"It's Getting Crowded In The Past"
“That’s it,” started an impatient Melissa, after another hour had passed, “time’s up. If Larry was all right, he would have come back from the past by now. If he was going to be eating there, he would have told us that. Since he’s not back, I think we have to assume that something’s gone wrong.”
“Melissa, calm down,” soothed Lisa. She and Cindy had been summoned by Rob as the hours had passed. Melissa needed some human comforting.
“Besides,” she continued, “how would he contact us?”
“He would have returned or at least sent some form of written message,” noted Cindy.
“You’re right,” replied Melissa, after taking some time to compose herself, “let’s take this thing logically. Even if he’s not in trouble, we owe it to him to check it out.”
“Agreed,” nodded Lisa.
“Rob, search your logic circuits,” began Melissa, in a calmer tone, “is there anyway for us to initiate time travel?”
“Searching,” he replied as the lights on his front panel flashed and blinked.
“What about if we head for the hollow tree in the field and go through the dimensional vortex?” suggested Woba, “we could make our way to Jingleland and ask Bringle Brand to send us back through time to the place where Larry is. Or, better yet, we could ask Bringle to bring Larry to us. We could all travel to the Deadly Forest—which, as you know, as been renamed the False Forest—and we can all have a nice swim in the crystal clear river that alters its temperature to the comforts of all who use it; and then a lunch; and maybe even sleep over before we came back here......”
“Woba!” shouted Lisa, “please!
“It was just a suggestion,” he replied in a mopey, dejected sort of tone.
“There is only one way that I have calculated the initiation of time travel,” stated Rob.
“Well?” asked Cindy.
“We must enter the Continuum Disrupter Vortex as Larry did. It is the only way.”
“Even I know that only Larry can utilize the spells in the book,” started Cindy, “and even if we could, we don’t have the book or know the spell.”
“Correction. You do not know the spell,” stated Rob, “it is presently on my audio log of the day’s events. I, therefore, know the spell.”
“It still won’t work,” said Lisa, “only Larry can use the spells. It’s that Grotog thing.”
“Wait a minute,” interrupted Melissa, “your audio log? What audio log?”
“One of my functions over the last few years has been as a...” Rob paused, almost sounding ashamed of what he was going to say, “as a dictating machine.”
“How degrading,” commented Lisa.
“My audio input is now recorded on a continuous loop of audio tape. Larry goes through the taped logs and chooses which data and events are worthy of saving for historical purposes. They are then permanently recorded into my memory.”
“Can you playback Larry’s execution of the spell?” Melissa asked, with a little gleam in her eye.
“Affirmative.” There was a whirling sound from Rob as he rewound the tapes of the day’s events. After a few moments, he began the playback:
“Ah, yes, here it is,” came my voice from over Rob’s speakers, “Continuum Disrupter Vortex.”
Larry’s voice and Rob said a few more things then:
“Oh, goody! Time travel!” cheered Woba’s voice.
“Hey,” shouted the real Woba, “I sound pretty good.”
“Shhhhh,” cautioned Cleo.
“Rob, can you equalize your audio output to make Larry’s voice sound more natural?” asked Melissa.
“Equalizing.”
“Uh, oh,” came my voice over the speakers, “we have a slight problem...”
“A little more volume,” instructed Melissa, “make it sound as if he were standing right here.”
“Affirmative,” replied Rob, making the adjustments.
“...say good-bye to the 20th century, Alex. I’m taking you back,” came my voice.
“Stop tape,” ordered Melissa.
“What are you up to?” asked Lisa.
“It’s just a shot in the dark,” replied Melissa, “but maybe, just maybe—if Rob’s audio output is at just right levels—maybe the sound of Larry’s voice repeating the incantation on the tape will initiate the spell sending us back through the Continuum Disrupter Vortex.” There was silence. “What do you think?”
“Probability factor unknown,” stated Rob.
“But we have to try. What can it hurt?” replied Cindy.
“Who’s going to get to go through time?” asked a hopeful Woba.
“Rob has to go, since he’s the one repeating the spell,” reminded Cleo.
“It might be safer if we all go,” suggested Lisa, “if Larry is in trouble, anyone of us could easily fall into the same mess. Together we stand a better chance.”
“That’s all right with me,” said Melissa.
“Why not,” agreed Cindy, “it might be fun.”
“Need I ask you two?” asked Melissa. Cleo and Woba both nodded their heads in agreement. They were always up for a good adventure.
