2100
"Arthur, when will you stop messing with this stuff?"
"You know what I'm trying to do, so why keep bothering me?"
"Because you get obsessed..."
I looked at Alfred, who only stared at me. I had been working on this project for the past few months, but he was bothered by it. I spent much of my time building this contraption that many believe is a false sense of hope. However, I was going to make a breakthrough.
What was a building?
Time Travel!
Well, a different type of travel already exists.
I was going to do what no one else had done before.
I worked day and night building this tiny piece. It involved quantum mechanics and small details that were too difficult to explain to Alfred. We worked together, but his profession involved business. It is difficult thing to explain who he is.
When I started working for this company, it was under his adoptive father, and I met him through the hiring process. At first, I did not know he was related to the owner, but he was. Then His father passed away, and he took up most of the duties with help. However, from when I started working here till now, we have gotten close. I was older than him; he was nineteen when I first met him, he is now twenty-three, and I was twenty-eight.
He did not know much of the specifics of what I did, but he was always interested in me and the work I did. I saw no harm in letting the kid watch me.
As I worked, he always sat in the same spot, watching me. "I do find it interesting, at least," He laughed. I nodded at him and continued to work on the device. It was a small device I would implant in my brain. The idea was if I could think of a time and place, I would be able to travel there. The French revolution? Yes! World War two, during the storming of Normandy? Yes!
It was going to change the world. Historically, we could see into the past like no other. Similar time travel devices were made. However, they could only go so far. Only far back as a year, but with my blueprints and tech skills, this would be a success.
I used an old pocket watch as the center that would send signals to the piece in my brain. Implants were typical, people could implant memories and data, and everything was technical. I was going to test it on myself first. I was nearly finished with it; I never told Alfred.
"Shouldn't you be doing something else?" I asked. "No...not really...I like watching you," He spoke. I rolled my eyes at him and shook my head. "Okay then..." I spoke. I continued to work, and he began to look over my shoulder. It was starting to get annoying the longer he stood behind me. I took a deep breath and turned to look at him. "How about you come back tomorrow? It should be done by then. I need to focus," I spoke.
"Oh? Really?! Okay!" He laughed. I lifted an eyebrow, smiling at him, and he began to gather his things. "Thank you," I smiled.
"I will leave, but I will be salty about it...It isn't fair that I have to leave, but you still watch Jeopardy in the background," He spoke. I laughed at what he said, shaking my head. "I like the interesting facts," I laughed. I looked at the tv that was playing the show quietly. "That show stopped playing like twenty years ago; you are obsessed," He laughed. "Yeah, Yeah, just leave me be, child," I laughed.
He began to leave, and I shook my head. "What a child," I whispered.
I continued to work once he left. If I finished it tonight, I could test it out.
~ 8 hours later~
"I DID IT! I CAN NOT BELIEVE I FINISHED IT!" I jumped from my seat and held the device in the air. There was no time to waste! I needed to test it out.
I began to throw things all around as I tried to look for the injector. It was a device that you could use to input devices into your brain. I kept looking for the device, but I could not find it anywhere. It must be at home.
"Then I will go home!" I declared. I quickly got myself together and grabbed all the things I needed. I placed the device in a container. This was the only prototype, so I needed to be careful.
Once I gathered myself together, I rushed out of the building. I began to run past people, nearly running into one of my coworkers. "What is the rush?!" Kiku called.
"Sorry! Something important came up! I will see you tomorrow!" I laughed. I continuously clicked the elevator button, and he looked confused. He looked like he was going on one of his tour walks. He was new to France...only lived here for a few months. He was a great mechanic and even helped me whenever I needed assistance. He loves to tour the city in his free time, but most times...as usual...things were closed because of the strikes.
Our company endures many strikes from unhappy people. Many did not agree with our way of the use of resources. I admit that this company is involved with much of the polluting...but they pay me a lot of money to make extraordinary things, so I choose to ignore the bad stuff.
As I rushed outside the building, people were striking outside. "Sorry, Excuse me," I spoke, nearly running into another person. "Hey! Watch where you are going!" A man yelled. I turned to look at him, and I felt dumbfounded. So dumbfounded that I stopped running to look at how ridiculous he looked.
He was dressed in a pink dress and holding a megaphone...as people around him had protest signs. Maybe I should consider moving to a different country. He gave me this strange look as if something had clicked in his brain. "Hey..." He spoke. He was about to come closer to me, but I knew I needed to leave. "Sorry, I must go!" I laughed. "HEY! WAIT!" He spoke. I began running away again and ignored the shouts directed toward the building. They were all environmentalists, so it made sense.
~
Arriving home, I nearly destroyed the place, trying to look for the device. I was in my room, tearing it apart, and found it underneath my bed. "YESSSSS!" I cheered.
"Arthur Kirkland...you are about to make history," I laughed. I placed the device on my bed and began to prepare myself for time travel. This was it!
I was going to show my brothers that working for this company was not all bad.
I wore my leather jacket, jeans, trainers, and warm socks. I tied a bandana around my neck and wore goggles in case of a massive air whip. I wore gloves that helped with friction and felt anxious to start everything.
I should start small...I should go back a few years, not a total jump.
I placed the small A43M device in the gun-like object to inject into my brain. I loved technology...compared to the evolution of older technology. Cellular devices weren't needed because everything could be accessed within your brain.
I held the gun against my temple and took a deep breath as I shot it. The only downside of these devices is they make the user disoriented for a few seconds. I have gotten nauseous from it on a few occasions.
I sat still for a few seconds so my mind could adjust to what had happened. "The hard part is done," I laughed. I began to take out the pocket watch that was pretty much the heart of the whole experiment. It had a button I needed to click when I thought of the place and time.
"Let's go back two years ago, in 2098...right here," I spoke. I closed my eyes and began to think about this particular place, but two years ago. "Right!" I cheered. I pushed the button down, and as expected, I felt this air whip hit my face. I opened my eyes, shocked, and felt my body lifting.
Soon...I began to scream...
"WHAT THE FUCK!"
I felt utterly terrified as I was flying through...nothing... Everything looked colorful, but there was no physical body anywhere.
My body was thrown around, and I tried to use my arms to protect myself.
"STOP!" I yelled.
Suddenly a portal opened up, and my eyes widened as I saw the floor inching closer to me.
I screamed some more but was shut up once my body was slammed against the hard floor.
I heard the portal close...and I began to gasp for air.
"God..." I gasped.
"I...need...to...work on my landing..." I breathed out.
I slowly stood up, holding my head, and began to look around.
I stood up quickly, and there was nothing around. It made sense; I have not moved in yet. No one lived in the apartment before I arrived.
I looked out the window and saw one of the billboards that always showed the news on the screen. At the bottom...it read 2098.
I did it.
I held onto my heart excitedly and stepped back. This was it...I did it.
"I DID IT!" I yelled out the window. Some people from below looked at me strangely, but I didn't care.
I have invented long range time travel!
I needed to see how far back I could go. I needed to go back and tell everyone!
I quickly set everything up again and prepared to leave this period.