The Last Time Traveler Read online

  “You've done drugs?” Cleo asked.

  “No!” Morgan exclaimed.

  “Then how could you have a flashback?”

  “Well, ya see...”

  “You know what, Morgan,” Cleo interrupted. “Never mind, it doesn't even matter. The point is that we are serious and none of this is ever going to have happened to you, Azure.”

  “That's just... weird...” she replied. “I mean, you're going to save my life, my world, and I'll never even know it.”

  “You'll never even meet us,” Cleo smiled.

  “That's kind of sad,” Azure said thoughtfully. “Obviously I wouldn't want to meet you under these circumstances, but I wish I could meet you. I wish I could thank you!”

  “You already have,” Cleo replied.

  “I guess that's true,” Azure said. “But you know what I mean.”

  “So,” Morgan said with a slight smile. “Are you feeling better?”

  “Much,” Azure replied. “I know it's crazy, but I actually believe you. For one thing this ship is like nothing I've ever seen before.”

  “It is,” Cleo agree.

  “Okay,” Morgan said. “I just want to double check. Azure, you now realize that we are time travelers, that we are going to save your world, and all things considered you're feeling pretty cool about it. Is that right?”

  “Basically... I guess,” she replied. “I mean it's still a lot to take in, but I'm beginning to wrap my head around it.”

  “Close enough,” Morgan replied before settling comfortably into his seat for a prolonged eye caressing. “You two carry on.”

  For the next few minutes the girls sat there talking, laughing, and enjoying their MREs. Morgan, for his part, just enjoyed himself watching them enjoy themselves.

  “So...” he said thoughtfully, after the girls had finished their meals. “I've been thinking.”

  “That's unfortunate,” Cleo said.

  “Awww,” Azure replied. “Be nice to him. He did risk his life to save mine.”

  “Alright,” Cleo sighed. “But I have a feeling you'll regret that in a minute. What is it Morgan?”

  “Well,” he said with a knowing wink, “In a couple of days we're going to make it where Azure was never on board.”

  “Right,” Cleo nodded. “We've been through that more than once now.”

  “Right, right,” he agreed. “But that means she can do whatever she wants and there will be no consequences for her.”

  “Morgan,” Cleo replied, a tone of warning in her voice, “what are you suggesting?”

  “Well,” he said with a grin, “to start with... space ice-cream. She can eat all she wants and not worry about any of the calories.”

  “I suppose that's true,” Cleo laughed.

  “I'll go get some!”

  The young man returned a few minutes later with a variety of space ice-creams and syrups. Surprising, although Rob only really liked three kinds of MRE, he loved a wide range of ice-creams. Of course, they didn't have double fudge MREs, so maybe it's not really all that remarkable.

  “What is that?” Cleo asked, glancing over at Morgan's space bowl.

  “Oh...” he said, a slightly guilty look on his face. “It's... just... pistachio ice-cream with maple syrup on it...”

  “It is any good?” she asked.

  “Oh yeah!” he replied.

  “Let me try it,” she said.

  “Oh yeah!” he replied.

  “Not yours!” she exclaimed. “I'm not eating after you... I'm never sure where your mouth has been lately...”

  Both she and Azure fixed themselves a small portion.

  “This is good!” Azure observed.

  “Oh...” he said slowly. “You're right about that... it is very good...”

  “Morgan,” Cleo said with a contented smile, “sometimes you're a genius.”

  “Thank you,” he replied, before lifting a plastic bear in his hands. “Maybe you girls would like to try a little honey on it? Or we could even try that with the blueberry ice-cream...”

  “Hey guys, what's up?” Rob said, stepping quickly into the room.

  “Whoa!” Morgan screamed, throwing the plastic honey bear into the air. “Nothing! Nothing's up, man! What could be up?!?! Why would anything be up?!?!”

  “Right...” the traveler nodded, catching the falling honey bear in his hand. “And where did you get this, Morgan?”

