Chapter 18

2025

As the two former police officers settled into their new role as private security the front doorbell rang. Curious, Roy answered the door. "Can I help…you…" he tailed off upon seeing the much older face of Retired Colonel Steve Austin.

He gave a soft smile. "Good to see you again, Roy."

He squinted. "You know me?"

He nodded. "You don't remember?"

He shook his head.

Steve figured. "Must be you are somehow protected from the timeline shift."

"Come in." Roy opened the door.

Steve stepped into the fire station. He was dressed casually with khaki slacks, a striped dress shirt and a tan windbreaker jacket. His once light brown hair was white and he aged rather well. He asked. "Where is Sam's engine?"

"Bay." he motioned.

Steve walked into the bay. His brown eyes scanned the area. He noticed Chet and the two retired officers. He mentioned. "I see Sam has some backup."

Chet recalled the information Sam shared. "You are that Colonel with the bionic limbs."

"I am." he nodded. "I'm also a former pilot and worked for NASA. That engine is the key to get a new space program off the ground."

Johnny stood near and asked. "Who sent you here?"

"A mutual friend told me what was going on. Dr. Brackett. I was watching you and Sam. Keeping an eye on the situation." he informed. "I'm here on my own. I want to help you secure this engine and bring Sam home."

Roy asked. "You tell anyone about this little project?"

He confessed. "I told my wife. Jamie. The OSI was aware of it back in the seventies. Listen, I'm just an old guy now. The bionics program was taken over by the CIA and DOD. There are some rouge elements. I'm no longer worth upgrading anymore. The bionics they got now is on the level of that movie…The Terminator. Stuff out of a superhero movie. I'm actually obsolete. I'm willing to help you and Sam through. You need as much security on this end as possible since you are sitting on the engine. If someone takes that engine, Sam will never get home and Chet will be stuck here. And there is no telling what the wormhole will do. Let me help. Give this old man a chance."

Roy stated. "Welcome to the geriatric security club."

Johnny smirked. "I wouldn't call us geriatric, Roy."

"The old guys security club?" he suggested.

Roy jested. "Old guys rule."

"Damn right we do." Johnny agreed. "You can help us, Colonel."

"You call me Steve, Johnny." he informed.

Johnny stated. "We never actually met you."

"You have. You just don't remember it. When a timeline shifts you have memory gaps and there is this side effect called Mandela Effect. Look it up online." he suggested pointing the computers.

Roy took a seat at the computer and typed in the term. He found many results. "Huh, didn't he die in prison?"

Steve shook his head. "Hope."

Johnny asked. "What did you find?"

"Alternate realities and timeline shifts." he replied. "This is like right out of those science fiction movies with all the fancy special effects."

Johnny looked over Roy's shoulder. "Huh, didn't he die in prison?"

"Apparently not." Roy shrugged.

"Radio Sam. She can explain it to you." Steve insisted.

Johnny grabbed the nearby portable. "Johnny to Sam." he spoke.

Sam voice replied. "Everything okay on that end?"

"Yeah, what is this Mandela Effect thing?" he wondered.

"It's when the timeline shifts to the point where memories can be altered." she summed it up. "Why?"

"Did Nelson Mandela die in prison or was her released and was elected president?" he wondered.

She paused. "In don't know. It was before my time."

"Colonel Austin is here and he wants to help us. He said the timeline is changing." he informed.

"It is. It's fluid." she agreed. "That Colonel with the artificial limbs is there?"

"Yes." Johnny confirmed.

She sounded giddy. "Cool! Put him on."

Johnny handed the radio to Steve.

He took the radio and spoke. "This is Colonel Austin."

Sam eagerly asked. "What was it like to walk on the moon?"

He was bit taken by her eagerness. "It was like nothing else I have ever done." He replied rather amused.

"This is so cool. I got a real astronaut helping me." she cheered.

Steve chuckle a bit. "You got me and from what I see some true heroes." He looked at the retired officers and firemen.

"I know. Thank you for helping us, Colonel." she stated grateful.

He stated. "Me on your end of the wormhole knows. Dr Brackett is a friend and he told me and my friend, Oscar about you. All you have to do is ask for my help."

"Um…where do I find you?" she wondered.

"I'll give you my home address and phone number." he promised.

1975

Sam just got done talking on the portable radio. She figured she would get Roy and Johnny to come with her to visit Colonel Austin. She walked into the kitchen to gather the pair when the scene unfolded before her.

The three women detectives stood rather defiantly before the men. Jill sounded peeved at the men. "No! We are not going to take over doing all the cooking."

