Charles Baudot

A Question of Time

Chapter 1

I was born in 1944, and lived a pretty sheltered life up until the time I started grammar school in 1949. With some introspection over the years, it seemed to me that life as I knew it, started down hill. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I can roll with the best of 'em. But there were certain trends I couldn't put my finger on. Let me try and explain.

After the start of grammar school, I began to get concerned with the 3-R's and meeting new friends. It was a learning process, where you had your group of sophisticated kids that in reality were more shy than you were, but showed it another way, and you had your 'teasers'. These were the kids that may have caught on to some small incongruity you may have had in relation to them. Whatever the case, you had to deal with the life as you now knew it. That is, fit the mold the sophisticates wanted you to be, or be an all around Joe and take the teasing and be able to give it back.

I did just that. I strove to understand where the sophisticates were coming from, and I learned more about the 'teasers' background and adjusted accordingly. My thoughts and deeds were being repressed. The 'doctor' game I used to play with the kid next door, my thoughts and dreams of the years before, and even the time I stuck the hairpin in the electrical socket. This was a new experience… a new trauma, so to speak.

I was five years old at the time. From year five upward, my life seemed to be, by some standards, normal. I had my share of punishment and rewards, as with most of the kids of my time, but when I started college, I began to realize that life, as I knew it, was not what it was supposed to be. Never once did it dawn on me, that my parents had come through a period of time with me, that was just as trying to them, as my future life on my own was going to be for me.

It didn't come home to me until November 22, 1963, when the president of the United States was assassinated. G-Damn, who would do such a thing? Where are all the nuts coming from?

I then began to hear all the finger pointing. The FBI was involved… NO. The CIA… or was it Castro? Maybe the 'Mafia', whatever that is. In any event, it made me pensive. Along came 'Son of Sam', Charles Manson, and all the other cooks in between. There was no let up. Life was becoming a real bitch.

Sometime in the mid 60's, I picked up a copy of Nineteen Eighty-four by George Orwell. I read it cover to cover. What a frightening book?

I was still in college and had not had any insight into the real world as yet. All my high school time was spent in preparation for college, more for procedure and protocol, than actual knowledge. Actual knowledge there, was years behind. In fact, I had a textbook whose copyright was 1949. Granted, it was a technical book, and not much changes in the theory, but here it was the 60's and engineers were already finding out things that the textbook said couldn't happen.

I figured at this pace, what would 1984 bring? Well 1984 came and went. There were definite changes in our society, yes, and it had its share of weirdness, but it seemed to be more positive than the book made it out to be. There were only a couple of items that seemed to parallel the book somewhat. They were the things that eluded to our monetary system and the means of 'keeping tabs' on you. Computers, and the use of your Social Security number, was widespread. Other than that, I could deal with it.

Yeah, "I could deal with it."… 'deal with it'. … G-damnit, I couldn't. Here it is, the 90's, and I am hearing from people that I've never heard of, that don't know me from Adam,* wanting this or that, all because I was some 'number' in a computer somewhere. The Privacy act of 19-whatever? BULLSHIT. [* The form commonly used is 'not to know one from Adam's off ox,' meaning to have not the slightest information about the person indicated. Note added by Céladon, who had never heard this expression]

In all fairness to you, I think I should back up a few years to 1987. In July of 1987, I made application to the F.C.C. (Federal Communication Commission) to take a commercial communications examination to obtain a license that would enable me to set up and operate a commercial broadcast station. A station, similar in nature, to which you listen, at work or play.

I passed the test and obtained the license. Next, came all the legal work for frequency assignments, land use, transmitter sight, the whole nine yards. For advice, I joined SBE (Society of Broadcast Engineers). That organization had many members here in town that had been through the experience, and could advise me. Although I would be in competition with them as far as their individual stations were concerned, we were all just one happy family. The name of the game was to be as technically correct as possible in accordance with all rules and regulations set by the F.C.C.

There was an individual that I met at one of my meetings, I'll never forget. Not that it's important, but his name was Jimmy Anderson. Just a young buck, comparatively, but super smart. Had he been 10-15 years younger… that's another story.

Jimmy and I hit it off from the beginning. Although he was younger than me, we related to many of the same things. From conversations with him over the years, and the bending of our elbow with the natives, at the local bar, I found out that he was a student of Nikola Tesla.

"Who," you say? Nikola Tesla. He lived to be 87 years old and was an Electrical Engineer. If it weren't for him, you would not enjoy some of the more modern electronic developments we know of today. Take my word for it. Anyway, ole' Jimmy studied Mr. Tesla's most obscure theories and calculations. Hardly a night that I would visit Jimmy for some reason or another, that he didn't have some new type of Tesla Coil he had built. This thing made all kinds of deafening noise and threw off all kinds of electrical sparks. It must have raised hell with all the neighbor's T.V. sets for miles around. Needless to say, I believe our respective radio station signals were being wiped out too. I gotta have a serious talk with that boy.

One night, I was having transmitter problems at my station, and Jimmy came over with a few needed parts to help me get it back on the air. We talked about the problem and just about everything else under the sun. It wasn't long, though, that Jimmy brought up his friend Tesla. Obsession? Naw… not Jimmy. Good thing he wasn't into sex. And then again, maybe Tesla was his 'sex'.

I got the transmitter back on the air and told the DJ to carry on as per normal, but watch his meters for any strange readings that might blow us off the air again. Jimmy and I took off for the local bar for a few drinks.

"Charles," Jimmy said. "How much power do you run over at your station?"

In jest, I responded, "On a good day?"

"Yeah, dingbat, on a good day," came the reply.

"Oh… I'd say about 100,000 Watts Effective, why?"

Jimmy had something up his sleeve, but I wasn't sure exactly what.

"Just wondering," he said. "Just wondering."

It wasn't until we bent our elbows a few more times at the bar, that Jimmy became a little more loose, and started to tell me what he had in mind. He wanted to explore a few more of Tesla's theories involving some kind of bullshit that was above my head. Jimmy needed a large amount of power to do this. I had to think about this when I was sober. Hell, who can think or talk technical in our loose state of consciousness?

The next day was Saturday. I could sleep in for a while. There was a standby engineer at the station on the weekends that could handle most problem if they came up. I began to think about what Jimmy had been saying last night about what he wanted to do. In two weeks, it would be the end of the month. The F.C.C. required maintenance checks on the equipment, so instead of a 24 hour station, we would sign off the air Sunday night at midnight for a few hours to do them. Jimmy's station was a daytime only station and his time was flexible for that kind of a check. I phoned Jimmy and arranged the time for his needs after I did what was required in two weeks. Little did I know, that my life would never be the same again.

Jimmy brought all his equipment over the night of the maintenance check and set up. After I was through with all I had to do, Jimmy guided me as to his needs. He wanted to have me feed the raw power of my transmitter into his equipment. I didn't think much of having all that RF energy floating around loose in my transmitter building. I would much rather have it go into the air where it was supposed to be. Well Jimmy convinced me to do it, and I diverted the transmitter energy to a makeshift connection into Jimmy's equipment.

"Ready?" Jimmy said.

I just shrugged my shoulders and Jimmy started pushing buttons on a keyboard. He had constructed a platform with all the equipment on it, like a dais. Underneath, was a space of about eight inches [20 cm], and then another flat piece of material like porcelain. I didn't think it could be that. Porcelain is expensive.

Jimmy had me bring up power slowly while he pushed more buttons. There was a slight roar from the eight inch [20 cm] space. Then there was a bright light ranging in color from dark red to deep purple. For those of you that know anything about light, that's the entire visible light spectrum. No big deal, right? Wrong, moose breath.

Jimmy pushed a few more buttons, and this platform, complete with power cables, shot straight up into the air to the roof of the transmitter building. Jimmy maneuvered the platform up and down, side to side, within the limits of the cables. I was shocked. What kind of device was this? Jimmy returned the platform to the floor and looked at me for a response. I couldn't do anything more than shrug my shoulders.

I put all of the connections back on the transmitter and antenna, made one final safety measurement and locked the place up. The morning DJ would sign on by remote control from the studio. I'm going home for some sleep.

Months passed and our respective duties kept Jimmy and me from contacting one another except at the SBE meetings. I hadn't thought about that night for a long, long time, until it was time for another transmitter maintenance. I had planned to replace some of the tubes in the transmitter. So the time came, and I signed off at midnight to begin work. I let the transmitter power supply drain down to a safe level and began to take it apart to replace the tubes, which really pissed me off. T'aint nothing simple to do these days. When I went along the wall where the tubes were stored, there were no tubes. I know I had spare tubes for the transmitter. It took four of them, and at $450.00 each, it's not a thing you want to be missing. Particularly, since it is a pain in the ass to replace them.

WHERE THE HELL ARE THE TUBES?

I looked around thinking I had my head up my ass and put them somewhere else. No. What about robbery? There were no signs of forced entry, and the building was alarmed. Besides who the hell would want them? They didn't fit any other transmitter in the area. and there were no valuable metals, to speak of, in them that you could get rich on. I just didn't know. Jimmy? Naah.

I raised hell all around the station about the tubes. No one had seen them or knew anything about them. I was fit to be tied. I didn't want to do it, but come bonus time, about $2000 was going to lower the bonus level. Two days later, I went into the transmitter building to look for something else, and the missing tubes had returned, neatly stacked along the wall where I had them.

This was bullshit. Somebody was playing fuck-fuck with me. I raised more hell around the station, really showing my high ass, French temper. But after a while, I calmed down and forgot about it. I had to stop and smell the roses for a while. I called my assistant manager into the office and told him it was his ball game for a month, I was going to take a vacation.

I was able to spend some time with Jimmy and catch up on all the news of Nikola Tesla. I was relating the story of the tubes to him, when he got deathly white. I thought he was going to drop over any minute.

"Jimmy, Jimmy, what's the matter?" I said.

"Uh, uh, oh nothing, nothing," he said.

"Nothing, my ass!" I retorted. "You look white as a ghost."

"I'm ok Charles… let's drop it and have a beer," Jimmy said.

Out of the fatherly type love I had for the boy, I didn't argue. The beer sounded better anyway.

Chapter 2

Let me jump ahead to December/January, 1988/89. My station had been on the air for a little over a year now. The bugs had worked themselves out and the system ran smoother. Jimmy had beat my ear so much about Nikola Tesla, that I started to pick up an interest. I'm the type of person that makes sure he has it right, before letting anyone know what he's up to. I had ordered many books on Tesla and his theories. From reading all the material, and making first hand observations with Jimmy's setups, I was able to put together some powerful conclusions. One of which was "be damn careful." I only wish I had heeded my own rule on the subject.

I began to construct variations of Tesla's apparatus using more contemporary parts and applying his theories a little bit differently. One night, I had started up one of these experiments with a variation in procedure. There were the usual grunts and groans from the stress on the equipment, plus all the arcs and sparks. I remembered that I had left the shop stool in the magnetic field surrounding all the equipment. I donned my welder's goggles and turned to watch the show. Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of light and a loud pulsating, low frequency noise.

I thought something had blown, because everything shut down.

I took my glasses off and went to shut off the main power to replace the fuse… the shop stool was gone. I had to get out of the area. All of that energy was affecting my brain.

I didn't imagine the stool had disappeared, it had. It was flat gone. Shit. I'm going to bed.

The next night, I was out in the shop again to look for damage. I couldn't find any, but I couldn't find the shop stool either. While I was looking at some wires leading to the control panel, I heard a sharp crash behind me. I jumped about two feet [60 cm] in the air. I hadn't been that jumpy since Viet Nam. I turned around quickly to see what the hell, and just about passed out. The shop stool was there, on the floor, lying on it's side, behind me, 24 hours later than the yesterday.

My nerves were shot. I went into the house and called Jimmy.

"Jimmy!" I said. "Get your hind parts over here, I need to see you."

"What's the matter, Charles?"

"Well," I said. It's something related to your friend Tesla. I haven't told you all that I've been doing lately, so it's time to catch up."

Jimmy came over in a very short time. I brought him up to date on everything I've been doing with all the experiments.

Then I told him what had happen last night and tonight.

After a beer, Jimmy finally spoke.

"Thank goodness that has happen to someone I know. I have not been fooling with any of that kind of thing for a few months now. I began to miss things like you did, and I thought it was all of that energy around all the time, getting to me."

"What do you think is happening, Jimmy?" I said.

"Whatever it is," Jimmy said, "we had best leave it alone. The only thing I can think of is that you sent it 24 hours further into time."

"Bullshit," I said. That's strictly something out of Hollywood."

"Think about it." Is all Jimmy had to say.

We sat around, had a few more beers, and talked technical for a while, then Jimmy got up to leave, I went to bed and 'thought about it'.

The next day, I took off from work early and headed straight for my workshop. I checked all the connections and wires so that I could duplicate the experiment. I set up a video camera and recorder with a timer and large battery supply. I put it all on a table and focused the camera on a wind-up day/date clock. Then I reset the controls and pushed the start button.

There was the brilliant flash of light and the low frequency pulsating noise, of before. But this time I watched in amazement as the table, with all the equipment, vanished into thin air. I hope that the energy from the apparatus didn't mess up the electronics in the video camera.

I set up an alarm in the shop to go off in the house if anything returned during the night. It may have been a waste of time, but you never know.

I returned to the workshop the next evening, what would have been near the 24 hour time period. It didn't take long. Exactly 24 hours to the minute, the table with all the equipment returned. Thinking back on this, I believe Jimmy was not telling me all he knew on the subject. He had done something, or seen something, that freaks him. That should have been my cue. But, noooo. This old hard headed Frenchman didn't take the hint. Anyway, I reached over and pushed the stop button and retrieved the tape from the recorder. The timer had done its job. Some tape was on the take-up side of the cassette, and had been still running. The timer had been set to start the tape every two hours and run for two minutes.

I put the tape into the video player in the house, rewound it to the beginning and pushed play. At first, the clock, with the day and time, came into view on the screen. This was Wednesday, 7:30 P.M. It was before I started the experiment. I know it was P.M. One couldn't tell from the clock. In a few minutes, the picture flashed at me and the sound had the low frequency noise I have observed. The picture rolled, jumped around, and then cleared. The next image was the clock again. This time, there was still 7:30 on the dial, but the mechanism had advanced to Thursday. Thursday? Had to be a mistake. Bullshit. I continued to watch the clock, as it were, until I heard the tell tail sound of pulsating low frequency. There was a sudden flash of light on the screen. Then I heard from the tape, foot falls, and me mumbling. The image on the screen was of me reaching for the stop button on the recorder. The image quit at that point, and I pushed stop on the player.

I still wasn't quite sure what had happened. I needed to duplicate the event again. This time, I put a radio tuned to my radio station in next to the clock, and set the recorder in motion again. The next night, I waited for the return of my equipment from 'wherever'. If I figured correctly, Friday's evening programming would be on the beginning of the tape. I recorded a similar interval of the station's Thursday night programming to compare with. I had the standby engineer record intervals of Friday's program.

I got the chance to compare all the tapes on Saturday afternoon. The tape from the Thursday/Friday experiment compared with the tape from Friday's tape that my standby engineer recorded. What had I done? Did I send something 'into time' like Jimmy said? Perhaps he was right. Jimmy knew something and wasn't telling. H.G. Wells and Nikola Tesla should have been together at one time. My way of thinking, they had been. Where did old H.G. get his ideas?

September, 1989 found me putting together a lot of equipment and plans to expand my theory. The setup looked like something out of a Hollywood movie set. I had all types of safeguards for possible errors. I'm going to go on a trip into the future.

Chapter 3

October, 1989, Friday the twentieth. I stood on a platform and started a sequence of events that would lead to the bright flash of light and the low frequency sound. I had more gadgets and dials on the console that would rival the cockpit of a small plane. It was now or never. I set the dials and went for it.

"Uh, God, UHH."

I was hit with a blast of energy that shook me to my very fiber. I almost passed out, but I held on to the safety hand rails and remained up right. The noise stopped and my head stopped spinning. I looked around to get a reference. It seemed that I was still in my shop.

What day was it? What time was it? I went into the house to get the newspaper. Tuesday, October 24, 1989, was the date under the masthead. I looked at the clock. Five minutes had passed from my starting time. I went back into the shop and looked at the controls on my apparatus to see if they were accurate. I deduced that they were. For my next trick, I wanted to try get back to Friday, October 20th. I prepared myself for the blast of energy and set the controls.

"BOOM!"

The smoke cleared, and I was still in the shop. I went into the house to get the paper. Friday, October 20, 1989 was the date under the masthead. "Damn," I was back home, but I felt like hell. I felt my forehead for a temperature, took two steps, and passed out. What the hell is going on?

Several months passed. I had forgotten about my little fainting spell. I threw it off, saying it wasn't anything but my thyroid acting up. I hadn't taken my medication that day, like a dumb ass. I was too obsessed with ideas and plans about my new project. It was hard to keep my mind on my work at the radio station. Every day, the words of George Orwell's book Nineteen Eighty-four played on my mind. I had to see the future. I wanted to be prepared for my future, anyway.

Maybe that was selfish on my part. What if I saw something I didn't like, then come back to 1989, or whenever to change the course of events? This is not right. I couldn't go backwards, either. It would affect my life as I know it, too. I would have to restrain myself. Take my lumps, as they say.

July 27, 1990 - Friday Morning.

I went to work as usual, to prepare for the month's end maintenance checks on Saturday/Sunday. Jimmy is planning to come over to help me. I wanted to ask him as many questions about his experiments with his friend Nikola Tesla, without tipping my hand as to what I was doing. I wasn't trying to hide anything from Jimmy, but I loved the boy in a fatherly sort of way. I didn't want to see him in pain, as in the times before that we talked about the disappearing articles.

He was frightened about something.

The maintenance went well. I had no major parts to replace in the transmitter and we will still on our exact assigned frequency. Jimmy was in good spirits that night. I didn't ping on him too much about his experiments, it was casual talk. We closed up the transmitter building and headed for an all night bar to cap off the evening. After two or three beers, we went our separate ways, home.

I woke up about 4:00 P.M. Sunday afternoon. I took a shower, got dressed and fixed something to eat. Today was going to be the day. I was going to try for a week, or a month, away on my platform.

"WAIT!" I said out loud. "This can't work."

The longer I thought about it, the more I backed out of the whole idea. I couldn't occupy the same space at the same time. If I went a month ahead, then my 'month ahead' self, had to be somewhere else. I'll bet that's why I passed out that time in October. That's what Jimmy was so afraid to talk about. I had to check into this further.

I contemplated the idea long and hard. I made the decision to go one hundred years forward. I wouldn't be around, that's for sure, so I could occupy the space I would have, if I had been living. Make sense?… Clear as mud?… I thought so too.

August 6, 1990 - Monday Evening

I came home from work, got into my old clothes, and went into the workshop. I check and double checked my equipment to make sure it was stable. I made sure all indicators were accurate with my calculations. I set up a homing beacon so that I could set the equipment to seize so I wouldn't wander all over creation. Friday was set to be the day. A day I wouldn't forget. Friday, August 10, 1990, the day I was to step through the door, the 'door into my summer'.

I continued to work on my project, every evening, after work. Each night brought a small refinement to the project.

The final day, Friday, had arrived. I couldn't wait to get home from work.

6:00 P.M. Friday, August 10, 1990.

After securing my house keys, wallet, pocket change and a small pocket knife, in a safe located under the work bench, I stepped onto the platform, secured myself into my operating position, and gave all systems the final check. For 100 years, I had calculated each setting of the dials, and what each display should be displaying. It was now or never… Go for it, bitch.

"BOOM!"

Flashing lights like you wouldn't believe. Timothy Leary, look out. You've never seen such a display. It's a good thing I wore safety goggles and ear plugs.

The whirring noises and flashing lights stopped. I looked at the computer on the platform and it was still operating. The digital indication displayed "08-10-2090 / 18:00:30… 31… 32… hours." I pinched myself on the ass to wake up. I was dreaming. No I wasn't. I looked around to get a perspective. I was in my shop, but the roof had holes in it, and so did most of the walls. Cobwebs were all around, and the floor had years of dust on it. Years of dust, except for a small path from the door to one corner of the structure.

I cut the power to my apparatus and stepped down off the platform. Then I went over to a window to peek out at the surroundings.

"Holly shit!" I exclaimed.

The city has expanded to within mere blocks of the structure. Tall buildings, relatively new looking and quite futuristic. George Jetson would had been at home here.

Directly outside, where my house would have been, was an open field. All the neighborhood had been removed. Behind the structure, was a large hole filled with clear water. Rain water, I guessed. There were tools hung on the wall that I never owned. Apparently the shop, as I knew it had been used as a work shed for someone. Well, that's progress. Night would be on me soon, so I looked around and spotted a tarpaulin. I applied a slight amount of power to my platform, to aid me in moving it over to one corner, threw the tarpaulin over it, cut power, and set upon investigating my space.

I looked around the entire space. My burglar alarm control was dangling along the wall by its wires. It looked as if it hadn't been used in a while. Some of the power receptacles had been removed and the bare wires just hanging out. The place was in shambles. Among the trash on the floor, I found a pair of Jockey style underpants. They looked as if they were the size to fit a 11-12 year old boy.

Maybe they belonged to the former occupants of the house that was here at one time.

I could hear sirens off in a distance, but getting closer. I heard a low flying aircraft overhead. Then I heard voices approaching the door to the shop. Young voices. I ducked behind the tarpaulin over my platform and settled my nerves.

"Quick… in here," one voice said.

"God, I hope they don't catch us," said another.

About that time, the door flew open and was then slammed shut. The only other thing I heard was the shuffling of feet and the out of breath pants of two young kids.

The aircraft noise continued for hours. I had heard other noises too. Sirens and vehicle doors slamming. There were other voices, too. Angry voices, of what seemed to be, large male adults. I hope they don't think about looking in here. The panting for air of these two kids would give them away, even if the stirred up dust on the floor, wouldn't. Quiet kids, quiet.

It seemed to be about twenty minutes later, and the noise from the aircraft went away. All the sirens had stopped, but the young visitors were still in the shop, with me behind the tarpaulin. Get out kids… I gotta pee.

"Hey Ryan, we'd better stay here until it's dark, don't you think?" I heard one of the kids say.

"Yeah, I think so, Jason," the other kid said.

Well I know their names, let me see what they look like. Did I dare to move? It looked as if I could move the tarp, just enough, to get one eye out and look.

I moved the tarp back, ever so slowly, and looked toward the door. Luck was with me, because the tarp didn't make any noise or fall off the apparatus, to alert the kids.

They were at the edges of the door, still shaking from the ordeal, and peeking out of the window, which had been painted over about two thirds of it. Well I didn't paint it when I had the building. Anyway, I didn't know which one was Ryan or which one was Jason, but it didn't matter. They were both beautiful boys of, in my estimation, about twelve years old.

Chapter 4

I heard the door open. I peeked out from the tarp to look. It had gotten dark and the moon was full, up to about 40 degrees. It was indicating to me that it was about 9:00 P.M.

"Let's go, Jase," I heard one kid say. "We can go get our stuff and come back here and sleep."

