Ensemble [Book 1: SEKTOR V Trilogy]

Chapter 27: Jump, Stanley, Jump

Chapter 27: Jump, Stanley, Jump

Stanley didn't want to hear one more person, ever, tell him how remarkable he was because he could Jump "so easily" or "so effortlessly." That was a load of crap. He was dead tired. After every Jump, he felt plain lousy and he simply wanted no more of it. The disorientation and nausea were at times debilitating, especially for the longer Jumps they were now forcing him to do. After he returned from the four-month "trip"—as he chose to call it, since no one can "Jump" that far—he was stuck in bed for three days before he could walk without feeling dizzy. "All part of the process," the myriad of scientists and doctors who poked and prodded him to no end would tell him. "You may feel a bit uncomfortable but we can assure you that you're no worse for the wear."

Maria kept asking him about the long-term effects. The answer to that, whether the scientists wanted to own it or not, was that they simply had no idea...at all. She was right to be concerned but that wasn't something he wanted to think about. Besides, this was the last Jump. That's what he'd been told and that's what he had to tell himself so he could get through this one last time. Plus, this was the shortest Jump of the bunch.

They were not stupid, he thought. They knew it would be impossible for him physically and, even more so, psychologically if the Jumps progressively got longer and tougher to handle each time. Over the past sixteen days, he was either in another future timeline or in the present recovering/de-briefing from the last Jump. The downtime they'd given him wasn't enough. But he forced himself to handle it because, well, finally, this was it. One more one-month Jump with five days on-site and then he'd return for good. Wilheim and Karak had both promised him as much and you'd better believe he planned on holding them to it.

Bitching aside, he was happy that the information and documentation he'd gathered about the future "outlier" timeline was, so far, "off the charts" as Drs. Battiste, Bell, and Narain enjoyed telling him over and over. He knew they were partially doing this to keep his spirits up. Still, it was true that what the model predicted was actually happening in the alternate timelines he'd visited. This was an irrefutable fact since many of the specific details of the simulated future were shared with him before he Jumped. And, low and behold, almost all of the key political, social, and economic realities he was tasked to document matched what the simulations had predicted. It was remarkable, to say the least.

As depressing as things got at times, this crazy mix of scientists and engineers had somehow given him a sense of hope. All he'd ever really wanted was a better place for his family. Stanley knew that sleepwalking through a rigged existence with no chance for upward mobility and no true freedom was no way to live. He also knew that breaking the Ministry's grip would temporarily result in pain and suffering for many that could potentially last for years. But this was a price worth paying if it meant a return to a more normal, albeit inherently unpredictable society. Such a society would come with less stability and guarantees but it would also be filled with the promise of real hope.

"I know you know the drill, Stanley," said Professor Rugov.

Stanley snapped back to the here and now. "What?"

She smiled, shook her head, and proceeded to run through her seemingly endless pre-Jump checklist. Even after all he had already been through, Stanley still couldn't get over the fact that they had somehow built a time machine. Physically it wasn't much to look at. In fact, it was a bit creepy-looking since at first glance it resembled an old-timey electric chair, replete with multiple appendages, hold-down straps, and power hook-ups. However, what it lacked in elegance, it more than made up for in functionality. To Stanley, it was nothing short of a marvel, especially since he, the unspectacular Stanley Dial, was the key individual utilizing this amazing technology for the good guys. That said, he still had empathy for the countless Sweepers who worked for the other team. Those poor souls were constantly Jumping. Ignoring for the moment the potentially—likely—deleterious long-term effects, he was convinced that Jumping for a year straight, even for short trips, had to take at least ten years of one's life away.

"Ouch!" He winced...again.

"I guess he doesn't quite know the drill yet, Patty," said Dr. Fujita.

That was the third time she managed to sneak that syringe into him.

"You do want to come back, don't you, Stanley? Without that amplifying solution, it's a one-way trip. We can't lose the signal. I am fairly certain you've heard that about 200 times already. And before you answer with some snide remark, just be happy that you only need one dose this time."

Stanley decided to let it all slide. At least it was nice outside, at good ten degrees warmer than last time. Plus he knew she was right. This was nowhere near the ordeal he had gone through for the four- and two-month trips. For those Jumps, he could tell that they were all very nervous, which of course didn't help his confidence. Their apprehension was understandable since no one had gone out that far on this existing timeline, let alone on an alternate "Ensemble member" timeline. But thankfully, that was over now.

A "raging success", as the slightly loopy, but fun-to-listen-to Sir Alex Smithson had told Stanley. Today's Jump was now only a few minutes away. He was getting nervous again, which he convinced himself...again...was only normal. What also had become normal was the absence of his family at Jump time. Maria had been by his side for the first Jump-out of four months and that was a big mistake. Way too stressful for her, which in turn, added even more stress on him. It was just a lot easier to say goodbye in the morning and make it seem like a simple business trip. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth, but the mind happily locked on to nonsense when the alternative was confronting an unthinkable outcome.

"Thirty seconds, Stanley. Try to relax and brace yourself," said Dr. Rugov. Is it even possible to simultaneously relax and brace yourself? he thought nervously. In a crude attempt to address the latter, Stanley clamped his eyes shut, tightly interlocked his fingers and swallowed hard. Then, just as before, he saw a bright flash of blue-green light in his mind's eye, felt an abrupt shudder in his seat and...