CHAPTER 7: TRIBULATION AND PATIENCE
"A very good question, gentlemen!" Walt’s rough voice breaks in. "A very good question indeed from the look of these meters."
"What do you mean?" the others chime in all at once, alarmed by the concern in Walt’s voice.
"Well, if this indicator’s right, we’re moving in the wrong direction."
"What?"
"Yes, look at that! We’re moving forward instead of backward in time. Did you set the coordinates correctly, Dan?"
"Certainly! I’m not a novice with this type of instrument, you know."
"And the indicator was working just fine, wasn’t it?"
"Absolutely. The only thing wrong with it the first time was the spring. Since I replaced that, it has been working great."
"Well then, there can be only one other explanation. We are being pulled forward by a force superior to our own propulsion."
"We’d better try to contact home base about this." Daniel goes to the communicator and tries to make contact. But all efforts are futile. "We might as well give up."
"Let’s try again when we get closer our own time."
"If we get to our own time, we could try to land."
"We’ll try both. If we’re lucky, one will work."
"Keep your eye on the indicator, Walt."
The indicator shows that they are traveling forward in time faster and faster each minute. As they approach their own time, Daniel sits ready at the communicator and Kerry at the landing thruster. Walt gives the signal: "Ready...Now!"
Daniel is able to pick up a signal, but it is too garbled to be understood. He tries to leave word of their situation, in hope that the transmission won’t be as garbled in its reception as the one from home base.
Meanwhile, Kerry tries to force a landing, giving the thrusters total energy. But, "It’s impossible." Something of greater power than their own is forcing them forward, and there is nothing they can do.
************
The indicator now shows the year to be 2075. Suddenly, the cylinder begins to shake back and forth. Just as suddenly, it comes crashing down, landing, as they note from the window, in a sort of grassy plane. Daniel and Kerry make a quick check. "The damage seems to be only slight, thanks to the softness of the ground."
"Thank goodness for that."
Suddenly, they are aware of voices coming from outside the cylinder. Looking through the window, they can see a large shuttle-plane in the background and a crowd of about twenty people gathered around the cylinder. Some are banging on the door, while others are trying to force it open with strange looking tools.
"Let’s oblige them before they break the thing," suggests Walt, as he walks to the door. He slowly opens it and peers out.
Several people begin talking at the same time.
"Who are you?"
"Where are you from?"
"You look just like us."
"What kind of craft is this?"
Walt raises his hand. "We’ll tell you, but you have to promise to tell us who you are and why you brought us here."
"At least they speak the same language as we do." observes one man.
Our friends can't help but notice the sound of shooting in the distance. Suddenly another man who seems to be the leader of the group steps forward, raises his hand and shouts: "O.K., Let’s go! It’s not really safe here, you know. We can all go to my shelter."
All the people begin crowding into the shuttle-plane, and the time travelers are instructed to do the same. They realize it would be foolish to resist. When they are seated, the leader gives the order to the plane's computerized engine and, in moments, they are airborne, flying over the city. From their window, our friends can see that although there are some modern looking buildings, there are many areas which seem to be entirely desolate.
The 'shelter' is just that--a large building with walls three feet thick and no windows. It would be completely dark inside were it not for the few electric lamps strategically placed so as not to waste the light of any one lamp. The walls are lined with shelves which are filled with various kinds of weapons. One shelf is full of swords, another of laser pistols, another of old style rifles. In front of one wall, there are two human-size metallic robots, standing as soldiers on guard.
"Please make yourselves at home," says the leader. "Would you like some coffee or refreshment?" The others are silent as if taking their cues from the leader.
************
The coffee is served by the robots, who almost drop it on the table. The leader gives another order to the robots, which is unintelligible to our friends. The robots disappear into a side-room.
As our friends drink the coffee, which really isn’t very good, the leader smiles and says: "Perhaps we do owe you an explanation, especially as it seems you were brought here by mistake. We were trying for much more primitive people than you. You see, we are at war. It’s a worldwide conflagration greater than any in our history."
"And these are your weapons?" asks Kerry, pointing to the shelves.
”These and also the robots, although we've precious few of them."
"What happened to nuclear weapons?"
"Oh, they were eliminated years ago. Now everything is man to man. It’s much more interesting, although it does tend to prolong things a little. This war has been going on for almost a year now. My people are dying off. And, since the transmat beam method of time travel was perfected just before this war began, we decided to use it to bring back primitive people from the ancient times who have great strength to help us in the war. As you seem to have been traveling in some sort of time machine also, our beam apparently intersected your machine and brought it back here."
"What year are you from?" asks an anxious voice.
"We are from 2025.”
"Ah! Not too long ago!"
"But you were traveling back in time."
"Yes, as a matter of fact, we had just left 1775 when your beam intercepted us and brought us here. Wow! What a powerful beam! We couldn’t even make contact with our own time."