“Then it’s settled,” said Melissa, “if I remember correctly, everybody has to hold hands.”
“Eh‑em,” interrupted Woba, holding his paw up.
“...Or paws,” giggled Lisa. They all held hands/paws to form a complete circle.
“Start tape, Rob,” instructed Melissa.
“Affirmative.”
“Eonus, Regresstos...” my voice paused, “what year do we want?”
“331 B.C.” stated Rob’s voice.
“I hope I can pronounce this last word,” my voice continued, “Eonus, Regresstos, 331 B.C., Palace of Athena, Mount Olympus, Greece, Volumptionflocktosmoniumbergingspheerius.”
There was a moment of anticipation as the last sounds of my voice hung in the air. Would this ploy work, or not?
“Maybe he did mispronounce that last word,” began Lisa, “what was it: volumfl....?” Before Lisa could finish, she was interrupted by a large puff of orange smoke, giving them their answer. The entire group disappeared.
* * * *
“I still cannot find any sign of Pegasus,” reported Hercules.
“Nor I,” chuckled Poseidon in his deep, jolly voice.
“Then Hades must still have him,” replied Athena.
“What about that human from the future?” asked Apollo.
“There are no signs of him either. I do not know who took him from this courtyard or where he was then sent to,” sighed Athena, “but there are not many who could have utilized that spell.”
There was a huge puff of orange smoke and before any of the gods could blink, they were joined by a strange array of characters; three more humans, a metallic manlike creature, and two odd meat-creatures. Poseidon drew his trident, poised for an attack, when Athena’s hand came up to stop him.
“Wait,” she replied calmly, watching the strangers as they attempted to stand after their dizzying trip. The metallic manlike creature appeared to have been damaged, for he was lying on his back...motionless.
“What happened?” asked a very disoriented Melissa, trying to undo a very large knot in her hair with her fingers. It was a tangled mess from the vicious winds of the tornado.
“You have been brought through the Time Tornado, though I know not why or how,” stated Athena, calmly. They all looked up to see the goddess in long white silk robes standing in front of a group of what looked to be gods.
“Where are we?” whispered Lisa, “And why is my head spinning?” Equilibrium not withstanding, she tried to stand up; and failed.
“I feel sick,” moaned Cindy, “does anyone have a brush?”
“Lisa, give me a hand,” asked Melissa, noticing Rob lying on his back. She and Lisa tried to stand him up.
“Allow me,” smiled Apollo, lifting Rob to his feet by himself. Rob slumped over, his arms outstretched and his pincers dragging on the tiled ground.
“Cin, is that the power pack?” asked Melissa, ignoring the strangers and pointing toward a little square piece of electronic gear.
“Yeh, here it is,” she said. Melissa inserted it into its proper grid in Rob’s back. He immediately retracted his arms and stood erect. The lights on his panels flickered and his antennae and circuits ran through their automatic diagnostics.
“All systems fully functional with the following exceptions,” he reported after a few seconds. “Audio log...slight damage-repairable, cooling systems...broken fan rotors-reduced cooling capabilities by 25%...not repairable at this time, power-plant...stuck in overdrive...currently working at 250%.”
“The metal man speaks!” marveled Hercules.
“Rob, any immediate danger to your systems?” asked Lisa.
“Negative.”
“Good, we’ll worry about them later. Where are we?” asked Melissa.
“We have been transported back through time via the Continuum Disrupter Vortex. We are presently in the courtyard of the goddess Athena, atop Mount Olympus, in the year 331 B.C.” replied Rob.
“Hercules, I want this courtyard sealed off immediately,” ordered Athena, “there will be no one allowed in here without my specific permission. I cannot risk any outside contact with these strangers. There could be great damage done to the future if these people talk to anyone other than ourselves.”
“Yes, Athena,” replied the man of steel, “I will see to it at once.” Hercules left to do Athena’s bidding.
“My children,” began the goddess, “welcome to your past. I am indeed Athena, the goddess of wisdom and arts. This is the god Apollo...”
“God of the sun, prophecy, music, medicine and poetry,” replied and awestruck Cindy, standing up finally.
“That’s quite a résumé for such a suntanned god,” whispered Lisa, rising to join Cindy on their feet.
“It is indeed,” he laughed heartily.
“And you must be the god Poseidon, ruler of the water, sand and earthquakes,” stated Cindy.
“That is correct,” chuckled Poseidon.
“Oh, and horses,” added Cindy.
“Hmmmm,” mused Poseidon in a grave tone, “horses.”
