Instants Instance Wattys2016

Chapter 9

Kiev 4/5/2046 3:59 am

Max and Alex stared out across the square from a window on the third storey.

"Why are we waiting until they set the bombs?" Max shifted his weight impatiently.

"Because Nestor says that's what we have to do, and so far, his plans have always worked out."

"Except for when we ended up messing with the timeline in loads of random places."

"I told you, we didn't change the timeline at all. Whatever we did was meant to happen, and I have the feeling Nestor was planning for it, anyhow."

"Who is he, anyway?" Max massaged the bridge of his nose. "I have this strange feeling that I know him from somewhere."

"I don't know. He pulled me out of a car crash five years ago, my time, but it was a while in the past for you. Then he trained me up, and sent me off here."

"I wonder when Nestor is from," mused Max. "He seems pretty familiar with future technology, but then again, so do you..."

"Not really, but when you've travelled through time as much as I have, nothing much surprises you anymore."

There was a small flash of blue light across the square from them, and Alex appeared, running over to the bins and hiding himself. Soon after, the five GelBabies appeared, creeping towards the column. As they hid the two bombs, another blue flash of light lit up the square, and Max shot down four of the five GelBabies.

"Come on, this is when we're meant to save my parents," said Max, jolting Alex out of the action. The pair of them left the building, and headed down the stairs into the city.

The pair of them followed the directions that Nestor had given them, and ended up in front of an unassuming hotel. Sneaking past the sleepy receptionist, they took the elevator to the fourth floor. Walking down the corridor, they reached a door at the end.

"This is it," Alex told Max. Max paused, took a deep breath, and then rapped three times on the door.

A long silence. Then a voice mumbled sleepily from inside. "Who is this?"

Words rushed out of Max. "Mum, Dad, it's me!"

The door opened, and an old man peered out, instantly spotting Max and breaking into a smile. "Max! I thought you were coming tomorrow!" Then he frowned. "What are you wearing, and who is this?"

Alex, meanwhile, had been standing there in quiet shock. The old man standing in front of him looked very like Nestor, though his nose was a different shape and his eyes were a faded green, rather than black. The sight set Alex's mind spinning. Nestor must be closely related to Max for him to look so similar.

As all this ran through Alex's mind, Max answered his father. "This is Alex Turin, my... colleague. There's not much time to explain, but we have to leave now."

"What do you mean?" Max's mother appeared at the door, a slight woman with amber eyes and fair hair. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you when we've left, but right now, we need to get out of here," replied Max. If you want to take anything with you, get packing!"

Sleepy and confused, Max's parents shuffled back into their room. Outside, Alex and Max unslung their backpacks, pulling out two more Warpers, these ones programmed to merely copy the movements in space and time of Max's Warper.

"Are you sure about this?" Alex glanced over to Max.

"My parents aren't safe here. We need to move them someplace else, and this is our best solution. They'll be happier well out of this."

"What will you do?"

"I'm torn. I mean, I've done all this just to save my parents, so surely I should want to stay with them, but somehow, after all this, it doesn't seem right. I've seen so many wonders thanks to this Warper. Maybe I should give something in return."

Alex stopped adjusting the Warpers. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I can't be the only person ever who wanted to change the past, can I? Maybe I should help sort them like you helped me."

"Please, you'll get me all emotional." Alex snorted and continued to type in commands to the Warpers. "If you want someone to thank, thank Nestor, he's the one who sent me."

"Who is he, anyway? He seems to know all about us, but I've never met him before."

"He looks a bit like your Dad," commented Alex, tapping in the last lines of code. "Alright, we're ready. Let's get this show on the road."

Max's parents came out of their room, carrying suitcases. Max strapped on his parents' Warpers, and turned to Alex.

"Well, this is goodbye, at least for a while."

"I'm sure in all of time and space we'll run into each other sometime," Alex smiled.

Max grinned back. There was a flash of bright blue light, and Alex was left alone. Looking out of a nearby window over the sleeping city, he realised that by tomorrow, none of this would exist. Over the last few hours he had been responsible for several pivotal points in history. He had done more than he could ever have imagined, but something still nagged at him.

Who is Nestor?

All that he had seen whirled in his mind, andsuddenly it all fell into place. With a flash of blue light, Alex left Kievbehind, knowing exactly where to find answers.