Lloyd's basement looked clean without a single piece of junk, and the wall was missing.
The time machine sat in the middle of the basement, and James was slumped over the console.
Inside the machine, James stirred and became alert. He looked a little dazed and confused. Then he looked at the console of the time machine, and he remembered his plan. He looked out the window and saw a clean basement. He smiled while he turned off the power to the machine.
"I did it. I traveled back into time!" he called out all excited.
He removed the key and shoved it in his pants pocket.
James opened the door and got out of the machine.
While he walked over to the stairs, he heard the floor squeak above him. He knew someone was in the house.
Probably Lloyd Bannister. He thought to himself and got a little nervous.
He heard someone that coughed upstairs.
James looked around, and there weren't any exit doors, and he felt trapped.
James quietly walked up to the stairs ever so cautious not to make a sound.
He made it to the top of the stairs without being detected.
He ever so quietly opened up the door and peeked into the kitchen.
Lloyd Bannister, who was forty years old who never combed his hair, sat at the kitchen table and drank his morning coffee while he ate some scrambled eggs.
Crap! James thought to himself while he saw Lloyd at the table. He pondered if he should return to 1995 and try another day again. But luck was on his side when Lloyd got up and walked out of the kitchen.
James quietly stepped into the kitchen.
He tiptoed in the kitchen and peeked into the hallway. The coast was clear, as he saw Lloyd step into the bathroom and pulled down his pants.
James tiptoed out of the kitchen and across the hallway.
He stepped into the living room. The floor squeaked, and James froze in position.
"Who the hell is in my house?" Lloyd yelled out from the bathroom.
James bolted through the living room and heard the toilet flush.
He got to the front door, opened it, and ran outside. The front door slammed behind him.
James ran through Lloyd's front yard and noticed that the grass looked greener and beautiful landscape, and his house was freshly painted.
James ran down the street.
Lloyd rushed out of his front door. He looked down his front yard and didn't see anybody. But he had this strong feeling that someone was snooping around his home. He went back inside his house.
Lloyd rushed through the living room and into the kitchen.
He rushed down the stairs to the basement.
He looked at this time machine and rushed over to the time machine. He felt the machine, and it was warm to the touch.
He rushed back to the stairs.
James walked down the street. He looked in awe at how beautiful the homes on this street looked back in 1944. They were all freshly painted, and the yards were landscaped. He saw the 1930s and 1940s Fords and Chevys parked in the driveways of the homes.
James did a victory dance down the street. "I did it! I did it!" James called out while he continued his victory dance down the street.
A boy around eight years old rode his Western Flyer bike down the street. He saw James while he danced down the street.
James saw the boy and stopped dancing. He saluted the boy who gave James a little wave.
James ran off down the street.
Later that day, James walked through the streets of Santa Barbara and eventually walked to the train station.
He walked to the ticket window where a male clerk waited.
"I need a ticket to Irvine," James said.
"That will be seven dollars," the clerk replied.
James reached in his wallet and removed a 1936 ten-dollar bill he bought at the coin shop. He handed it to the clerk.
The clerk handed him a ticket with change. "Train leaves in one hour."
James took the ticket and wandered around the station.
He found a gift shop and wandered inside.
He saw a magazine rack and picked up the April 1944 issue for the Calling All Girls issue with Shirley Temple on the cover. He scanned through the magazine. He placed it back, and then he picked up the April 4, 1944 issue for Look magazine, which had a blonde-haired mother holding a baby on the cover. He scanned through some of the pages and then placed it back.
He walked over and looked at the candy rack. He picked up a pack of Beeman's chewing gum.
James walked over to the cashier and paid her a nickel for the gum.
He chewed a piece while we walked around and checked out the train station.
Then he thought of how Grandfather Ben and Carl left this station a little while back to venture off into the Marines.
Then it was time to board his train.
He sat in the passenger car on the train and still couldn't believe he was back in 1944, let alone he was going to attempt to change history.
The train moved down the tracks.
James sat and stared out the window while he watched the train move down the tracks and enjoyed seeing 1944 California.
Then he removed the Corsair checklist from his pocket and studied it, as he wanted to make sure he sounded like a pilot.
Later that day, the train pulled into the Irvine train station.
James got off the train and when he walked out of the station.
He stopped looking around the area. Then he saw the El Toro Marine Air Station across the tracks.
He walked away from the station.
James walked around the streets in the direction of El Toro. He knew he was getting closer by the increase in Marine Corps vehicle traffic. He started to get nervous, the closer he got to the base.
He saw Harry's Diner and decided to get some food and drum up some courage to enter the base.
James went inside the diner and ordered a cheeseburger, some fries and vanilla malt. He sat at a booth and munched on his burger.
Also inside the diner were other Marine privates who were enjoying a pass from the base.