"Yeah, they wouldn't come back here. This place was only a tool shed for the guys that were working on filling that hole from the cave in. It must go all the way to China," said the other kid.

"I guess that's why they quit messin' with it, huh, Jase?"

From the difference in their voices, I was beginning to figure out which boy was Ryan and which was Jason. Although I had not seen either one talk, propagation of the tones told me that Ryan was on the left, and Jason was on the right. When I first looked from behind the tarp, it was daylight. The one I perceived to be Ryan, on the left, was about 4½ feet [1.35 m] tall, with blond hair and light, but tanned complexion. I didn't see the eyes. Jason, on the right, was about 5 feet [1.50 m] tall, with dark brown hair and a more olive/tanned complexion. After all, it was summer. I would expect them to have a tan of some kind. Both boys wore wearing the same style of clothes. It looked like a uniform of some kind. White, one piece, tight-fitting, and seamless. You could see a five digit number stenciled across one shoulder. They had perspired while running here, and the uniforms were wet and clinging even tighter. The contour of their underwear and cute butt was evident. They had Jockey style, white briefs underneath their shorts. I'm glad to see that the 'Tight Whites' were still around in 2090 A.D. … And their butts… yes, they were just the correct firmness I desire.

The kids wandered out into the moonlight toward the city. If anybody were watching the building, they would see those kids for sure. The white of their clothes would bring attention upon them.

I watched the kids until they got out of sight and stepped out from behind the tarp. What were they saying about the hole behind the shop? I went out to look at it, but there wasn't much I could see in the moonlight. I unzipped my fly, reached for my hurting penis, pulled it out for a well deserved pee. In 1990, there had been a creek behind the house. There was also another house in sight of mine, that wasn't there now. In fact, I had a clear visual shot to the buildings of the city. There was no more Hill Park, there were no more green trees, nothing. Just my work shed, barren land, and a hole full of water. Shit!

With this moon, I wasn't going to venture into the city just yet. I went behind the tarpaulin and curled up on my platform to get some rest. That was more comfortable than sitting at the command console, upright. I snore like a boar hog, so I hope the kids don't come back and hear that. It would scare them off, or I would be discovered at a disadvantage. Hmmmm, don't want that.

I hadn't slept but a few hours, before I woke myself up with a snort. It was a good thing, too. The kids were returning. I could hear the Ryan voice chattering about something. Apparently, they had almost been discovered again by whatever authority wanted them, in the city. The Jason voice was laughing about the entire situation. Under the circumstances, these kids were not clear thinkers. They were impulse thinkers. To go out on a full moon wearing white, when people were after you, was a little ballsy, to say the least.

The door to the shop opened and closed. I peered around the tarp to watch. The kids had two lit fluorescent lanterns, plus gym bags and sleeping bags. In 1990, I had a sleeping bag too. It was stored in this shop, if I'm not mistaken. I'll have to look in the daylight, if these kids leave again. It was in the rafters over the door, I think.

I could hear the noise of zippers being unzipped, things being taken out of bags, etc. The boys were settling in for the night, it seemed.

"I don't know about you, Jase, but I'm beat," said Ryan.

"Geese, me too," said Jason. "We need to stay here for a while. They'll be looking for us for a long time."

What did he mean, 'they'? Who?

I heard them roll out the sleeping bags and get into them.

"G'nite Ryan," Jason said.

"G'nite Jase," responded Ryan.

I heard a small click, and the light from their lanterns went out. I sat there, behind the tarp, like a guardian angel watching over the boys, ready to spring into action, should any harm threaten them. Really it was from fear of falling asleep, snoring and scaring the hell out of the kids, before I even had the chance to see them naked. Naked? What brought that up? Yes. I felt I would get that chance. I could feel it in my bones. This was 'my' shop building, so they were trespassing. Yes, that's it, trespassing… he, he, he. Naked. What a deserving punishment.

The hours slowly passed, and daylight was just breaking through the darkness. The sound of an aircraft approaching, brought me back to the true awareness of my situation. I listened to the sound of its engines. It was a strange sound, but definitely an aircraft. The sound got higher in pitch as it approached, and lower in pitch, as it went away.

The aircraft didn't stay around. I assumed that it wasn't one of those aircraft from yesterday. I heard one of the kids stir and pass gas, but other than that, the aircraft didn't bother them.

It began to get lighter and lighter from the sun rising in the East. General noise, from the direction of the city, began to filter across the barren land to the shop building.

"Hey Ryan! Wake up!" said Jason. "It's morning."

"Huhzzz… wha… UH!"

"C'omn, sleepy head," Jason prodded again.

"Uh, yeah g'mornin, Jase," Ryan said.

I could tell that Ryan was still groggy. Even with a sleeping bag, the hard floor of the shop, must have stressed him. There were the sounds of general stretching and yawns from both of the boys. I wished they would stop. It was making me yawn and wish for sleep. I felt it was going to be a long day behind this tarp.

I had a startling realization. What was I going to do for food? There were the other body functions I had to worry about also. Eventually, I would have to make this a team effort. I would have to confront Ryan and Jason. We would be on the 'lam' together. I would need to go into the city for daily body functions, at least. I got the feeling, though, that it wouldn't be too wise in daylight.

"What do we have for food, Jase?" Ryan said.

I heard Jason rummage in a gym bag. In a few minutes he said, "How 'bout this?"

I didn't know what 'this' was, but apparently, both boys enjoyed it. I could hear the sound of a paper material being balled up in mere seconds of the question, "how 'bout this?" The next thing I knew, something hit the tarp with a thud. I must have jumped a foot. Damn it. One of the kids must have thrown the paper material at the tarp between me and them. I must not have made any noise, because they went on to chat and joke with one another.

It was August. It didn't matter if it was 1990 or 2090. This was Richmond, Va., East Coast, U.S.A. It was about 90 degrees Fahrenheit [32°C], and just about as much humidity, before 10:00 A.M. It was getting hot under this tarp. I didn't dare move and scare the kids, but I did manage to unbutton my shirt.

"Say, Jase?" Ryan said. "What say we go swimming in the water back there?"

"I guess we need a bath after last night, huh Ryan?" Jason retorted.

"Yeah, My hands are all messy from that sandwich. Besides I feel sticky all over," said Ryan.

"Last one in is a twerp," Jason said.

I could hear the mad rush to get their clothes off and head for the water. From my vantage point, I couldn't see this happen, damn it, but I kept watch on the door they would have to go through, to the water. I heard the smack of an open hand on fatty tissue, as if one of the boys smacked the other.

"HEY!… no fair," Jason said, laughing.

Ryan was laughing, too. He was the first boy to the door. Ryan was naked. Not a stitch on. He had his back to me, so all I could see was his little tight, white, un-tanned, hiney. He open the door and ran out. Jason was right behind him, naked too. Like a flash his cute, un-tanned, bubbly butt, was out the door, and out of sight. I heard two splashes in the water behind the building. A few seconds later, I could hear the friendly exchange of

"Twerp, Twerp, Twerp… Not… Not… Not."

and then some splashing and horseplay. Well that's one thing a hundred years hasn't changed, kids still play in watering holes.

I ventured out from behind the tarp to get some 'fresh' air.

I went over to a hole between the boards of the wall that was facing the hole with the water. My front end rose to attention, while I watched Ryan and Jason frolicking in the cool clear water, naked.

I couldn't do anything about it now. I had things to do. I went over to where the boy's clothes were. I picked their underpants out of the pile and carried them back to the platform. Then I continued to watch the boys play, until they started up the bank and out of the water. I watched them walk toward the shop. This time, the front of their naked bodies was in full view. Both boys' major attributes were swinging in the breeze. It wasn't much of a swing, the cool water had shrunk them a little, but I could guess their age more accurately, now. Both Ryan and Jason are twelve years old. No doubt about it. Their testicles were still close to their body and the penis was a cool inch and a half [4 cm], I guess. But, when warmed up, and relaxed, I guess their attributes would be a normal four, or so inches [10 cm] and their scrotum would hang just a little further out.

I watched the boys tug on their front ends and shake the water out of their ears. Ryan pulled a few times on his penis, and it began to stretch out and take shape. Jason did the same. Both boys were natural. They had not been circumcised. I wonder if that practice had stopped, or it was coincidence? The boys turned and sat down on a small grass patch on the edge of the water hole, and laid back, face up, in the sun. They talked a few minutes, then stood up and came towards the shop. I quickly jumped behind the tarp, watched, and waited.

Jason was first through the door, then Ryan. As they got out of my sight near their clothes, I counted the seconds to when they would discover their underpants were missing. One… Two… Three… Fou…

"Where are my underpants, Jason? What did you do with them?" Ryan said.

"I don't know," Jason said.

"Well you were the last one out the door," Ryan said.

"If that's true, where are mine?" Said Jason.

I could just imagine both boys, naked as jaybirds, looking at one another in disbelief. I wonder how long it would take them to see the footprints in the dust that didn't belong to them? How long would it take for them to put two and two together and follow the dust trail to the platform? Not long.

"Looking for these, boys?" I said, as the tarp was pulled back from the platform.

Ryan and Jason allowed their mouth to open and gasp, simultaneously. I was standing there, in front of two naked boys holding their cute, white, Jockey style, underpants that covered their cute un-tanned butts, in my hands.

Ryan and Jason quickly placed their hands over their genitals from the shock of seeing me, fully clothed, in front of them. I gave out a little laugh at that. They had the chance to run, but where were they going, naked? They didn't have time to go for their clothes and run out the door. I would have blocked it. Naked Ryan and naked Jason just stood there, looking at me. Ryan, with his blue-green eyes, and Jason, with his bedroom black eyes, wide open in the shock.

"Wh wh we didn't do anything, mister!" Exclaimed Jason, looking around the building at its condition of disrepair.

"We just went swimming in that water hole back there," Ryan said, pointing with his head toward the hole.

"What are your names, guys?" I said, as if I didn't know.

"Jason," said Jason.

"Ryan," said Ryan. "What are you going to do to us?"

"Just relax, fellows. It's ok, you're safe," I said. "Which of these belong to whom?"

I held the underpants up, one pair in each hand.

"The one in your left hand is mine," Ryan said.

I stepped down off the platform and sat back down on it in front of the boys.

"Ok, Ryan," I said. "Turn around and back up here to me."

Ryan hesitated, but did as he was told. I watched intently as he turned and bared his little, cute hiney. He did not know what to cover first. He brought both hands around to try and cover his crevasse. Then he switched to cover his front end. Next, he put one in front and one in back. Modest little kid, isn't he? I had to laugh a little, to myself about that.

"Relax Ryan," I said. "I'm not going to bite you. Drop your hands to your side and step into your underpants."

Ryan backed up to about a foot away from my face. His cute butt was just inches from my face. I almost kissed him there. I pulled his underpants up and into place over his pelvic area.

"Now you, Jason," I said.

Jason had not tried to cover his crevasse. In fact, he had relaxed the hold he had on his genitals, and stood there watching, intently, while I dressed Ryan. Jason backed up toward me, and I put his underpants on him, as I did Ryan.

"Now, fellows," I said, "get dressed. We need to talk."

I had them get dressed, because I wanted them to feel relaxed around me. There would be other opportunities to be naked, for all of us.

I watched them dash for their clothes and complete dressing.

Finally I broke the ice and told them my name.

"I'm Charles, by the way. I own this building. I just wanted to look at the damage to it, that I had heard about."

I actually lied a little, but so what, for the moment?

"Honest mister, we weren't doing anything," said Jason. "We didn't do all that."

Jason pointed to the paint on the glass in the door, and the holes in the weather board.

"I didn't think you did," I said, "but you were here. Lucky for you, that this is old damage. How old are you two?"

"We both just turned twelve," Jason said.

Twelve. I was correct in my judgement of their age. How 'bout dat?

"Where did you come from?" Ryan said. "We didn't see anybody."

"I came in while you two were swimming," I lied. "When I heard you coming in, I ducked behind this tarp, pointing at it. And you? Do your parents know you are playing in a safety hazard?"

There was a look of mistrust on the boys' faces. I didn't know if I was going to get a lie, or what. They looked at one another, and then back at me.

"Look, boys," I began, "I'm not going to march you back to them. I was a kid once. I know what it is to explore new things and skinnydip in the old watering hole."

I started to say more, but I was interrupted by Jason.

"You look funny," he said. "I… I mean, your clothes. They don't look like TRAC clothes."

"TRAC?"

"Trace Recovery And Control," Ryan said.

"Bbu… but, they're so old," Jason said. "You're not from here. Are you?"

"No," I lied, "I'm from Petersburg."

Now the kids were getting smart with me. They wanted to know how I got over to the shop, and where my vehicle was, on and on. I made up as much as I could. I think I made them more suspicious, because I used terms to describe streets and buildings, they hadn't heard.

Ryan turned to whisper something in Jason's ear. I couldn't hear much, but I did hear the word 'marker'.

"Can we see your arms, Charles?" Jason said.

Both boys came over to me, grabbed my arms and turned them outward, to look at my wrists.

"Hey Jase, no marker."

"None on this side either, Ryan."

I pulled my arms away from them, and stood my ground.

"It is I, that should be looking at you, trespassing on my property. What the hell are you looking at on my arm?"

Ryan turned his arms outward and pointed to his left wrist. There was a metallic-looking tag, surgically implanted in Ryan's wrist. Jason had one also. The tag had a series of lines on it, similar to the bar codes on packages, etc.

"How did you do that?" Jason said.

"Do what?" I said.

"Get rid of your I.D.," said Ryan pointing to his arm.

"I never had one like that," I said.

"Everybody has one," Jason said. "You can't go anywhere or do anything, without an I.D."

Ryan chimed in with, "They can find you, anytime they want to you."

"Who is they?" I said.

"TRAC," both boys said in unison.

I thought a minute. Why hadn't these kids been caught yet. I'll have to ask.

"Well, if that's true," I said, "I don't see them looking for you, if 'they' are so much in control."

I knew that these kids were on the run. Something told me that they knew more than they are telling me. I let them know that also. So, when they finally leveled with me, I volunteered my service to them. I still did not tell them I was from another time… Yes, I was untruthful on purpose, temporarily. I guess the kids didn't have the need to know, yet.

Ryan and Jason were running away from the system, it seemed.

They had been placed in a special school/orphanage when they were eight years old. Their father parent had been arrested for some reason, and taken away. They hadn't seen him since. The I.D. in their wrist, had been done at birth. At the beginning of 2025, every person in the country was identified by a special digital code. Computers were utilized to keep track of everyone. All goods and services were monitored by use of the I.D. number. There was no monetary system, as I knew it. It was a universal credit/debit card type of system. The scanning devices connected to the computers, detected your every move.

"How about your mother," I said. "Where is she?"

They both looked at each other and back at me, saying in unison,

"Mother?"

I didn't know if they were trying to mess with my mind, or not, but it certainly was a strange response. I let it slide for the moment, and continued on with the questions.

"How is it you haven't been detected?" I asked.

"It must have been that day we almost got struck by lightning," Ryan said. "Ever since then, we have been watched more closely."

"Yeah," Jason said. "Our number didn't register, our teachers were reporting us absent, and we were sitting there in front of him. Now they know we're missing, and they want us back."

"Why?" I asked.

Both boys got quiet. Something shook them up. These kids were like me, in a way. I would always see how much I could get by with, so as to confuse the adults.

"Does it have something to do with the orphanage?" I asked. "Are you being mistreated?"

Something wasn't right. I needed to get into town and look around. From the look on their faces, Ryan and Jason had hinted that conditions at the orphanage were not the best. The fatherly love for my fellow 'man' took control of my mind. It was now necessary to right the wrongs.

"Look kids, I want to help you two," I said. "Where is the orphanage? Who runs it? I'll go and talk to them."

"NO! You can't do that, Charles," Jason said. "They will get you. I mean, your clothes, they're so different… and."

"And what?" I said.

"… and they will hurt others to get the truth out of you," said Ryan.

Sound like mean people to me. I felt as if the boys were telling me a story from experience.

"Ok, then. How about I wait until dark, then take a look for myself?"

"It would better your chances," said Ryan.

Chapter 5

Ryan and Jason were crafty little buggers. They acted as if they had been on the run for years. Ryan suggested that he go into town and find a set of clothes that will fit me.

"What size things do you wear?" Jason said.

I listed off the measurements and Ryan made mental notes. From then on, it was just small talk. We talked about general things, including as much about their family, they could remember, friends, and the games they played, thoughts about girls, etc. I wanted to get to know them better. An old friend of mine once said, that you learn more with the top half of your face open, and the bottom half, shut. I think he was correct. Ryan and Jason told me their life history, as if they had known me a long time. But, they eluded the girl subject. I was beginning to wonder if any were around.

I had located my old sleeping bag, still stuck in the rafters above the door. It would be dry rotted by now, I would have thought after a hundred years, but the synthetic material it was made of, kept it together. Since I had been up most of the night, I flattened the old bag out on the floor of the platform and stretched out for a nap. I watched the kids do the same. We needed rest for the night's activities.

When I woke up a few hours later, it was almost dark. A beautiful, golden, yellow moon had just started to rise in the East. Ryan was not in the shop, Jason was still lying on the floor on top of his sleeping bag. I sat up to wipe the sleep out of my eyes, and focus. I had to pee again, so I got up to take care of that chore. I came back into the shop, walked over to Jason, and gently shook him.

"Jason, friend," I said, "wake up."

I could just barely see his eyes, there in the shadows. They were open wide. He let out a gasp of surprise and jumped. I felt bad about touching him. I'm sure that frightened him a little. I should have just shaken his sleeping bag, rather than touch him. I'll know next time.

"It's ok, friend," I said. "It's just me, Charles. Take it easy."

I pulled his shoulders up to me and hugged him tightly. Jason Immediately relaxed.

"Where's Ryan?" Jason said.

"I don't know," I said. "He wasn't here when I woke up. Do you suppose he went into town?"

By himself, too. I'll have to instill the theory of togetherness in the boys.

"Yeah, I guess," Jason said.

I rubbed his back, while continuing to hold him. He had gotten over the initial shock of me touching him. I let him go and stood up to look around. Jason stood up and latched onto my arm. I took my arm and put it around his shoulder, and held him close. My hand slipped down to his little butt, and patted it. My middle finger resting along his crevasse. Even through his clothes, his butt felt firm, with a deep crevasse.

"Are you ok, friend?" I said.

"Uh huh," Jason said.

Jason was feeling alone without his friend, Ryan. He needed to hold onto me. I didn't mind. It made me think long and hard. I had to level with the kids, as to where I came from. The timing was not right, but just the love from Jason, made me start to think, anyway. I replaced my hand on his shoulder and pulled him against me. Jason placed his hand around my waist. We walked outside in the moonlight as one, and looked around the building in the fresh air. I couldn't see much in the dark on the other side of the shop, but I made the best of the moment, holding my new-found friend, Jason. Don't get me wrong, now. I have the same feeling for Ryan, it's just that he's not here, and Jason is so alone. Speaking of that, I'm beginning to worry about the little bugger. Where is Ryan?

Jason and I went back into the shop. I walked over to my platform and had him step up on it. I remained on the floor of the shop. A trickle of moonlight shown through the open door onto Jason's angelic face. The difference in height between the platform and the shop floor, put his face equal to mine. I looked into his coal black eyes, trying to see what was going on beyond them. I hugged Jason to me. One hand was resting on his butt, the other, was at the back of his head. Our lips met. I kissed him hard. Jason threw his arms around me to pull us together, even closer. I inched my tongue through my lips and touched his. He opened his mouth slightly to let me enter his oral cavity. When our tongue's touched, I could feel my penis getting extra hard. There was a stir in Jason's pelvic area. His little, uncut, hard penis was pressing against my abdomen.

I wanted to rip our respective clothes off and lie down in my sleeping bag with Jason. I wanted Jason to fuck me. I wanted to lay my ultra hard penis deep inside Jason's crevasse so he could relieve me of my Life Force, that was about to erupt at any minute. I wanted to relieve him of his Life Force, in return.

Out of respect for Ryan, I didn't do any of those things. Our respective chance, for that sort of thing, would come up soon enough. The most important problem now, was the fact that Ryan had not returned.

I pulled my tongue back into my mouth and broke the trance-like, passionate kiss with Jason. I know what had been going through my mind, but what had been going through this poor, love starved, child's mind? I kissed him on the neck and released my hold on him, saying,

"We ought to go look for Ryan. Do you know where he might be?"

About that time, I heard the sound of an owl. Owl? Where would an owl come from, here in this barren land?

"There he is, now," Jason said.

Jason went over to the door and returned a similar sound towards the open field. I caught a glint of white from Ryan's uniform in the moonlight, and he was in the doorway the next second. Jason and I let out a big sigh of relief.

Ryan was holding a bundle of clothing, Jason brought one of the lamps over. The clothes were silver in color.

"Here are your clothes to wear in town, Charles," said Ryan.

G-Damn. Another reflective color, silver. Doesn't anybody wear black around here? Geese… 'they' don't want anybody to hide, do 'they'?

Chapter 6

The clothes were designed similar to the clothes Ryan and Jason had on, except silver in color. There were boots to match. All I needed was a skull cap, and I would look like something out of the 'Buck Rogers' movies of long ago.

The boys could see the wheels turning in my head. So Jason began to tell me the symbolism behind the silver clothes.

"The silver shows the scanners that you are a teacher. Our white tells them we are students. This way, you won't give them a reason to look for your number if they see us with you."

Jason continued, on and on, about the system, the colors, the numbers, etc. I still didn't understand any of it, but he reminded me of the number. Apparently, it is important.

"Speaking of number," I said, "how do I get by without one?"

"Oh," Ryan said, "I've got one right here."

Ryan pulled a metallic-looking strip of plastic out of a black plastic bag he was holding. The strip was clear, but it had the same series of lines that the kids had on their wrist.

"Hold out your left arm," Ryan said.

He took the plastic strip and pulled a type of backing off of it. Jason brought one of the lanterns over and snapped it on, bathing my arm in an eerie fluorescent light.

"This may hurt a little," Ryan said approaching my outstretched arm, "but it won't hurt long."

AAAUUUGGGGG! Jesus! It hurt like shit. I let Ryan know too. The strip had some kind of acid on it. When it came in contact with my skin. I was so shocked, that I didn't attempt to rip it off. I was disoriented, briefly. The pain, the pain, oh shit, the pain.

After the pain subsided, I looked down at my left wrist. There, secured flush with the first layer of skin, was 'my number', just like Ryan's and Jason's.

"Hurt a little?" I said. "You little twerp."

Both boys laughed at my use of the word twerp. I realized the situation. Everything was necessary, even some pain. I smoothed it over in such a way that Ryan and Jason knew I really wasn't angry. Jason had another lined strip of thin material the same color as the uniform in his hand. He took the silver colored uniform and placed the lined strip of material across the left shoulder directly over the original stripes. These stripes matched those in my wrist. The moon was brighter and higher in the sky, and full. I guessed it to be close to midnight. I asked the boys if there was anything we could accomplish tonight. If what they were saying was true, the 'establishment' would have some kind of curfew or restrictions. Some one out at this time of night, better have a good reason.

