No Rest For The Weary (The Last Time Traveler Book 2) Read online

  No Rest for The Weary

  The Last Time Traveler – Book 2

  By Aaron J. Ethridge

  Additional info can be found at:

  TheLastTimeTraveler.com

  Copyright © 2016 by Aaron J. Ethridge

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  First Printing, 2016

  ISBN ?

  Kindle Edition

  Ethridge Publishing

  2311 Lake Drive

  Williston, SC 29853

  Aaronjethridge.com

  Before You Begin…

  No Rest for The Weary is the second volume in The Last Time Traveler series. Although you can certainly enjoy the books out of sequence, you may find it even more enjoyable to read them in the correct order. The first volume (The Last Time Traveler) is currently available on Amazon.com. If you’re interested, you can purchase it using this link: The Last Time Traveler

  Table of Contents:

  Chapter 1: The Race Car

  Chapter 2: Differing Opinions

  Chapter 3: Always Expect the Unexpected

  Chapter 4: Minor Repairs

  Chapter 5: Keep Up the Good Work

  Chapter 6: The Same Old Argument

  Chapter 7: So Far, So Good

  Chapter 8: All Good Things

  Chapter 9: Home for The Holidays

  Chapter 10: When Things Go Wrong

  Chapter 11: The Island Life

  Chapter 12: Let Me Hold That for A Sec

  Chapter 13: Time Heals All Wounds

  Chapter 14: Better Safe Than Sorry

  Chapter 15: One Step Ahead

  Chapter 16: No Place Like Home

  Thank You!

  Chapter 1: The Race Car

  “So, Vox,” Robert said thoughtfully, setting his glass down on the table. “I think maybe we should show Celeste the car.”

  “I don't know, bro,” Vox replied, shaking his head. “The more I think about it the more I'm not sure it's such a good idea.”

  “Why is that?” Celeste asked, raising an eyebrow and gazing at her husband. “Did Rob have something painted on it that he shouldn't have?”

  “Good question!” Cleo immediately replied, turning her own eyes to Vox.

  “Of course I didn't!” the traveler said defensively. “It's not even painted yet.”

  “So you were planning...” Cleo began.

  “Of course I wasn't!”

  “Then why...”

  “I think it's a good idea,” Doc interrupted.

  “You do?” Vox asked.

  “I do,” Doc nodded. “In my opinion, she deserves to know the truth.”

  “What truth?” Celeste asked. “Vox, how much have you spent on this thing?”

  “I paid for it,” Robert assured her.

  “I'm sure,” Morgan chuckled.

  “I never said it was counterfeit,” the traveler whispered.

  “Alright,” Vox replied with a sigh, “Doc's right. This has gone on long enough. We need to show her.”

  “Gone on long enough?” Celeste asked with a rising inflection. “I don't like the sound of that. Unless Rob didn't really pay for it. I mean, I know he's never lied to me before, but...”

  The remainder of her thought was interrupted by Morgan suddenly choking. The young man had been about to burst out laughing at her assertion that the traveler had never lied to her when he accidentally sucked a piece of meat about the size of a golf ball down his throat. Azure beat him on the back - which is certainly not what you should do when someone is choking - until he began gasping for breath, having finally managed to swallow. After he had taken a drink and assured his companions that he was fine, the decision was made to show Celeste the car after everyone had survived eating dinner.

  A few minutes later, all seven companions were moving rather furtively toward the last time traveler's invisible ship. A nearby neighbor suddenly pulled out of their garage behind the wheel of a hovering space car. The instant it appeared, Robert directed everyone's attention to a low flying bird. All seven stood staring at the creature until the vehicle was out of sight. As soon as the coast was clear, they resumed their sneaking.

  “Vox, what's going on?” Celeste whispered. “What if the neighbors see us acting like this?”

  “The idea is for them not to see us,” Robert explained.

  “Well, I don't see why in the world...” she began, before the traveler vanished just steps ahead of her. “Rob, where'd you go?”

  Seconds later, the entire band was standing on the loading platform which was slowing rising into the ship.

  “Is this yours, Rob?” she asked.

  “It is,” he nodded.

  “Isn't having a cloaked ship against the law?” she asked.

  “The law,” he laughed. “What does that even mean?”

  “I think it has something to do with the prison, Rob,” she replied.

  “It's fine, baby,” Vox assured her. “He's actually got special permission to use it.”

  “From who?”

  “It's complicated.”

  As soon as the loading platform stopped moving, Robert led the band into the cargo bay.

  “What color is this?” Celeste asked, considering the rather odd shade of aquamarine that the chamber was painted.

  “Yes, Rob!” Cleo snapped. “What do you call this color?”

  “He calls it spanking...” Morgan began.

  “I don't call it that!” the traveler interrupted, shaking his head. “That's what you claim I call it, Morgan.”

  “Mermaids,” Morgan continued.

  “Spanking mermaids?” Celeste replied. “I never heard of that color. What does that even...”

  “Forget it,” Robert replied. “It's just some nonsense thing Morgan dreamed up after he hit his head real hard one time. Anyway, let's go.”

