Chapter 5: Seeking Answers

5a) Return to the Present

Alex stepped back inside the machine, filled with trepidation yet determined. He settled into the control chair, the familiar cool scent of the machine filling his senses. The screens glowed softly, displaying the same cryptic writing he had puzzled over since his first encounter with the device.

Alex knew he had to find a way to return to his original timeline. The burden of his plight grew steadily, but he forced himself to stay calm and methodical. He pulled out his phone and opened the offline translation app, ready to decode the characters once more.

He scanned the screens, focusing on translating each symbol carefully. Alex realised he had been telling the machine to repeat its previous action, leading to the repeated time shifts. This time, he needed to find a command to return him to a previous origin point instead.

The process was slow and meticulous. Alex's fingers trembled slightly as he traced each symbol, cross-referencing them with the translations on his phone. He found a set of characters that seemed to correspond with the concept of "point of origin," but he needed certainty. He rechecked his work multiple times, knowing that a single mistake could lead to further disorientation or danger.

As Alex continued to double-check his translations, a growing worry gnawed at him. What if he had missed something critical? The implications of an error were too severe to ignore. He decided he needed to verify his findings and get more information. With this in mind, he exited the machine again and walked away, holding his phone up for a signal.

He wandered around the field, his eyes glued to the screen, hoping for even a single reception bar. The frustration mounted as Alex came to terms with his lack of success. He reluctantly returned to the machine, accepting that his only choice was to rely on his own translations and instincts.

Hours passed as he painstakingly deciphered the instructions. Despite the cool atmosphere inside the machine, sweat beaded on Alex’s forehead, and his eyes ached from the strain of focusing on the small, intricate characters. The seriousness of the situation was apparent to him. Every moment spent inside the machine felt like a gamble, but he knew he had no option but to press on.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Alex felt confident enough to navigate the menus and screens of the machine's interface. It wasn't just about pressing the right button—but about understanding the layers of menus and submenus to find the machine's point of origin history. Each screen he accessed brought him closer to the information he needed, but it was a painstaking process of trial and error.

Taking a deep breath, Alex delved deeper into the interface, carefully interpreting the words and piecing together the machine's navigational history. The machine responded with a series of beeps and flashes, acknowledging each command. The tension in the air was palpable as he finally found a screen displaying a list of origins. His heart pounded as he selected the origin point from "two jumps" ago, hoping it would take him back to his original timeline. He was patient, and it took a while to translate and be confident enough to use the machine again.

 

5b) Reorientation in the Present

The machine whirred to life, the soft hum growing into a resonant vibration that Alex could feel deep in his bones. The now-familiar sensation of time travel enveloped him—weightlessness, brief disorientation, and then blinding light that seemed to pierce through the fabric of reality itself. This time, the experience felt slightly more controlled, as if the machine guided him more gently through the temporal shift.

Thu 4^th April 2024

As the vibrations subsided and the light dimmed, Alex opened the hatch and saw he was back at the farm. He blinked against the early morning sunlight streaming through the hatch, which had opened seamlessly at the journey’s end. He stepped out cautiously, his legs steady but his head full of questions.

The farm was eerily quiet, bathed in the morning’s soft, golden light. The scene was almost exactly as he remembered it before his travels began. The moors’ tranquillity stood in clear contrast to the turmoil he had just experienced. The sheep grazed peacefully in the distance, oblivious to the extraordinary events.

Alex took a deep breath, the crisp morning air filling his lungs and grounding him. He glanced around, noting the familiar landmarks and the unchanged terrain. Everything appeared just as it had been as if no time had passed.

Pulling out his phone, Alex checked for a signal. He had two bars. Alex also noticed the time matched his original departure, confirming that he had returned to his original timeline. A wave of relief washed over him, but the burden of his experiences tempered it. The knowledge he had gained, the mysteries he had encountered, and the machine’s potential implications all added to the load on his mind.

Standing in the quiet morning light, Alex felt overwhelming relief and gratitude. Dropping to his knees, he pressed his lips to the cold, dewy grass, tasting the earth and feeling the solid ground beneath him. The raw, familiar texture grounded him, anchoring him in the reality to which he had fought so hard to return. Emotions engulfed him, a combination of triumph and exhaustion but also a burgeoning resolve. He knew his journey was far from over. The mysteries he had encountered, and the machine’s connotations threatened to overload his mind. As he rose, wiping away tears, he felt a deep-seated determination to understand the true nature of the machine and the reality-bending experiences he had endured.

5c) Decision to Seek Help

Alex breathed deeply, trying to steady his racing heart. The relief of being back was quickly overshadowed by the realisation of the mysteries and potential dangers the machine posed. He knew he was in over his head. The implications of what he had witnessed and experienced went far beyond his training as a police sergeant.

As he stood there, his mind accelerated through the possibilities. What should he tell the chief inspector? She had requested an update but had left the matter in his hands. CI West had also seemed unusually downbeat and, Alex supposed, in no mood for talk of a time machine. He paused, and as he thought about the peril he had been in, a sense of anger and resentment bubbled up. His profession had always been about protecting others, but now he had felt exposed and vulnerable.

No, he decided; he resented the idea of trusting in the bureaucratic process. He needed someone who could understand the science behind the machine and help him make sense of the impossible. And he knew exactly who to call.

Brian Mitchell was an old friend from his university days, a brilliant physicist now teaching at Durham University. Scrolling through his phone, Alex quickly found Brian's number, his fingers trembling slightly as he pressed the call button.

The phone rang a few times before Brian answered. "Hello, Alex? It's been a while!"