"And, what is your purpose in going back in time?"
Walt places his hand on the arm of Kerry, who is the one doing the talking. "Better not volunteer too much information. They wouldn’t understand anyway." He turns to the leader. "Sorry, sir, that’s top secret."
The leader scowls. "Oh, it is, is it?"
"Oh, Walt," sighs Daniel, "what harm could it do to tell them?"
Walt shrugs, and Daniel blurts out: "We’re trying to go back to where it all started, in order to prevent sin."
"What?"
"That’s right! Then, there’ll be no more sickness, war or suffering in the world."
The people all break out into spontaneous laughter. "So, you think that by going back to the beginning, you can prevent this war and all the suffering and everything?"
"Isn’t it worth a try?" asks Daniel, compassionately.
"Nothing can stop this war, ever! Nothing, do you hear me?! And now that you are here, you might as well help. Every man is important."
"But we are peaceful men."
"Doesn’t make any difference."
"And why are you fighting?" interjects Walt.
“To defeat the Axis, of course.”
"But, why? What’s the cause?”
"The what?" asks one man, puzzled.
"The cause--the reason for the war."
"That's long been forgotten," replies the leader. "But the war must go on!"
"How ridiculous! You insist on fighting and you don’t even know what you’re fighting for?!"
"All we know is we’re fighting the Axis. And they must not be allowed to win."
"And where are the voices for peace? Are there no churches here--no temples or synagogues?"
"Oh yes, a few. They all say the same as you do, but nobody listens. It’s all a bunch of talk: 'peace, peace, peace!' Oh, there were those fanatics who spoke of Jesus Christ--said that he died to save us from our sins and all that. But we haven’t heard from them for some time now, thank heaven. Seems they’ve up and disappeared real sudden-like. Nobody knows anything at all about 'em. Now and then we hear of some new convert to their old faith, but those are very few and they won’t last long."
"Oh, my God!" exclaims Walt suddenly.
"What’s wrong?" asks Kerry.
"Oh, nothing. Just that I had an uncle--everybody thought he was crazy--who was always talking about the 'rapture of the believers'--that there would be a time, according to the Bible, when the true Christians would be taken from the earth, and then there'd be what he called 'the great tribulation'."
"Oh, come on!" urges Daniel. "You don’t really believe—I mean, people disappear all the time. It’s probably just a coincidence."
"I’m not too sure." Walt hesitates.
"They could have been captured," reasons Daniel, "or killed or, or--"
But his words are interrupted by the sound of a loud noise. Suddenly, the building begins to shake slightly. The leader Smiles. "It’s a good thing we have this shelter."
During the foregoing conversation, the robots had been preparing a light meal of canned goods and newly thawed bread. Everyone eats in silence, listening to soft music on the radio. Suddenly, the music is interrupted by a news-flash. First, the latest war casualties are listed, and then the announcer relates that because of the war, the economy is failing badly and that tomorrow a quart of wheat will be sold for a day’s wages and the same for three measures of barley.
There are gasps of surprise from all the people.
"My goodness! That’s terrible!"
"Well, fortunately, we had the forethought to lay up a good supply of rations here."
"Yes, but it’s half gone now! And when it’s completely depleted, what are we going to do?"
"How are we going to survive?"
"I guess we’ll just have to steal."
"And how are we going to get more weapons in order to win the war?"
"I guess," suggests the leader, "we’ll have to melt down all our equipment and use it for weapons. So far it’s only brought us these refined specimens." (He points to our three friends.)
A short husky man stands up and addresses the leader: "One more try, eh, boss? Just give me one more chance."
The leader ignores the man and continues to point at the time travelers. “Look at 'em! Men of peace! Why, I bet they don’t even know how to fight!"
"Th--that's right! asserts Kerry, fearfully. "We know a-absolutely nothing about f-fighting."
"Not a dern thing!" confirms Walt.
"Well," snarls the leader, "you’ll just have to learn.” He turns to the people and asks, “Won’t they?"
All the people grunt their approval.
************
They are kept locked in small cells within the shelter and forced at gunpoint and sword-point to march to the nearby battlefield and to fight in the great conflagration. How could they ever have imagined, they wonder, that their efforts would have brought them to this? Is this to be the reward of their labor and their journey’s end? This is one possibility they hadn’t counted on: that of being pulled forward to a future time--and one so depraved and terrible, and being humiliated and forced to fight in a senseless war not their own. Even if they could have foreseen it, perhaps they still wouldn’t have been able to prevent it. But at least they could have had the consolation of knowing they’d tried. What will become of them? They can’t even alert home base of their situation. Are they to die here in this horrible war like flies in the wilderness? Will no one or nothing intervene to save them from this terrible fate?
