I love masquerades. Always have. It takes me back to Victorian London, a time and place in which I wasn't alive, yet somehow I existed in. My feet traced the floor tiles in a waltz that would never end, with the most beautiful girl in the ballroom. The masquerade was planned by her wealthy father, and I was invited because the girl had obvious feelings for me. The dance went on for ever, so did her chatter.
-Giovanni?
-Yes, Suzi?
-How do you like my dress?
-It's nice.
I could feel her body stiffen underneath my gentle, yet uncaring touch. Gothic music filled my ears as I continued to lead the dance under the glass-domed high cielings of the hall. A yellow, full moon shone so bright behind a single cloud. A lovely summer breeze alighted my senses, and gave me a sick foreboding of my bright future; or should I say: past. A plan that has been fermenting in my brain finally took an obvious form, forcing me to run after it, grasp it, before time itself caught up with me.
-Suzi. I love you.
She looked at me with her big, stupid eyes, and smiled.
-You do?
-Yes, my dear. Which is why I need you to do something for me.
-Don't you wanna know if I love you too?
-I know you do. Now listen.
She blushed and bit her lip obnoxiously. I sighed.
-I only made daddy plan this masquerade for you, honey. I know how much you love these old things. Which is why I wore this big, black dress with a corset to empress you.
-You look lovely, now listen. I...
-So you like my dress? I also practised waltz for you sweety, and...
I leaned in and kissed Suzi. I could feel all of her passion melting into my mouth, which made me hate her even more. I deepened the kiss. I wanted her to love me. I needed her father's cash in order to work on my machine. After a disgusting moment, I pulled away.
-Suzi. I need something from you.
-Anything.
-I need some cash. Now.
-What for?
-Don't you trust me?
Without consideration, she took out her credit card from her purse, and gave it to me. I kissed her again, and started to walk away.
-Will I see you tomorrow?
I didn't answer. Her stupid brain couldn't grasp the concept of time itself, so how was I supposed to explain to her that I will see her tomorrow, but it will be more than a decade later from this fateful night?
I left the hall in a hurry, bought the equipment I needed, and went to my lab. When I marry Suzi, I'll have a bigger lab, and an endless amount of cash at my brain's disposal. Tools were strewn about just as I had left them, and my prized machine stood in the corner of the crammed room. Throughout your life, you might have read books about time machines, but you haven't seen anything like my perfect creation. The main structure was a huge tunnel, with pipes to distribute the cooling system around the whole structure. The machine got its electric power from solar panels that were facing a nearby window. I marvelled at what I had created for a moment, and immediatly remembered a tale that is as old as time itself. This is what God must have felt like when he created the first human. The resemblance of the two stories made me name my machine Adam. I left my fascinated feelings at bay, and went on to fix what was missing of Adam's panels, then switched him on. He worked just fine. I stepped inside.
-Hello, Adam.
-Hello, Maker. Where can I take you?
-Whitechapel, London.
-When?
-April, 1888. But please, call me Jack.
-Yes, Mr. Jack. But why?
-That's the name I want to be rememberd by.
The tunnel of metal started spinning, so I took the little time I had to change my clothing to fit the Victorian times, while I thought of Suzi and all the money that I could take after I marry her. After I changed my clothes, I wrote a letter that started with: "Hello, boss", and thus began my legacy.
