeed," Desmond smiled. "To become a parent is a wonderful thing, trust me, I know. Even ask Bronev, Emmy, he'll tell you."

"Yeah..."

"Anyway, we must go over to Celeste's place and see if the machine has been repaired yet. Our older selves and Dimitri Allen, a poly-dimensional researcher, are there," the professor said, checking his watch.

"Well... I suppose you had better get on, then. I am in no fit state to accompany you, I'm afraid, but I will see you all later. Remember; call me if you need anything."

"Alright. Thank you, Desmond." The professor tipped his hat to him, took Emmy's arm and led the way out of the room. Flora and Luke said their goodbyes and hurried out after them.

Desmond turned to Aurora. "Well, that shed absolutely no light on this situation."

"No."

Desmond smiled. "So, Emmy is pregnant... I have no doubt that they will make wonderful parents. Alfendi is one lucky boy..."

Markus sighed, looking exasperatedly at his surroundings. No one else had been any help at all in the last few hours. Emmeline was laying on several bean-bags, fast asleep. Layton was playing checkers against his son. Dimitri was having a nervous breakdown, sitting silently on the floor and gripping his hair. And Markus was left, one man alone, trying to find breaks in a wire connection; a needle in a haystack. So, naturally, he was relieved to hear a knock on the door and the voices of the present-time Professor Layton and his companions. He listened carefully at every step the made down the hall as they approached him.

As the loft door opened and the professor entered, Markus let out a sigh of relief. The professor looked from him, to his other self in the corner, to Emmeline to Dimitri an then back at Markus, puzzled.

"I take it that you haven't managed to find the break yet?" he asked.

"No," Markus sighed.

"And they haven't been any help," Dimitri snarled, looking up to glare at the corner of the room, where Layton shook his head.

"I told you, I cannot remember where the other breaks are," he said, trying his hardest to suppress a smile.

"Oh, you think this is funny? Really?" Dimitri snarled as Alfendi got up from his crate and decided to rummage through the boxes of sciency-looking equipment. "Maybe there's something in here that could help," he thought, interested.

"No," Layton smiled, but what is about to happen is quite amusing, in an ironic way."

"What? What?" Dimitri snarled.

"You'll see in a moment," Layton smiled, glancing in Alfendi's direction. "Just don't scream too loudly, as Emmeline is resting."

"Hey, Dad," Alfendi said, holding up a peculiar electronic device. "Isn't this a time-domain reflectometer?"

"A time whaty what what-what?" Emmy asked.

"Basically' it's used to detect the location of a break in a... cabled... wire..." Alfendi trailed off. "I really should have randomly rummaged through his box earlier."

Everyone stared from Alfendi to Layton in disbelief, while Emmeline woke up with a loud snort.

"What?" Emmeline asked, breathless. She looked over at her son, moreover, what was in his hand. "Oh, yeah. I, er... I forgot about that. Sorry Markus... er... Dimitri..." she looked very sheepish.

Everyone braced themselves, taking a step or two (or in Alfendi's case, eleven) backwards in an attempt to get as far away from Dimitri as possible. But to everyone shock, Dimitri began to laugh. Soon Markus joined in, and everyone was laughing their heads off. Celeste entered and stared at each one as though they had all lost their minds. Layton smiled to himself, more than anyone else.

"I did tell you that it was funny."