Continued from Day 4. Stranded
Alright, all I have to do is find a way to send a message to the future. Something that’ll last 65 million years. Maybe I can etch something into the bedrock. Instructions on how to get me ba–
A blinding light disoriented and enveloped him. He began falling. His whole body tingled and not a good tingling at that. His head began spinning and his stomach turned.
What the…
As instantly as it began, it was over. He was laying on his side. The ground didn’t feel like dirt. Where was he? His face was against something smooth and cold. Was it a floor tile?
What just happened?
He slowly opened his eyes. He could hear the familiar hum of lab equipment. Everything looked fuzzy. His eyes were adjusting.
“Welcome back, Doctor,” came a voice beyond his range of vision. He tried focusing on it. His eyes still struggling against the intensity of the light. His head began to throb.
“Too bright,” he managed.
“Turn down those lights,” the voice commanded.
It took his eyes a few moments to adjust, but he could finally see properly. Standing a few feet from him were two men. Well, a man and a teenager. Several feet behind them were what looked like military personnel and lab workers. They’d all stopped what they were doing and were presently staring. He slowly rose to his feet and addressed the man, “thank you.”
“It took us a while to figure out your setup. But once we did, zeroing in on your previous coordinates was pretty easy. Name’s Kyle by the way. Kyle Johnson,” he said, extending a hand, “and this fella next to me is Rock Gagnon.”
“What’s the date?”
“December twenty-second, twenty-ten.”
He quickly did the math. “I’ve been gone four years!?”
“Well, yes and no. It’s been four years here in our time stream. But we pulled you back from the moment you materialized in the past. So for you it’s been a few seconds at most.”
“So it took you four years to figure out how to get me back?”
“Actually no, Rock and I have been on base for only about a week now. I spent a few days with him on a different project. We’ve only been working on getting you back for about two days,” Kyle replied with a grin.
Continued in Day 23. Cutting Loose
–30–
Read more from the archive.