Part 2: http://aroundgray.blogspot.ca/2013/03/no-327-cyoa2-part-2.html
Part 3: http://aroundgray.blogspot.ca/2013/03/no-328a-cyoa2-part-3-ridgeway-is-ally.html
Part 4: http://aroundgray.blogspot.ca/2013/03/no-329a-cyoa2-part-4-martin-doesnt-know.html
Part 5: http://aroundgray.blogspot.ca/2013/03/no-330a-cyoa2-part-5-martin-plays-along.html
“That was an excellent meal,” said Martin. He wasn’t lying.
Captain Land had prepared a feast for her guests although, throughout the
dinner, she’d been elusive when questioned. Martin would have liked to have
found out why she needed him, specifically. He resolved to uncover the answer.
“It was, wasn’t it?” Captain Land agreed. “We have an
excellent support staff on board. They’ve been poached from the best hotels all
over the world.”
Hodge and Ridgeway were having their own discussion at the
table. Martin heard the words “energy” and “isolated” but couldn’t make out the
rest. Turning back to Land, he asked her point-blank about his situation.
“Why me?”
Land swirled her wine glass and said nothing.
“Why do you need me?” Martin insisted.
The Captain leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.
She sighed deeply and then replied. “You’re going to find out eventually, I
suppose.” She waited a little longer before finally getting to the point. “We
need you to calibrate the machine.”
Ridgeway and Hodge’s conversation stopped abruptly and
everyone turned to stare at Martin.
“I don’t know how to do that,” said Martin. “I’m really just
a delivery man.”
Land smiled. “Why do you think they told the delivery man
about the entire project?” she asked him. “I should be clearer. You’re the
calibration. Perhaps Mr. Hodge can explain it better.”
Hodge fixed Martin in an uncomfortable gaze.
Martin shifted in his seat.
Ridgeway’s eyes were wide, but she stayed silent.
“You’re the first one,” said Hodge. “We tried this
experiment twenty-seven years ago. You were the result. Our technology then was
primitive, and we didn’t know much about the time-barrier. You came through and
the lab went up. Took the city with it.”
Martin swallowed hard. “A city exploded? It seems like
people would remember that. You’re crazy.”
“Of course they do,” said Land. “Everybody does.”
“Chernobyl,” Ridgeway whispered. “That was us,” she said,
realizing.
“That’s right,” said Land. “This time we’ve decided to
conduct our business without as many neighbors.”
Martin spoke up. “But what do you mean ‘I came through’?”
“You got the briefing,” said Land. “You know what we’re doing.”
“I’m from the future?”
Land nodded. “You were a baby, then.”
“And now?”
“Now, after all this time, we’re ready to turn on the
machine again,” confirmed the Captain. “Finish your dessert. Then we’ll head
down to the core.”
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