"What next, my friends," I said.

Ryan pulled two containers from within the bundle of clothes and opened it.

"Here, you must be a little hungry," he said.

That was an understatement. I looked at the contents of the container. It had individually wrapped items in the shape of a sandwich and some candy bars. Yes candy bars. To be exact, chocolate candy bars, with a brand name of Mars. Mars candy bars, still here after all these years. The other container was aluminum-looking, and contained some nondescript soda.

"Where did this number strip come from?" I said pointing to my arm.

"The birthing room in the dispensary, now has one out of sequence," Ryan said.

"Birthing room?" I thought to myself "What the hell?"

"You mean it is an un-registered number… It's just as dangerous as your's. The scanners go nuts when they scan you, and now I have a number that hasn't been issued yet. Hmmmm, that's going to keep em busy for a while."

We all chuckled at the situation.

"You haven't told me everything. Who should I see in town?" I said. "Who is the enemy and who are our friends?"

"We will," Ryan said. "Eat first and we'll talk."

I suggested that Jason save the power source in his lantern and pulled up a cinder block close to the door, sat down and ate while illuminated by the beam of the high full moon. After I ate, Jason closed the door, turned on the light again, and both boys helped me into my new clothes. It felt strange, because it was one piece. There was some kind of fastening device on one side, from the left foot up to the left arm cuff. Once you stepped in, the fastener was closed and the whole uniform appeared seamless. It fit a little snug to my liking, but the boots were perfect. I guess some poor slob in town is naked right now.

"Do you think we should attempt anything tonight, boys?" I said.

Jason spoke up first.

"We should get some rest and plan it out in the morning. Then we can go out in the evening."

I thought this was a waste of time myself, but I enjoyed looking at, and being around the boys. It didn't suit my purpose to stay in the old work shed. I wouldn't learn anything about 2090 A.D. However, the boys seem to have a problem, and their safety is primary. If we had to stay here a few hours more, so be it.

My platform was twenty feet [6 m] in diameter. The control console was along one edge. All power was off and no sound could be heard for the electronics. I straightened my sleeping bag out on the floor of the platform. There was enough room for the two boys to put their's down here, also.

It was about ten inches [25 cm] off the cold, hard, cement floor. I suggested this to the kids.

"Come on, guys. The floor of this thing has to be better than that cement."

It took about two seconds for me to hear the boys scrambling to get their sleeping bags and bring them over the platform. Ryan placed his to the right of mine, and Jason put his on the left. It was time for sleep, so I un-fastened the uniform, stepped out of it, laid it over the rail around the platform, got into the sleeping bag, with just my underpants on. The boys emulated me and gave me a chance to see them almost naked, again. Jason turned out the light, and we all settled into peaceful sleep.

Something woke me a few hours later. The moon had gone back around the other side of the work shed and was shining through one of the cracks in the siding. It must have been about three in the morning. Whatever it was, must not have been much, because I subconsciously said "the hell with it,"and got comfortable again. Jason had scooted his sleeping bag over close to me during the night. I reached over and ran my fingers through his hair. He stirred a little and let out a sigh. I looked over at Ryan in the darkness, breathing lightly, his hair illuminated by a sliver of moonlight making its way through an opening in the siding. I noticed his sleeping bag was not closed completely. I wanted to reach out and touch the boy, give him a reassuring squeeze, show him that everything was going to be ok, and so the decision was made. I reached out my right arm and slid my hand beneath the top part of Ryan's sleeping bag. My hand touched his and I placed my palm around his. Ryan had been tense, but the gentle squeeze relaxed him.

With my little finger, I detected the elastic band of his underpants. I released the grip on his hand and gently made my way beneath the waist band. Ryan was on his back. I could not feel the mound of flesh that would indicate his cute, little, hiney. Instead, I found his little shaft of pleasure. I put Ryan's little penis between my thumb and the other four fingers of my hand. I felt it's length and breadth, touching all of his four, in the natural state, hairless, inches [10 cm]. Damn. Think what this lad would be, if he were hard. He could be a holy terror with somebody in bed. I didn't want to wake him up, so I quit playing. I just folded his shaft down and around into the palm of my hand and rested it there in his crotch, covering the entire penis and scrotum. Ryan had not moved and I returned to my sleep state. My left hand still on Jason's head and my right, clutching Ryan's front end.

A few hours later, I was awakened, again. It was daylight. Ryan's soft little penis had hardened into a slender stiff shaft, gently pushing my hand away from its resting spot. I felt Ryan stir a little, so I removed my hand from his private area. Hardly a minute had gone by, when Ryan got out of his sleeping bag and made his way to the door. I heard the door open. Ryan went outside in his underwear then a few seconds later, I heard the unmistakable sound of pee hitting against the rocks behind the building. Stick with me, dear, sweet, Ryan. You will find out, that you can do more with your hard, little, penis, than pee through it. By twelve, you probably already know, but I am here now, to help you expand your horizons.

Chapter 7

I must have drifted off to sleep again, because I didn't hear Ryan come back to the platform. I awoke again, sticky with perspiration. It was getting hot from the sun beating down on the old shed. There was no air flow, either. The sleeping bags were for comfort at night, but not in the hot daytime. I looked over at each of the boys to see if they were up. Jason had turned over facing me, and Ryan was still lying on his back. Both were still asleep. I turned over on my left side and scooted close to Jason and kissed him on the forehead.

"Wake up, my friend," I said. "It's getting hot. We need to circulate."

Jason's hair was wet from perspiration. He opened his beautiful, dark eyes and looked straight at me, not saying a word. He just pulled the top of the sleeping bag back and yawned. Within a few minutes, he slithered out of the bag and stood up. I got a glance of his little boy shaft pushing its way out of the opening of Jason's underpants. He turned and ran toward the door. Seconds later, I heard the familiar sound of pee on the rock. It is psychological, that when hearing the sound, one 'has to go', himself? Well, I looked at my own situation and realized that it wasn't psychological at all. I got up, went outside and joined Jason in his quest. Afterwards, we finally spoke to one another, and went back inside to awaken Ryan. I enjoyed the brief time outside this morning. It was reminiscent of the times I watched (helped) my little brother as he was learning to stand and pee in the potty like a man. He was too short for the real thing. I would have to set him on that, when his potty wasn't available, and maneuver his little penis down so he wouldn't spray me. Anyway, I didn't have to help Jason, but it was fun to reflect.

Jason and I went back into the work shed and walked over to the platform. Ryan was stirring and opening his eyes.

"Good morning, sleepy head," I said.

Ryan smiled, stretched, and yawned.

I sat down on the platform next to Ryan. He folded the top cover of the sleeping bag back and unfolded himself out of it, then sat down next to me. Jason sat down, too, putting me between Ryan and himself. Both boys put their arms around me and hugged me tightly. We sat there, not saying a word for a few minutes. Then Ryan nervously said, "I'm glad you're here and want to help us."

A thousand things went through my mind. I was concerned about the security of this work shed. What if it were in the plans to do something with this land and start wrecking the building? Suppose 'they' come back looking for the kids again? Certainly there must be people in the tall buildings, looking out the windows in this direction. Could they spot two small boys and one grown man outside, peeing on a rock?

I hugged the kids closer to me and held them before saying anything. I needed to tell them where I really came from. The time wasn't quite right.

"What else do you have in your bag of tricks, Ryan," I said.

"Any breakfast?"

"I've got more sandwiches and drinks for all of us," he said.

"Good," I said. "I think I will go wash off in that water hole and nibble on some of that food. I think we need to plan our excursion into the town today and go for it tonight. How's that sound?"

"Sounds good to me," said Jason.

"Me too," Ryan said.

Both of the boys jumped down and quickly removed their underpants. I guess I was the 'twerp'. I was the slow one.

These guys weren't shy about anything. They both turned toward me and waited for me to follow suit. I slid my underpants off to the floor and stepped out of them. My penis was not hard, but flopping in the breeze. Ryan and Jason stared at me, with their eyes tilted low, looking at my attributes. I had pubic hair and they didn't. I can't believe they hadn't seen a naked man before.

"Something wrong, boys?" I said.

"No," Ryan said. "I didn't know hair grew there."

"Well it does," I said. "It's just a part of growing up. It happens to all of us guys. I'd shave it off if it bothers you, but I don't have a razor."

"No, no, don't do that," Jason said. "Let's go swimming.

Naked Jason, naked Ryan, and naked me, went out the door, arm in arm, and headed for the water hole. When I got to water's edge, my penis had risen to attention. It was sticking out about sixty degrees, and rock solid.

"Is that a part of growing up too, Charles?" Jason said pointing to my erection.

More than you'll ever know, my friend, I thought to myself. More than you'll ever know.

I just answered with a big smile. I think they were teasing me a little. Certainly, I know they are aware, that their little penis gets hard from time to time. Anyway, I dove in the water ahead of them, and had time to position myself, so as to see naked Jason and naked Ryan, join me.

The water was cool, under the surface. Although the hot August sun had been shining on it. There must be a flow somewhere. The water didn't seem to be stagnate. A vein of water must be feeding from underground via the old Reedy creek of 1990. I strained against the weight of the water and swam the length of the water hole. I hadn't exercised like that for a while, so I enjoyed the invigorating quality of it, such as it was. My hard penis softened while I drew my attention to other things around me, but I was aware that it was up and down like a yo-yo, hoping maybe, that the naked boys were aware too.

Jason and Ryan frolicked in the water, splashing and diving under water. They would seek me out and dive under water toward me, then come up and splash water at me, teasing. I would revert back to my childhood and retaliate. I was able to playfully fend them off for a little while, but they kept at it with more energy than I had. Damn, what a work out. Finally, I got an advantage over Ryan, and lifted him over my head like a T.V. wrestler would do. One hand lifting him by the crotch and the other on his neck.

Ryan was thrashing around to get free, laughing the whole time. I did not have a tight hold in the crotch area, because I didn't want to hurt the merchandise. I finally threw him a few feet back into the water and looked straight at Jason and said, "OK. Who's next?"

Jason playfully splashed water at me and tried to get away. I overpowered him and crotch lifted him as I did Ryan. Ryan had recovered and maneuvered himself behind me. He shoved me in the back, causing me to loose my balance, and throw Jason into the water.

"Enough," I said laughing at these two munchkins.

"Whew… I'm beat. Thanks kids, I enjoyed that."

I put my arms around their shoulders and hugged them close to me. Suddenly I hear the sound similar to the one I heard when 'they' were after the kids.

"Duck!"

The three of us quickly took deep breaths and flattened ourselves against the bottom of the water hole. I could hear and feel the vibrations from the air-type craft above. It was close to the ground, maybe just over the water hole, and remained there for what seemed like an eternity under the water, but then the vibrations appeared weaker and weaker, and I couldn't hear them anymore. I nudged the two boys to go up for air with me. It seemed, at this point, that we should concern ourselves with a little more security.

"Whew, that was close," Jason said.

Ryan had the most frighten look on his face, that I have ever seen on a boy. I hugged the boys close to me, kissed each one on the forehead and said, "Yeah, don't I know it.

The three of us, naked as Jay birds in the hot August sun, got out of the water and retreated for the comfort and security of the work shed.

Chapter 8

I had no idea what day it was. I had not checked the computer since I arrived in 2090. I do know it was dark, so another day would be on the rise soon. After our swim, Jason, Ryan, and I, sat around on the platform and talked more about their life, how thing changed, the money system, how food was produced, were there farms still, etc, etc. Every bit of history I could learn, would benefit me while I stayed in 2090 A.D. We had nothing to dry ourselves with, so we remain naked practically all day in the hot shed. From time to time, one of us would drift off to dream land.

It was dark now. I needed to find out what was going on in the city at the orphanage. All I had was Ryan's word for it, that it was a bad situation. I pushed the switch on Jason's lamp and found my underpants. Then I put on the clothes Ryan had brought back. It felt strange to put them on, since I had been naked all day. I looked around at the two, beautiful, naked, kids and thought to myself, "such a shame to get them dressed too."

"Ok, boys," I said. "I guess we should get dressed and go into town. We can't stay here the rest of our lives. Come, Ryan, let me help you. Jason, you're next."

Ryan didn't need any help getting dressed, but he came over to me and leaned up against me, waiting. I hugged him close to me and kissed him, rubbing his little hiney in a reassuring gesture. I reached down for his underpants and put them on him, and kissed him again. Then I found his clothing and helped him into it. Ryan pulled away and got his shoes to put them on.

"Next!" I said.

Jason replaced Ryan in my arms. I kissed him too, while dressing him and giving him reassuring rubs on his little butt.

The moon had been rising later and later every night since I've been here, so I wanted to get into town under the cover of darkness.

"Are we ready, boys," I said turning the light switch off.

Both boys unanimously agreed, and so we were off.

"Where to?"

"This way," Ryan said pointing East.

Chapter 9

We headed out the door, closing it behind us and turned left down an incline in the open field. This led to a big cement spillway covered over with dirt. Ryan led the way with confidence. It was dark and damp. In my time, it had been the flood control spillway for the creek. We followed along the wall to the opposite end which opened into the back of Jason and Ryan's school. There was a walkway up a hill, then a level spot. At the edge of the level spot there was a casement window partially open. Ryan put his hand through the partially open slot and turned a crank that opened the window further. He went through the opening and motioned for us to follow. The reflection from a security light had allowed us to guide our way. I was surprised that there wasn't some form of infrared or video detection devices around the back of the building. As paranoid as 'they' were, (or so it seemed) one would think that the entire perimeter would be covered. How did 'they' miss this?

Ryan closed the window again, and said, "Hold my hand."

I reached out in the direction of Ryan's voice and he placed his small hand in mine. I felt a gentle tug and followed him in the dark.

"BONK!"

"Oh… SHIT!… Oh, Oh, Oh, Shit!" I exclaimed when I hit my head on a low beam of something. "You two short shits remember I'm a lot bigger than you. Please. Thank you." Shuddering the whole time, trying to shake off the shock.

Damn, that hurt. Jason was doing the tee-hee bit, whispering to keep his voice down. So was Ryan, but I got over my anger quickly. We needed to proceed. I stooped over and lowered my head down to Ryan's shoulder height. It was a little awkward for a while, but then Ryan informed me later, that I could stand up now, because we were in an area that had a higher overhead.

I looked around and could see light coming from above, through vents of some kind. I could hear voices. Angry voices. Adult male type people yelling at someone. I couldn't tell exactly what was going on, but there were some unhappy young voices there, too.

"Please!" A young voice was heard saying. "I didn't do it."

"We have you on disk," an angry adult said. "You were in that dispensary. You took those I.D. strips."

"NO, DON'T!" From the young voice.

I heard a loud crack, and then a yell from the young person. Fire flew in me. I sought a shaft of light between the vents and the floor. I positioned my eye to look through the crack in the wall panel. Afterward, I wanted to burst through and stop the madness. Jason and Ryan held me back.

The room on the other side of the wall, appeared to be some sort of multi-purpose room. It had a shiny floor and bleacher type seating arrangement at one end, and regular seats at the other end, with a stage. A young man was bent over a small table in the middle of the shiny floor. Two adults were holding him down by his wrists, and 'they' had striped him of his dignity. A third person was out of view, all I could see was a coiled up bullwhip. The young man was standing there in his underpants in front of his peers, being beaten with the bullwhip. There were black and blue marks all over his little body. He appeared to be a little younger than Jason and Ryan, but he was a trooper for taking it like he did. There was another angry exchange of words and then another "CRACK".

"God… NO! Stop!" I said.

Thank goodness there was so much noise in the room, that no one heard me.

"Ryan," I said. "Look through here. Do you know that boy?"

"Yeah," Ryan said. "That's Shaun. He lives in the same dorm Jase and I stay, or stayed."

"Where is this leading?" I said, pointing in the forward direction.

"The end is down another thirty or so feet [9 m]," Jason said. "It comes out under the stage."

"Take him to his dorm," I heard an adult say. "Let this serve as a lesson to you all. One of you took my uniform, and I will find out which one of you little suckers did it. And if any of you know where Jason and Ryan are, you had better confess."

I laughed to myself at that one, thinking, "Look behind the wall, bitch. Missing an uniform, are we? Who took that uniform? Or, better yet, who has it now?"

The kids on the bleachers were dismissed and sent back to their dorms. The room got quiet and someone turned out the lights. Ryan prodded me, indicating for me to move along to the end of the passage.

We came to a vent that Jason and Ryan had worked loose. Jason removed it and crawled through the open area. I got down on all fours, and crawled through. Ryan followed. I was in another area about thirty by thirty feet [9 x 9 m] square and about four feet [1.20 m] high. Some old folding chairs were stacked about. To the left, were two large metal vent-type fixtures. I recognized this. We were under the stage. It was a storage area for extra seating, I guess.

Before proceeding, I stopped and got the game plan together.

Were there sensors in this room that would pick us up? Which way did we want to go? What's the mission?

The game plan was strictly an observational one. We were going to get the lay of the land, so to speak. All the sensors were mostly perimeter types, but there were some hall sensors in key areas. Hmmm, this generation must have lost a few translations. I would have had sensors all over the place if I was as paranoid as they seem. We needed to get back to the old work building and plan the strategy, but first things first. Get familiar with the floor plan. I had another thing in mind. I wanted to get into the dispensary to find some body lotion, then find Shaun's at his dorm, and soothe his little hurting body. I wanted to let him know that everything would be ok.

"Where is the dispensary?" I said to Jason. "Can we get to Shaun's dorm from here?"

"Out the door and turn left, if you want to get blasted with the stun beams," Ryan said. "But, we can double back down the passage and come in another way. Shaun's dorm is attached to this building."

I don't know exactly what was bothering me about this building. Something seemed strangely familiar. Like something from the past. The smell of the beam I hit my head on, the grates under the stage, the ancient look of the folding chairs. The site of this building appears to be that of my old elementary school in the late 1940's to mid 1950's. No. It couldn't be. That building was built in 1936. Certainly it would have been torn down by 2090. Oh the hell with it. I had more things on my mind to worry about.

Jason, Ryan and I, doubled back to the dispensary and entered through a closet. There was enough light from the hall filtering through the window in its door, for me to navigate around and find some body lotion, or equivalent. Finding that, we went back into the passageway, following along for another few feet. We came to the base of a set of stairs.

"Up these stairs," Jason said. "Shaun dorm is the first door on the left. We need to look for the hall sensor. If the little red light is on, it's looking your way. We have to be quick."

"I'll need one of you to go with me," I said. "Shaun doesn't know me from Adam. He knows you two. I don't want to scare him any more than he is."

Ryan elected himself to go with me. We slipped out from the 'hidden' passageway and made a bee line up the stairs, crouching down to watch for the sensor light. The red light was on, in our direction, and then off. On, and then off. I watched the cycle a few more times, then completed the journey to the top of the stairs. Ryan quickly flattened himself against a wall, pulling me with him. We just barely escaped being detected by a stun beam. SHIT, I don't know what a stun beam felt like, but I've had enough RF burns and DC shocks in my lifetime, that I didn't want to find out.

Ryan darted out into the hall and through the dorm door as soon as the red light went out to search in the other direction. I was right behind him. We closed the door just in time to see a red beam of light go across the threshold.

It wasn't hard to find Shaun in the semi-darkness. His captors had been thoughtful enough to install night light around. But the most revealing thing was, that he had broken down and was crying from the pain and humiliation. The sound led us directly to him. Ryan walked over and got his attention.

"Shaun… Shaun," he said, pointing to me. "This is my friend Charles. He's here to help us. When the time is right, everything will be ok."

I reached out and touched him on the head, stroking his hair.

"Glad to meet you, my friend," I said in a soft voice. "Let me soothe those licks from the whip."

I could see in the dim light, his sweet angelic face change, from one of sadness, to one of relief.

"Remain face down and let me take these off," I said reaching for his underpants.

I got no opposition. I pulled Shaun's underpants down and off his body. By this time, I could hear Shaun's roommates stir around, watching me. Ryan explained to them the situation. Shaun was not shy about being butt naked in front of others. Apparently, nakedness was not a problem to people here in 2090. Very interesting… Hmmm.

Shaun's skin texture was like velvet. The body lotion went on smoothly. I lightly touched the whelps left by the whip.

The lotion eased the pain and Shaun began to relax even more. I rubbed his entire back, from the back of his neck, down to his little butt, into the crevasse, out and down the back of Shaun's legs. Shaun let out a weak 'thank you' and closed his eyes. I retrieved the top sheet and blanket from the end of the bed and placed it over him. Jason left a few more words of encouragement with Shaun. As I turned to go back to the work shed, I saw nine more little bodies standing in the weak night light. Each one had a smiling face, looking up at me.

"Thanks Charles," each kid said in turn.

In typical Hollywood style, I said, "I'll be back."

Ryan, Jason, and I, retreated back through the walls back to the old work shed to get some rest and plan our strategy.

Chapter 10

"Boys," I said. "There is something I must tell you about myself. I am not from Petersburg as I told you a few days ago."

The boys looked at me with distrust. For all they knew, I was a plant. I had been sent to capture them. They looked very concerned. I asked them to calm down while I finished my story. Then I told them the truth. I told them all about Nikola Tesla, Jimmy Anderson, and everything leading up to me being here in 2090.

Jason and Ryan had no real idea of the concept, but all of us were thankful for the situation. It was their concern for their lives, and my concern for the future of this planet, that brought us together. Now that I was here, their lives were my concern too.

I asked the kids a million questions. Are the sensors and scanners controlled from a central location? How does one get from here to there? Is there public transportation? Is there such a thing as a library? Where can I get explosives? I went on, and on. I had to get all the facts.

I wanted to destroy the complex, free the political hostages, and cause utter confusion among the ruling people.

That would give the enslaved people Jason and Ryan were telling me about, a chance to wake up and take back their future.

I had come to the conclusion, that something was lost in the translation from 1990 to 2090. I could see the general trend in my time. Kids were getting out of high school without knowing how to even make change. They had no idea of their history. In fact school textbooks were written with no basis of proof, that tried to re-write history. We, as a civilization, were loosing it. The citizens of this time, had built a system to perpetuate their paranoia. Nobody thought any more. It seemed that all the basic beliefs and ideas had disappeared. The people of this time were nothing more than castrated robots, chained to modern technology, computers, lasers, and the like. Thank goodness Jason and Ryan were different. So were their friends. The molding process had not worked on them, yet.

I was dirty from crawling along between the walls of the school/dorm building. I needed to wash up somehow… The water hole. There was light from the not so full moon now, and it was a little cloudy. I stood up and removed my clothes and headed outside. The water was still warm from the heat of the day. I swam around a few times, sometimes ducking my head and swimming under water. I was really getting into the exercise. I heard two splashes in the water. I stopped and turned around. There, in the darkness, was Jason and Ryan coming towards me. Both boys clung to me and confided in me that before now, they had some doubt about me. I had gained their confidence for sure now, and I wasn't going to do anything to destroy that relationship.

