Chapter 5



I finally made it back home to my proper time, after resting for another couple of days. The headache I had suffered had been a bad one. It went away the next day, but I had felt wiped out, still. I waited another day before coming back.

When I returned, I set my new computer to resolving a problem for me. What would be the probable outcome of my changing the future, of something that had already happened. The AI had responded it had already done extensive research into this very subject, but an answer with any specific conclusion was not available at this time.

In the meantime, my computer informed me that it had capabilities that could let me increase my fortunes. It knew the stock market and the best places to invest for the next several years. If I so desired, it would create a plan for multiplying my fortune in such a way as to make me seem a little luckier than average, but not suspiciously so.

The computer also resolved the problem of getting my car licensed. It was done by filing the proper waivers, and getting approval from the appropriate offices. When I presented my paperwork to the local licensing office, the result was one 'future car', legally registered. I'd had to post a $100,000 bond, though, which aggravated me. I did not have anyone who would provide me with insurance.

It was getting along in the year, and I was thinking about advanced flight classes and training with Bell, to give me a better chance of surviving a possible disaster scenario. I also had a possible craft spotted.

It had been previously owned by a company that monitored the pipeline. It had been turned back over to Bell, and the price was reasonable. I would have to do a little more research on it, but it seemed to have the abilities I desired. The truth is, if I had access to my regular money, I could have bought a new one. But I had to be picky, since Tom was officially dead now, damn it!

For some reason, whenever I 'time dived' and returned to my present, I always returned to the point I departed. I was always within a second as near as I could figure. The AI informed me as I was speaking to it one day, that my older self had reasoned that since I had not yet personally lived past that point, I would return to that point and no farther.

Yet, my future self had come back. Since he had lived that time, could I not somehow access up to his future point?

"Ok computer. Explain to me why I can go back into the past, a past I never lived or interacted in, and I can even bring back items... yet I can't go further into the future," I asked it curiously.

"It has been postulated that you utilize energy from a field that is unique. It is everywhere, but is strongest where living beings gather. Everything gives off a bit of this energy, and it accumulates over time.

"You are able to see, decipher and utilize this energy, up to a point in the past. Thusly you are able to see or travel to the distant past. The mechanism in your brain that recognizes and uses this energy does not, or cannot, recognize energy of the future. Your future self decided it had to do with living through whatever changes and fluctuations happened in this energy field while he was living his life. His brain kept a record of this energy, subconsciously, and was able to recognize it. This made it possible for both he and you to see and travel to the past.

"Being able to recognize the energy field is important to being able to use it. While you have not personally lived through the far past, the energy is just an older version of the energy that you already use. All the changes up to the point of "now", are incorporated into today's energy field. Thus you travel the past easily," the computer stated.

Well, well. That actually made sense. I had been wondering about that, off and on, for a while now. It was easily understood once it was explained. Well, perhaps I was better off not being able to travel to the future. No telling what trouble I could get myself into up there.

Since my death as Tom Wilshire, I had to find different suppliers for items I wanted that were 'period'. I found a company in Canada that could provide everything I wanted in one stop! They were a major supplier for the Canadian movie and TV companies, as well as myriad other entertainment people, the world over.

I had teleported to the underground 'missile silo' home I had bought, and cleaned it out of several items I wanted. But I left enough behind to seem realistic for whenever someone would come to check on it. I knew someone would. I put everything I took into the perfect storage of the 'between'. I regretted losing what I had to leave behind, but my current reality and situation dictated it.

Some of the equipment that my future self had brought back with him, had to be seen, to be believed. I had an "ear bud" for the car. Through it, I had a link to my computer at home. It had an effective transmitting and receiving range of one thousand feet, which allowed me to communicate with my new car's computer. Through that computer, I could access my home computer. As long as I was within that thousand foot range of the car, I could talk to my home computer by relay. The car was able to contact the home computer from anywhere in the world, via satellite link.

It was this "ear bud" linking to the car, that let me drive to town, and start playing 'day trader'. My AI would inform me of items of interest to buy then sell. I would sit at the terminal and do what it told me. I made sure I didn't make a lot, but I made enough to give me what amounted to a monthly income of close to $5000 a month.

As I said, I did make sure I lost money, too. As a matter of fact, I lost large enough amounts, often enough, that no suspicion was ever cast my way. If I had just gone in and played to make a killing, it would have been noted immediately. I made sure I lost on some deals that were hefty. After establishing myself there for about six weeks, I told them I wanted to do this via my home computer. It took a little time, but I finally got my account set up to do my trading, via my home computer. My AI then took over the investing for me. This new monthly income, along with an annuity, made sure I could meet the mortgage payments on the rest of my land. I could also purchase items I wanted, without dipping into my remaining principle. All in all, I was at a comfortable level of life.

I was outside chopping firewood for the fireplace, when I heard a truck moving up my driveway. I had been informed a few days before, that my custom ordered tent was finished, and was on its way. This was the delivery truck.