When James saw the other Marines, he started to get extremely nervous and wondered if he can pull this off.
He finished his meal and paid the cashier.
He left the diner.
James stood outside the diner and stared at the entrance to El Toro down the street.
He decided to take the plunge. He walked off toward the main gate.
A few minutes later, James stood near the main gate to the El Toro Marine Base.
"Okay, from now on, I'm Trevor Walker. I'm Trevor Walker," James quietly said to himself.
He took a couple of deep breaths and walked to the front gate and the guard shack.
I'm Trevor Walker. He repeated inside his head numerous times while he walked that long nervous trip to the front gate.
A Marine Sergeant guard stepped out of the shack.
Trevor removed his military ID card and his fake orders. He handed his Id and orders to the guard.
The guard looked at his ID and orders.
It seemed like an eternity while the guard studied Trevor's items.
"Your paperwork looks in order, Lieutenant Walker," the Sergeant said then handed Trevor his ID and papers.
The Sergeant saluted Trevor.
Trevor saluted back and walked into the base. He shoved his ID and orders in his shirt pocket with a grin that he pulled this off.
"Stop sir," the Sergeant called out.
Trevor stopped and got nervous while he turned around.
The guard looked at Trevor. "Where's your gear?"
Trevor shook a little while he thought for an answer. "Some thug stole it off the train on the way to Irvine," Trevor replied.
The guard looked serious at Trevor. "Gunnery Sergeant Sewickley over in personnel can get you some new gear," the Sergeant snapped back.
The guard saluted, and Trevor saluted back.
Trevor grinned while he walked away into the base and was now Trevor Walker.
Two Corsairs' flew in formation over the base and caught the attention of Trevor. He watched them while he turned down another street.
After he walked for 20 minutes, Trevor finally found the personnel office, and he went inside.
Inside the personnel office, Trevor walked through an open office area full of Marine privates busy with administrative duties at their desks. Phones rang, and the click-clack sound of manual typewriters filled the air.
Can't run a war without paper. Trevor thought to himself while he looked at the privates while they typed.
Trevor walked past a desk where a young pimply-faced private typed a letter. He looked up at Trevor and knew he was lost.
"May I help you, sir?" the private asked Trevor.
"Yes, private. I'm looking for Gunny Sergeant Sewickley," Trevor said while he stopped at the private's desk.
"Head down this aisle and turn to your right. He'll be close to Colonel Burns office," the private instructed.
Trevor followed the private's instructions and found his desk that was outside Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol) Jesse Burns' office. LtCol Burns was the personnel officer for the base.
Trevor walked over to the desk of Gunny Sergeant (GySgt) Bud Sewickley. He was thirty years old and was indeed a shady looking character. Bud typed with two fingers and had a cigarette that hung out of his mouth, a common sight with Bud.
Trevor smiled when he saw the "April 12, 1944" calendar on Sewickley's desk near an ashtray that was filled with a pile of cigarette butts.
"Sergeant Sewickley," Trevor said.
Sewickley continued to type, then one of his fingers went between two keys. He cringed in pain then looked up at Trevor.
"Yes sir," Sewickley replied while he sucked on his hurt finger to ease the pain.
"I'm Lieutenant Walker. I had my gear stolen off the train on the way down to Irvine. The Sergeant at the gate told me to see you."
"Orders," Sewickley said while he stuck out his hand and took a drag off the cigarette that hung from his lips.
Trevor removed his orders from his shirt pocket and handed it to Sewickley.
Sewickley read his orders then he looked up at Trevor who got a little nervous.
"Report to Sergeant Willoughby over in supply. Your barracks is over in building twelve forty-nine. You'll wait there for your assignment," Sewickley said then placed Trevor's orders on a pile of others.
Trevor looked curious. "As Sergeant, can you tell me if Lieutenant Ben Grayson is on base at this moment?"
"Wait, sir," Sewickley said while he looked through those pile of papers.
"Lieutenant Grayson is on leave and is scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning," Sewickley replied then took one final drag off his cigarette then placed it on top of the pile of butts.
"And Lieutenant Carl Eastman?"
Sewickley looked bothered but knew officers could be a pain in his butt. He looked through those papers again. "On the base in your barracks."
"Thank you, Sergeant," Trevor replied. "Oh, where's supply? I'm unfamiliar with this base," he added.
"Turn left outside personnel, and it's two streets over," Sewickley replied.
"Thank you, Sergeant," Trevor replied, then walked away with a smile.
Sewickley returned back to his two-finger typing.
Trevor walked out of the personnel office and followed Sewickley's orders.
He found the supply building and walked out twenty minutes later with a seabag with a set of fatigues, flight uniform and helmet and some other uniforms.
He followed the instructions of the supply Sergeant and walked down the streets of El Toro for his barracks.