Zaratorio 4: Another Fifty Tweets

Zaratorio 4: Another Fifty Tweets

By Clive Mason-Hall

Lightly edited from the original twitter messages.

Planning to add a few 'visuals' soon. (Krystle is on the cover!)

***

'Which is just as well because both Anton's tracking records and my historical research indicate that the Rus' fleet will reach Byzantium very shortly.' says Krystle.

'And yet if we alter the course of the Rus'-Byzantine war, we may end up breaking the first law of time travel' says Anton. 'I wish Einstein was here.'

'But the professor and the Smith family are at the point of maximum danger,' cries Lauren. 'Their ship could be destroyed by Greek Fire!'

Every member of staff at the Slavic Institute for Studying the Paranormal has worked flat out for twenty-four hours, alongside the H-V delegation. Lauren stifles a yawn as the EVM time machine reaches full power ...

Jennifer has coded the time processors on the Emergency Concealment Module and places it near the entrance to the chronotunnel.

'Hopefully it will go sailing off into the long distant past and never be seen again, but if the timejump goes wrong it can lock onto the Smith family's signatures and give them support.'

'The Prof as well?' asks Krystle.

'Of course. We cannot do without our leader!'

Krystle looks slightly vexed but says nothing. Anton has just told her that Zaratorio's time signature is giving him some very strange readings indeed.

'We are going for the time jump. We have four locks and enough power to send the emergency module into the vortex as well. Good luck everyone!'

***

SISP BRIEFING NOTE A

(Strictly Confidential)

The time jump fell 150 years short of its target. We suspect biotempadoral interference.

SPIS BRIEFING NOTE B

(Also Strictly Confidential)

Professor Jessop and the Smith family are in Kyiv, but in the year 1870 ...

***

'What is in that strange box, in the cottage garden, mummy?'

'Professor Amber says it is called the Emergency Concealment Module ...'

'Do we hide inside it?'

'No, but it will help us to blend in during a very different time in history!'

***

Anton is relaxing with Jennifer after a long shift at the Institute.

'Can you explain how the Emergency Concealment Module works?', asks the beautiful redhead.

'Not in detail. It's twenty-fifth century technology!'

'How can that be? I didn't know we could go there!'

'We didn't. Last year we were visited by an admiral, namely Admiral Rosanna Pathway of the Terran Cosmic Battle Fleet. Common Era 2470.'

'And she provided the module?'

'Precisely!'

***

'Excuse me, sir. But the strange family I told you about yesterday are still living in one of the village cottages.'

'I understand. I will investigate, but remember that the Lysenko family has obligations to strangers as well as to our fellow Ukrainians.'

'That is true, but they could be Tsarist spies ...'

***

SISP DAILY LOG

Replicator technology working well.

Translation algorithms excellent.

Smith family and Jessop passing as travelling British industrialists in 19th century Ukraine.

***

'I'm not used to taking the lead, Brenda?'

'Mark – we need to stay here for a while undisturbed, so you must talk to Lysenko ...'

'But he is one of the most famous musicians in Ukrainian history. What do I say to him?'

'Amber will brief you – it will be fine!'

***

Back in modern day Kyiv, Lauren detects some strange chrono data, and wonders if it is connected to the biotempadors.

Anton has a different theory. 

'The time vortex has been in flux ever since the admiral's visit because, in her future, Earth has been at war with a great race of biotemps for a whole century, but if we can defeat Zaratorio, then that whole timestream can be closed off and a new future created for humanity.'

*

Mark is making his way to Lysenko's villa, when a strangely familiar face (Paulina) passes him on the bridge ...

"No, I'm sorry, Mr. Smith. Mr. Lysenko is too busy to see you now. Unless of course you know some Black Sea sailors ...'

As Lysenko's butler turns away, the housemaid smiles and whispers 'Don't worry. The master is plotting an opera called "Chernomortsy" ... all about sailors !!'

*

'What is the latest report that we have from Amber?' asks Jennifer.

'A letter has been delivered to the cottage and the translation software confirms they can stay there for a peppercorn rent,' says Anton.

'Well, let's hope that the replication tech produces plausible local currency'.

***

Krystle is investigating several 'sightings' of Zaratorio in modern day Ukraine.

However, the SISP's instruments indicate that they are simulacra – not genuine visitations.

' It's a distraction technique', says Jennifer. 'We must expect him to make a move in the 19th century very soon.'

***

Lauren has been working in the SISP archive and she has a question for Anton.

'The last time-jump we did was the most successful ever. So why not simply bring them back through the last 150 years?'

'There's a reason why not. Any activity related to the ECM could attract the attention of the 25th century biotemps who are at war with Admiral Pathway.'

'That makes sense – thank you Anton!'

***

'We have a report from the soiree at Lysenko's villa. Everything went smoothly, and the translation tech worked perfectly,' says Anton.

'And there was no sign of Zaratorio!' he adds.

'So, why have you been spending so much time on the report.?'

'It's the pictures of Amber - I can't get over how glamorous she looks!.'

'I see', says Jennifer. 'Perhaps I have a rival, my dear Anton ... ?'

***

#PeaceinUkraine #NoToWar

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TO BE CONTINUED!