I told them I wanted it set up as that was part of their job. This was a company truck, with company employees, after all.

"Are you sure you want it set up here? It is kind of big, and takes more than one person to set up. Once we set it up for you, thats it," he said.

I showed them where I wanted it. They nodded, and got to work. Part way through the setting up, I went in and made a large pot of coffee. I took a tray of coffee out, along with sandwiches. They devoured the food, drank a cup of coffee apiece, then got back to work and finished the tent.

Finally done with that, they unloaded the rest of the equipment that went with the tent. A bed that looked like a cot, but was actually a cleverly disguised air mattress, was placed inside the tent. A small square table with four old fashioned chairs was at one end, while at the far end was a small square stove. It could be used for heating, as well as cooking, with the 'chimney' pipe that was set up.

What had taken the most time to do was the frame and flooring. Everything looked and felt like wood, but was actually a very clever composition material with a thin wooden veneer. The supposed wood poles and beams were made of the same material. The tensile strength was fantastic.

The tent itself was made out of a heavy canvas-like material, which had been specially treated to withstand all weather conditions. It also came with a heavy liner for winter use, but that was still stowed. I would leave it stowed, until I needed it.

This tent was bigger than the other tent I had previously used. The main problem with this one, was that it took a team of two or more to set up. Basically, it was not very portable. Well, portable to others, maybe. It could be lifted by a crew of six strong men and moved, once the stove had been taken out.

Good quality cooking gear came with it. It was fully outfitted, as I had specified. I was pleased, and gave the crew a hundred dollar tip. I know, it was extravagant. But I felt good service and good work deserved good reward. Plus, it left me with a good reputation with the company. They were pleased that I treated their men well.

After the crew left, I spent a couple hours arranging the interior of my tent the way I wanted it. When I was satisfied, and had food stuffs and several gallons of water stored inside. I had lined the back wall with kindling and firewood, then I sent the tent and its contents into the between.

Now that I had my tent set the way I wanted it, and I had the appropriate long term camping gear, I was making plans to spend a few weeks back in a specific time period. I had long been fascinated with the Klondike gold rush story. I would go back, and experience some of it for myself.

I thought long and hard of where I wanted to go, and what I wanted to accomplish. First, I would need guards at my camp site "24/7". Second, while I would help out people with medical problems; it would have to be on a case by case basis, or I would be swamped. I could go through my medical supplies, much too quickly.

I decided to settle in an area accessible only by mules and horses, which could explain my seeming to get something like my tent built, with no one noticing. I would just have to be a bit father from the area I wanted to observe. This was not a problem, as most miners, and the very few mining companies, were all located on the claim sites. That meant they were on creeks or rivers.

I located an area that would serve my purposes in the future, and looked into time from there. Yes, it would be perfect. It was out of the way, yet still within easy walking distance to a river. I could observe the miners and their camps, which were everywhere there was flowing water.

I asked my computer to find me a supplier of medical supplies, circa 1899/1900. It did so, very quickly. I just wanted to know what to buy. I would get it from the appropriate places, in the right time period. Buying medical supplies back then was not as controlled as it is in this day and age.

One thing I was going to do was bring, was a modern weapon. It would be a weapon that could go from single shot, to semi-automatic, to fully automatic; with just the flip of a lever. I bought a black market M-16 and 5000 rounds of ammunition for it. I bought ten 30 round magazines and kept them loaded at all times. I placed the M-16, and all the ammo for it in the 'between'.

My first stop in the past, was to purchase the correct instruments of the time. Oh, I still planned on cheating outrageously with modern medicines. But that would not be visible to anyone except an unconscious patient, who would have a hard time seeing them, anyway. I dared not stray too far out of the norm, though. The people in that time might turn on me, being a superstitious lot.

Ok, it might sound condescending... but the average man or woman of that time was not receptive to the unexplained. They lashed out quickly at what they did not understand, or stood firm against he or she who broke from what they considered the norm. The unexplainable was blamed on the supernatural, a lot of the time.

Finally, I was ready. I dressed myself in the right clothing, which I had bought earlier from that one-stop place in Canada. I shouldered my 'period' pack, and moved myself to an area along the trail that let me walk in a seemingly normal manner to this particular site.

The reason I did this, was to establish myself in this area. Since I was arriving on a traveled trail that was horse and mule accessible, I came with a loaded pack mule. This was not that hard trail that broke so many hearts and took so many lives. No, that was further away. But still, it was unusual to see a man and mule arrive alone. I spent a little time traveling to my site. It was still there, but I had to clear it of brush and small saplings. By the end of the day, I was tired, but the site was prepared. I looked around carefully. Good, no one was watching. I brought my tent through from the 'between', where I had stored it. Now I had a place to rest, clothing, water, a stove, firewood... and supplies for weeks.

I lit my lamp and settled back, wondering what the new day would bring.

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Edited by TeNderLoin

Volentrin

Chapter 6