"Brian, it's good to hear your voice," Alex said, his tone more urgent than he'd intended. "I need your help. I’ve stumbled upon something ... extraordinary. You’re not going to believe it, but I think it involves time manipulation."

After a brief silence, Brian replied, his voice cautious but intrigued. "Time manipulation? Alex, what exactly are you talking about?"

"It's a long story, but I don't think I can explain it over the phone. Can we meet? I need you to see this for yourself."

Brian hesitated for a moment. "Alright, come to the university. I’ll clear my schedule for this afternoon. This sounds too intriguing to pass up."

"Thanks, Brian. I’ll be there as soon as I can." Alex hung up the phone, feeling a modicum of relief. Brian's expertise was exactly what he needed to understand the machine and the bizarre events he had experienced.

As he drove towards Durham, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. The questions about the machine, Ry-Lan, and the overlapping timelines consumed him. He replayed the events, trying to piece together the puzzle fragments. His anger towards his profession was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but a sense of determination now accompanied it.

He had taken the first step in seeking help, and with Brian's knowledge, he hoped to uncover the truth behind the mysterious machine and the phenomena it had unleashed. The journey ahead was uncertain, but Alex knew he wouldn't face it alone.

5d) Meeting with Brian

Alex arrived at Durham University just after midday, his heart pounding with anticipation and anxiety. As he walked through the familiar campus, memories of his younger days at the university flooded back. Brian had arranged to meet him in his office, a cluttered but cosy room filled with books, papers, and scientific equipment. The familiar smell of old books and coffee brought a sense of nostalgia, briefly grounding Alex in the normalcy of their friendship.

"Alex, come in," Brian greeted warmly as Alex entered. But Alex was taken aback by the sight of his old friend. Brian looked significantly older than he remembered, with deeper lines etched into his face and more grey in his hair. The years had clearly been demanding on him. "You sounded pretty urgent on the phone. What's going on?"

Alex took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. He knew he had to explain the situation without sounding like he had lost his grip on reality. "Brian, this is going to sound crazy, but I need you to keep an open mind." He paused, searching for the right words. "I found a machine. A strange, spherical machine. And ... I think it can manipulate time."

Brian raised an eyebrow, clearly sceptical but willing to listen. "Manipulate time? That's a bold claim, Alex. You'd better have some solid evidence."

"I do," Alex said, pulling out his phone. "I recorded video footage of the events. And I've tried to piece together what I understand about the machine's functions." He handed the phone to Brian and played the video.

As Brian watched, his expression shifted from scepticism to intrigue. The footage showed the other instances of Alex and the bizarre overlapping timelines. Alex narrated the events, explaining how he had interacted with the machine and the strange occurrences that followed. Watching the video again, Alex bubbled with emotion. Seeing himself interact with the machine and the surreal events unfold brought a lump to his throat. It was all so overpowering, and he again realised the seriousness of what had happened.

Brian tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the armrest of his chair. "This is ... extraordinary. If what you're showing me is real, it could challenge our fundamental understanding of time and physics." He looked at Alex, his eyes sharp with intellectual curiosity. "But I want to see this machine for myself. It's one thing to watch a video; it's another to examine the actual device."

"I understand," Alex replied. "I was hoping you'd say that. There's so much we don't know, and I want your expertise to make sense of it."

Brian agreed, still cautious but clearly fascinated. "Alright, I’ll come to see it with you. We need to approach this scientifically, with careful observation and documentation. If this machine is what we think it is, we must be thorough."

As they began discussing the logistics of their visit to the farm, Brian's initial scepticism gave way to a growing excitement tempered by a deep foreboding. He mused aloud about the machine's origins, his voice hinting unease. "Could it be some secret project from China? Or ... from the future? The technology you're describing is surely too advanced to be current."

Alex shrugged, his mind full of possibilities, each more daunting than the last. "I honestly don't know. But every clue we've got suggests it’s beyond anything we currently understand. And that's what scares me."

The potential implications of their findings were immense, and both men felt the strain of responsibility. The idea that the machine could either be a product of a major superpower or a visitor from the future was deeply unsettling.

5e) Shocking Revelation and Planning

After a long and intense discussion, Brian sat back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "I've been thinking, Alex," he began slowly, "what if this machine isn't just manipulating time but also creating or accessing parallel realities? What if your actions have already altered more than we can perceive?"

Alex stared at him, the substance of Brian's words sinking in. "Parallel realities? You mean, there could be more versions of me out there, all experiencing different outcomes?"

"Exactly. It’s a complex theory, but it would explain why you saw multiple instances of yourself and Ry-Lan. Each jump you make might not just move you through time but also into a different reality altogether."

The implications were staggering. Alex's mind buzzed as he considered that every action he took could have far-reaching consequences, not just in his own timeline but in countless others. The enormity of their discovery was mind-boggling, and for a moment, the room felt oppressively small.

Brian leaned forward, his eyes intense. "We need to approach this scientifically. Gather data, run controlled experiments, and understand the machine's full capabilities and limitations. We need to be careful and methodical. We cannot afford any mistakes."

Motivated by Brian’s theory and the need for concrete answers, they quickly formulated a plan. They would visit the machine together the next morning to conduct more controlled experiments and gather more data. Brian insisted on bringing scientific equipment and tools, adding a layer of realism and preparation to their next steps.

"I’ll need to go home and pick up some gear," Brian said, already making a mental checklist. "Sensors, recording devices, maybe even some basic lab equipment. We need to document everything meticulously."

Alex agreed, appreciating Brian's thoroughness. They arranged to meet at the farm at dawn, determined to face the unknown with a blend of scientific rigour and cautious optimism. As they parted ways, Alex felt a renewed sense of purpose, tempered by the sobering realisation of the complexities they were about to explore.