Space-Time of Death: an Al Squires of the Protectorate Novel

Ch. 5.1: A Little Patch of Babylon

After what might've been either an instant or an eternity, the light slowly began to dim, and the hum started to die down. The more the light dimmed, the more I became aware of my surroundings. Needless to say, we were no longer in the Bullpen; seeing as we appeared to be outdoors. I looked within the ring we were making to see the Time Sphere- returning to its original shape- spin slower and slower as it sank to the ground. It stopped spinning just an instant before touching the ground; the light and noise ceasing with it.

"Oh, look, we ended up in an alley," I said with dry sarcasm as I looked around where we've ended up. "How original!"

"Remember to limit your movements," Lady Lane said to us- but it felt like more to me than anyone else. "If you look around us, you'll understand why."

As soon as they collected themselves, Norah and the rest of Team Protectorate looked around their new surroundings to see what I had already noticed a moment earlier: everything around us still had that reddish color that the Sphere emanated. Even our clothes were the same color; or, at least appeared to be that color. Remember, dear Readers, that light is the only thing that can move in the Still, but it can only move one color of the spectrum at a time. Hence, why everything appears red. Besides this, everything was quiet. Seeing that we were in a city alley, I listened for the sounds of the city, but only heard dead silence and the sound of me and the other's breathing. If we were closer to the alley's entrance, I'd bet that we'd see both pedestrians and cars seemingly frozen in mid-movement. This was more than enough proof that we were at least in the Still.

I was about to ask if we were indeed in 1978 when I looked over a fence, and saw a billboard on a nearby building, with what looked like a promotional poster for the movie Grease. Using my cyber-lenses, I saw that it was being put up by a couple of workers on a scaffold, seemingly frozen right as they were plastering Travolta's face onto the board. That answered my question before I even asked it.

I looked back to the Time Sphere. "Ah, so the Sphere utilizes the power of the Still," I said to no one, impressed and intrigued as we continued to hold hands, "allowing one to travel through time, via the Time between All Time! How utterly innovative!" I paused for a beat before adding, "It's a good thing Sylvie didn't come with us. She'd have tossed her cookies the moment we got here." That comment earned me a glare from Mattie. "That was an observation, not a judgement," I told her, defending myself. "And you know it. You should know better than I do how queasy the Still gets her. Which is rather ironic, if you think about it." Mattie continued to glare at me for a beat before giving me an agreeing nod.

I looked over to Lady Lane. "You simply must give me more info on these alien comrades of yours," I told her, returning to my earlier fascination. "I'd love to pick their brains about this technology."

"Seeing that their species' craniums are transparent," Lady Lane said with a small smile, "I'd strongly advise against that." With that, she broke the circle and went over to pick up the Time Sphere and place it back in her purse. This signaled to the rest of us that it was okay to move now.

The Ouroboros agents gave each other a nod before they all began rummaging through their pockets and purses as they moved to the further part of the alley. "If you could pardon us for a moment," Lady Lane said as she rummaged through her purse, "while the rest of us... brush up on our history, so to speak?"

Me and Team Protectorate gave her various forms of 'OK' as Lady Lane took out what appeared to be a small book before going to where her colleagues were huddled. They appeared to be holding similar small books. Using my cyber-hearing, I could hear each of them whisper '1978 A.D.' into their book before turning to a certain page. When they all reached that page, they all stared glassy eyed at it.