Many thanks, for seeing this one all the way through with me. A bit short, but then, 60 feels right for a story that centers on time. Call me neo-Babylonian. ;)

60

Tracy Island, in the hallway outside of Brains' gutted time lab-

The trouble with guard duty was, at first, you were all tense; ready and waiting for something amazing to happen. That was, like, the first week. Then time just dragged and dragged, with nothing going on but "tag, you're it" relief from Gordon or Kayo. Free time, at last. Except, even while he was upstairs in his room playing games, or out in the pool chilling, Alan couldn't forget that his brothers were out there, somewhere. Now, multiply that by a whole dang month. Get the picture?

Scott, John and Virgil had hopped a ride on the time crystal with Brains and the frickin' Mechanic (don't ask). Supposably, they were going to rescue some kind of future-people from the end of the world. Something about deadly nanites, an awful disease, and alternate timelines. Brains hadn't bothered explaining it much to Al, Kay and Gordon, except to say that this "here-and-now" was contingent. That it was some kind of time bubble, poised right there between "could be" and "oh, crap".

Sighing, Alan squirmed in his chair, causing the wheels to squeak a bit as he rolled across the smooth passage floor, from one side of that hall to the other. He was seated out there, guarding a softly shimmering force bubble and, inside of that, a butt-load of antimatter explosives, and the stripped time lab. Like, really stripped. No floor at all, and one wall just gone; along with three of his brothers, Max, Brains and one scary dang cyborg.

He could tell, in a way, that all this wasn't actually real, 'cause it was kinda too peaceful, y'know? Grandma was minding the desk, but there hadn't been one single problem that she couldn't just sling Union Jack or the GDF at.

Plus, okay… creeped him out, but… he could feel himself somewhere else, really cold and unconscious. There was a girl in that otherwhere, somewhen. He could almost remember her name, see her grin, feel her rough hug. Could almost hear,

"It's okay! It's gonna be okay, Alan… I'm right here!"

Unless he focused too hard on her voice. Then, she melted away like dreams, whenever John woke him up for a mission. So, yeah… Guard duty was boring and lonely, until all of a sudden, it wasn't.

Alan had just kicked off the passage wall with both legs, sending his wheelie-chair squealing on backward, again. Trick was to switch your butt around hard and fast, there at the end, so the seat would spin, letting you kick back off and keep going. He could do it for hours. Then, Al saw a big, brilliant flash of blue light, as all of the sensors went nuts, at once.

He half-fell, half-lunged out of that chair, tipping it over onto its side with a sudden, sharp clatter. Alarms began blaring like trumpets, but Alan hit his wrist comm anyhow, screaming,

"They're here! Gordon, Kay, Grandma! Something's coming back through!"

"On my way, Sprout!" shouted his brother. "Two seconds, max!"

Kayo and their grandmother called in, too, already moving. That was important, 'cause there was a major decision coming up, and he couldn't make it, alone. On his utility belt hung the "red button" remote; the one he was supposed to press, if anything but his brothers and rescued people rode back on that crystal. He was expected to blow them all up, inside of the forcefield. Brains had things fixed where the power released would be stored in the Island's emergency batteries, but, um… No, thanks. Rather have them all back home safe, instead. Even Scott.

Whatever, he wouldn't jump the gun. John had set up one heck of a force shield. Wasn't anything getting through that sucker, bet on it. Blinking, Alan Tracy peered anxiously through waves of heart-wrenching blue light, hearing the song of creation, fingers crossed tight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arriving, gate now-

Scott was jammed sideways, sucking his breath in really hard, and helping Virgil support the Mechanic, who would have fallen down, otherwise. Smelt like freezer-burnt meat in a really hot cast-iron pan.

John was off to the left just a little, completely embraced by tall, spindly natives. Looked like they'd decided that whatever was out there would have to get through them, before it reached John. Pope, Sheffield and Brains were similarly defended, while Moffy, Caleb and a young Weirding girl perched atop Max, holding Mini-max and a nervous winged lizard. Rat-A was in somebody's pocket, squeaking his lungs out in vain. Eos, of course, was with John; inhabiting his suit, his earpiece… whatever mechanism was nearest.

So, maybe he should have been worried, but something about that beautiful glow… that wonderful, breath-catching sound… swept away fear. Then it faded, making Scott feel as he always had when he was little, and Dad went away on a mission, again. Alone and afraid, but hiding it; taking charge, because he was the man, now, and somebody had to help Mamma.

The Mechanic slumped in his grip like a sack of loose motors. Only the fact that Kane was pinned between himself and Virgil kept the big cyborg from hitting the ground. Weighed a d*mn ton, too. Alarms blaring like crazy.

"Urf… all yours, Virge. I've got to find out where we've…"

Scott trailed off, then, squinting through two layers of force-shielding, to where a very distorted-looking Alan was waving both arms and leaping, out in the hallway. Saw Gordon, next, then Kayo and Grandma.

Despite himself, a relieved grin broke over Scott Tracy's weary, unshaven face. If he could have reached him, he would have hugged Brains till the little guy's ribs cracked. Home. They'd made it.

John was busy, of course; still coding, even with having to reach around somebody's stick thin chest to manage it.

"Got tertiary power-flow," he remarked, as if discussing the weather... out on the Moon. "Checking for contamination."

Eos could do all that in less than a fractured heartbeat. They didn't have long to wait before John's blue-gloved left hand pushed its way through his sheltering bodyguard, making a jaunty thumbs-up gesture. Safe. All clear, because sometimes, the Universe listened.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Later-

Swaggering stroll into warm, crimson sunset? Easy fade to black, with cozy laughter and joy in the background? Not even. Try a houseful of semi-alien guests, a powered-down, inert cyborg, a drifting death ship and wavering timeline problems to deal with.

Grandma took charge (although she'd as soon have dumped Kane into the garbage re-processor as look at him). Got everyone lodged somewheres in the house or lab. Found an industrial-strength outlet and power-packs for the Mechanic (with peanut butter and energy bars for his "meat parts"). Called up Jeffery, Lee and Colonel Casey to come a-runnin', right the heck now, and gave Brains all the think space he wanted.

As for the People (which was how they referred to themselves), Sharl's folk had a very mixed set of reactions to safety. No dome meant real "sky", "sun" and "stars" for the first time, ever. Some would not venture outside, at all; merely staring through the house windows with tears in their big, green eyes. Others were bolder, and dared their way onto the balcony, if John, Sheff, Moffy or Brains would come, too.

Kaise went even farther, holding Caleb's hand as he took her down to the wide, black-sand beach.

"See, Babe?" he said, grinning up at the wondering girl, watching her gaze at the ocean. "I told you!"

She kept looking around for a vent, the source (obviously) of "wind". Touched a tide pool, with its strange, bitter water and colorful, wriggling pets. Reached out for all of those so-green, so-many plants. Not grass, not potted, not on cement; somehow free. Pointed in wordless shock at seabirds, wheeling and calling, high overhead.

"Cabe," she whispered at last, holding tight to his hand. "Cabe… where does it ending? Where is being the edge?"

Caleb put an arm around his girl's waist, still with their fingers twined up, and gave her a comforting hug.

"That's the best part, Case," he told her. "It doesn't end. It never does."