  “It's mine,” he replied defensively.

  “Yeah... but where did you get it from?”

  “Vox bought it for me when we were on the island. Doc didn't really want him to, but after Vox explained that it was an entertainment investment, whatever that meant, Doc went along with it.”

  “Mmmm,” Robert nodded slowly. “And what else did Vox buy you?”

  “Nothing...” Morgan said, his eyes wandering around the room. “I mean... there was a... a ten gallon... ten gallon jug of a... of maple syrup...”

  “Mmmm,” the traveler replied.

  “What difference does it make, Rob?” Cleo asked. “He's putting it to good use. You should try this! It's pistachio ice-cream with maple syrup! It's delicious!”

  “Oh I'm sure it's good!” Robert replied. “I'm surprised he didn't have you try the blueberry.”

  “Yeah,” she smiled. “We were going to try that next.”

  “I'm sure you were, love,” the traveler said. “But unfortunately Morgan's already had enough ice-cream. Haven't you, Morgan?”

  “More than enough!” the young man replied.

  “That's good!” Robert nodded. “Too much ice-cream can be bad for your health, Morgan.”

  “I had heard that!”

  “Well, it's absolutely true!” the traveler assured him. “Besides, you've got something else you've got to start working on.”

  “And what's that?” Morgan asked.

  “Learning to use a gun,” Robert replied.

  “Awesome!”

  “Indeed,” the traveler replied. “We can't keep taking you on missions without you knowing something about weapons. I didn't want to take the time before, but now that we've got a couple of days you shouldn't waste them. Besides I'm afraid that, under the circumstances, too much free time might just get you into trouble.”

  “It might at that,” the young man agreed.

  “So,” Robert continued, “go get Doc and have him take you down to the range. I want him to walk you through the basics and let you get some shooting time in. In fact, I think it would be best if you basically spent all of the next two days shooting.”

  “Right,” Morgan nodded.

  “Can I come?” Azure asked.

  “Sure,” the traveler replied. “If you feel up to it.”

  “I do,” she nodded. “I'm actually feeling a lot better now. And honestly, I think it would be better for me to have something to focus on.”

  “Good point,” Robert replied. “Well, in that case I could use some help, Cleo. Are you up for it?”

  “Always,” she smiled.

  Immediately Morgan and Azure went to find Doc while Robert and Cleo went to help Vox. Just minutes later Doc had Morgan out on the gun range... on the ship... how cool is that?... with a small assortment of weapons laid out. For roughly an hour he went over the basics and gun safety... a lot of gun safety... Finally Morgan got to take his first practice shots.

  “That's not very good is it?” he asked after he had fired off his third round.

  “Oh, I don't know Morgan,” Doc said shaking his head. “None of them hit us and that makes me feel really good at this point.”

  “True...” he sighed. “But none of them hit the target either.”

  “That's hardly surprising,” Azure pointed out. “You're holding your gun all wrong.”

  “How do you mean?” he asked.

  “I mean,” she said, taking his hands in hers, “that you need to hold it more like this. Then put one leg out a sort distance ahead of you and lean forward slightly. Now try.”

&
nbsp; He tried. To his own amazement he hit the very edge of the target.

  “Wow...” she said. “You're really bad. I don't know that I've ever seen anyone with less natural talent.”

  “Thanks,” he said nodding. “And I don't even have to try.”

  “Azure,” Doc said, “do you think you can help him?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Would it be alright if I left?” he asked. “I have some things I want to take care of in the medi-bay if you can handle this.”

  “Sure,” she said with a smile. “I'd be glad to. It gives me something else to think about.”

  “Excellent,” Doc replied. “In that case I'll leave him in your capable hands.”

  For the next half-an-hour or so Morgan went through all the different guns and tried a number of multiple aiming techniques. He was equally terrible with all of them...

