Time Travelers Book 1

Chapter 7

The competition was about to start and James was sitting on a chair behind the stage. Sweat was dripping from his forehead and he had a tight grip on the box. I had my fingers crossed for James ever since the incident, I could not help but keep looking out for any suspicious people. Good thing I had not told him about the paint on the wall and the destruction of his lab. He does not need to worry about some mad person trying to scare him out of the competition. 

Footsteps echoed on the floor and my eyes fell on the shady black haired fellow, that was walking towards us. A smirk was on the mans face and his ice colored eyes were colder than ever. 

"I see that you decided to join anyways even though you are never going to win" Cailin mocking tone. James looked up at him with nervousness all over him as he stamped out "well.. this.. year.. I am... going to..."

"loose" Cailin finished James sentence with a smirk on his face. I glared at him trying to hold back my anger. Cailin eyes fell on me as he said "well George, I almost pity you for having such a loose as your friend, if you ever wish to leave this loose please contact me", while reaching out his hand. I pushed his hand away and my eyes caught tiny spots of red paint on the mans fingertips. It was him that did it. 

"I am sorry, but I am going to stick with James for now and beside he is going to win this year" I said while glaring at him. Normally I would stay out of this kinds of situation but this man pissed me off and maybe behind in a new younger body has change my personality a bit. 

"I see gentlemen, I am looking forward to seeing this invention" he said and walked away from us. James looked at me and said "thanks George". 

Cailin walked out onto the stage and show of his so called science project. It was a dinosaur fossil that was complete and it looked like some kind of raptor. I must admit that it was a pretty good thing to have used for a competition, but I know that James invention is going to beat it. The people made their applause for Cailin project and now it was going to be James turn. 

"good luck my friend" I said and patted his shoulder before James walking into the stage.  I gazed out on the professors sitting in the audience that all had their eyes focus on James. 

"Gentlemen, I will show you an invention that will change industrial work as we know it" James said as the sweat dripped from his forehead. 

Watt placed his box on the floor and took out his small steam engine model, that was formed like a train. He placed the tracks and put a cup of water into the engine. He started a fire in the engine and soon steam started to smoke out of the train. A wild pounding filled my chest as I waited for the train to start. 

The train began to move and applause filled the room. On the other side of the stage I could see a pissed off Cailin that was trying to drill holes in James head with his eyes. Stars could be seen in James eyes as one of the judge came up to him with a piece of paper and  a golden medal. 

"Gentlemen, I think I speak for all of us,  when I say that we have found the win of this years science competition" the judge said as he handed over the medal to James. 

3 years later

Things had change a lot over the passed few years. All the major cities had been filled with a skyline of chimneys and black smoke. Slums filled half the city of Glasgow and the sound of children coughing could be heard everywhere you went. James had become rich because of his new invention and had decided that Glasgow had become too small for us. 

We were too sail on a great ship that had one of the newest steam engine. The plan was for us to settle down in the new world America. For me it would simply just be returning home to my own country a few hundred years to early. It would be fun to see how the USA looked before it turned to dust, desert and drought. 

"come on George lets get on board, I can't wait to meet some of the fine ladies of America" James said as he pounded my back. I shook my head and we started walking towards the large ship that had smoke coming out of its five chimneys. 

The ships was beautiful and first class was like a painting made of gold, wood and silk. I had never seen anything like it. For the passed years I had been able to find my way back home to my time, but at the same time I did not feel like going back anymore. Sadly I could not help but feel guilty about what was to happened to all of these peoples great, great, great, great, great grandchildren and so on. 

For now I might as well enjoy my time and all the fresh air that had not been poisoned by humans. We were going to live a first class life on this ship. James had gotten a ship with a view of the wast sea. People were dressed in fine clothes and they had already started making liquor flow down their throats.

"George lets enjoy our time here shall we" James said as he lead me out onto the deck. The ship sail off to the new world and people on the dock was cheering for us. We would be stuck on this flooding vessel for 3 months. God knows what will happen in that period.