  The traveler led the party to the ship's bridge before dropping into his seat and pressing a number of glowing buttons on the display before him. Immediately, the ship began rising into space above Duck à l'orange.

  “Where are we going?” Celeste asked. “I thought you were going to show me the race car.”

  “Right, right,” Robert nodded, pressing another series of buttons.

  An image of a very sleek looking and obviously future race car, just jammed full of amazing technology, appeared on one of the monitors.

  “There it is,” he smiled, spinning his seat around to face Celeste.

  “That's it?” she asked.

  “That's as far as we've gotten,” he explained. “Me and Vox spend so much time working to save the universe that we haven't gotten past the planning stage.”

  “Be serious, Rob,” she replied, shaking her head.

  “He is,” Azure smiled. “I know it's a lot to take in, but he really is telling the truth. Which is kinda remarkable in and of itself, really.”

  “Thanks,” the traveler chuckled.

  “Well, I'm just saying...”

  “Rob, honestly, what are you two up to?” Celeste asked.

  “We're going to have to show her,” Robert replied, turning his gaze to Vox.

  “Looks that way, boss,” he replied, dropping down into his usual seat. “Sit down, baby.”

  “Boss?” she replied, doing as her husband asked. “He's young enough to be our son. Well, nearly.”

  “No, baby,” Vox chuckled. “No, he ain't.”

  “Well, then he looks good for his age.”

 
“Thanks! I try to take care of myself,” the traveler smiled. “Cleo, love, contact Sister if you would.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Moments later, the image of Sister flashed up on one of the monitors.

  “Hey, Sis,” the traveler said.

  “What do you need, Rob?”

  “Oh, I think you know what I need,” he replied with a wide smile.

  “What is that?!?!” Cleo asked with a tone of very definite accusation.

  “I merely meant,” he lie-explained, “that I obviously need information on our next target.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Morgan lie-agreed. “That's blindingly obvious to anyone looking at it objectively.”

  “Shut up, Morgan,” Azure said with a slight smile. “Go on, Rob.”

  “Right,” he nodded. “Anyway, I need info on the next target.”

  “Then call Brother,” Sister replied.

  “Uhhh,” the traveler sighed. “I don't want to.”

  “Why not?”

  “He puts me on hold for hours at the time,” Robert exaggerated.

  “Sorry to hear that,” Sister replied, a tone of not-at-all-sorry in her voice. “But, it's not my job to be your personal information relay.”

  “Come on, Sis,” he smiled. “Just this once.”

  “I guess, Rob,” she replied with a sigh of her own. “You're really obnoxious sometimes, you know that right?”

  “I do,” he nodded. “And, I appreciate your patience.”

  “No, you don't,” she replied. “But I'm sending the info anyway.”

  “Thanks!”

  “Anytime.”

  “Really?”

  “No.”

  The information concerning their next target was sent to the ship's computer soon after.

  “Let's see here,” the traveler said, glancing over the information.

  “Is this one going to be a little bit different?” Morgan asked.

  “Looks like it,” Robert nodded. “For one thing, it's going to be crazy simple.”

  “I'll believe that when it happens,” Vox smiled.

  “Likewise,” Doc nodded. “What's the job?”

  “We have to immunize a guy named George Fullmer against some kind of bird flu.”

  “That's going to save the universe?” Celeste asked.

  “Part of it,” the traveler chuckled.

  “I don't get it. What do you mean?”

  All six of Celeste's companions took turns explaining their mission. She, for her part, didn't seem to believe any of it, and appeared to think it was all part of some elaborate practical joke or something for an episode of their planet's equivalent of Candid Camera.

  “You'll understand in a few days’ time,” Robert assured her, pushing more buttons on the console in front of him.

  “A few days?” she asked.

  “Well, from our point of view, yes,” he replied. “Although, we'll actually get back to your house in the next fifteen or twenty minutes.”

  “Rob, have you gone...”

  “He's serious, baby,” Vox said. “The ship's also a time machine. I'll explain it all later, but for the moment we need to get going.”

  “Right you are,” the traveler nodded, pressing even more buttons.

  Seconds later, the ship was in non-space flying toward their target. The planet they were heading for turned out to be on the fringe of the galaxy, meaning it would take them close to eight hours to get there. As a result, the team had time to get started on the prep work before they arrived.

  “Alright,” Robert said, turning his seat to face all of his companions. “This really should be a piece of cake. Doc, I've already sent the formula for the immunization to the medi-bay.”

  “Excellent,” Doc replied. “I'll get it made up as quickly as possible.”

  “Why bird flu?” Morgan asked.

  “Good question,” Azure agreed.

  “Seems like George was a bird enthusiast,” the traveler explained. “He actually built his time machine based on his own theories, which makes it one of the few that were ever actually invented rather than just copied. His main motivation for creating it was to go back and study extinct birds from his own planet. In fact, he was really cautious for a time traveler and was determined only to observe; not to change. However, on one of his trips he caught an extinct form of bird flu and brought it home with him. As a result, millions of man hours were lost to a sickness that should have been long dead.”