The war is, indeed, the worst the world has seen. All types of weapons are used from broadswords to cannons, from sabers to laser pistols. There are even battalions of laser-equipped robots, fighting other robot battalions. Certain groups specialize in certain types of weapons and fight primarily the enemy groups trained in the same kind of weapons. Yet there are always the surprises, such as a grenade exploding in the midst of a sword-fight. As they march down the hill to the battlefield, Walt remarks, "Reminds me of the war games I used to play as a teenager."
"But this is for real!" snarls the guard. "Now get a move on it!"
The time travelers are given long-range rifles, similar to those of their own time. They are placed between guards who have strict orders to shoot them if they try to escape. Our friends are too terrified to speak. Every moment must count, and every bit of energy must be concentrated on the task of shooting instead of being shot.
The days pass thusly, endlessly. Then, suddenly one day, in the midst of the fighting, something happens which gives our friends the chance they need. Suddenly without any warning, at the height of the shooting, the earth begins to shake violently beneath their feet. Just as suddenly, the sun, which has been spreading its golden rays of light and heat freely upon the fighters, stops and becomes as black as Kerry’s hair. Nobody can see anything.
"What th--" yell several people all at once.
"This is our chance, guys!" whispers Walt to the other two, as he knocks out the guard at his side with a mighty blow. The other two take their cue from him, and soon our friends are running wildly down the hillside. They run arm in arm in order to avoid getting lost.
The sound of the flying bullets and flashing lasers continues behind them as the enemies, determined not to lose any advantage, keep shooting in the dark. This makes it difficult to talk and be heard. But each of our friends, in his own way, offers praise to his God for this strange rescue.
In the darkness, they often run into trees and other obstacles or stub their toes on the rocks, but they pay no attention to their bumps and bruises. They are obsessed with one thought--escape.
Their captors, now aware of what has happened, begin to pursue. Finding it impossible to see in the dark, one man uses a remote device to command one of the robots to lead them, since robots can see better than humans, although still not perfectly, in the dark. They attempt to follow the sound of his metallic movement.
Just as suddenly as the darkness came, the moon begins to rise and shine dimly in the sky. But our friends notice that its color is a dark red, like that of blood. It gives an eerie red glow to the darkness, providing just enough light for their captors to see them. Soon, they hear behind them the sound of running footsteps, both human and robot.
"Faster!" urges Walt, "They're behind us!"
At last, they have enough light not to have to hold on to one another. They run as fast as they can, but their pursuers' footsteps can still be heard behind them. The metallic steps of the robot seem very close. Walt motions for the others to follow his lead and suddenly all three duck behind a huge tree. The robot, unable to follow fast enough, crashes into the tree with a bang and breaks wide open in the middle, sending sparks flying in every direction. This gives our friends some advantage, but their human pursuers don't let up. Enabled to see better by the moon's red glow, they pick up their pace.
Although out of breath, our friends force themselves to keep running as fast as they can, expecting to reach the ship soon. Finally, in the glow of the red moonlight, they can see its outline.
"Come on, guys!" encourages Walt, between breaths. "Not much further, now!"
Reaching the cylinder, they quickly open the door and run breathlessly inside.
"At last!" sighs Daniel.
"Ah, but we’re not home safe yet," insists Walt. "Let’s try to fix the damage and set the coordinates so we can get th' heck out of here!"
Daniel goes to the controls and works wildly at setting the coordinates, while Walt and Kerry go back outside and work just as wildly at fixing the slight damage caused by the crash. Daniel finishes setting the coordinates first. He then goes over and checks the fuel supply. Opening the window, he yells to the other two: "We’ve got almost a full tank of fuel. That transmat beam pulled us here mostly on its own energy."
"Great!" answers Walt from outside, as he and Kerry hurriedly replace the few outer tiles which were damaged. "But, better fill it the rest of the way up with the liquid fuel just to be sure."
Daniel walks over to the supply dump and picks up one of the big bottles of liquid fuel. "These things sure are heavy." He carries it over to the fuel tank and pours out the contents until the tank is full. After taking the partly full bottle back and setting it down, he runs over to the window and looks out.
"Just a little more an' we’ve got 'err," says Walt, regarding the damage.
"Hurry!” From the window, Daniel catches sight of the pursuers in the distance. "They’re coming!"
Now, another strange thing happens. As Daniel watches, suddenly a barrage of stars falls from the sky, forming a sort of wall in front of the pursuers. This stops them, but only momentarily.
Startled, Walt and Kerry hurriedly finish the repairs and make a mad dash for the door of the ship, dodging the single stars which now continue to fall one by one.
As they enter the ship, bolting the door behind them, Walt calls out breathlessly to Daniel, who, having closed the window, is still staring out of it at the falling stars, "O.K., Dan, We’re ready!"
All three rush to the controls. As Kerry begins to pull the lever, the sound of angry fists can be heard, beating upon the door.
"Wow!" Just in time!" observes Daniel as the cylinder is airborne once more.