We all got out of the water after a few minutes, dried ourselves off in the night air, and went back into the shed. My underwear was getting a little gamy, so I didn't get dressed again. I just got into my sleeping bag. Jason and Ryan's underwear had to be in the same shape, so I suggested that they follow my lead and get some sleep. Tomorrow, we would wash our underwear in the water and hang it in here to dry. We were all naked now, for the first time, together. It was the first time I felt relaxed, naked in front of the boys, and they seemed to be relaxed, naked in front of me. Jason and Ryan moved their sleeping bags close to mine and got in them. I fell asleep quickly.

I am no judge of time, but I must have been asleep two or three hours, when I felt Ryan poking at me to wake up.

"Charles… Charles," Ryan said. "I want to talk to you."

I was groggy, and my response showed it. I was aware of my surroundings and who it was shaking me, but I was slow.

"Gronk!" I said. "Wha is it?"

"I can't sleep," Ryan said. "Can you rub my back like you did for Shaun?"

I shook my head a few times until I was fully awake.

"Did you bring any of that body lotion with you?" I asked

"I'll go get it. It's over by the door," Ryan said.

Ryan stepped off the platform and returned with a container of the body lotion we had for Shaun. He laid face down on top of his sleeping bag. I got out of mine and looked over at Jason to see if we were disturbing him, but he was dead to the world.

I put a palm full of lotion in my hand and applied it to Ryan shoulders first. Then I spread it all around, down his arms, down his back, and along his side. I put another palm full and retraced my steps, and then I started to apply the lotion across Ryan's little round hiney and down his legs. I worked my way back up to his little hiney and stayed there. I rubbed and massaged his butt muscles, inside and out. I would touch his little anus as I went down, deep into the crevasse. Ryan only moved a little when I did that. I felt him reach down and straighten out his little penis. If only this was daylight. What a lovely view I would have.

I rested a finger of my left hand at the entrance way to Ryan's anal cavity. I could tell from his breathing, that he was aware of its presence. I pushed lightly and my finger began to insert, slightly into Ryan's rectum. My penis was pulsing. I wanted to lie down on top of Ryan and relieve my tensions in his crevasse. I decided not to take advantage. It would frighten him. If anybody was to put a pulsing penis in a crevasse, it was going to be Ryan or Jason into my crevasse, first. I laid down beside Ryan with my hand still on his butt and finger just inside the walls of his anus, deep in his crevasse. He turned his head to face me, and I kissed him hard on the lips.

"Feel better?" I said, after releasing the passionate kiss.

"Much," Ryan said "Much better, thanks."

"Good," I replied. "You'd better get some sleep, now. I have to go outside and take care of something. I'll be right back."

I am glad Ryan didn't ask any questions. If he had discovered himself by now, he would understand what I needed to do, but if not, now was not the time to explain. I removed my finger from his little butt, took the container of body lotions, and went to the back of the tool shed. There, in the darkness, I applied a little of the lotion to my pulsing penis, and stroked it until my Life Force erupted out, onto the floor. I wiped my penis off with my dirty underpants, got back into my sleeping bag, and fell to sleep, again.

A few hours later, I was up again. The sun was bright and shining through a crack in the shed wall, into my face. I looked over at the boys and kissed them both on the face cheeks. I shook their sleeping bags gently, so as not to startle them like I did Jason that time.

"Good morning, my friends," I said. "Time to go to work."

Jason and Ryan stirred with the usual little boy grunts and groans. I reached over to rub their backs and butt to stimulate them. Ryan skin was still moist from the body lotion. Jason was not as soft, but I would fix that later.

We needed nourishment and a way to bathe, keep clean, and dry off. I needed to wash my dirty underwear and so did the boys. What I didn't tell them yet, was that I had to get back in that dispensary and get some finger cots, or rubber gloves, or some like material for Jason's and Ryan's protection.

Ryan volunteered to go back into the tunnels and get the things we needed, such as soap, towels, personal hygiene things, food, etc. The dispensary would have to wait until after dark. Since he knew all the ins and outs of things better, I let him go, but not without a word of caution. Naked Ryan got out of his sleeping bag, got dressed (dirty underpants and all), and took off across the sunlit field. Naked Jason stayed with me.

"How 'bout a quick swim, Jason?" I said. "Just a quick one, in case that aircraft comes back."

Jason didn't answer. He got out of his sleeping bag and ran out the door.

"Last one in, is a twerp!"

Hmmm. I wonder who that might be?

Jason was splashing around when I got out to the water hole.

I jumped in and made a big production of splashing him with a large wave of water. "Who's a twerp now?" I said playfully, sticking my tongue out between my lips and forcing air around it to make the raspberry noise.

Jason splashed back and attacked me, trying to dunk me under water. I let him think he was getting by with it, for a minute, and then I turned the tables on him, dunking him instead. Both of us were laughing and giggling like two five-year old kids enjoying every minute of our frolicking. I didn't want to stay out too long in the daylight for our own safety, so I suggested to Jason, that we go inside and dry off. He understood and got out of the water while I watched his cute little butt distorting in syncopation with his motion up the bank.

That little bit of exercise winded me a little, but I felt a little cleaner and refreshed. I sat down on the edge of the platform and motioned Jason to join me. I stopped him in front of me and grabbed my tee shirt from the rail and began to sponge some of the wetness from Jason's body. He stepped forward toward me as I dried his front. His eyes were fixed on me, trying to gain contact with mine. I reached around him and pat his back as dry as I could. He stepped further into me, placing himself between my legs. I met the stare of his coal black eyes with that of my blue eyes. Jason fell into me with a force that almost caused me to loose my balance. He thrust his arms around me, and held me tight. I reciprocated, reassuring him everything was going to work out.

My attention was directed to our respective positions. I could feel his little penis moving and getting harder. We were crotch to crotch, with me sitting there. My penis sprang up like a coiled spring. I knew what I must do, as soon as I could. I positioned my head and pulled back slightly from Jason. Then I kissed him on the lips. We held that position until we had to come up for air, so to speak. Jason took a breath and continued. I was stroking his back and butt, adding to the feeling for both of us. I felt Jason part his lips slightly. His tongue eased out and touched my lips. I opened them to allow him to push his tongue further into my oral cavity. Neither of us have had any opportunity for any hygiene, so 'Butt Breath' and all, Jason explored my oral cavity. It was simply a case of mind over matter. I didn't mind, and to Jason, it didn't matter.

I was the first to break the trance.

"Jason… Jason… oh God, hold me tight," I said. "Let's get up on the platform and be more comfortable."

We released our grip on one another and stepped up on the platform. I sat down on my sleeping bag and Jason sat down between my legs facing me, putting his legs around my waist and supporting himself with his hands behind him. He looked up at me, longing for the invitation to continue the expression of our love. I looked back at him and took in his artistic beauty, smiling.

"Jason. Do you have any idea what is happening to you… us?" I asked.

I glanced at his erect little, thin, approximately four inch [10 cm], penis and pointed to it. I couldn't get over how taught it was. I could see the head of his little penis, just beginning to stick above the rim of his foreskin, like a little 'dome of pleasure'.

"Not exactly," he said looking down at my hard penis.

"Don't they teach you anything about life in your school?" I asked.

From the look on his face, I gathered that the answer was 'probably not'. I had him turn around, get as close as he could between my legs, and lean back against my chest. My erect penis was between us, getting more sensitive by the minute with the heat between our bodies. I held on to Jason as I leaned back flat against the floor, gently pulling him with me, softly saying,

"Come, Jason. I will show you. Remain still for a minute then follow my direction, ok?"

Jason was caught up in the passion of the moment. He could barely get his affirmative reply out for me to hear it.

The container of the remaining body lotion was at arms reach of me.

"Now Jason," I said. "Close your eyes and relax. Follow my guide."

I put some lotion in the palm of my hand.

"Bring your knees up toward me, my friend." I said

When he did, I reached down behind his knees and pulled slightly to position his little butt up in the air, saying softly,

"Roll with the flow, son. Roll with the flow."

I encountered no resistance. In fact, he assisted me. I applied the body lotion across his cute, little, butt, and down along his deep crevasse. He giggled when I brushed across his anus and allowed my little finger to insert just into the edge of his it.

"Slide up a little, my friend, I said releasing his knees, letting him go back to the stretched out position. "Put your head on my shoulder. Get our faces closer."

Jason did as I asked. I positioned my head back to kiss him, and my penis found the warmth of Jason's deep crevasse.

I took some more lotion and applied it to his entire abdomen and deep into his crotch, deliberately skirting his little erect pleasure dome. I continued with my reassuring words of encouragement and told him of my every move.

"Jason," I said. "In a few seconds, you are going to experience waves of pleasure. Don't be afraid, just let it happen. You'll see. I am going to touch the part of your body that is hard, now. It will be a pleasurable feeling. Ok?"

He turned his head and kissed me on the cheek.

"Please," he said in an almost hypnotic trance-like voice. "Please."

I gently stroked his little penis with the back of my fingers. It was stiff, but responsive. I put the little shaft between my thumb and forefinger, gently stretching the foreskin down and up, across the pleasure dome head of his penis. Jason squirmed and groaned with pleasure. I could tell that his senses were on the very edge. I added a little more body lotion to my hand and enclosed his entire little, four inch [10 cm] shaft of pleasure, with the palm of my hand. I stroked up and down his little shaft and gently applying pressure. Jason's butt muscles were rhythmically squeezing my adult shaft. I was feeling the same waves of extacy as Jason.

The waves of extacy continued. I shifted Jason's position slightly so that I could turn my head and join his lips with mine. He turned his head toward me. I turned my head toward him. Our lips joined and we kissed. At that precise time, and from the squeezing of Jason's butt muscles against my penis, my Life Force erupted and pulse out. I didn't show that release of tension to Jason. I continued to stroke his little shaft. He was breathing heavily through his nose. The pattern changed in intensity and frequency. I knew what was happening, and I needed to help Jason through it, so I pulled away from our kissing position.

"It's ok Jason," I said. "I know what is happening to you. Just let it happen. Don't be afraid, just let it happen."

I returned my lips to his and inched my tongue into his oral cavity until our tongues met. Jason's body stiffened and his penis pulsed in my hand. It was a very strong pulse, first one, then another, then another, and another. Four pulses in response to each downward stroke. I stopped stroking and just held Jason's hard penis loosely in my hand for a few minutes more.

Later, I released Jason from the kiss and maneuvered our respective bodies, so that I could pull him toward me, face to face, chest to chest, for a loving embrace. I began to stroke his back then place my hand on his little hiney. It was wet and sticky from the body lotion and my Life Force. His front was sticky, yet a little slippery from his Life Force. I pushed my little finger down into his crevasse. I found the edge of his little anus, and applied a slight pressure to it. The walls of Jason's anus opened up to accept my little finger. With a little more pressure, my finger was inside, beyond the lips of the anus, and into Jason's anal cavity. Jason squirmed a little, but accepted the sensation of a 'foreign' object being placed in his rectum. I held him tight and kissed him on the neck, saying,

"It's ok Jason, my friend, it's ok.

Jason moved his arms, placed them around me and pulled us together as hard as he could, not saying a word. He raised his head and positioned himself to kiss me.

Jason and I laid together for a while longer, kissing, holding, and rubbing each other. However, between perspiration, body lotion, and our Life Force's, we were quite a mess. We had to chance another trip to the water hole. I hope Ryan makes it back soon. I was getting a little hungry.

"Jason," I said. Let's go wash up and get dressed. Ryan will be back soon, I hope, and we need to plan for tonight."

Jason's face displayed a grimace, as if to say "I want to stay here forever in your arms." But, he complied with my wishes and released me to go outside. I brought along my tee shirt to assist us in washing certain areas of concern.

We fooled around in the water as we had done before, and talked about general things. It seemed that the people of this time were super smart, education-wise, but they didn't have any common sense. We talked for a few minutes more, then I changed the subject.

"Jason, I said. "What do you think about your feelings, now? What do you think about our little period of togetherness a few minutes ago in the shed?"

Jason shrugged his shoulders and looked me straight in the eye.

"I liked what we did," he said. "It felt good. I would like to do it again. I like it when you put your lips on mine.

"Well, did you understand what was happening to you?" I asked.

"No," Jason said. "What?"

I explained to Jason about how his body changes around his age and that it was a natural experience to have his member become stiff and erect. He should not be afraid of that feeling any more.

"But what was that stuff that came out of me when you rubbed down here?" Jason said pointing to his little penis.

"That is called your penis, Jason," I said. "That stuff is called sperm. It is a natural body fluid that allows mankind to reproduce."

I could see I was loosing him.

"Err-ah… make copies of himself," I corrected.

"How?" Jason asked.

Damn, they really hadn't been taught anything about life in school. So I went on to explain about how boys and girls got together, and how they are built, love, etc, etc. I paused for him to take it all in, but he still had a puzzled look on his face.

"Ok," I said. "Where did I loose you?"

"Girls?" Jason said.

"Your mother was a girl," I retorted. "You remember your mother, don't you? Without her, you wouldn't be here."

Still a strange look on his face.

"Now that you know the difference," I continued, "are there any girls at your school?"

"No."

I started to go further with it, but Jason didn't know how to answer my questions. It was more important than ever, that I get on with my mission.

"You and Ryan are best friends, aren't you?" I said looking at him.

"Yeah, we are," he said.

"That means we have to be completely honest with each other. I don't want to drive a wedge between you two. I think Ryan should know what we did together, but I don't know how to tell him without hurting his feelings, and I won't lie."

"Don't worry," Jason said. "I'll tell him. I know he would like to do the same thing too."

Chapter 11

Ryan made it back across the sunlit barren land to the shed.

I don't know why we hadn't been caught by now. The aircraft has been over many times, I suspect, looking for Jason and Ryan. The law enforcement people of 1990 had sensors that would detect the heat of human body inside a brick building.

Certainly, my old building offered no challenge to the 2090 people. It may have been that my platform framework had some residual magnetism that is used to light the machine off when you wanted to go. That could be masking the sensors… or could it be, that I didn't exist? I wasn't real. Well if I wasn't, what Jason and I experienced together, definitely was.

"Bon appetite," I said, as we dug into the food goodies Ryan had brought back. It was tasty, but non-descript. I was so hungry, that I would eat anything that didn't eat me first.

"What else did you bring back with you, Ryan?" I said.

Ryan started digging in his gym bag and brought out more food, a change of clothes for all of us, some towels, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, hairbrush, shaving things, and assorted other odds and ends. He kept digging in that bag and pulling things out, it reminded me of that old routine the clowns in a circus do, when fourteen clowns pile out of a one man car. I thought I'd never see the bottom of the bag. It was good to see some of those items still around. At least 'they' didn't forget about the important things.

"What are these keys for, Ryan?" I asked.

"They are a duplicate set," he said. They go to the cabinets in the dispensary and main office."

"Is there a chance these will be discovered missing?" I said. "If they are, then another of your friends at the school will be punished. We don't need that."

"No," Ryan said. This is a set the nurse thought was lost, about a year ago. They quit looking for them and made another set. This set just happen to be lost behind the wall. Isn't that funny?"

I smiled and looked at Ryan. I didn't have to answer him. We carried on more about the life of Ryan, as he knew it, so that I could gain better incite to this 2090 world. For instance. Why did the mention of the female gender confuse Jason and Ryan? Where were the girls? All of the kids I saw that night at the school, were male. The adults were males. Something was very, very, strange.

"Ryan, you're dirty," Jason said, as he began to take off his clothes. "Let's go out and wash off. Charles here looks like he needs to be alone for awhile. Besides I want to put on clean underwear."

I caught Jason's wink to me. I knew that he was going to talk to Ryan of our experience.

"Be careful kids," I said. "Remember the aircraft that comes over at times.

Ryan started to take off his clothes, and I began to get hard with anticipation. After he completed the task, I saw that Jason was correct. Ryan was indeed dirty. The only clean spot on him, was between his waist, and just below the bottom of his little, lovely, cute, butt. I only wished that I could bathe him at this time, but Jason was going to explain things to Ryan, as best he knew how.

Chapter 12

Jason and Ryan came back in from swimming. I had lain down for a nap. They were being extremely quiet, so as not to disturb me. I heard them step up on the platform and lie down too.

I was awakened later by Ryan shaking my leg and telling me it was getting dark. I shook my head a couple of times to get my bearings, then I stood up.

"I guess we should go back to the school, here in a few minutes, don't you think? I want to look in that office at the files and see if I can get a line on your parents and the parents of your friends, then we will seek help to get the things we need and bring this place back to normal."

Ryan nodded and walked toward the door. Jason extended a hand to assist me in getting up off the floor. Since I was going to be crawling around between the walls, I didn't change clothes. I would take a midnight swim when we got back from our mission.

We took off across the field to the tunnel and back into the school. I meant to ask the kids how they found the area behind the walls, but I never got around to it. I guess that kids will be kids, and won't pass up any opportunity to explore. It was possible that they were told to put some chairs under the stage and found the path behind the wall, or when the sensor computer lost track of them, Jason and Ryan had free reign.

I went through the casement window and followed the kids along the dark path. I remembered, this time, to lower my head for a while. I didn't want to bonk my head on another beam. Jason sensed me bend over and duck down, so in a teasing manner, he said, "Don't bump your head, Charles."

The little smart ass. Hmmm, I've got his number. Ryan snickered at this too. Hmmm, you too, smart ass. In reality, I enjoyed being teased by them, but I didn't let on to them that it was ok. I grunted to let them think they were getting to me.

"Let's go to the dispensary first, fellows," I said. " I need to look for more lotion and things."

I didn't know if I would find the 'things', but it was worth the look. I would think that a well stocked dispensary would have rubber gloves or finger cots, since this was pretty much a self contained school/orphanage.

We entered through the closet again, and I took the set of keys and tried each drawer and cabinet there was in the place. I found a box of finger cots in the bottom of the desk drawer and put them in his gym bag that we had brought.

Next, I put in more containers of body lotion.

"Anything else we need from in here, kids?" I asked.

Jason threw in some bandages and some containers of red liquid, probably iodine, or equivalent. "That's it," he said. "Let's go to the office."

We entered the office through a small storage room air vent.

The office was twice as big as the dispensary in area. It was located between two sections of the building. These sections had flood lighting on two adjacent sides, pointing inward toward the part of the building with the office. The light was so intense, that it lit up the whole area inside. The windows had blinds on them and diffused the light. We walked close to the walls as we could, careful not to cast shadows that may be seen against the milk-colored glass of the office door. There were two partitioned-off areas with an individual desk, lamp, and communication device, inside. I surmised that they were the offices for the people in charge of this place. The rest of the office was furnished with some chairs along the wall, some more desk, three 1990-style filing cabinets, a high-tech paging system, and two computer type terminals. I walked over the file cabinets, found the correct key, and removed a hand full of files. I went over to the blinds to take advantage of the stronger light, and searched the files, looking for anything of value.

"Ryan," I whispered. "What is your last name? Jason, your's too."

"Mine's Mitchell," Ryan said.

"Turner," Jason said.

"Mitchell and Turner," I said. "Let me look through here… Ah, here's Mitchell. I only have up to the "O" here, so grab me some more files, please Jason."

I began to look through the files on Jason and Ryan. I was looking for information regarding their entrance to the orphanage and maybe some name of known relatives at the time, etc. I looked through some of the other files for the same information. There wasn't much in them. I wondered what was on the computer, if they kept hand written files like what I was looking at. No time like the present. I went over to the computer terminal and turned it on. I was greeted by the gentle whir of the hard drive and power supply fan. The screen lit up with a programmed message welcoming me to the system and telling me to log on. SHIT. Password protected. Well I had to try something.

"Do either of you know who sits here at this terminal by name?" I asked.

"I think it's Citizen..uh… Woodfern," Jason said.

Citizen?

"What about his first name, or his initials," I asked.

"I've seen his initials on a paper I had once… let me think a minute..," Ryan said. "Oh! W.G.W. That's it."

"Worth a try," I said. "These people aren't too original."

I typed in WGW on the keyboard, and the screen lit up with a brilliant blue color. In white lettering, were the words "Hello William… What choice would you like?" Below that was a menu of choices. One choice was labeled "Student Records". I chose that one, only to find out that it was the scholastic record for all the kids… What next? I got out of that and found one called "Entry Info". The prompt returned to the screen with "Please enter student's name!".

I typed Ryan's last name, "MITCHELL." The first screen duplicated the written file information. At the bottom of the screen, was the prompt to hit any key. When I did, the next page of information was presented. This had Ryan's father's name, his arrest record, his present location of incarceration, and a file number of some type. I did not see the relevance to that number at the time, but it must be important. Hmmm, no mention of the mother, either.

Do I dare start the printer? No, I best not. I ripped a piece of paper from the printer, found a writing instrument and copied as much info as I could. I figure I could start with Ryan's father, and he could lead me to the others… I hope. Just for the fun of it, I typed in "TURNER". Jason's father was at the same place.

"What's Shaun's last name?" I asked.

"Jones, isn't it Jase?" Ryan said.

"Yeah, that's it," said Jason.

I typed in "JONES". Sure enough, his father was there too.

"Do you two know what a map is?" I asked.

Ryan went on the defensive.

"We're not that stupid, Charles."

"I never said you were, my friend," I said. "I'm just not sure of this 2090 society. Take it easy."

I pulled him closer to me and kissed him. I did the same to Jason, saying,

"It'll be ok. Just hold tight."

"Give me the keys," Jason said.

I did as I was requested, and Jason went into one of the partitioned off rooms to open a drawer. He returned a few seconds later with a folded up map of the city. Damn, will wonders never cease? Who would have thought that these people even had a map? From what the kids had been telling me, the adult citizens of 2090 were a few bricks short of a full load. Just when I thought I had 'them' figured out, 'they' did something sensible and had a map around. Jason put the map in the gym bag along with the other items we had gathered and closed it.

"Let's put everything back like it was and get the flock out of here," I said. "Is there anything else we need from here?"

We couldn't think of anything else, so I logged off the computer terminal, closed the file draws, and locked them again.

It was hard to fathom, that the people of this time were so lax in their action. Why was this building full of secret panels and air vents? 'they' must have gutted the building and built false walls and ceilings over top of existing structure. Damn, that was stupid. The foundation and structure must be at least 150 plus years old by now. Nothing of this time made sense. I wasn't quite sure what to do about it, but I had to do something.

Chapter 13

Jason, Ryan and myself, got back to the work shed without incident. I took the map out of the gym bag to look at where the kid's fathers were.

"Ryan," I said. "What is P.I.R.? Do you know?"

"I think I heard once," he said pointing. "It's something to do with your head."

Something to do with your head… head… head.

"You mean psychiatric something or other?"

"Yeah, Psychiatric Institute… something, something," he said.

I looked on the paper where I had written the data.

"P.I.R.-- 4314 Crutchfield Street," I had written. Jason opened the map and brought his lantern closer. I began to study the map to get familiar with it and find Crutchfield Street. The city had not changed much in general shape, but it had stretched out more in 2090. The county line was much further out than it was in 1990. Tomorrow, I would assume my role as a 'Teacher', and boldly access public transportation to Crutchfield Street and P.I.R. I needed to check out the lay of the land, so I could start Jason's, Ryan's, and Shaun's respective fathers in the direction of freedom. For now, I had to think of a lie to tell the security at P.I.R. so I could see the kid's fathers and look around.

