Seeds for Time

Raj has overslept, again. He awakes with less than thirty minutes before the morning team meeting begins. This is the second time this week that he has overslept. This is very unusual for him. He has always operated with an internal clock. Maybe he should have the Doctor check him out?

While he showers, his thoughts are on the next scheduled mission. He admits that it is his fascination with the stories of that time and place that made him choose the destination. The temporal technicians do not care where he wants to travel, they just love to play with their new time travel toy. His excitement helps banish his morning yawning.

The base cafeteria is the designated meeting place. Raj makes a quick plate of sizzling protein strips and a biscuit with a small tube of grape jelly. He’d rather have gravy with the biscuit. The coffee smells strong so he adds two creams. The base’s food supply and potential food resources from their growing labs could possibly sustain this team for years. But there are more than a few “what ifs” in that equation.

Twelve team members are present, only two more important individuals are missing. The meeting will begin when Director Chiang and Assistant Director Smith arrive. Raj hurries through his breakfast and exchanges in small talk with some of the others. He can sense the dread in all of them. This meeting is about bad news. He feels it in his bones.

Director Chiang enters the room and takes center stage, Assistant Director Smith follows him. “Good morning team. Please continue with your morning meal consumption. You are going to need it. We have some troubling updates to report.” The room grows silent, all are looking toward the Director. Everyone knows the “oh shit” moment is coming.

Chiang speaks with a serious tone and begins, “The New Zealand, Alaskan and Chinese Labs have reported updates regarding world events and their operational status. Seven more nuclear power facilities have entered melt down stages. This brings us to a total of twenty facilities that are currently releasing radiation in unprecedented amounts into the atmosphere. We are assisting in tracking the movement of the radiation clouds.”

“And of immediate and close concern, the New Zealand lab was attacked by raiders last week. They suffered the loss of three personnel, and some food goods and equipment batteries. They are still operational and are now assessing their limited resources. I have already sent out directives to adjust our security protocols for this possible threat. Please check your messages and respond appropriately.” Chiang motions to Smith, “Samantha will offer more in regards to this report.”

“Thank you, Ted.” She moves to center stage and addresses the team, “I know that most of you have colleagues and friends and some of you even have family members at each of the last operational labs. This morning before we begin our work duties, we should connect and send messages outside of our lab, as we expect the wide spread radiation threat to effect communications worldwide within days. Once we lose communication abilities, I do not think that we will ever regain them.”

“We have not yet received the names of those who were killed during the New Zealand raid. We will join with all the other labs tonight, here, through a satellite conference meeting. There will be memorial service for our lost comrades, and a discussion of which direction our agency should take in light of this most recent report.”

Director Chiang steps forward and addresses the team, “Regarding our time travel missions, an executive order to halt to all missions is in place. The two other travelers are reporting physical difficulties. We have not yet determined if their illnesses are a result of the time trips. Mr. Patel, directly after this meeting you are ordered to report to the medical lab for a full physical and blood work.”

“Yes Sir!” Raj replies. He wonders if the other travelers have been oversleeping too.

The blood work is the easy part. After four vials are drawn Raj jokes with the doctor, “Are you sure you don’t need one or two more.” The scan procedures begin. Raj uses this time to think about the next mission. His thoughts are drawn to his own history. He remembers his mother reading stories to him when he was a child.

His family has been Buddhist for many generations. His grandparents were extremely devout in their practice. His parents, not so much, as they were raised in the West, as he was. Raj has never considered himself a Buddhist but has always been fascinated with the legendary stories.

Because his parents wished for him to fit into the western society, he was exposed to the stories of the Christian faith. His mother read to him often when he was young. It is with fondness that he recalls the children’s book of bible stories.

Jonah and the Whale, Noah’s ark, and David and Goliath, with bright and vivid art work. The stories of the New Testament, feeding the five thousand and miracles of opening blind eyes, he has always delighted in those mythological tales. The crucifixion story always troubled him and made him feel sad, but the resurrection Easter story was one of hope.

Both Lab Director and Assistant Director are present with the doctor as Raj receives the results of the physical. Irregularities are present in Raj’s blood work. The scans have revealed areas of concern in certain organs. The quantum computer’s analysis suggest a deterioration of chromosomes, the very chromosomes that allow the traveler to enter the time stream. Final analysis is that traveling through time will eventually become fatal to the traveler. Each time trip will result in more biological damage to the traveler.

Raj is ask somberly but honesty by the Director, “How do you wish to proceed?”

Immediately he answers, “The missions must continue for as long as I am healthy enough to perform them. We have to try and save something for the future! I’m all in, let’s do this while we still have the time!”