  “Why don't we just destroy his time machine?” Morgan asked.

  “A few reasons,” the traveler explained. “First off, he could just build it again. Second, his bird watching didn't do much to the time-lines, so there's no real reason to stop him. Third, remember that we want to make our changes as small as possible.”

  “Right,” Morgan nodded. “One more question.”

  “Certainly.”

  “Why didn't we go to the conference room to discuss this?”

  “No point,” Robert replied, shaking his head. “This one's too easy. It's not even worth making it official in my opinion. Anyway, Vox, you and I need to rig up a time probe so it can give Mr. Fullmer a vaccine.”

  “Not a problem,” Vox nodded.

  “And, we need to be able to fire it off from Never Never Land.”

  “Never Never Land?” Celeste asked.

  “Our base,” Robert replied almost dismissively. “You'll get to see it soon. Either way, the control system should basically work like the one for the Delmont Bomb.”

  “Delmont Bomb?” she asked.

  “Something Vox and Cleo invented,” the traveler explained. “The control system for it allowed us to fire it off from Never Never Land regardless of where it was in time and space. I think we should power this new system with the Dorvient crystal in the photon saber. Or, even the one we used in the bomb, for that matter.”

  “Dorvient crystal?”

  “Stop doing that, baby,” Vox chuckled. “It makes you sound like Morgan.”

  “Thanks!” the young man replied sarcastically. “Didn’t we blow the one in the bomb up?”

  “We did,” Robert, nodded, “and then, we didn’t.”

  “What do you mean?” Morgan asked.

  “I mean,” the traveler explained, “that after we stopped Delmont from ever getting a time-drive, we never blew up his time-machine; because he never had one. Just like we never un-stole the Orb of the Gods, or un-kidnapped Calvin Rex, or licensed that generator technology, or planted those phony swords, or stopped a war using Planet of the Apes, or even cracked the enigma code; because none of that stuff ever happened. Remember?”

  “I do remember,” the young man nodded. “That’s what’s bothering me. I remember a bunch of stuff that never happened. So, did we even go get the crystals in the first place?”

  “Of course we did!” Robert chuckled. “We had to have them for the job.”

  “Did you two build the bomb?”

  “Yes,” Vox and Cleo both responded.

  “But, we didn’t plant it?”

  “Plant it on what?” Robert smiled. “Delmont never had a time-machine to plant it on.”

  “Then, why did we build it?”

  “Because we knew we had to in order to blow up the time-machine he would have if we didn’t blow it up.”

  “And, we didn’t use the Delmont Bomb to blow up the time-drive on the derelict because…”

  “Because, when we planted that bomb, the Delmont Bomb was still strapped to Delmont’s time-machine,” the traveler explained. “We didn’t use a Dorvient crystal in it because, had it failed – which, of course, it didn’t – we’d have had plenty of time to go back and try again.”

  “Right…” Morgan replied, nodding slowly. “In that case, what did happen to the bomb?”

  “Unless one of us moved it; it’s where we had it before we planted it,” Vox explained, “sitting in the corner of the cargo bay.”

  “Time travel,” the young man said, turning his eyes to the
ceiling, “is completely, totally, and in all other ways, insane.”

  “I know, right,” Robert agreed. “That’s one of the reasons it was outlawed in the first place.”

  “Anyway,” Vox smiled, “I think that'll work fine, Rob.”

  “Can we get it done in eight hours?”

  “No way.”

  “How long?”

  “Two days,” Vox asserted.

  “Alright,” the traveler sighed. “Then, we'd better get started.”

  “Agreed.”

  A little less than eight hours after this conversation, the ship dropped back into real-space floating in an asteroid field orbiting a verdant planet covered by signs of advanced civilization.

  “Why are we parking in an asteroid belt?” Morgan asked, gazing at some of the larger nearby asteroids with a look of concern on his face.

  “These guys have some very advanced technology,” the traveler explained. “Although they're way behind us when it comes to weapons, stealth fields, gravity manipulation, etc, they have truly epic planetary sensors. They went through a nasty war with a species from a nearby system about a hundred years ago and they are constantly on watch at this point in their history. As a result, there's a good chance they could pick up something as powerful as the ship's energy signature, even if they couldn't see through our cloak. The metal content in these asteroids will make us very difficult to detect, however. Well, when combined with the ship's stealth field, anyway.”

  “It still seems dangerous to me,” Morgan replied as two small asteroids slammed into each other just in front of the ship.

  “It would be,” Robert agreed, “if we didn't have asteroid movement charts programmed into the computer. However, as it is we know where all the nearby asteroids are going to be for the next few days. That gives us a nice big window of perfectly safe.”

  “What about the random elements?”

  “Well,” the traveler replied, rocking his head from side to side. “I suppose something could happen to change things slightly. Still, the ship has proximity sensors and will automatically move out of the way if anything is on a collision course with us.”

  “So basically, you're positive we're safe.”

  “Basically.”

  “Good,” Morgan nodded. “In that case, I'm going to spend the next two days or so kissing Azure while you're working.”