Ryan broke my train of thought, when he started to take off his clothes. I looked up at him with a questioning look, and could see his angelic face lit by the weak fluorescent glow of Jason's lantern.

"Want to join me, Charles?" he said. "I'm a little dirty."

He didn't have to ask that twice. Jason stood up and took his lantern with him. He walked over to the platform, sat down, smiled at me, and turned the lamp off. I removed my clothes and walked with naked Ryan outside to the water hole.

Ryan broke away from me, briefly, and I heard the noise of the zipper on the gym bag. I turned and looked around. I could sense Ryan moving around and then come toward me. He reached out and touched me on the arm. I stopped, took his forearm and found his hand. I placed his hand in mine and squeezed gently.

"Hello, my friend," I said. "What's going on?"

Ryan didn't say anything. He just pulled gently on me in the direction of the water hole.

When we got to the rim of the water hole, it was still warm from the heat of the day and the sky was overcast. There was some residual light from the town reflecting off the low hanging clouds. I could see the outline of the hole clearly. I heard Ryan drop something on the ground beside him. I looked around to see a large towel and a container of body lotion. I knew what Ryan had in mind, but I didn't say anything. This was going to be his surprise for me. I didn't want to spoil it. Ryan tugged on my hand and headed down the bank of the water hole. I followed, and we went into the water, naked Ryan and me.

I released my hand from Ryan's and began to swim around. Ryan dove under the water and playfully started to pick at me, just wanting to start something so I would stop and try to retaliate and pay attention to him. Ryan got too close, so I lashed out and gave him a quick goose in his little butt. I heard him squeal and come quickly to the surface.

"HEY!" he said.

I stopped swimming and reached out with my legs to touch bottom. Ryan was in front of me.

"Hey, what?" I said.

Ryan laughed and splashed water in my face. He then dove under the water, forced himself through my legs and came up behind me. This time, he grabbed me around the waist and held tight.

"Think you got me, huh," I said as I splashed water behind me, trying to get back at him.

Ryan had turned his head to the side and buried it in the small of my back. He relaxed his bear grip on me and moved his right hand down my abdomen until he found my hard penis.

Ryan explored my member with tenderness, every inch. He pulled and pushed it around. He explored the tip more, trying to figure the difference between my cut, and his un-cut, member.

"Jason told me this was normal." Ryan said as he gently squeezed my hard penis.

"What else did he tell you?" I said.

"He told me you could help me understand," Ryan said. " He told me how you helped him understand."

I had expected this situation, on the one hand, yet I hadn't on the other. Ryan had been procuring most of the supplies.

He was the one that discovered the space behind the walls. How was it that he was so 'street wise', yet deficient in his knowledge of the basics of life?

"Well," I said. "I can certainly do that for you Ryan."

I turned myself around to face him. I reached down, touched my hand to his chin and tilted his head back. In the eerie light reflecting from the low clouds, I looked into his eyes, leaned down and kissed him on the lips.

"Let's get out of the water, Charles," Ryan said. "I've got a towel that we can lie on."

I thought I would work with Ryan a little different than I did with Jason. The end result would be the same. Ryan would experience the release of his Life Force from his little penis. This time, it would be under our control, and not a nocturnal emission.

We got to edge of the water hole and Ryan spread a large towel on the ground. We sat down beside each other, naked as jay birds, and kissed again.

"Ready to begin, Ryan?" I said.

"Yes," he said. "How do you want me?"

I asked him to hand me the container of body lotion so I could start. I took it and spread lotion across my stomach, down my abdomen, and on all parts of my genitals.

"Lie back flat on your back, Ryan," I said. "Then follow my lead."

Ryan did as he was told, and I spread the lotion on him, just as I did to myself. When I got to his little hard penis, I was slow and methodical. I gently applied the lotion along his un-cut shaft. I moved the foreskin up and down across the little head of his penis. Ryan's breathing rhythm began to change in depth. I could tell he was ready, so I didn't want to continue stroking like that. I wanted this to be more meaningful for him.

"Ryan," I said. "Lie down on top of me, front to front. Place your legs on either side of mine."

When he did as I asked, I maneuvered my hard penis, just below his scrotum and put it between his legs at the lower end of his crevasse. His little hard penis was flat against my abdomen. I brought my arms around him and held him tight, then I kissed him.

"Now what?" Ryan said.

I took some more lotion and spread it around Ryan's, little, cute, butt. I didn't miss one square inch. Then I put the container of lotion down. My right hand was on his little hiney. I lowered my middle finger down into Ryan's deep crevasse and rested the tip on the edge of his anus. With one single touch, I felt the walls of Ryan's anus open up to accept my finger. I applied a slight pressure, and half the length of my finger disappeared into Ryan's warm and waiting, anal cavity.

Ryan jumped as his muscles tensed in a reaction to the intrusion of his rectum, but in a few seconds, he relaxed and enjoyed the pleasurable feeling. I kissed him again. He was facing me, with his head lying on my left shoulder. I hooked his right arm under his armpit with my left forearm. I began to gyrate my hips, up and down, forcing my hard penis, up and down between Ryan's legs where they joined at his little, cute, hiney, and barely rubbing the back of his scrotum. This motion caused Ryan to slide his hard shaft around on my slippery abdomen and stomach. I assisted him by pulling slightly up on his armpit. Upon each upward stroke, the grip I had on his butt aided me in keeping the pressure on his little shaft, located between my stomach and his abdomen. I moved my finger slightly, in and out, of Ryan's anal cavity to heighten the sensation. His breathing began to get shallow. The walls of his anus gripped my finger like a Chinese Finger Puzzle. His legs squeezed my hard shaft to a point where it was a real effort to slide it up and down between them. Ryan's breathing was playing on every nerve I had. I could feel the waves of extacy coming over me. One or two more upward strokes would send my Life Force out into the warm night air. I felt Ryan's little, hard, shaft, pressed between us, pulse ferociously with his young, sweet, warm, Life Force, onto my stomach five times. Immediately following Ryan's first crescendo, my Life Force sprayed out in unison.

Our respective breathing pattern became normal and relaxed. I slipped Ryan off to one side, found his lips with mine and kissed him hard. I inched my tongue through until it was inside his oral cavity. Our tongue's met, then Ryan's rolled back and allowed me to explore. I returned my tongue into my mouth with force. Ryan was pushing it back with his tongue to explore me. We laid there, naked on the towel, in each others arms, in the warm night air, and under the eerie light reflecting off the low hanging clouds, kissing passionately.

I broke the spell to come up for air, so to speak. I removed my finger from Ryan's little hiney hole and said, "Let's go wash off and then get some sleep. We can all talk about this tomorrow. Plus I need to get over to P.I.R. I've been here too long. We need to start something and get out of here."

Ryan shook his head in agreement, so we got up off the towel and went back down into the water, bringing the towel with us. He held on to me like we were glued together. I gently maneuvered him around so that I could wash him in all areas of concern, then I washed myself. Without saying a word, I took Ryan's hand and led him up the bank of the water hole. We walked, arm in arm, back to the work shed. Ryan had put some towels just inside the door for us to dry off. After we dried, Jason turned his lantern on to guide us back to the platform to sleep. Oh sweet Jason, oh sweet Ryan, I love you both. Tomorrow night, I will introduce you to finger cots.

"Good night, my friends," I said as I crawled naked into my sleeping bag. "Sweet dreams."

Jason and Ryan were beaming from ear to ear.

"Good night," they said in unison.

Jason reached over and turned the lantern off. Ryan scrambled into his sleeping bag. I closed my eyes. I knew I was going to have sweet dreams with Jason and Ryan at my side.

Chapter 14

Jason woke me with a kiss. It was daylight, early in the morning. The sun was bright and strong through the East end of the work shed. I stretched and groaned, and finally looked over at Jason and said a pleasant 'good morning'. He reached out and squeezed my hand, repeating the greeting. I wondered about Ryan, and whether I should wake him up now or not. I decided against it, for he had a big night last night, emotionally. I'll let him sleep a while longer. Naked Jason got out of his sleeping bag and started toward the door.

"Where ya going, buddy?" I asked.

"I thought I'd clean up a little," Jason said.

"Well let's not take too many chances," I said. "There are too many people out in the morning. You may be seen."

I felt the large towel that Ryan and I used. It was still wet with enough water to freshen one up.

"Come back over here, Jason," I said. "It's enough water in this to wash a whole army."

Jason thought about the situation a bit, and came over to me. I got out of my sleeping bag so I could wipe the damp towel all over him including the special areas of concern. Then I tilted his head back and kissed him.

"Feel better?" I asked.

Jason smiled and nodded in the affirmative. Then he dug down in his gym bag and brought out clean underwear to put on, and a clean uniform.

Ryan had been sleeping on his stomach and begun to stir. I placed my hand on his little butt through the sleeping bag material and massaged it. I greeted him with a "good afternoon, sleepy head."

Ryan turned himself onto one elbow, spun his head around to search out Jason, then look at me cross-eyed.

"Huh," he said. "Wha… IT'S MORNING, YOU DINGY."

Damn, I didn't think he had it in him. I just laughed at him, and after a few seconds, he woke up fully and laughed at the little trick I played on him.

Jason looked at Ryan and said, teasing,

"It is afternoon, it is, it is."

Ryan just looked at Jason and stuck his tongue out at him, then laughed again. I would have said the big F.U. phrase, but thank goodness these kids hadn't learned that yet.

Naked Ryan got out of his sleeping bag and went into Jason's gym bag and pulled out fresh underwear. He had stored his in Jason bag so we could use his to get things at the school/orphanage. He put the underwear on, plus a clean uniform. I enjoyed watching these two get dressed. I guess it was my turn, next. I looked around and found that I was the only person naked. I searched in Jason's gym bag for some larger size underwear and the silver colored uniform. I got dressed and sat down to plan the day.

Chapter 15

The uniform is not very convenient. It has no pockets and is too form fitting for my taste. I wished I had my trusty pocket knife with me, maybe as a crutch to reinforce my tenacity. I don't know, but I get attached to small personal items and feel naked without them. We've all been through that. I went toward the door to leave and both Jason and Ryan hugged me and slapped me on the butt cheeks, saying.

"Good luck."

"Remember, flag down the 'RED' Magnecraft we talked about." Jason said. "They won't check your I.D. until they get in later in the day. They just read it and turn it in later. The others check you faster."

I followed the path laid out by Ryan to a numbered street, 34th Street. It dead ended at the back of the school. I followed it for about a hundred feet [30 m] until I came to a corner, adjacent to a major thoroughfare. A few men were standing on the North-West corner talking among themselves. As I approached, they looked at me in a peculiar way. I returned their stare, nodded my head in typical Southern fashion, and said hello. They turned away from me as if I was yesterday's newspaper.

"Assholes," I thought. "Bunch of frustrated old farts."

I didn't know how to take the treatment and it made me a little paranoid. I could just feel every scanner in the area pointing at me. About that time, I saw a red vehicle moving along the major road. It had a little lighted sign mounted to the roof, that read "Public Conveyance." I raised my arm in sight of the driver and he pulled over to the curb. I could hear the disgruntled old farts behind me, mumbling under their breath in reference to my action.

There was no noise to be heard from this vehicle. There were no wheels. Other than that fact, it looked to be about the size of a small compact car of the 1990's and was solid red in color. Not one speck of chrome could be seen on it. The body did not seem to be metallic. In fact, it wasn't. The driver opened the door of this hovering vehicle for me, and I touched the top of the vehicle as I got in. Plastic. Yes, plastic. How did I know this? Hmmm.

"Yer wrist, mac," said the driver.

"What? Huh? Oh," I said not paying attention. "Here."

The driver put a light pen device to my wrist at the implanted marking and drew the pen across the lines. I heard a few clicking sounds and a small 'beep' from behind the control panel attached to the vehicle. There was the sound of two more beeps with a different pitch from the first one, and the driver pulled out into a line of traffic moving in the same direction. I figured that was a signal of acknowledgement.

"Where to Mac?" the driver said.

I looked at him, square in the eye, and almost laughed in his face. He had the features of a real, live, walking, talking, George Jetson.

"4314 Crutchfield Street," (and I almost said George) "that P.I.R. place over there."

"Yes sir," he said.

Well I got by that computer check of my number. How many more could I get by with, without ringing every bell in town?

The driver didn't say much other than a few words about the performance of his vehicle. I looked around at the interior of it and did not come to any conclusion. The general layout was still the same as most vehicles have always been.

It had a steering mechanism, a speed indicator, some foot controls, and some kind of visible tabulating device, I assumed to be the 'meter' that a taxi would use. There was a plastic panel with the familiar scan lines on it mounted next to the 'meter'. Next to that, was a photograph of the driver, and under it, his name. "Frederick Royal", I saw as I glanced at the name.

"Well, Fred," I said, trying to start something up. "How things been going for ya?"

"Fine, fine, friend," Fred said. "Couldn't be better. I'll be getting a new young-un soon."

"Oh… when's your wife due?" I said

I realized I've said too much already.

"Wife? HA! You must have come across one of them old books that missed the great fire. I hear tell, that a few of 'em are still around."

I went along with the flow of the conversation, but rather than have ole' Fred start thinking and asking questions, or talking all over town, I laid the topic of 'wife' off, as something my grandfather used to talk about.

"He's in that building by where I picked you up at," Fred said.

It had to be a 'he'. I haven't seen any 'she' yet. I went on to make small talk about the fact that I teach in the school there, and that I have disciplinary problems with two of my students, so I was going to see their father's at the P.I.R. I didn't elude to the fact, whether they worked there, or were patients there. The whole thing was a lie, but I figured, if I spread more cover and acted like a regular 'joe' and not like an 'asshole', then some things would go a lot smoother. I don't know why I was going to all the trouble. Fred was going to turn in his scans for the day when he got off. I know that my scan would prove to be out of sequence. That would ring bells. Maybe yes, maybe no. I'll have to chance it.

The trip took about ten minutes, judging from the timer I was watching on his control panel. Along the way, periodically, I would hear the small 'beep' that resembled the pitch of the first one I had heard earlier. I guessed that was the registration indicator for each half-mile or whatever.

"Crutchfield Street up ahead, Mac," Fred said. "What was it, 4314?"

I gave him a one word answer, and within the minute, I was in front of the P.I.R. building. Without a word from Fred, the passenger door opened for me.

"Ok, Mac," Fred said. "Here yer are."

"Thanks, Fred," I said in a Barney Rubble tone of voice, getting out of the vehicle and chuckling to myself. I had to make light of each situation as it came to me. Otherwise, I couldn't keep my sanity.

"Hey! Mac! Your wrist.

"Oh, sorry about that Fred," I said extending my left arm into the vehicle.

He scanned my wrist with the light pen again, wished me a good day, and reached over to pull the door shut. Then he moved off, leaving me standing there in the roadway with my thumb up my ass, so to speak. What next "Mac?"

What next? First thing, was to step onto the sidewalk from out of the middle of the street. I walked into the building and into a lobby. There was a long desk, behind which sat two men in orange colored uniforms. These two had orange Garrison Caps on their heads with some kind of insignia on each side. I don't know if it was to represent the fact that they worked for P.I.R., or it was a security company, but the insignia was in the shape of a star. I guess it was security.

The two orange colored castrated robots looked at me in a peculiar manner, as if to say "what the hell are you bothering me for?" I ignored the look and thought it typical of this type of employee.

"Yes, may we help you?" One of the orange suits said, getting up and walking toward me.

"Yes," I said. "I represent Henry School and Orphanage. I am here to see a mister Mitchell and a mister Turner.

"Why do you want to see them for?" Said the other orange suit from behind the desk.

Hey, wow… I like his command of the English language. Fucking dumb ass, who asked you?

The standing orange suit looked down at a file box on the desk opened the top and flipped through the cards contained inside.

"They are patients here," he said. "Sometimes patients are taking medication. We can't just let you see them without their doctors say so."

I looked beyond the man talking and observed the other orange suit moving controls on a panel next to the desk. I heard the whir of motors and gears behind me. I knew that a scanner was being aimed at my rear left shoulder where the I.D. lines were. Then I looked back at the speaker and regained eye contact.

"Ok," I said. "Is their doctor here today?"

I needed to keep both of these bozos busy and keep their mind (mind?) off of checking me out.

The standing orange suit motioned with his hand toward the other one, and said, "Your name, Citizen?

As I answered the question, the other orange suit pushed two buttons on another panel. He stared at it until a large red light lit, then turned to me and said, "Doctor Powers will be here in a moment. Just stand there for a moment."

The seated orange suit was waiving his hands and cursing to himself. Then he started to push buttons like a mad man on a control panel. The whirring sound behind me, increased with intensity and frequency. So did the sound from the seated orange suit. He was obviously having trouble with the scanning device. Had I escaped detection, or was it delayed?

"That piece of trash goes on the blink about four times a week," said the still standing orange suit. "What do you do at this school, now you say?"

"I didn't say," I said. "I teach their sons and I am having disciplinary problems with them. I need to know how to deal with them, one on one."

"Fuck this," he said. "You look like who you say you are. Besides, … …"

At that same instant, the seated orange suit let out a string of curse words, some I'd heard, and some not. I heard the familiar sound of an electrical short circuit (I've had enough of those in my life) and grinding gears, behind me. Then there was a small exploding sound. I turned around and sought the source of the sound. There, just above and to the right, was a scanning device in flames.

Chapter 16

"Citizen… era ah Baw, uh, Dot," I heard from behind me.

Chills rang out all over my body. That's the worst slaughter of my name I've heard, yet. I shook this little culture shock to my nerves off, turned around, and corrected the pronunciation.

"Citizen," huh? Ryan hadn't told me how to greet one another. I wasn't even sure, now if the shaking of hands, was customary. I decided to play it by ear.

I obtained eye contact with a rotund man dressed in a red suit/uniform. This is too stupid to be happening. A red suit on a rotund man? All I needed was the white beard and jingle bells. Give me a break!

"I'm Doctor Powers," he said standing his ground. "What can I do for you?"

He didn't extend a hand, and neither did I.

I went into the scenario with him, as I did the orange suits. I ended with,

"May I see them, now please?"

Everyone here seemed to be robotic, so matter of fact, as if they were all sufferers of Tunnel Vision. Well I can play that game, too. No more pleasantries like 'please' and 'thank you'. Bing, bing, bing, one, two, three. Give me, now, quickly, chop-chop. It's my turn to be the ass hole.

Doctor Powers started to read me the riot act about the do's and don'ts of P.I.R., and that patients under medication were not reliable, blah, blah, blah, etc. I've never heard such a long line of bullshit. I re-stated my position and was, more or less, emphatic that the doctor check his records to see just how much medication I would have to deal with, in talking with the elder Mitchell and Turner. Damn, I was beginning to like this act of coming on as the 'heavy'. I hoped that I wasn't pushing my luck just a little too much. The roley-poley, Doctor Powers, looked at me hard, up and down. Then he said, changing the pitch of his voice from normal to below normal and trailing off,

"This way, Citizen."

I could tell that the good doctor was not happy about the task. Ha! He'll get over it.

As we walked along a hallway toward Jason's and Ryan's father's room, Doctor Powers began to engage in small talk about something that had happened with the security system. My feeling was, that he was trying to cover up for his abrasive disposition earlier. Quite frankly, I didn't give a damn about his problems. On top of that, he spoke as if he had no education at all. From my observation, I don't know how he got Doctor attached to his name. I tuned him out and began to observe more scanning and stun beam devices along the hallway. I took mental note as to their location.

Robert Mitchell and Nelson Turner were roommates. They were in a room that resembled a dormitory room at a college. Two beds, two book cases, two closet, the whole nine yards. Each appeared to be about in their mid thirties. They were both lying down on their beds, in their bright green uniforms, propped up and talking to one another when the doctor and I stepped in. Doctor Powers greeted them pleasantly (a surprise to me) and explained my presence. Then he turned to me saying,

"Do you want me to stay here while you talk, just in case…"

I cut him off sharply. Hell no, I didn't want this dork privy to my situation.

"No Doctor," I said. "I don't foresee any trouble."

I knew there would be monitors all over the room, anyway. I couldn't do anything there. I needed to get them outside in the open, away from the sensors.

"It's such a beautiful day outside, why don't I walk around in the fresh air with them and talk?"

The doctor twisted and turned on his feet, then looked at me, then looked at the two occupants of the room, then looked back at me.

"You are, who you say you are, Citizen Baudot?

"YES!" Who the hell else would I be?

"Ok, ok, go," he said. "I'll send security for you when I need for them to come in."

The doctor left to go back up the hall, and I watched him until he was out of sight. I introduced myself again and assured them I was here to help their kids. I made up a story on the fly, for the benefit of any hidden microphones, while I was in the room. I told them about how Jason and Ryan were disruptive in class, etc. Both of them had a strange look on their face. Did I confuse them, talking about their sons? They seemed to accept it, so I continued. I wonder if that part of their life had been somehow erased from their memory? They may only be slightly aware that they had sons, now. Even then it must not have been too clear.

"How about taking a walk with me in the sunshine and fresh air, Citizens?" I said pointing out the window.

Both Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Turner agreed. I say mister, because they are due the respect. Although, they are a bit younger than I, they have had kids and are fathers.

We walked out of a door that was about twenty feet [6 m] down the hall. It led to a grass covered courtyard with stone benches around its perimeter. We struck out for a bench somewhere in the middle of the area. As we walked, I sounded the guys out. I needed to find out if they were flakes, as their records indicated, or were they faking it. I wanted to believe the latter. I thought I would try a little word association on them. I started talking about the scanning system. They didn't respond much. The stun beams triggered a response. Did they know why they were here at P.I.R.? They tried to start a revolution in 2086. With that response, I knew I had an in with them.

"Tell me about it," I said.

Jason's and Ryan's father went into the finite detail with dates and times. By the time Jason and Ryan were six years old, they had stockpiled books that had been marked for burning. These books told of war and revolution, guns and weaponry, military strategy, and these books were old. Nelson's and Robert's main occupation, at that time, was contracting. They were told to go into old buildings and prepare them for renovation or destruction. They had gone into several houses in the southern area of the city to prepare them for demolition, and began to look to be sure the house was completely empty. In the attic of some of these house, they found the books. The books had been ordered for destruction over fifty years prior. They took the books and hid them. They had access to explosives, they wanted to take their history back, and so, the rest was history.

"How did you get caught?" I asked.

"We planted explosives in an official building," Nelson said. "One of the men we had with us, was scanned by a scanner we didn't detect. They caught him and forced him to talk, then they killed him. That was in 2084. Two years later, someone we lived with in our quarters, were moved out, and we were arrested. We've been here ever since."

"Certainly," I said, "they keep you under medication so you won't try this again, don't they?"

"Yes, sometimes," Robert said, "but most of it is in pill form, so we palm them. Then we pretend to be under the influence."