Mike Stoker stated. "What else is there for you three to do here? We go on calls and you three can cook and watch Sam's wormhole."

Kelly smirked. "I suppose you want us to clean too."

"You could." he shrugged.

Sam stepped close to Roy who stood off to the side with Johnny and shook his head. "What's going on?" she asked.

Roy spoke low in reply. "The guys think that since the girls are going to be here they should do the cooking and cleaning."

Johnny sighed. "Sabrina is not happy about that idea."

Sam noticed the tension in the room rise. She asked Roy. "What do you think we should do, Grandpa?"

"Honestly, they might as well stay here and do some chores as they watch the station. They need a cover. But apparently, cooking and cleaning is women's work and they don't want to be treated like…well…women."

"This is stupid." she winced.

"It sure it." Roy agreed.

Sabrina insisted. "Our jobs here is to protect the station, Sam and that engine she is working on. Not to pick up after all of you." She huffed at the men.

"We have to go on calls!" Marco rebutted.

Sam looked to Roy and Johnny. "Aren't you two gonna tell them to stop this?"

"Nope." Johnny shook his head. "A wise man knows when to not speak."

Roy agreed. "They are not going to listen to us, Sam. We're the evil men."

Sam grew tired the bickering. She stepped forward. "That's enough! Shut up already!"

Sabrina, Kelly and Jill all assumed Sam would take their side. They stood rather smug before the men.

"You three are former cops and our security. Right!" she huffed.

"That's right." Jill agreed confidently.

Sam growled. "Then act like it! This crap about who cooks and cleans is nonsense. You three need to stay in the station in order to guard that engine I need to build. What are going to do while you are here? Watch t.v. and play video games? You are not going on calls. Your job is to guard the station. You need a cover. Having three uniformed female guard in the station might just raise a few eyebrows. So, what is your cover going to be? You can either be new firemen on probation, cleaning ladies or some other low skill labor job. Put on the fire uniform, cook, clean and help out the guys or go back to your detective agency and let us do our jobs. Which will it be?"

Roy beamed proudly as his granddaughter laid down the law. It was her engine and she allowed the Angels to be there and could send them all packing. Roy, would rather they went back to the agency. He found Johnny liked Sabrina a bit too much.

Mike Stoker stood smiling at the women detectives. He beamed. "Looks like Station 51 has a cooking and cleaning service."

Johnny spoke up. "Now wait a minute, Mike. Just because we got extra help doesn't mean you can go making a mess on purpose. You still have to take care of your own mess."

"That's right!" Roy agreed. "The girls are here to help Sam. Not pick up after us. They do need a cover. Probie is a good cover and yes, it's nice to have extra hands."

Sam asked. "Why are boomers so screwed up? All you do is fight over the stupidest crap."

Roy reminded her. "Me and Johnny are both boomers, Sam."

"You two are the exception." she waved it off.

"Chet is a boomer too." Johnny smirked at her.

She countered. "Chet is an exception too. He's a man of the ages." She then concluded. "It was the hippies! Your generation is all screwed up because of hippies."

Roy asked amused. "Okay, we can own the hippies. How about you millennial? What's your excuse?"

"We were raised by GenX." she shrugged.

Sabrina spoke to her friends. "I think ultimately, Sam is in charge of the security. She can determined best what kind of security she needs and how we can help."

Jill agreed. "Sam can tell us what she needs us to do." She looked to Sam. "So, what do us to do?"

She looked at Roy and Johnny for help. "Um…"

Roy stated. "How about we stick with the probie cover and you get that traveling wormhole nailed down before it breaches the station."

"That!" She nodded, looked to Jill and pointed towards Roy. "My grandpa can manage this." She then added. "Along with Uncle Johnny." she motioned.

Sabrina gave a warm smile. "I think Johnny and Roy are a good choice to put in charge, Sam." She then gave Johnny a smile and a wink.

Mike Stoker agreed. "Roy and Johnny can run this and tell us whatever Sam needs to get this under control."

"Great!" Sam gave a nod. She looked to Roy. "I need a ride, Grandpa. I just spoke to Colonel Austin. He knows. Dr. Brackett is a friend of his. He can help us."

Johnny asked to clarify. "The guy who jumped out of the window and walked away?"

She nodded. "He's got bionics." She became excited. "He was an astronaut and walked on the moon. The dude is cool. Test pilot, Air Force. Cute…" she added.

Roy rolled his eyes and shook his head amused. He knew his granddaughter well and she was true nerd at heart. He looked at his watch. "Alright, I'll drive you after our shift is over."