  “This is going to take more extreme measures,” Azure asserted, shaking her head almost in disbelief. “Look, Morgan, I'll be right back. Do not touch any of these guns while I'm gone. Okay?”

  “Oaky.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  “I'll be right back.”

  For a few minutes Morgan stood alone on the range, his eyes moving from the firearms laying on the table to his basically unscathed target. After what seemed like quite a long time to the young man... although it was really only like five minutes... Azure strutted back into the room wearing a pair of black stiletto boots.

  “Wow!” Morgan exclaimed. “Where did you get those?”

  “My room,” she replied. “This ship is surprising well stocked...”

  “It sure is!”

  “Anyway, Morgan,” she said pointing down range, “pick up a pistol and aim it at the target.”

  He instantly obeyed.

  “Alright, with these boots on I'm just a tad taller than you,” she said, stepping up behind him and covering his hands with her own, before setting her head on his shoulder. “Pull in tight, like this... Put your foot a little further out... Now, lean slowly forward...”

  “Oh! My! Goodness!” Morgan exclaimed.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “I've just fulfilled one of my childhood fantasies,” he explained.

  “What fantasy?” she asked, a touch of confusion in her voice.

  “Well,” he lied, “I always used to fantasize about going down to a gun range.”

  “But we've been here for over an hour.”

  “I know,” he lied some more. “But I had forgotten about it.”

  “Oh...” she said. “Well, I'm glad you're living your dreams. Either way, pull it up like this... and slowly... pull... the... trigger...”

  This time the shot at least hit the scoring section of the target.

  “Score!” he said appropriately.

  “It's a start,” she sighed. “But it's going to take a lot more work to make you any kind of a shot.”

  “Oh,” Morgan grinned. “I got time...”

  For the next two hours Azure stood behind the young man helping him learn how to hold his body while shooting. All things considered he did pretty well. I mean, her hot breath on his neck just about made him drunk, not to mention her hands on his, and it's probably best not to even think about what was pressed against his back the whole time. After a while he got an idea... well, let's face it, he got a lot of ideas, but we're only going to hear about one of them...

  “I've got an idea,” he said surprisingly.

  “What's that?” Azure asked innocently.

  “What if we approach this from a psychological angle?” he suggested.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, like a rewards system,” he explained. “I mean, to give me motivation you know?”

  “Right...”

  “So, maybe we should like kiss every time I hit a bulls-eye or something...”

  “Wow... Cleo said you were like a crazy optimist,” she replied. “But I have to admit I like the general idea.”

  “You do?!?!”

  “Sure,” she replied. “I just think the execution part needs work.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, instead of us kissing when you do good, maybe I could punch you in the back of the head when you do bad.”

  “You're right,” he sighed. “The psychological angle is no good. I just need to put in more practice...”

  “That's the spirit, Morgan!”

  After roughly five more hours of practice they decided to call it a night. Morgan had at least gotten to the point where he wasn't a danger to himself or others with a gun in his hands. And he could shoot without Azure holding his hands. The young man saw both sides of this, however, and was thrilled and bitterly disappointed at the same time.

  “Well,” Azure said as they reached her door, “I'm gonna take a quick shower and then maybe head up to the bridge for a few minutes... Morgan...”

  The young man was staring into the nothingness, his mind trapped in a fantasy universe. Azure shook him gently by the shoulder.

  “Morgan,” she said. “Are you alright?”

  “What?” he said, suddenly jerking back to reality. “Yeah! I'm great! You know if you need any help...”

  “Thanks...” she interrupted, “but I think I got it.”

  “Right,” he nodded. “Well, remember, the offer's on the table.”

  “I'll see you in a few minutes, Morgan,” she replied, closing the door in his face.

  The young man took a deep breath and made his way slowly to the bridge where he found Rob sitting alone.

  “Well!” he said, sliding down into one of the seats. “I’ve got a new favorite color!”

  “Let me guess,” the traveler said, turning to look at the young man, “it’s blue.”