It was too late. Some of the drugs got through to the frontal lobe, I believe. Nelson was too vague about 'someone we lived with'. Jason and Ryan were just fading memories. I could see where Ryan got his tenacity, however from this duo.

"Have you ever thought about walking out here one day, and keep on going?"

Nelson and Robert just looked at one another, then back at me. Hmmm.

"What happened to your wives?" I asked.

"Wives?" I don't understand.

Shit… they had kids. They should know what a wife is.

"The woman that bore your children," I said.

"He must be talking about that registration rule thing, Nelson," Robert said.

"Have you forgotten?" Nelson said looking at me. "Didn't you get your orders?"

"Not yet," I said, following along. "Orders for what?"

"The orphanage!" he said excitedly. "The orphanage. They select a group of men to become fathers. You have to report for an operation. Then you go home and wait. Nine months later, they present you with a baby."

"Well, then there is a mother," I said.

"Yes, of course there is," Robert interjected. "That's the way it works, you know."

"Yes, yes," I said chuckling. "I was just testing you two. I wanted to see if you were under the influence. So, you've had your time there, then?"

They could only reply with, after looking at each other,

"I think we have."

I lied about the little test and almost trapped myself, here. However the ruse worked. I got the information I needed. Now was the time to plan. Interesting. The 2090 civilization has a Surrogate Mother Program. The 'operation' took male sperm from the 'draftees' and planted it into a selected 'Breeders', but not before it is altered to produce males. Maybe a few get through to become females, for Breeders. Hmmm, no wonder these people knew so little about the joys of sex or just plain fucking. I wonder if they practiced the fine art of masturbation? Probably not. What a shame, too? Oh well, I had the feeling that would change.

"Nelson, Robert, look at me," I said. "Where are your friends that helped you four years ago? Are they here in town? Are they here at P.I.R.? Are they dead?"

"Two are dead," Nelson said, "and another is here, and then there's uh, Russell… Russell…"

"Winner," Robert said. "Russell's downtown at the scanner place, er..ah… Mountcastle Main. He never got caught. Our friend died before he could tell them about Russ. I'm glad too. He is so young. He deserved a chance."

I had over stayed my welcome here. When I had walked down the hall with Doctor Powers, I felt that the independent scanners along the way, were working. Feeding their signal to some central computer somewhere. Then again, maybe not. I hope they were tied to the master control at Orange Suit's desk, and that, in a fit of anger, Orange Suit shut the whole system down to call maintenance.

"Hang tight, Robert. Hang tight, Nelson," I said, putting my arms on their shoulders. "Get to your friend, here. Do whatever you have to do and sober him up. We all have to have another meeting like this one, out here, on the grass."

Then I followed with a wink, and, "Understand?"

I saw a spark of high spiritedness in their eyes. My only hope is that I didn't tip my hand too soon. For all I know, Nelson and Robert were castrated, spying, robots like the others.

Robert observed an Orange Suit moving in our direction. Then he sounded the alarm through clenched teeth to us. Robert pretended not to see Orange Suit and started to laugh and slap me on the shoulder as if I had told him dirty joke.

Nelson followed his lead. By that time, Orange Suit was in ear shot of us, and was not wise to the fact that Robert had made him, and quickly changed the conversation. Hmmm. I think Nelson and Robert will succeed with my endeavor to free this 2090 world from the paranoia I have seen so far. They may not be the Castrated Robots I thought them to be.

Orange Suit didn't have to say anything. He motioned with his arm for us to follow. Nelson and Robert pivoted on their heels and began to march toward their room as if they had a banana up their ass, trying to poke fun at the Orange Suit's position in life. I followed behind, but kept a straight face and walked as a professional person should.

"Ok Citizens," Orange Suit barked at them. "Straighten up."

Turning to me, he said, "Is your business finished here, Citizen?"

"I have a few last minute details to complete," I said, "and then I will return to the school.

"Ok, Citizen, Orange Suit said. "I'll give you a short while longer with them in the room, but don't let me come looking for you."

"Thank you, Citizen," I said, and thinking to myself "FUCK STICK!"

Orange Suit left us when we arrived back at the room. I made a big production, for the benefit of the monitors, about how good Jason and Ryan were, and that everything will be ok after talking with Nelson and Robert.

"Let me show you something," Nelson said. "I was looking at you for a long time while we were outside. You resemble someone I've seen before in a photograph."

What the hell. Had they been to a post office lately to look at the wanted posters? What picture?

Nelson went over to his closet and pulled a bound book down from a shelf. The book was in the shape of a photograph album. He laid it on the bed and started flipping pages, then stopped about half way through and pointed to a picture.

"That's my Great Grandfather," he said pointing to a kid in a picture.

I moved closer to get a better look… MY GOD!… It was a kid that looked like Jason. There was another kid in the picture, and he looked like Ryan. Both kids were standing, one on each side of an adult male who had his arm around both their shoulders. After closer examination, that adult was a likeness of me, standing in front of my 1990 house.

"Who is this kid?" I said pointing. "He looks like Ryan."

"It's my Great Grandfather," Robert interjected, but with a blank look on his face.

Did Ryan mean nothing to him?

"How old is this book?" I asked.

"Nelson's father had it around where they lived." Robert said. "I've seen that same picture around where I lived, too. Apparently, those two kids knew each other then, many years back."

"My father told me once, but I don't remember," Nelson said.

"I know it's at least a hundred years old."

I couldn't tell which one was more enthusiastic, Nelson or Robert.

"Who is this?" I said pointing to the likeness of myself.

"I'm not sure," Nelson said. "My father said one time, that he thought his grandfather was adopted. Maybe that's who adopted him. How about your's Robert?"

"I don't know if I ever knew," he said.

"How did you two meet? I asked. "Are you related?"

"We met on a job somewhere," Robert said. "We both earned work units from Mountcastle, but I didn't know him and he didn't know me. I don't think we are related. His father and my father came from different states."

"Yes, but you were both born here, correct?" I said.

Both men nodded their head. With the Surrogate Mother System, the possibility of these two being related, was high. Jason and Ryan could even be brothers, and not even know it.

"Well I had better leave," I said for the benefit of the hidden microphones. "I'll be back in touch to give you a progress report on Jason and Ryan. Thanks for your time."

I gave them the thumbs up sign, turned and left the room. I went back toward the lobby and the orange suits. There was a new set of orange suits at the desk. As I walked by, one of them turned and ask me to stop for a minute.

"Your name, Citizen," he said.

What the hell was this? Did I have to do this all over again? Maybe they got their scanner fixed. My reaction was so violent to my nerves, that my colon filled up with gas, which I expelled out between the cheeks of my butt. Thank goodness no one was behind me. I would have blasted them with a green cloud.

"Baudot," I said. "What's the problem?"

"Doctor Powers wants to talk with you," he said.

Whew. The scanners were still down. I wonder what Doctor Fat Ass wanted with me?

"Citizen Baudot?" Doctor Powers said. "How did your session go?"

"It went very well, Doctor," I said. "I need to follow up with them, so I can give them a progress report on their sons. I want to come back again. Do I have your permission?"

"Yes," he said. "I'll clear it with security here. Next time you are here, just walk back to their room."

One of the orange suits overheard the conversation and interjected,

"Your wrist, Citizen. We will put this into our central records when the scanners are repaired."

Orange suit scanned my wrist with a portable type recording device. I was a little apprehensive about that, but I didn't want to make a scene.

"Thanks Citizens," I said as I turned toward the front door and outside. I hope their central records didn't report downtown to Mountcastle. If it did, I was up "Shit Creek without a paddle."

I got outside and walked out to the edge of the street. I heard a noise like a high pitched buzzing sound. The noise was two short burst. I was startled, but I didn't think it was an alarm that sounded on me. I looked toward the source of the sound and spotted a red vehicle moving toward me. It pulled up in front of me and stopped.

"Well I'll be damn," I said in Barney Rubble tones. "It's Fred. Hi ya, Fred. Going my way?"

Fred open the passenger door and I got in. We went through the wrist scanning thing again and started with the small talk.

"You haven't been waiting for me all that time, have you Fred?" I asked.

"No," Fred said," but I knew that they weren't going to keep you, so I kept checking back. You had to have a way back to the school. Oh, by the way, I pick up my son in two days."

"Good for you, Fred," I said. "I hope everything goes well for you."

"Give me your wrist again, Mac. I'm so happy, I'm going to cancel your I.D. in my machine here. Your trip back to the school is on the house."

"Mighty kind of you, Fred," I said, "and the name's Charles."

"Ok, Charlie Boy," Fred said. "Let's go."

Chapter 17

"I'm back," I yelled as I walked through the old work shed door. "Jason, Ryan, where are you?"

"Up here," Ryan said.

I looked up over my head in the direction of Ryan's voice. He and Jason were walking along the rafters and among the supports. How the hell did they get up there. Better yet, why?

I looked around to see that the framework of the platform was about two feet [60 cm] below the rafters. The tarp was folded down along the control panel, covering the vital parts. They must have climbed up on that. If that's the case, I hope they didn't step on any of the vital controls and broken them. Now to the why of it.

"Uh, fellows… what the hell, over?" I said emphasizing the question with a hand gesture.

"We heard voices and those aircraft again," Jason said. "There were so many, all around us. So we climbed up here and hid in the corner behind those things. Two of them came in here and looked around,"

Jason pointed to a stack of old tires for my 1982 car. I must have had three or four sets stacked up there. I don't know what I was saving them for, but who ever owned this land, between when I should have passed on, (I'm guessing 2024) and now, must have been a pack rat like me. I seemed to never throw anything away. The former owner's must have left them alone.

"Quick thinking, kids," I said. "Thank goodness they didn't spot you. Did they look under the tarp, or fool with the platform?"

"No, Ryan said. "They only walked about half way in and went back out."

Hmmm, the footprints in the dusty floor were a dead giveaway. They should have spotted them.

"Oh well," I said, "come down for now. I have some good news for you."

Jason and Ryan walked along the wood beams over to the framework of my platform. They slid down toward the controls and then to the platform itself. I cautioned them about stepping on any of the controls. I was proud of them.

They were very careful.

I told them of my meeting with their fathers. They seemed to be pleased, yet a little apprehensive too. I told them all I knew and my observations of their actions. I think they were palming the drugs all the time. All they needed was a little outside support to encourage them.

"How does one communicate with another?" I asked. "How does that communication device in the school work?"

Jason and Ryan were confused by my question. They asked me what I was talking about. I had to explain a 1990's telephone system to them. It's strange living in this time and trying to figure it out. Some things seemed to change with the advance in technology, and some things seemed a step backwards. I automatically assumed that the telephone would change drastically, over the last hundred years. I would have thought that, by now, that there would be video phones all around. WRONG, Fish Breath. The only changes, as Jason explained, was that it was called a "COMPHONE" and you had to dial eight digits instead of seven. Oh well… so much for progress.

"We need to find someone," I said. "He's a friend of your fathers. He has something to do at Mountcastle Main. His name is Russell Winner. Ring a bell with you two?"

Jason and Ryan shook their heads negatively. I had thought not, so I retrieved the map to locate Mountcastle Main.

As I sat there studying the map, Jason sat down beside putting his arm around my waist. Ryan dug down into his gym bag and pulled out the box of finger cots.

"Charles," he said. "What are these?"

I smiled and looked him straight in the eye. Ryan's expression was priceless. It was the genuine look of an eagerness to learn. The finger cots were foreign to our mission. The clothes, he could understand. The personal hygiene items, he could understand, and even the body lotion, but the rubber finger cots?

"They are called finger cots," I said. "They are going to be an important part of your education while you are with me. Pull one out and look at it."

Ryan pulled one out of the box. He stretched it out and rolled it up, then tried to blow it up like a balloon. He tossed one to Jason. Both boys marvelled over the texture of the item.

"Put one on your finger," I suggested. "Think about what you see."

Ryan put a finger cot on his right index finger. It was loose fitting. He looked at me as if to say "SO."

I wanted to get naked, then. I wanted to have them do the same and go out into the water hole. It was hot in the shed, but I didn't dare go out again in daylight, in case the aircraft came back. Particularly, since I have exposed my fake digital code to the taxi driver and P.I.R. There had been time, now, for anyone to send it to the Mountcastle Main.

"Remember our experiences, Jason, Ryan?" I said making eye contact with each. "Using the body lotion?"

Jason squeezed me harder around the waist. Ryan had that glimmer of recollection.

"Well," I continued. "I need to have you experience something new. It's so wonderful, that each of you will want to respect each other's privacy and work, one at a time, with me. Then, after you get used to it, we can all be together."

"What is it?" Jason asked.

"For our safety," I said, we should wait until dark, so we can use the water hole without anyone seeing us. For now, let's get on the platform, take our clothes off, and rest.

To my surprise, Jason and Ryan took all of their clothes off and laid down on top of their sleeping bags. Jason was sporting a semi-erection, so he turned away from me briefly, exposing a full view of his little, cute, hiney. Jason hadn't been shy before, so why now? Maybe it was that he had become aware of himself.

"That's ok Jason," I said. "Remember, roll with the flow. From now on, your hard penis is going to be natural to you. Ryan and I will have one, from time to time."

"Charles," Ryan said. "Jase and I have been together for almost four years. I won't do anything behind his back, and he won't do anything behind mine."

"What are you trying to tell me, Ryan?" I asked.

"You said that we would want to experience something with you in private, first." Ryan continued. "We've always done things together. So if what you show me, will you show Jason?"

"Yes Ryan," I said. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I thought that since this would be your first intimate experience, you would like it to be a little private. I love you two, equally. I would not pit the two of you against each other."

I finished taking my clothes off and laid down on my sleeping bag. I reached out to my left and touched Jason's butt with a little pat. I reached out to my right and squeezed Ryan's hand, saying, "Whatever you kids want, I'll do."

My shaft got rock hard just thinking about the situation. That was, allowing one or the other boy to place his hard shaft into my anal cavity, pump me with all his might until his Life Force pulse out the end of his penis into the finger cot. Then to allow the other boy to watch and learn.

Since this was summer, sunset was late in the evening. I had slept a few hours, then awoke. I started to wish the time away until dark, looking over at naked Jason and naked Ryan. Both boys were still asleep. Jason had turned back over onto his back. Ryan had not appeared to have moved. I looked down at their pelvic area. Both boys' penis had returned to normal size and was laying flat against their abdomen. My penis had returned to normal too, but it began to rise again while I stared at the two naked boys. I sat up and leaned over to kiss Ryan on the forehead, then did the same to Jason. Jason stirred and opened his eyes. He blinked a few times, then looked up at me.

"Hello my friend," I said. "Have a good nap?"

"Yeeeeah," Jason said yawning.

I bent down and kissed him on the lips. I laid my hand on his abdomen and slid it down to his little penis. I encased his genitals in my hand and maneuvered his little shaft between my thumb and forefinger. Jason let out a little whimper, tensed, and then relaxed. He reached up and pulled me down hard against him. Then he inched his tongue through to my oral cavity and explored it.

"Yuk." I had not yet brushed my teeth for the day and neither had Jason. When we start our educational session, I would have to make that the first priority. "Uug." Butt breath. I ignored the fact and rose above it. I continued to accept Jason's tongue in my mouth, as I moved his little penis around between my fingers. I could feel Jason's blood pulsing into the tissues of his little love muscle. Jason was getting hard.

I began to work Jason's little shaft until it was extremely stiff. Jason was breathing hard through his nostrils. I knew he was almost ready to spray his Life Force out onto his abdomen. I continued to stroke his little, hard, shaft, stretching the foreskin up and down across the very tip of his penis, heightening his senses.

I didn't want this to happen. I had not planned this at all. It was spontaneous and just happened. He pulled me to him. He forced his tongue into my oral cavity. However, since it had started, I wanted to complete this affirmation of our love, Jason and I, so I continued to stroke his little, hard, penis. Jason's breathing pattern was getting shallow. His pulse was rapid. Then he let out a little whimper and I felt his penis pulse, hard, twice. Jason's Life Force pulsed out into my hand and onto his abdomen. I broke the trance and gently eased Jason's tongue back into his mouth, then pulled away, still holding on to his little shaft. I sat there smiling down at Jason, not saying a word. He looked up at me, smiling too. After a few minutes, I kissed him on the forehead, got up to find a towel. I found one and handed it to Jason, then said to him,

"You might want to clean up a little, my friend. I love you kid."

Jason probably had not heard the term 'love' before, but after our little display of passion, 'love' would be easier to explain to him. Ryan was still asleep. He had slept through all the commotion and hadn't stirred, but it was time to wake him up.

I shook the sleeping bag gently, saying, "Wake up my friend. It's getting dark. We need to go over to the school. I want to contact Russell Winner. I think he can help us."

Ryan stretched his little slender body and yawned and I leaned over to kissed him. He smiled and returned the kiss on my lips. My mind instantly recalled an identical scene with Jason. I almost repeated the situation. No! No! It's not the time for it. I wanted to get on with my plan. The year 2090 was going to be the year of revolution. I broke away from the kiss and said, "Thanks, my friend. Love ya buddy.

Ryan just smiled up at me. He was also to be a recipient of the knowledge of 'love'.

Chapter 18

Every minute I spend here in this year 2090, increases my chance of getting caught. From what I've seen, I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life at P.I.R. or dead. I was putting Jason and Ryan at risk too. They were independent entities before I happened into their life. Now there is the possibility I may ruin their chances. I sat them down to explain the situation, but they chose to remain with me, God love em.

As many times as we have broken into the school, one would think someone would get wise to that fact. There was missing medical inventory, missing keys, a missing map, and how about my fingerprints? Hmmm. If they checked them and found out they were from a 146 year old man, damn wouldn't that mess with 'their' mind? 'they' couldn't be that dense.

I made Jason and Ryan aware of this, so we were extra careful about alarms and stun beams.

Ryan led the way into the building and Jason made the smart ass remark about the low hanging wooden beam. I sort of enjoyed the exchange and let them get away with it, because it gave the boys confidence in themselves as they progressed down life's highway.

We went into the office again and logged on to the computer system again. This time I typed in "MOUNTCASTLE MAIN." The screen filled with data about Mountcastle Main's location, etc. I ripped another piece of paper from the printer and wrote the address down. There didn't seem to be any other useful data there. Then I typed in "WINNER". The screen filled with his data file. Mr. Winner's address, communication number, (Ryan pointed out) physical characteristics, and his date to report to the orphanage under the surrogate mother system. Perfect. That was to be in two days. I had the perfect ruse to go see him. I was going to pass myself off as some form of clerk checking on the accuracy of his data. I didn't dare start up the printer, so I wrote it all down in longhand. Then, Ryan worked me through the operation of the telephone, as if I needed a refresher course.

I rehearsed my little speech, lifted the handset, and dialed Citizen Russell Winner.

"Citizen Winner?" I asked when the ringing tone stopped. "I am Citizen Baudot. I represent Henry School and Orphanage. I would like to meet with you at Mountcastle and verify our records for your duty requirements in two days."

From his data file off the computer, Russell Winner was listed as "Key Personnel." That meant his communication device was monitored, to me. I had to be careful. We agreed to meet around the noon time hour at the Mountcastle building, then walk to a nearby park. I had no idea what Russell looked like. What color uniform would he have. Maybe the computer file has his likeness stored somewhere. It was worth a try to look again. I spent a few more minutes with the computer and found a picture file. I typed in "Winner, Russell" to see what would happen. The screen blinked out for a second, then displayed a likeness of Citizen Winner, plus a synopsis of the data I had seen previously. Oh my God. He was a double for my 1990 friend, Jimmy Anderson. This was too much of a coincidence. For my own sanity, it would behoove me to get back to 1990 as soon as possible. I wondered if I has a double in this time. Would ever I meet him? I didn't want to even think about it.

Jason, Ryan and I checked around to see that everything was in place, then worked ourselves back through the walls and back to the old shed. Since Russell had mentioned time, it dawned on me that I had no concept of time while I was here in 2090. I went over to the platform and pulled back the tarp over the controls. The kids were curious and watched my every move. I pushed a small button on the control panel. A digital display lit up with the numbers 08-18-2090 / 22:15:45 hours. DAMN! I had been fucking around for eight days. Come to think of it, I've been missing in 1990 for eight days. I had told no one of my plans, not even Jimmy. This was to be just a weekend trip. Ha! I didn't anticipate finding these kids and falling in love with them. I began to get that clammy feeling that something was about to happen I wouldn't like. I had to get on with the show. I set an alarm function on the clock to sound in time for me to make my appointment at Mountcastle Main. I turned to the boys and asked for their input on my plan. We took our clothes off to cool down in the August heat, then sat down on top of our sleeping bags and talked for about two hours more. It was Jason that broke the tension when he changed the subject.

"Hey Ryan," he said winking at him. "Come outside with me will ya."

Naked Jason and Naked Ryan got up to go outside and disappeared beyond the light range of Jason's lantern. I didn't protest. I just sat there continuing to think about my plan of attack. My train of thought was interrupted by the sound of pee hitting the rock behind the shed. When the sound stopped, Ryan was first to return through the door. There, through the dark distance to the platform from the door, Ryan said, "Jason said I was to be first to experience with you."

"Experience with me?" I said.

"With those finger cots you told us about," he said.

"Come here, my friend," I said. "Now is the time.

I got up to get the container of body lotion and finger cots, then went back to my sleeping bag and laid down. Ryan sat down beside me. I reached out and guided him down on top of me. I kissed him hard on the lips and rested my hand on his little, cute, hiney, with my finger deep in his crevasse.

I asked Ryan to hold on for a minute, while I put body lotion all over our bodies. I paid attention to his little hardening shaft until it was as stiff as possible. From time to time, I would brush across his anus to facilitate the event. I reached over to pull out a finger cot from the box. I rolled it out full and started to put it on Ryan's penis. Ryan jumped a little and pulled back. I kissed him and told him to relax. Ryan then allowed me to put the finger cot on his little, hard, uncut, penis. It was a perfect fit. I couldn't believe it. Ryan was hard and fully extended. The tip of his penis filled the end of the finger cot nicely. I kissed him again.

"What's that do?" he asked.

"It's for our protection, Ryan." I explained "Trust me."

I turned over and laid down on my front.

"Ok, Ryan." I said. "Lie down on top of me, face down."

As Ryan mounted me, I reached back to my crevasse and pulled it open slightly, so that Ryan could lay his little hard shaft along it. Ryan laid flat on top of me, then kissed me.

"Lift your butt up just a little, Ryan," I said, "and follow my lead."

I reached down behind me and maneuvered Ryan's little shaft down slightly, until the tip touched the outer rim of my anus. I could feel the walls of my rectum open to accept the intruder.

"Now Ryan," I said. "Lower your butt gently. Allow your little hard shaft to go into my anal cavity."

Ryan's breathing pattern changed as I guided his little shaft into my anal cavity. The walls of my anus closed tight around Ryan's shaft. The mere presence of it there, gave me a good feeling, all over. I removed my hand from the junction of our bodies and stretched and strained until I could comfortably place it on Ryan's firm, round, little, butt. I placed my middle finger along his deep crevasse and forced it down until I touched his little anus. With the application of a slight pressure, half my middle finger disappeared into Ryan's sensitive anal cavity. Ryan jumped upon its initial entrance, but he got used to it. He reached out and squeezed my arms, then kissed me.

