He looked at his creation. This rift in time. He stood ready for this moment of fear and joy.
Fear, as they would soon come for him, because he was not supposed to be here at all. After his marriage collapsed, his control over the project and himself, collapsed with it. He had managed to keep his demons in check through work and through her. Now he had lost both those things. He had nothing now; so they had come to the conclusion he had become a danger to the project and perhaps to himself. On both those points they were likely correct.
For today he wasn’t going to merely view the past. No, today he was either going to escape to it or die trying. He knew death would be the most plausible end to this journey. In the beginnings they had difficulties even getting clear signals through the gate, and even now material objects had trouble getting through undamaged. A living thing, like himself, would certainly come out a twisted or irradiated pile of dead flesh. He knew this but did not care. Any chance to start over, no matter how slim, was worth it. Especially since things had escalated to the point he could not start over in his own time. Except maybe in a mental hospital or as a living joke.
Besides which he had secretly yearned to try it since the project began. As a scientist he knew that was stupid, but as a man he now felt a boyish thrill in violating even his own rules. He closed his eyes, said a prayer from his youth, and leaped...
* * *
He came down the stairs of his home. An old man who led a life of strange miracles. He heard his granddaughter, an echo of his ex-wife yet different in all things except DNA, call him to their game of cards. He was tired, so he almost said no until he saw the smirk on her new husband’s face. “I’m going to show that arrogant little me something” he chuckled to himself.
Looking at them all he realized this rather odd family, normal as far as everyone knew, had at last given him peace and the support he needed. However to further the joshing he tried to remember what games he was good at when young. After remembering he told his granddaughter they should play Gin. The others agreed, but he saw her husband make a slight groan. He smiled at the boy, pleased that at last he could have a little fun at his own expense. Well in a way. Yep, life was good. He then watched her deal the cards.
Copyright © 2004 by Thomas R.
