Elevators Through Time - Book 1

Part 21: Sunshine Over Sydney

Part 21: Sunshine Over Sydney

Year: 1990

Time: 7:04am

Location: "Sydney's Tower", Sydney CBD, NSW, Australia.

Level: 72nd Floor

I arrived back from the world of dreams into reality with a sudden thud. I felt as if someone had punched me in the face. Not being familiar with the surroundings I instantly thought we were being abducted or something. I was still waking up and I struggled to clear my vision in a hurry. I got to my feet as I assumed a combat stance and called for Kate's name.

"K-Kate? Kate!!! Where are you?! Get behind me!"

I was startled and confused when I heard Kate burst out laughing.

Once I had gotten my senses and rubbed the reality back into my eyes I also laughed. I thought I was being attacked while I had just rolled off my side of the bed and hit my face on the floor.

Kate was still on the bed curled up in laughter.

Once she had wiped the tears out of her eyes Kate smiled and said, "Thanks for being so protective of me, Alex. Here, let me help you up."

I took Kate's hand as I got to my feet. As she pulled me up I still didn't have my balance and she fell backwards as she overcompensated. I wrapped my arms around her and provided a cushion for her head and back as we hit the floor.

My cheek brushed past hers, and her hair caressed my face. Both our eyes were closed. I loved the feeling of her body rubbing against mine as she giggled and squeezed me while we were still together.

We looked at each other in surprise and love and without a word Kate forgave me by lightly kissing my cheek. It was a soft, playful kiss. Too fast to register in my memory.

After composing ourselves we decided to have breakfast and ventured to the fridge to eat some of the sandwiches. They were more filling than we expected. I think there was something more than lettuce, margarine, tomato slices, and pork that we saw. I know sandwiches so I know that something is different in these slices.

I kept this in mind to ask Jed about it later.

When we were done and we cleaned up the table we were eating on, we looked out the window together and glanced at the Sydney skyline.

Ah, construction on the notorious "Toaster on steroids" was coming along. Ah, the Sydney Opera House... it's just as white and artistic as it was from my time. No terrorist has ever gone near it. Maybe it was just such a neutral building. In my time the Sydney Harbour Bridge was destroyed from a suicide bomber that got stuck in traffic with a timed fertiliser bomb. Ah, and Luna Park... that was replaced in my time with an underwater park which had more facilties and more entertainment.

We both looked and saw where we were before and some places that Kate asked that we go see. We saw the Sydney Harbour Bridge nearby, as well as the Sydney Opera House, the Centrepoint Tower, and the Queen Victoria Building. So many things we did see from so high up in the tower that we almost forgot how high up we were.

I wanted to ask Jed if we could go out and about the city, so I walked to the touchscreen near the door and looked around for some communications menu. I had only noticed it this morning. Jed didn't mention it before... hmm, maybe it skipped his mind. It happens.

"What is that, Alex? What are you doing? Everything is so new to me here."

It took quite a while for me to explain to Kate first what a computer was and how useful it could be, then I explained how some flat display screen surfaces can be used to control these.