"How do you feel, friend?" I asked.

"I'm tingling all over," he said. "It feels good.

Every nerve I had was tingling and I felt good, too. The next education was about to begin, dear Ryan, oh lovely, little, Ryan.

"Remember how you sort of pumped on me the other night, outside? Try to do that again."

I could feel Ryan put pressure on his lower torso, lifting his pelvic area up and pulling his little shaft with it. Then he lowered his abdomen back to its original position. I could feel his little shaft rubbing the walls of my rectum. My breathing was getting faster and my nerves were screaming. I gave Ryan an instruction.

"You're doing fine, my friend. Continue to do that until you feel you have to go faster, then do. In and out, that's it carefully, in and out."

My finger was in concert with Ryan's rhythm. I was slowly pulling my finger in and out of his anal cavity with each up and down stroke of Ryan's little, hard, so firmly packed, penis, that was in my wanting anal cavity.

Ryan's breathing began to get faster. Each stroke of his penis into me, was with more force. I could feel his pulsing heartbeat on my back and in his shaft.

"Let it flow, Ryan," I said. "Let it flow. It's ok. Roll with it."

Ryan was ready. I could feel his little penis pulse once, then twice, and then again. Ryan's Life Force was released into the finger cot. My senses were in concert with our rhythm. The instant I felt the first pulse, my Life Force pulsed out onto the sleeping bag below me. Ryan stopped pumping me and just went flat against me, letting out a gasp of air. His heart was still racing and he was still breathing hard. I didn't say a word, then finally, he did.

"That was good. I liked that. Does what we did have a name?"

"Yes," I said, "It does. However, I hesitate to tell you, because the sound of the word in no way describes the beautiful act."

"Please?" Ryan said. "Please?"

"Let's get out of this position, then I'll tell you." I responded.

Ryan gently pulled his little, hard, shaft out of my anal cavity and rolled over to my right. I turned to face him, kissed him on the lips and began to gently pull the finger cot from around his cute, little shaft.

"If you must know," I said, "it's referred to as fucking. Sounds horrible, doesn't it?"

"Why's it called that?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know," I said. "The word is older than you and me, put together. It's been used to describe this beautiful expression of our love for one another, long before I was born."

"Well I don't care," he said. "I like fucking. Can we do it again?"

"Let's rest a few minutes and cool down. You need to build up more of your Life Force before you go again. Also, you may want to wash off first in the water hole. Besides, Jason is out there all by himself.

"No he's not," a voice out of the dark said. "He's right here watching over you."

The sound of his voice startled me, as if I had been caught doing something wrong. I was a little embarrassed, but Ryan laughed and so did Jason. Ryan stood up and went out the door toward the water hole. Jason came up on the platform and sat down beside me. My Life Force was all over my sleeping bag, so I grabbed a towel to wipe it up. I looked over at Jason, pulled him toward me, and kissed him.

"What did you think?" I asked.

Jason didn't say a word. Somehow, I knew what he thought. He threw his arms around me and held me tight. He pulled me down like an old rag doll. We stretched out, face to face, and kissed passionately. Jason was ready to emulate his friend and confidant, Ryan. Our respective penis's were taut and sensitive to the touch. I reached for the body lotion and replenished the supply in my crevasse, then I applied it to all of Jason's strategic areas. I started to put a finger cot on his slender shaft, but then he said, "Here, let me do it."

"You're the boss," I said, handing the finger cot to him.

Jason placed the finger cot on his shaft like a pro. He was a fast learner. In fact, I didn't have to say any more at all. Jason directed my every move, up to, and including the last one, when the last drop of Jason's Life Force pulsed out the end of his little, hard, uncut, shaft. Afterwards, we faced each other and I replaced my finger in Jason's anus. I drew him closer to kiss him hard and passionately. We stayed in that position, for what seemed like forever, then reluctantly stood up and went outside to the water hole. Ryan was already in the water. I could hear him splashing around. As we approached the edge of the hole, Ryan said, "What do ya think, Jase?"

"I like this fucking," Jason said turning to me. "I like it a lot. Can we do this again?"

Echo, echo. Where had I heard the question before?

"Well kids," I said, "the old master is tired. We'll do this again tomorrow night. I need my rest so I can be alert at my meeting with Russell Winner. We're going to be doing things around here at a pretty fast pace, soon. We will need all the energy we can get."

With that, I plunged into and under the water, then re-emerged on the surface. I pulled Jason and Ryan close to me and kissed them individually, saying,

"Love ya kids. I love you. Let's go up and get some sleep."

Chapter 19

My subconscious mind had taken over while I was asleep. I have never been able to remember dreams for any length of time, but this was the last one before I was so rudely awakened by the alarm. The dream consisted of several disjointed scenarios involving Jason and Ryan, but one stood out significantly. It involved Jason's and Ryan's father, Russell Winner, and someone that always appeared in the background. Someone I really couldn't see, but someone who presented an air of mystery, someone I should steer clear of until I knew more. In addition to all of this, the sound of the alarm had worked its way into my dream, making me more apprehensive.

Funny thing about dreams. Every scenario can not be taken literally. One has to interpret the message of each. I think, from this lesson, I should be looking over my shoulder. There was either an unknown danger, or there was a third person that could be of immense help. Jason and Ryan were my first concern. The word caution may not have been too significant eight days ago, but it is now. I have to complete my mission and get the hell out of here.

I became conscious shortly. I stretched and groaned and grunted. Light was pouring in through the holes in the roof and the alarm was still sounding. Had I something to throw, I would have hurled it at the alarm, but I didn't have anything close at hand.

"Oh shut the fuck up," I shouted at the control panel. "G-Damn."

Naked Jason had snuggled up close to me, but had slept through the noise. Naked Ryan had too. When I moved to get up and stop the alarm, I moved Jason slightly with me. I saw him open his eyes and stir. I raised up on my haunches and reached over to silence the alarm. Damn, finally, peace and tranquility. The alarm was silent. Jason was stretching and grunting and yawning. I looked at his cute, naked, body, and his yawning face. "Stop it, Jason," I thought to myself while I yawned too.

Ryan had fallen asleep on his back. His right hand was encased around his genitals. His soft little shaft stuck out loosely through the valley between his thumb and forefinger. His left hand was lying to his side with the fingers extended in toward his crevasse. He was so peaceful, that I didn't want to wake him up, but I had too. I can't believe Ryan had slept through the alarm sound. I twisted around and kissed him on the forehead and shaking his sleeping bag at the same time.

"Wake up my beautiful friend," I said. "Wake up. We need to get going. Get dressed. Jason. You too, my friend. Time is of the essence."

While I was stumbling around to get into my clothes, Jason and Ryan were getting dressed themselves. I looked around in Ryan's gym bag for something to shave with and proceeded to do so. The kids didn't shave, so it was no reason to think about such things, but Ryan seemed to think of everything when it came to our supplies.

I stood under a large shaft of light streaming through a hole in the roof. Jason had been the first to complete dressing, so I beckoned him over.

"Look at my clothes," I said. "See if there are any dirty spots on it. I don't want to look like a bum when I get in town."

Jason looked all around me. Then he said, "Here's one. I'll see if I can brush it off. What's a bum?"

He brushed a spot located on my right butt cheek and stopped. Then he pushes his finger into my crevasse and sort of gooses me. I was not expecting him to do that, but I don't get mad, I get even. I felt a bubble of gas build up in my colon. I released the tension on my anal cavity muscles and forced the gas out through my rectum and loose butt cheeks. "Baraaaap." Jason backed off and started to giggle so hard, I thought he would pass out. I could hear Ryan doing his tee hee's too. I turned and grabbed Jason, pulling him into me. I gave him a knuckle rub on the top of his head and called him a little monkey. Through my spells of laughter, I said.

"Bum? Bum? I'll show you bum."

I had to get going, so I cautioned the kids about the aircraft and anybody that might snoop around this old shed. There have been too many times, since I've been here, that something to question our security has happened. I didn't like it. Other encounters with the people of this world, have been too smooth. It brought the hair up on the back of my neck just to think about it.

I cautiously looked out the door of the old shed, then sprinted across the open field to the spillway. I followed along the spillway to the back of the school and 34th Street. I hugged the building and walked out to the corner as before. Look for a RED Magnecraft. I spotted one and flagged it down. Shit, it was Fred again.

"Fred," I said as he opened the door. "I thought you were going to pick up your son today."

"That's tomorrow," he said. "Get in Charlie Boy… Your wrist, sir."

Oh yes, let's not forget the wrist. Fred scanned my wrist with the light pen device and I heard the familiar registration beep. I waited for the double beep. Fred stayed in his position for a long time, it seemed. No two beeps. God. Had my number been flagged? I started to reach for the opening device on the passenger side door and jump out, then 'Beep-Beep' sounded from under the control panel. Whew! Thank goodness. Fred moved out into traffic and said, "Where to, Mac?"

I think my underpants had been sucked up into my anal cavity. Damn that was a close one. Fred had looked over at me, once. Had he seen the beads of sweat pouring off my brow, or tension of my face?

"Sure is warm here today," said Fred.

"Yeah, yeah, sure is," I said. "What's with the two beeps there, Fred?"

"Two beeps?" he said. "Two beeps? Oh! That tells me I can pull out in traffic. Old Mountcastle monitors all the traffic patterns in the city. When it's room enough to pull out, then 'they' send an 'ok' for us. Otherwise, we'd be crahin' in ta each other, Charlie Boy."

Why is ole' Fred leading me on this way. His answer sounded logical, but I didn't get the vibration he was telling me the truth. He has to know my number isn't logged in at Mountcastle by now. He is really bothering me, with that constant square-jaw smile and that cross-eye, George Jetson look, at me. Something just wasn't clicking here about ole' George, who is called Fred. Something just isn't right.

"Where did ya say again, Charlie Boy?"

G-Damn that "Charlie Boy."

"900 East Broad Street." I said, as if I was oblivious to any danger.

Fred guided the RED Magnecraft down to the next corner, turned, and doubled back in the opposite direction towards the center of town. I hardly said a word and just sat back to observe the changes that had taken place since 1990. Fred talked most all the way about picking up his son tomorrow, and some sports figure that had a great game. I didn't know who he was talking about, so I just went along with him, with a couple of "uh hun's" here and there. We arrived at 900 East Broad and Fred opened the door for me to get out.

"Need yer wrist again, Charlie Boy," he said handing me a small card. "If you need me again, take my card here. Call the number on the back."

"Thanks Fred," I said extending my left wrist. "I'll remember that."

Where the hell was I going to put his card, up my ass? These uniforms didn't have any pockets in them. The front of the card was printed with Fred's name and "Magnecraft Transport, Day or Night." On the back, was an eight digit number. I thought a minute, then slipped it down into one of my boots. Fred's action with the card, had a message. Why would he give me his card like that?

As I got out, I had looked at Fred's clock. I was about five minutes early. By the time I found the entrance to the building and got an Orange Suit to call Russell, it would be the noon time hour.

I walked into the building and looked around the lobby. It didn't take long before ole' Orange Suit was scrambling to find out what I wanted.

"Yes, Citizen?"

"I have an appointment with Russell Winner," I said in an assertive manner.

I looked him straight in the eye. It got him so flustered, that he forgot to move me closer to the focus point of the scanner. His partner touched a button on a panel, turned to me, and said, "Citizen Winner is on his way."

I wonder if he would remember to move the scanner on me. I didn't get a chance to find out. Russell Winner stepped out of a doorway and called my name.

"Citizen Baudot?" he said. "Can we walk and talk? Something has come up and I don't have too much time. Come, let's go across to the park."

Russell Winner placed his hand on my left shoulder, over my scan number, and guided me out the front door. Russell was a 2090 duplicate of my 1990 friend, Jimmy Anderson. He was in a bright blue uniform with no markings, other than the white scan lines that were on the front. I almost laughed. I had never seen Jimmy in anything tight, much less a form-fitting uniform. Russell's attributes were showing through in the front. I hoped that I could, somehow, fall behind to check out his rear echelon. I would at least know what Jimmy looked like under his clothes. Anyway, each situation that called me to interface with the people of this 2090 world, was becoming more bizarre. Every where I went, there seemed to be 1990 look alike's. I walked with Russell and listened to his re-cap of the statistics I had called him about, last night.

"Russell… Russell." I said. "Slow down. Let's sit down on that bench over there."

We got to the bench and sat down. I continued,

"I have seen Nelson and Robert."

Russell stopped talking and looked at me straight on. It took him back, and he had a deadpan look on his face.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"You know very well what I am talking about," I said. "I need your help. Where are the explosives? You have some stored. Nelson and Robert told me the whole story."

"Who are you?" Russell asked. "Are you Mountcastle C.I.B.?"

"If I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me," I said. Time is of the essence. I need those explosives NOW, Russell. I'm going to free Nelson and Robert. Look around you man. This is no life for the people in this time. You led the fight once, you can do it again. Trust me."

Russell looked at me again, but with a look of wanting to trust me. He wasn't sure. I could see the pupils in his eyes change. He began to flutter his eyelids. The wheels were turing in his head. Then he stood up.

"I don't know who you are," he said, pointing, "but I'm going into that building and get C.I.B."

He was testing me. He wasn't going anywhere. Russ seemed a little emotionally unstable. He was almost in tears. I had to be careful.

"Sit down RUSS." I said, firmly. "Listen to me."

He wasn't called Russ. Only Robert Mitchell called him that. Russell took one step back, swallowed hard, and sat down.

"Speak to me," he said.

I explained every event leading up to now. I left out some details about my location and the school/orphanage. I had to protect Jason and Ryan.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Russell said.

"Dead serious," I replied. "Dead serious."

Russell Winner and I sat and talked more. He asked me every question he could think of. I answered them on a need to know basis. Finally, after much soul searching, Russell broke down and cried. He confided in me that he had this on his mind for a long time. It was a relief that he could bear it all to me and get it off his chest. I could see all the scanners around the park focus on us. I tried to conceal myself behind Russ, hoping to cause the scanner(s) to mis-read. After I calmed him down, we agreed to cooperate and meet with me at the kids school and orphanage after dark tonight.

"Where, Russ?" I said. "I can't exactly walk around there in the open."

"I know of the false walls in that school, too. I explored them as your friends did, years ago as a kid. Are you familiar with the Principal's office? He has a supply room that accesses the vent system. Meet me there."

Russell wasn't much older than a kid now, it seemed to me, anyway. I didn't let on that I knew the system behind the walls, intimately.

"I need to get back across town," I said. "I want to use RED transportation. May I use the communication device at your office?"

Russ nodded in the affirmative, and we proceeded across the street to Mountcastle Main. It was a life of death situation for both of us. Had the scanners caught me with Russell? I had heard no alarms or sirens, yet.

Russell Winner and I walked into the front door of Mountcastle Main, past ole' Orange Suit, and into Russ's office. So far, so good. Both Orange Suits gave me a funny look as I walked by, but I didn't return the stare. Not on a bet, did I return the stare.

"There is the Comphone," Russell said.

Russell got my attention and mouthed to me, silently, that it was monitored. I took the cue and thought carefully. I reached down into my boot for Fred's card, then called the number on the back.

"Fred." I heard the voice on the other end say.

I remained very formal and went through the standard script as to who I was, where I was, etc.

"I'm two minutes away," said Fred.

I would sweat bullets for two minutes, so to cover up, I put on a little show for the hidden cameras.

"Thank you Citizen Winner for your information," I said. "We will see you in two days."

I had never seen anyone here shake hands, so I didn't break tradition. I walked out of Russ's office past the orange suits, and out through the front doors of Mountcastle Main, to freedom.

"Beep-Beep" was the familiar alert sound of Fred's magnecraft and not a minute too soon. If he hadn't been there on time, my nerves would have shot me there on the spot. Paranoid. Who me?

This time I was ready for Freddie. I put my left wrist out before he said anything.

"Good man," Fred said. "Where to?"

"P.I.R.," I said. "I won't be long there at all. Can you wait for me? Put it on my account."

On account "I ain't got nuttin'" I thought to myself.

Fred chuckled at that and said, "I haven't heard that one in years. That's a good one… Put it on my account… Ha. Ha… Sure, I'll wait. Not to worry."

Hmmm. Why am I worried? I didn't want to resort to violence. I sort of liked ole' Freddie, in a brotherly sort of way. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but this was a matter of my survival, and that of Jason's and Ryan's. If push came to shove, ole' Freddie wouldn't know what had hit him. With hope, it wouldn't come to that.

I got out of the magnecraft and walked into the front door of P.I.R. like I owned the place. Orange Suit, the lazy one, looked up from his position at the console as I passed him without saying boo to him. I could hear him scramble for the controls to move the scanner on me, but it was too late. I had gotten out of view. I feared the other scanners down the hall would pick me up, so I pulled an old Navy trick. I zig-zaged down the hall until I got to Nelson's and Robert's room. Nelson was sitting at his desk, Robert was washing his hands in the vanity between their closets.

"Hey, folks," I said. "I have a progress report on your sons. Let's walk outside."

We walked out into the courtyard far enough away from the building to feel secure, then I began to tell them what was going on.

"I can only stay a short while, guys," I said, pointing. "Tonight, most probably after midnight, that wall will have a big hole in it. Be ready to jump through it. I have faith in you, that you will bring this hold 'they' have over you, down. Take back your lives. You can do it. You started it a long time ago, now finish it."

With that, I walked them back to their room and said my good bye's. As I walked back into the hallway, I could hear gears grinding. I began to zig-zag again, mechanically driving the scanners crazy. I waved at Orange Suit as I passed his desk again. He had one finger up in the air and his jaw half open, as if he wanted to stop me or say something, but I was too fast. Out the door I went, leaving Orange Suit with his thumb up his ass.

Freddie was waiting as I had instructed. He opened the door and I got in.

"Back to the school Fred," I said in Barney Rubble tones.

Fred stopped at 34th Street, scanned my wrist and let me out. For someone I wasn't sure of, whether he be Friend or Foe, ole' Fred sure was playing it close to his chest. This scanning business was getting on my nerves. Be that as it may, I knew what I must do.

I walked close to the building as if I was going in the side entrance, then ducked behind it. I glanced over my shoulder to look for Freddie, but he was gone. I cut across the back part of the building, down the bank and into the spillway.

When I got to the other end of the spillway, I heard the familiar sound of the aircraft, echoing down the walls of the spillway. SHIT. Them again. I stopped moving. The aircraft hovered around the end of the pipe. I could see part of a landing gear on one of the craft and it stayed there for a long time. I had flattened myself against the wall of the spillway. GOD. What was that? A red beam of some kind was moving toward me along the opposite wall. SHIT. I dared move and flattened myself down on the floor of the spillway. Finally, the aircraft pulled away and their sound subsided. G-Damn, that was close. The frequency of these fly overs is getting higher. I only hope I can outwit them long enough to get the job done and not get caught. I sprinted across the barren land to the old shed, and inside the door, looking over my shoulder every other step of the way.

Chapter 20

It was hot in the old building. The hot August sun had been beating down for hours on the multi-hole roof. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I noticed that the tarp had been replaced over the platform. Jason and Ryan were not in sight. I called to them, fearing the worst.

"Up here," Jason said.

Thank goodness for small favors. The kids were ok.

"How long have you been up there?" I asked. "It must be hot up there. Come on down."

I hope they haven't been up there too long. It was dangerous in this heat. I pulled the cover from the platform and assisted Jason and Ryan down from the rafters. I made some adjustments to one of the controls and checked all my settings plus the time. It was almost 3:00 P.M. With every setting in tolerance, I brought the power supply up to full output. A low humming noise was starting to become resonant with the frame of the platform causing it to vibrate violently at one point. I set every control, tested their integrity, and keyed them all to one, single, pressure sensitive, switch. I set the clock for August 20, 1990, and set the power supply to "STANDBY." The platform again was silent and waiting. Waiting for my command to spring into action.

"Has anyone been here today?" I asked

"Just the aircraft," Ryan said. They were shooting their stun beams at the water hole and some rocks outside. We got behind the things up there, just in case they came in here."

"How did you cover the platform?" I asked.

"Ryan went up first and I handed it to him," Jason said. Then I went up. We spread it out and dropped it down over the platform. Good, huh?"

"Damn good," I said hugging them. "You guys are tough to beat."

They may not have been used to the term of 'you guys', but they just smiled and accepted it.

My uniform was dirty from the spillway. I was dirty from the spillway. I needed to wipe my uniform off and wash in the water hole, but it was still daylight. I forgot my needs for the minute, and laid down on top of my sleeping bag to rest and think.

Jason knelt down beside me and lifted my arm up. He accessed the opening device for the uniform and pulled it down to my foot. One side of my body was free. Jason then pulled the uniform out from under me and took it completely off of me. I didn't question him. I just rolled with it. I was concentrating so much on Jason's action, that I didn't notice Ryan undressing at the same time. Jason reached for my underpants and pulled them off. Then he pulled my tee shirt off. I was lying there naked, undressed by my friend Jason. Ryan stood before me with one leg on either side of me. Ryan was naked. My penis sprang to attention and I held my arms out to beckon him down to me. Naked Ryan knelt down and flattened himself out on top of me. Hot, sweaty, me.

I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him on the lips. Ryan moved his arms and placed his hands on both sides of my face, returning the effort in this passionate love display. I moved my right hand down to Ryan's crevasse and sought his little anus with my middle finger. However, I met Jason's hand there. He was applying body lotion to Ryan's cute, little, butt. My hard shaft was beginning to pulse and I needed to hold back. I didn't want to ejaculate just yet. Jason moved his hand and placed my middle finger, gently into Ryan's anal cavity. Ryan stiffened and moaned with the delight. I parted my lips, slightly, and Ryan forced his tongue into my oral cavity to explore. He ran his tongue all around across my teeth, into the roof of my mouth, and engaged my tongue in a shoving match. I raised and lowered my middle finger in and out of Ryan's rectum. He was gyrating his pelvis on top of mine. I could feel his stiff shaft rub against mine. I felt as if I was going to emit my Life Force at any minute. I could feel Ryan's stiff penis strain with each beat of his heart. I broke from the passionate kiss. I should try something new with Ryan before I lost my Life Force in our present position.

"Stop, Ryan," I said. "Let me make it better for you. Just hold on. Give me the body lotion, Jason."

Jason gave me the container of body lotion. I put some in my hand and asked Ryan to raise his butt up slightly, then I reached between us and encased Ryan's hard shaft with my hand, spreading body lotion on it. The foreskin was stretched back. The tip of Ryan's little shaft was extended and burning with energy.

"Lift up a minute, Ryan," I said.

Ryan raised back on his knees and I reached down to apply the remainder of body lotion on my hand, to my crevasse and anus area. I rolled back on my hips and extended my feet out over my head and locked my ankles under the protective rail around my platform. My butt was slightly elevated, exposing my anus to the air for all to see. Jason gave Ryan a finger cot to put on his little shaft. When he had it in place, I said, "Now, Ryan, place your little shaft at the entrance to my rectum and follow my lead."