“Do not mind Poseidon. He is very upset about the abduction of our beloved Pegasus,” started Athena, “You know your ancient mythology well,” she added, smiling at Cindy.
“It’s kind of a hobby of mine,” she replied.
“Well, let’s get right to why we’re here,” stated an impatient Woba.
“Yes, little creature, how may we help you?” smiled Apollo, patting Woba on the head.
“Where’s Larry,” asked Cleo accusingly.
“I wish we knew,” stated Athena, “one moment he was standing right here with Alexander of Macedonia. The next moment, he was gone. Here,” she continued, holding out the great Spell Book, “He left this behind.”
“The Spell Book of Androganine!” said Melissa, taking it and strapping it securely onto Rob’s back.
“He would never have left without it,” reminded Lisa.
“He did not leave here of his own will. He was taken.”
“By who? Where?” asked Melissa.
“We are still piecing the facts together,” started Apollo, “but it appears that for whatever reason, Hades...”
“He is the god of the netherworld, Zeus and Poseidon’s evil brother,” explained Cindy.
“That is right,” smiled Apollo, “and it appears that your friend’s disappearance has something to do with the disappearance of our beloved Pegasus and the false incrimination of Alexander of Macedonia.”
“Let me in!” shouted a centaur, bursting passed one of the servants that was guarding the entrance to the courtyard, “I have an important message for Athena.”
“No one may enter,” stated the guard, angrily.
“Let him through,” smiled Athena, understandingly, “what is it, little centaur?”
“I have located Pegasus,” he stated, galloping up toward the goddess (a centaur is a half man/half horse creature).
“Where is he?” asked Apollo.
“He is indeed being held by Hades,” replied the centaur.
“Zeus must be informed of this,” stated Poseidon.
“There is more,” interrupted the centaur, “I have also found out that he used some kind of ‘continyum’ to send someone off to the future—to Egypt. I think I overheard the year 43.”
“B.C. or A.D.?” asked Rob.
“What?” asked the surprised centaur, looking over toward Rob. Athena quickly stepped between him and the others.
“Thank you, my little friend,” she replied, “you will be justly rewarded. Go now.”
The little centaur trotted out of the courtyard. Apollo went over to a large podium and began thumbing through a book even larger than “The Spell Book of Androganine.” As the god of prophecy, this book enabled him to look into both the past and the future.
* * * *
“Lord Hades,” ventured a demon imp, very nervously.
“What?” replied the incarnation of evil.
“They know,” was his only reply.
“Do they now,” grinned Hades an evil grin, “send for Medusa’s sister. Tell her I have a little assignment for her.”
“Yes, my liege.”
* * * *
“What is it?” asked Poseidon, peering over Apollo’s shoulder. He was still looking into his book of prophecy.
“One moment, the future is still being altered,” he replied. The book of prophecy was an ever‑changing record of the eons, past and future. As things happened that had an altering effect, the book itself would change to reflect any mutations. This was exactly what Apollo was waiting for.
“In the year 43, a stranger will appear in Egypt,” started Apollo, reading from the book. He looked up at Athena with a worried look, “what do you think?” he asked.
“Could be,” she replied.
“...Prince Lawrence of Arabia will ascend to the throne in the year 30 after the death of his wife, Cleopatra,” concluded Apollo. He closed the book and shook his head.
“Cleopatra never married,” stated Melissa.
“She will now,” replied Apollo, “your friend was sent into the future and Cleopatra has got him. This book reflects the changes in the future that have already been made due to your friend’s presence there.”
“We must then go to Egypt and bring him back,” decided Melissa, “Lawrence of Arabia, indeed.”
“I am afraid that if you all go, much more harm will be done to the future,” replied Athena, “I would recommend a small party. Perhaps, Poseidon, you will accompany?”
“I would enjoy that very much,” he chuckled.
“Rob, you and I will go,” stated Melissa.
“The metal man must stay behind. His presence would definitely be the most damaging,” stated Athena.
“Then I will go alone with Poseidon,” resolved Melissa, “do you guys mind staying here?”
“No, not at all,” replied Lisa, “you can enjoy and keep that tornado all to yourself.”
“Besides,” said Cindy, “I would love to talk with as many gods as I can while I’m here.”
“Then it is decided,” smiled Athena, “you may leave now.” She waved her hand over Melissa and Poseidon. In no time there was the now familiar puff of orange smoke accompanied by the sequence of ‘poof’ sounds and the two of them were gone.
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