  “Indeed it is!” Morgan nodded. “Of course, to be fair, blue was my original favorite until that Star Trek episode made me switch to green. Anyways, it reminds me of that song.”

  “I’m Blue?” Robert suggested.

  “No. Rock the Cradle of Love. I think you singing it all the time has just got it stuck in my head.”

  “I guess I can understand that,” Robert admitted.

  “Either way, I’m really in love this time.”

  “So you’re over Cleo?” the traveler asked.

  “Oh yeah, bro. She’s your bird and I’m past that.”

  “That’s for the best,” Robert nodded. “What about the honey and maple syrup?”

  “I'll try to wean off over the next few days,” the young man suggested. “Good enough?”

  “That'll do.”

  “Anyways, this is the real thing this time,” Morgan asserted.

  “I have my doubts,” the traveler confessed.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Maybe it’s the fact that you don’t really know her.”

  “It was love at first sight,” Morgan insisted.

  “There’s no such thing.”

  “You’re wrong this time, Rob.”

  “Okay. What do you love about her?” the traveler asked.

  “Well for starters she’s got huge…”

  “You see, Morgan,” Robert interrupted, “that’s not love. What you’ve got there, my friend, is lust at first sight.”

  “I was going to say personality.” Morgan lied.

  “No you weren’t,” the traveler pointed-out. “That’s a lie. You weren’t even going to say huge tracts of land. You’ve been hanging around me too much. You’re picking up bad habits.”

  “No… you’re right,” Morgan confessed. “I wasn’t going to say personality... And I don’t want to pick up bad habits. However, I do want to pick up good habits. What should I say to her?”

  “As little as possible?” Robert suggested.

  “That’s no help, Rob!” the young man replied. “I’ve got to get to know her. I just have to go out with her. And you know why?”

  “Why is that?” the traveler asked.
r />   “Because she's stacked! That's why!”

  “You see, man,” the traveler chucked, “this is why you’re not ready for a girlfriend.”

  “Help me get ready!”

  “I don’t have the time.”

  “You have all the time!”

  “It’s not enough…” Robert insisted. “And besides, Morgan, she's not going to be with us long, man. Day after tomorrow she's gone forever. Even if you were a grand master you couldn't get far with a girl like that in so little time.”

  “How far could you get?” Morgan asked.

  “Probably no further than a couple of hours into our honeymoon.”

  “That would be enough for me,” Morgan replied. “In fact, I'd settle for ten minutes into the honeymoon.”

  “You'll never make it!”

  This inane conversation continued for perhaps twenty minutes and was only brought to an end by the appearance of Azure and Cleo. Both of them had wet hair, but neither was wielding a towel. As a result Morgan was able to keep his head.

  “Is there any way I could come with you?” Azure asked as she and Cleo sat.

  “Come with us where?” Robert asked.

  “I mean come with you,” she explained. “Like become part of the crew.”

  “Well, no,” he replied shaking his head. “Because when we un-steal the orb you'll have never been here in the first place.”

  “Oh,” Azure replied. “And there's no way around that?”

  “No,” he said. “What would make you think there might be?”

  “Well...” she said thoughtfully. “It just seemed to me that if you un-steal the orb then you wouldn't need to un-steal it and if you didn't need to un-steal it then it would get stolen so you would have to un-steal it. Is that right?”

  “It's hard to say,” he chuckled. “You sound like Morgan.”

  “Hey!” both she and Morgan replied at the same moment.

  “Let's see,” Robert replied. “I think you're trying to ask how we get around the paradox that is the fact that own actions will remove the cause of those actions. Is that right?”

  “Right!” Azure replied excitedly. “How do you get around that?”

  “We have ways,” he winked.

  “Can't I use those ways?” she asked.

  “Yeah!” Morgan said his own voice filled with excitement as well. “What if we took her to Never Never Land?!?!”