Ryan was kneeling and inched himself closer aligning his hard shaft up with the entrance to my anal cavity. As soon as I felt it touch my anus, the walls of my rectum opened so fast, that it almost sucked Ryan into me. I instructed him to inch forward until he was in as far as he could go.

"Uhh."

Ryan shoved with great force. I reached up and guided his upper body down against mine, chest to chest. I resumed the passionate kiss, mouth to mouth, tongue to tongue. Ryan raised and lowered his lower torso, so as to pump his hard, little, cute, shaft in and out of my anal cavity. I placed my middle finger in Ryan's anal cavity and moved it in and out in perfect rhythm. He continued to pump for a few minutes longer. His constant rubbing against my hard shaft between our bodies, made it become more sensitive than ever before. His hard shaft rubbing against my prostate gland, started the cycle. My breathing pattern became rapid. I began to see stars and my heart raced. All my nerve endings were tingling. Ryan pumped a few more times. I could feel his heart beat against the walls of my rectum, then I felt Ryan's Life Force pulse, once, twice, then a third time. Simultaneously, my Life Force pulse out the end of my hard penis, squeezed between our bodies. Ryan broke the spell and replace his tongue back into his mouth, then moved his lips apart from mine. He laid his head down on my chest, stretched his body out, pulling his hard shaft with him, out of my anal cavity. Ryan collapsed on top of me, and breathed a sigh of relief. I lowered my legs back to the floor to get comfortable. Ryan and I remained in that position for a good long time. Ryan was trembling while his nerves and heart rate returned to normal I replaced my hand on his crevasse and rubbed his little hiney until he calmed down. I spoke in low tones to Ryan, reassuring him that things were going to work out for all concerned. I may as well have been talking to a brick. Ryan had fallen asleep. I looked over at Jason, lying on his sleeping bag. He was perched up on one arm, with his head in his hand, looking over at me and smiling. I pursed my lips and blew him a kiss. Jason giggled and laid down on his back. He had loosened his uniform to release the pressure on his bulging hard shaft and sensitive scrotum. It was a wonderful thing Jason had done for his friend Ryan, letting him have his way with me. That's true friendship. I won't forget it, Jason. Your dedication to our love, and that of Ryan's, will not go unrewarded. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. I relaxed and fell asleep myself, hoping Jason will be on guard for all invaders from land, sea, and air.

Chapter 21

I woke up with a start. I must have been snoring and got too loud. When I open my eyes, Ryan was still lying naked on top of me. My middle finger was deep in his crevasse. I removed my hand and squeezed his buns, trying to revive him, speaking softly into his ear,

"Hey buddy, wake up. It's time to get going."

Jason had dozed off briefly, but stirred as I was waking Ryan.

"Hello my friend," I said. "Thanks for being on watch over us."

"I'm not much of a guard," Jason said. "I fell asleep too."

I grunted a disapproval grunt, but after all, I didn't exactly ask him to pull guard duty.

I looked up through a hole in the roof to see if it was almost dark. It was. The sun had gone down and there was only a hint of blue in the sky. Ryan had recovered from his sleep. Jason was standing and assisting Ryan to stand also.

I was still naked and dirty.

"I'm going out to wash up, kids," I said. "Care to join me?"

I looked at Ryan in the dim light. I could tell that he needed a bath also. I heard Jason remove his uniform. He probably was ready too. I turned to step off the platform, grab a towel, and head for the water hole. What a relief it was to feel the soothing water on my body. I wiped all of my dirty and sensitive parts with the towel, thinking about what had just happened between Ryan and myself, and what was in store for Jason, also. I almost got hard all over again.

I was brought back to reality, when two young, firm, naked, bodies splashed into the water beside me. We frolicked a little and I washed Ryan all over. Then I pulled them to me and kissed them, saying,

"Jason, Ryan. What I have to do tonight will be the most important thing I've ever done, since I've been here. It is very dangerous, so it's absolutely necessary that we all be together. I can't leave you here in the old shed to fend for yourselves. I would worry about you two if I was alone on this. Not knowing if you were ok, or not, would destroy the mission."

"We're with you, Charles, Jason said. Don't ever leave us, not now, not now."

"Fine," I said. "Let's get up there and get dressed. A friend is waiting for us at the school. Tomorrow is to be the first day of the rest of your life."

Chapter 22

The back of the school was dark as usual. I looked around for stun beams or scanners and saw nothing. I climbed the bank and sprinted for the casement window. No response from any security, so I signaled for Jason and Ryan.

"Pssst."

Jason and Ryan joined me at the window and we went inside. Jason being the smart ass asked again, that I watch my head.

I responded with a Bronx Cheer (forcing air through the junction of my tongue and lips), and Ryan laughed.

I instructed the kids that we had to go back to the principal's office and wait. As we followed the passageway behind the walls, I stopped every couple of minutes to listen for foreign footsteps. The ringing in my ears had flared up, so I had to make a major effort to listen. I determined there weren't any other noises but those of Jason, Ryan, and me. We made it to the storeroom inside the principal's office and waited. I cautioned the kids not to say a word, and I did the same. In fact, we hardly breathed. Within a few minutes, I heard something moving along the air passage. It was either the Booger Man, or an Alligator, or with hope, Russell Winner. A bottom shelf was empty on both sides of the storeroom. Jason and Ryan had stretched themselves out along it and I ducked behind some boxes. I saw a glimmer of light shine through the vent cover, then a reflection of the light, off the Russ's face. Damn. He would never have made it with my outfit in Viet Nam. He sounded like a Sherman Tank coming through the passageway.

"Pssst!"

I stepped away from the security of the boxes and pulled the vent cover open for him. When he was erect and on two feet, I reminded him of his noisy entrance.

"So this is the famous duo," Russ said pointing to Jason and Ryan. "Which is which?"

I introduced them to Russ, and the kids returned the pleasantries. Damn, who taught them the manners, or was it a conditioned response to elder adult figures?

"We must hurry, Russ said. "Mountcastle is missing a magnecraft, only they don't know it, but that may change at any time. Let's follow this passage around beyond the office."

I thought a minute. Why the hell should I. I've never been beyond this area. I wasn't quite sure of Russell's stability at this point, so I pinned him down on the plan.

"That passage leads to a room over the library," Russ said "Library?" I asked. "What library? The books have been burned, remember?"

"No, no," he said. That's where they have all the Info Disks on the things that are taught here. It is where all the lies are stored."

I allowed for his political comment, and proceeded to follow him, North, to the library. We turned right and then left. We walked parallel along the passageway, where just on the other side was one of the scanners. I hope there weren't any vibration or pressure sensors in this area. We made one more turn and came into a room that was sealed off from everything else. I can't believe 'they' forgot this room was here. Heaven forbid.

Russell shined the light around the room. It was filled with boxes and crates.

"What is all this, Russ?"I said.

I could see warnings written all over the boxes. As I got closer, I could see the word "EXPLOSIVES" clearly.

"Where the hell did you get all this?" I asked. How long has it been here?"

That's all we need, to have unstable nitroglycerin droplets from the old dynamite all over the place. One sneeze would probably cause the stuff to blow. I wasn't too fond of dying from an accident at 146 years old. That would ruin my whole day.

"It's been here about four years." Russell said. "We stored it here just before Nelson and Robert got caught. Would you believe we found it?"

Hell no I wouldn't believe it. I just grunted and picked up a box. Nelson and Robert had told me more than that.

"Now what?" I said. "Shall we go?"

Jason, Russ, and Ryan each picked up a box of something. Russ led the way.

"We need detonators and other things, Russ."

"I've got them with me. You have the dynamite, Ryan has grenades and Jason has plastic material."

I could see Ryan struggling with his load. The grenades must have been heavy as hell. I offered to swap our loads and he jumped at the chance. We wound around through the passageways, back to our entry point. Russ asked that we remain here while he went for the magnecraft. My hair bristled out at the back of my neck. I wanted to go, so as to make sure he came back. I didn't want to send one of the kids, if it was a trap. I ripped open one of the grenade boxes and picked one out.

"I tell ya what I'm gona do," I said looking at Russell. "If you come back with anybody but yourself, I'm gona blow your ass into a million pieces. UNDERSTAND? It's not that I don't trust you, or anything, Russ. It's that I've gone too far in this and have endangered these kid's life too many times, to let anything happen now."

"I understand, Charles," he said. You turned me around, today in the park. I saw what you had to do, immediately. I'm back on track, now. It's something I should have done a long time ago."

"Good," I said. "Just so we understand each other."

With that, Russ went through the window and disappeared into the darkness. My left index finger itched, while holding the pin of the grenade in my right hand. I hope, if I needed to use it, that it wasn't a dud.

I stood guard at the window. The sky was clear and moonless. I could see to the end of the building along 34th Street, that was sharply defined by the lighting along its sides. Suddenly, there was a large shadow moving along the ground, and then the absence of light. A large, dark colored magnecraft blocked my vision, between the window and 34th street. The magnecraft pulled up along the back of the building, and Russell Winner got out of the operator side door, beckoning to us to hurry.

I went through the window, first and Ryan handed me a box, which I handed to Russ. He placed it in the back of the magnecraft. This continued until we had all the boxes in the vehicle. Jason, Ryan, and myself piled in. Russ got behind the steering device, then took off. There was a pause, then the characteristic two beeps, and we merged with mainstream traffic.

"Pull up along that wall," I said to Russ pointing, "and let me out."

Russ cut the operating lighting off and pulled the sleek, dark magnecraft along the wall to the end I had indicated to Nelson and Robert. It was secluded there, and dark. Russ opened a storage area next to the control panel of the magnecraft.

"Here, try these," he said.

Russ handed me a pair of glasses that resembled sunglasses.

"Put them on and look for scanners or stun beam sources," he added.

I put the glasses on, but felt a little silly, since it was dark. I looked around and got a whole new perspective on things. Every hint of anything colored red was as bright as if I was looking through them in the daylight. I couldn't see over the wall, so I asked Russ to hover the magnecraft a little higher. When he did, I scanned the courtyard and only spotted one single stun beam source and two scanners near the door. I could see the stun beam beginning to rotate in my direction. I was quick to have Russ drop below the level of the wall.

Jason and Ryan went to work. They began to open the box with the dynamite and plastic. Damn, that plastic smelled like it had been up someone's ass for a year. Russ put the magnecraft on the ground and we got out to survey the wall.

I put plastic and dynamite in as many cracks and crevices I could. I inserted one of the detonators in each plastic blob along the wall. The detonators were self contained timing mechanisms, complete with its own power supply and securing device. I examined them and found that they were operational, even after all this time. That was one hell of a battery they had. I set each timer for enough time to get to safety. The force of the plastic exploding would set the dynamite off.

Not more than fifty feet [15 m] from the wall, there was a wooded area. The first wooded area I've seen around here. Well, that probably won't last long. We pulled the magnecraft over to the edge of the wooded area, a safe distance away, then shut power to the magnecraft and waited.

We didn't have to wait long. Within two minutes, there was a loud explosion and a light that would have lit up Grand Central Station. I didn't watch Jason and the others. I was too busy hugging the ground. Oh shades of Viet Nam. I waited until the debris stopped falling and looked up. The explosion triggered every alarm at P.I.R. The whole place lit up like a Christmas tree. There were Klaxons sounding, sirens wailing, and rotating beacons, flashing.

Nelson, Robert and a third figure were running toward us at a fast pace. Who was the third figure? Where the hell were they going to fit in the magnecraft? Certainly we weren't going to slip into the wooded area and hide? Not my ass!

Above all the noise and commotion, I sensed a presence behind me. Hair stiffened along the back of my neck. Then I heard a familiar Beep-Beep sound. I turned to see a Red magnecraft and a square jaw man sitting behind the control panel with a shit eating grin on his face.

"Hi ya, Charlie Boy," the figure said. "Need a little help? Get in."

I turned to Nelson and Robert and told them to proceed with the plan.

"Just go and get the hell out of here."

"Before we go, Nelson said, "I want you to know, that our mission will not fail, this time. Thanks Charles."

I could see orange suits scrambling around like they had their finger up their ass. I took advantage of the time, hugged Nelson and Robert, and wished them good luck.

"Who's your friend there, Nelson?" I asked, pointing at the third figure.

"Sorry," he said. "That's Craig Jones. He was with us at the time I told you about."

I pulled Craig to me and hugged him.

"Good luck, mi amigo," I said, "good luck."

There was no time left. I didn't have time to check out Craig or even talk with him. I deduced that he was Shaun's father. I had to trust Nelson's and Robert's judgement. However, the kids were off to my left and I didn't note any glint of recognition on the part of Nelson and Robert, in response to the kids' expression of affection toward their father's. Nelson and Robert responded to them, as they did with me. They seemed to consider Jason and Ryan as my helpers. At that point, I felt justified in taking them with me. There was nothing here for them. Their life wouldn't be worth a plug nickel if they went with Nelson, Robert, and the gang.

Nelson, Robert, and Craig, all piled into Russell's magnecraft. Jason, Ryan, and myself, piled in with ole' Fred. Russ took off like a shot and Fred was right behind him. I looked back to see that the orange suits had discovered the hole in the wall, and were aiming weapons toward us. I could see them fire some sort of missiles at us, but we must have been out of range. None of them connected with the magnecraft.

Fred swung hard to the left and poured on the energy to make the craft, as 'they' say, "shit and git." I was pinned down in the seat and against the door for a brief moment. We leveled off and headed toward the city.

As we got closer, I could see strong lights off to my right. I followed the beam to its destination. It was the side of Mountcastle Main and several other buildings. My likeness was plastered, big as life by projection, against these buildings. It was a good picture. It had captured my best side. Where the hell did 'they' get it? Of course… the hallway at P.I.R. It must have been a video arrangement I didn't observe. Underneath the picture, were some words I couldn't read from this distance. Nelson's, Robert's, and Craig's picture flashed up following mine.

"I guess I'm in deep shit," I said, "huh, Fred?"

"Ha… ha," Fred said, "I guess you are… DEEP, DEEP, SHIT."

"How was it you caught up with us, Fred?" I asked.

"Well Charlie Boy," Fred said, "it's a long story. The first day you got in this vehicle, I scanned your wrist. Later that night, I put this scan into Central Storage at Mountcastle Main. Well Mountcastle rejected the scan. 'They' told me that you were not on file. Your number was out of sequence. At first, I thought it was an error, so I tried again. Again, the same message came back. I didn't want to stay up all night fighting some dumb computer, so I scanned someone else twice. In essence, you had a free ride."

"Thanks, Fred," I said, as Barney Rubble would.

"The next day," Fred continued, "was the same thing. Then I put in "Charles." Still nothing. So I decided to check on you, myself. There was something familiar about you, but I couldn't quite place it. Then it dawned on me. My brother and I were over at Robert's living quarters. We began to look through some old photographs he had lying around. I saw a Citizen, in one of the pictures, that looked like you, so that's why I gave you my card. It didn't make a lot of sense, but I had a gut feeling. When you called me from Mountcastle Main, the number flashed up on my display, here.

"I looked it up, later when I got back to my quarters. The number crossed to Russell Winner. Citizen Russell Winner, Nelson Turner, Robert Mitchell, Craig Jones, and my brother were all together in the big revolt attempt. So I've been keeping tabs on you ever since… My brother was killed by those heartless bastards at Mountcastle Main. I knew that you would ultimately help me to revenge my brother's death. I'm just doing my part, Citizen Charles, just doing my part."

"Thanks for telling me all you have, Fred, I said. "I feel much better about everything, now. Perhaps this day will be a new beginning to your reclaimed history. Perhaps the day will be named in honor of your brother. Let's hope."

Fred didn't have time for a response. A strong light shown on the bright Red magnecraft. A second later an explosive shell blew up, mere yards away. Fred took evasive action. I told the kids to duck down as low as they could, and I tried to assist Fred with navigation.

The barrage kept coming. Fred twisted and turned, rapidly. It was all I could do to keep breakfast down. The light from the shells and mortars was bright along the ground. The glint from something caught my eye. It was the water hole behind the old tool shed. I could hear the familiar sound of other aircraft near us. Red streaks of energy were bouncing off the skin of Fred's magnecraft. I could feel the heat building up inside. A few more shots like that, Jason, Ryan, myself and ole' Fred here, would be blown from the sky.

"Quick!" I said pointing. "Down there by that old shed!"

Fred put his magnecraft in a dive, then flattened out just inches off the ground, and came to a halt, not ten feet [3 m] from the door.

(Now to get my ass hole out of my stomach.)

He opened the door, and Red stun-like beams were being shot at us along the ground, from the noisy aircraft. 'they' had not stabilized, yet, so their aim was not too accurate. I jumped out of the door and virtually yanked Jason and Ryan out behind me. A stun beam struck the open door, protecting us. Sparks flew all around from the contact of the beam and the plastic of the magnecraft door. I jumped and attempted to shield the kids. The sound of the stun beam energy hitting all around, was enough by itself, to strike fear in the hearts of man. I grabbed Jason and Ryan under the arms and sprinted in "John Wayne" fashion, the short distance to the door of the old shed.

A voice from above petitioned me to stop in my tracks.

"HALT CITIZEN!"

Bullshit. We were at the door, now. In the last final act of defiance, I released my hold on the kids, then shoved them in the door. I lifted my fist in the air and extended my middle finger, upward. Another stun beam struck the door as I went through it, just in the nick of time. A piece of metal fragment hit me, but glanced off without penetrating.

"Get on the platform!" I yelled. "HURRY."

Jason and Ryan didn't hesitate. I was on their heels. The stun beams continued to strike the building. The pilots of the aircraft continued to bark orders at me about giving up to avoid being destroyed. I ignored the warnings. I pushed the control I had marked "RUN" on the control panel of the platform. I heard the whine of the power supply, and within seconds the light, labeled "ACKNOWLEDGE," lit.

"Close your eyes, kids," I said " and grab the rail. It's going to be a rough ride."

Chapter 23

Thoughts of Nelson, Robert, Craig, and ole' Fred, went through my head. I hoped they made it to safety.

"BOOM!"

The sound was almost deafening and there was a brilliant flash of light. At first, I wasn't sure whether the stun beams had destroyed the roof and it caved in on my platform, or it was the sound I was familiar with, associated with this platform. From the vibration, I determined we were on the way back to 1990. The framework creaked, groaned and shook, violently. Above the vibration, I could hear the tone of the homing beacon through an audio section of control panel. What a sweet sound that 2000 Hz. tone was to me.

"COME ON, BABY. YOU CAN MAKE IT," I yelled above the noise.

Seconds ticked by, it seemed, like minutes. I continued to monitor the control panel for improper readings. There was one that began to change, and the beacon tone began to drift off. SHIT. I made an adjustment and the drifting stabilized. About one second later, the vibration subsided, then there was another brilliant flash of light. All vibration ceased at that moment. I could only hear the sound of the beacon.

I looked at the clock display.

"08-20-1990 / 02:14 hours." It read. GOD! We were home.

I lowered the volume of the beautiful sounding beacon, and turned to comfort my passengers.

I helped Jason and Ryan release there death grip on the protective rail around the platform. I spun them around to face me, then I hugged them both tight to me.

"You're home, kids," I said. "Welcome home. Let's get out of here and go in my house. You two must be exhausted, and I'm a little tired myself. We can all sleep in a real bed and get a well deserved rest."

Jason and Ryan looked up at me and just smiled, not saying a word. I stepped down off the platform, and walked over to a small safe I had under the work bench. I spun the dial, then worked the combination until the safe opened. Inside, I had placed my house keys, wallet, coins, and my trusty pocket knife. I hadn't needed after all.

Jason and Ryan followed me out the door to the shed and into the back of my house. Once inside, I turned on the kitchen light. The kids eyes were open wide. By their standards, my kitchen must have appeared ancient. They kept turning their heads, looking in all directions, as we walked through the house to the bedroom. Neither had said a word. I reached down and started to undress Ryan. Jason took the hint and Ryan finished the job for himself. I went over to the bed and pulled the covers down, so I could put their little naked bodies under. They were so tired and worn out, that a real bath, in a real bath tub/shower, would have to wait. I could always wash the sheets later.

"Get under here, boys," I said. "I'll join you shortly.

My bed was the King Size variety. I would have no problem with space for naked Jason, naked Ryan, and naked me. I went back into the kitchen to lock the back door and turn out the lights. As I passed by my den, I noticed the red flashing light on my answering machine, flashing rapidly. Another steady light was on, indicating "Tape Full." I pushed the button to rewind the tape and listen to the messages.

The audible date and time stamp started off with,

"Eight-Twelve-Ninety… Ten-Fifteen A.M."

That was Monday week. There were several messages from my station manager and assistant engineer. They were concerned as to my whereabouts and welfare. One message said that somebody was going to get the police here and look for foul play, if I didn't return their call. I looked around for signs of forced entry, then I remembered that Jimmy has a key to my place. I had given him permission to get anything he needed for his experiments. My manager knew that Jimmy and I hung around together a lot. They wouldn't have to break in if they did what they said. Anyway, the last message on the tape, was from my friend, Jimmy.

"Charles, my friend," the voice on the tape said. "I KNOW what you have done. I hope you didn't get yourself into trouble, and that you returned safely. I don't care what TIME you get back. If you get this message, CALL ME! I am concerned. Everybody is concerned."

I figured that Jimmy had the goods on me. I had been asking him too many questions of him about Nikola Tesla and his experiments. I should level with him. Jimmy was nobody's fool.

I needed to tell Jimmy the truth, but I needed to think up an excuse to tell my staff at the station, too. I couldn't tell them the true story. They would have me at the local mental facility, a real life P.I.R.

It didn't take long to know that Jason and Ryan were now a part of my family. I would tell my staff that I had a family emergency to take care of, and had to bring my little cousins back here to live with me. Now as for Jimmy Anderson, I lifted the receiver of the phone, pushed his seven digit number on the key pad, and listened for the ring tone.

The ring tone sounded two times. Then,

"Hello… CHARLES!" A sleepy, but excited voice said.

"Jimmy," I said. "How the hell did you know who it was?"

"I just knew, man," he said. "I just knew. Are you alright?

"Yes, Jimmy," I said. "Everything's fine. Tell everybody at the station that you've heard from me, and that I will explain why I disappeared suddenly, Wednesday morning. You come over to the house tomorrow after you get off from work.

I will tell you every detail. Right now, I am going to get some well deserved sleep."

"I'll be there at Five O'Clock on the dot, Jimmy said. "Get some rest. I have a feeling it's going to be a long story."

"You bet your sweet ass, Jimmy," I thought as I said goodbye and hung up the phone.

I cut all the lights off and went back to my bedroom. I got just as naked as Jason and Ryan. I cut a small dresser lamp on to survey the bed and the kids' relative position. Jason was on the left and Ryan was on the right. They were asleep and breathing peacefully. There was a space between them for me to crawl into. I turned off the light, then crawled under the covers between naked Jason and naked Ryan. Welcome kids to the rest of your life.

The End

An interesting concept, January 6, 1992

Thank you all for taking the time to read it.
… … … … … … Charles