An Alternate Life AU
Chapter 11 The Apple Tree
Real
"I don't believe this," Jeff muttered as he watched his 11-year old self smile and enter his future partner's room.
"That's interesting, isn't it?" Daryl commented. "It looks like you end up with Phineas anyway."
"This isn't the way it was supposed to be, I'm supposed to see what it would be like with someone else."
"You should've had him killed so there'd be no way you would run into him."
"Maybe we could run it again, give Bogg some problem that will take up all his time," Jeff replied.
"That's not the experiment, we have to let this play out."
"I already know how it plays out with Bogg," he muttered, then sighed. "Okay, let's jump ahead to the next important event."
Alternate
Phineas Bogg appeared on the screen. He sat on the steps of a porch, fiddling with his Omni. "This darn thing still isn't right," he mumbled. He looked up when he heard quick footsteps, and saw Jeff run around the corner of the building carrying a large rubber ball. He reached out to break his fall when he saw him stumble and felt Jeff's weight hit his side. The cosmos appeared and they landed on a grassy lawn.
"Not again!" Jeffrey whined.
Phineas Bogg glanced over at the boy. "Oh no," he moaned. He stood up and unhooked the omni from his belt and opened it. "1669, England," he paused and sighed, "red light."
Jeffrey had stood up at the same time and taken a step away from the voyager.
"I won't go back right away," he said forcefully.
"Course not, I'm not leaving a red light just because you're with me," Bogg declared in surprise.
"You're not?"
"Voyagers don't ignore red lights kid, we fix em."
"But Dan took me through eight red lights to get to headquarters."
Phineas paused, "eight?" he asked in surprise. "Not in an hour?"
Jeff nodded.
"The recall function," he said to himself. He stared at Jeff for a second before he continued. "So how'd you do with that?"
"That's why I was in the Medical Center."
"That would make anyone sick."
Jeff nodded and they stood in silence sizing each other up, until finally Bogg opened the Omni again.
"June 6, 1669. I don't have my guidebook, you got any ideas kid?"
"Ideas about what?"
"About what's wrong here, what should we do to fix it?"
Jeff glanced around uncertainly, "you want me to do something?" he asked in surprise.
"You're supposed to know history, just do what you did with Dan."
"All I ever did with him was get sick! I already told you that," Jeff said nastily.
"Well, that's not good enough now! I just told you I don't have my guidebook!" Bogg answered angrily.
"Don't yell at me! All I did was trip! You're the one who won't leave a red light! You're the one who doesn't have your guidebook! Don't you know any history without using that book?"
Phineas took a deep breath, "smart kids give me a pain," he muttered and started toward a nearby path.
Jeff marched after him, "where're you goin?" he demanded with bravado.
"I'm going to solve this red light, then I'm going to take you back."
Suddenly they spotted a man chasing some papers that were being blown across the lawn.
Bogg caught several of them and the gentleman hurried over to them.
"Thank you."
"No problem," Bogg said holding out his hand, "Phineas Bogg," then he pointed at Jeff, "Jeffrey Jones."
"I'm Isaac Newton."
Jeff's eyes bugged out and he looked around. He spied the nearby apple tree as Newton was explaining the problem he was trying to solve. He touched Bogg's arm and motioned with his head for them to move away.
"He can't stay there," Jeff said, indicating the spot where Newton was sitting once again with his books.
"Why not?"
Jeff pointed to the apple hanging nearby, "he has to be there in order to come up with the theory of gravity."
Bogg stared at the apple and then back at the boy, "under the tree?" he said skeptically.
Jeff nodded, "under the apple."
"Okay, follow my lead."
Jeff followed him to Newton's side.
"Mr. Newton, are you alright?" Bogg asked worriedly.
"Yes, what's the matter?"
"Sunburn," Jeff said.
"Sunstroke," Bogg corrected.
"I do lose track of the time, maybe I should go in now," Newton said.
Jeff shook his head as he gazed at Phineas.
"There's no need to do that, why don't you sit under this nice shady tree?" Bogg continued, taking his arm and guiding him under the apple.
Newton sat down where Bogg indicated. "Yes this is much better. Ow!"
Bogg opened the omni as the apple fell and hit Newton in the head and he and Jeff watched it turn green. They turned and walked away together.
"Good job kid," Bogg said.
"It was like a force pulled the apple to the earth…" Newton's voice faded as they walked farther away.
Jeff was smiling ear to ear when Bogg faced him.
"I do have to get you back, but I think we should wait a few minutes at least, to make sure you're okay."
Jeff nodded, relieved and continued to smile. "That was fun!" he exclaimed.