Linear Shift, Part 1

Chapter 7

With Tori at a sleepover, and Brett quietly moping in his room, Peter decided to go out to the bar. After changing clothes, he stopped in his study and pulled a few hundred-dollar bills from the general's envelope. It had been a while since he had gone out, and he felt that his recent windfall was as good a reason as any to celebrate.

He was pretty upbeat considering everything that had been happening lately, especially that day. He decided that this monetary bonus would not go to waste. So, with pep in his step he moved vigorously through the house and out the front door. The nine-block walk did his mind good. As he headed down the sidewalk, he thought about what life would be like in 1942. Could he fit in enough to not draw suspicion? What if someone caught him and found out he was from the future? He giggled. He realized that if the police picked up some guy today that claimed he was from the future, they'd think he was from the loony bin.

As he crossed the street, he glanced down and noticed a penny lying next to the curb. He leaned over and picked it up. He inspected it with the idea of adding it to Brett's coin collection, if it was worth anything. He flipped it over and noticed that it was a wheat penny. Flipping it back over, he looked at the front more closely: 1947. He chuckled, and thought how ironic it would have been if the penny were from the same year as the mission. That's when Peter paused. He smiled as he slid the penny into his pocket. A plan was starting to form in his mind. A plan, his plan, which could change his future.

Even though it had been four months since he had last been there, Peter sauntered into Herb's Corner Pub like it was yesterday. Joe, the evening bartender, looked up and smiled at Peter as he approached the bar.

"Howdy, stranger! It's been some time since we've seen hide or hair of you. Pull up a chair."

Peter smiled as he slid onto the only available bar stool. "Hey, Joe."

"What brings you in this fine evening?" asked Joe as he started to pour Peter a drink. "Still scotch and water?"

Peter nodded. "Oh, nothing too much. Just thought it would be good to get out. It has been a while."

"Well, you've been missed, that's for certain. Benny's been asking about you. So has Stella." Joe slid Peter's drink across the bar, eyeing his expression. "How are the kids?"

"You know. Teenage know-it-alls. Nothing I can't handle." Peter paused to sip his drink, then continued. "Can you believe Tori wants to get her nose pierced? Seriously? Everyone wants to get perforated these days."

"My kid got her nose done first, then it was her tongue, and just a month ago she got her eyebrow done. I thought about putting my foot down, but I could tell in her eyes that if I said no, she'd go ahead and just do it anyway. Granted, she's seventeen, but I still hate seein' it."

"Tell me about it, Joe. Tell me about it."

"Are you working yet? I imagine unemployment won't last much longer."

Peter winced at the topic. Being unemployed for the last eighteen months had been rough, and his mood on the topic had not been great. But Peter pushed away the negative thoughts in his mind and said, "I haven't found anything yet, but I have a promising lead. That's why I came here tonight, to sort of celebrate." Once the words were out of his mouth, he realized that he had already decided to take the mission. He smiled to himself and took a long sip of his scotch.

"Well, that's great news, Peter. First one's on the house, then!" Joe smiled at him and moved to the other end of the bar to fill a drink order.

Peter sat in silence, briefly scanning the room to see if he recognized anyone. To his surprise, the atmosphere hadn't changed at all. The same tacky vinyl booths lined the outside wall, and that tear in the pool table felt still hadn't been fixed. He felt comfortable in his local dive bar. He turned back to his drink and noticed a reflection, in the mirror behind the bar of a woman staring back at him. Peter smiled, lifted his drink toward her reflection, and then took a sip. She returned his smile then looked away, her eyes darting to something across the bar. Peter continued to look in her direction as he tried to place her familiar face, but she didn't return his gaze. He supposed it was her pleasant, but remarkable profile. She reminded him of... His recollection was interrupted as a man walked up and sat across from her. They whispered briefly, before he nonchalantly glanced up to the bar. Without focusing on anyone in particular, his eyes landed on Peter momentarily as he scanned the place. Peter noticed the not-so-obvious glance from the stranger. The two sitting in the booth were obviously discussing him. He began to wonder if the general had had him followed. But before he could give it another thought, he was tapped on the shoulder.