Banished to prehistoric times

Too Many Wires

It was the end of the afternoon when the companions, together with Alec, arrived at a small clearing in the forest. Many trees were knocked down and demolished, and a long trail ran through the woodland. The trail of mud and dirt ended with something that left the rebels in awe, for the time ship had appeared before them. It was a bit larger than the one they had arrived in, and it also had more engines, capacity and class. "Wow..." Nathan said as he stared at the damaged aircraft, realizing the incredibly difficult task he had probably laid upon himself. This time ship was also painted black but had a yellow stripe across the width of its wings instead of red. The wings themselves, however, were exactly the same and stretched out horizontally before heading downwards for a few feet. "Here we are," Alec said and moved his arm towards the ship. He walked towards it but suddenly stopped, froze and looked down; something had caught his attention. "Look," he whispered, and gestured. The companions did what he said and gathered around, only to be discouraged. A massive footprint, carved out in the ground, could be seen, and it had three toes. "Is that..." Victoria said anxiously. "From a Tyrannosaurus rex, yes," Alec replied severely. "We should get inside."

Clouds began to gather in the grey sky and Victoria could feel the first splatter of rain when she was about to enter the time ship, grateful that they had shelter. They were given some food and water from Alec and then got the opportunity to rest after Kathryn was treated. The rebels sat down in the cabin, which had, just like the other ship, a few windows and seats. Nathan, however, insisted that he would work on the ship right away, so Alec showed him around while explaining how the ship was put together. He ended up being in the cabin as well, for a crucial part of the time ship had to be repaired there. Victoria leaned against the wall, next to a window, and watched as the rainfall became more intense. Droplets of moisture dripped from the leaves while she could hear the tapping on the small window. The rain slowly began to fill the dinosaur's footprint, creating a small pool. Victoria stared at the raindrops splattering in the puddle and finally had the time to think about everything that had happened. Were they ever going to get out of here? What would they do if they did? Would they find a way to change the future, even if they didn't know where to start? Many of these thoughts flew through her head, and they drove her mad. They had to get out. "Where will we go?" she asked. "What do you mean?" Kathryn responded, securing her bandage. "If Nathan succeeds," she replied, "we can go everywhere we want, anywhen. Where will we go?" "Well," Jack said, "I don't know about you, but I still want to return to a different future." "We must go to the beginning of it all," Kathryn added. "You mean the industrial revolution?" "Maybe," she replied and shrugged. "What about 2017?" Jack asked. "I mean, to stop a revolution..." "2017 can apply some drastic changes," his brother added while repairing the power generator. He turned around and locked eyes with his brother, who agreed. "I genuinely believe that it can be a year of change." Victoria said nothing and just listened what her fellow exiles had to say, curious about their opinions. "What if we can't change the past?" she then said. "It certainly isn't going to be easy, and what if Kane is right?" "I don't believe that," Kathryn said. "Should we even change the future?" Victoria continued, which caused everyone to look at her; even Nathan stopped working. "I mean," she said, "we have been given this luxury, a second chance so to speak, to do it all over. But shouldn't we be punished for our actions, should our punishment not be to keep living in the horrible world we have created ourselves, and to accept the consequences of our choices?" "No, Victoria," Kathryn replied and stood up. "Everyone deserves a second chance, and besides, it was the previous generations that caused climate change to endure. Not us, and we have to be the ones who right their wrongs. And as someone once said: older men declare war, but it is the youth that must fight and die." "She is right Victoria," Jack said and walked up to her. "We deserve a better future." Victoria smiled as he wiped away her tear, convinced that she was granted a second chance. "Perhaps that is why Kane has given up," Jack then said. "He thinks that we don't deserve a second chance." "You really think he feels that guilt-ridden?" Kathryn replied. "I mean, he did kill insurgents who happened to have fought for a different and better future. I don't know if he even wants a different future." "Yeah," Nathan said. "And what about those pilots? That woman said that Kane would kill them if they didn't do their job." "You're right," Victoria added. "Something doesn't make sense here. He's playing some sort of sick game and I'm tired of being his pawn." "Then let's change the future," Kathryn said. "We're going to make your father proud, Victoria. I promise."