Complex Existance, John Pallister [howl and other poems txt] 📗

Complex Existence


Chapter 1

January 2003

Tommy left the house early as usual to catch the bus to college ramming his cereals down his throat like there was no tomorrow. Humming a Travis tune in his head he locked the door and proceeded to walk to the bus stop gently walking in the brisk breeze wondering what pointless humdrum he was going to learn today. When they had said architecture he thought he was going to build something instead of making card houses as the lecturer spoke about foundations.
As he got on the bus he paid an extra 10p; what he really wanted was to find out what went on at a building to his right. It was like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, nobody ever went in and nobody left. He turned up his music and gave a quick smile to a rather attractive girl on his left.
This had become a routine obsession; every day he got on this bus he would wonder; wonder if he could just walk in, or what he’d find.
The bus stopped right by the strange building, being a regular Tommy knew most people who got on and off but for some reason he didn’t recognize the man who had just paid the driver. He was wearing dark glasses and carrying a briefcase; well actually hugging it to his chest; he looked flustered and was sweating buckets, nervous in fact.
“Is this seat taken?” The stranger asked
“No.” Tommy replied.
“I’m Tommy.”
The man sat down gave a fake grin and continued to twitch his legs. Tommy just carried on listening to his music. The bus stopped and the man walked through the people sitting on either side of him, didn’t even thank the bus driver and was gone.
It was then Tommy noticed that the man had left his wallet and a disk. He put it in his pocket, he decided to investigate it later and didn’t hand it to bus driver.
The bus stopped and Tommy briskly got off, he wanted to know what was on the disk, but first he opened the wallet and to his surprise was £1000 of crisp brand new money, a picture of a woman and a contact address and telephone.
He put the wallet in his zip up pocket running his conscience over wondering if he should spend the money. He decided that he would skip lectures and see what was on the disk.
The library was located on the fourth floor and he had to pass his lecture room. He waited and watched like a predator until all had entered the room. He suddenly had a strange chill run through his body because he thought he saw the man run past the library. It couldn’t be him so he carried on as planned.
“Do you want to use the internet?” The librarian asked.
“No just a computer.”
He was shown to computer 54, there he sat, waited till she had gone and logged on. The computer loaded quickly and soon he was staring at the screen, he rammed in the disk and found the file was a word processing file. He clicked it and after a short while it loaded. He was amazed what he saw, there were a lot of formulas, pictures, but he guessed that the information was to do with a time machine. The machine was simple in design, it was in the shape of a normal watch and as you change the time you travel. Was this man a lunatic? But then something caused him to doubt the earlier, for there was a stamp, the same stamp that was on the gate as the unusual building.
Tommy sat back and rummaged through the wallet for the contact number, he wondered if curiosity would kill the cat, and how he was going get the information out of the man. He printed off a copy before leaving the library taking the disk with him and proceeded to the phones. He rang the number, it rang,; somebody answered. A nervous voice spoke.
“Hello”
“Hello this is Tommy.”
“Tommy, Tommy who?”
“I was on the bus, I know.”
“Know what?”
“I’ve got the disk.”
“What disk?”
“Don’t be ignorant with me.” Tommy shouted.
“You don’t understand you’re just a boy Can I see the watch?” The man replied
“No”
The man trembled after this answer but added
“Meet me at 1340 at the west end bridge, come alone or no deal. I want the disk and wallet back.”
This was too easy, Tommy thought, why had he been so willing to meet him? He decided he would meet him but he had over 4 hours before the rendezvous. He could go and buy some things.
Meanwhile…
“Did you get the meeting point?”
“Yeah 13:40 at the west end bridge.”
“Do you know what the man looks like?”
“Yeah but not the person who’s got the disk.”
“Good, I want snipers ready, I want the boy killed because he knows too much, but the man must be kept alive.”
“Yes sir”

Tommy got a taxi into town; he gave the taxi driver a massive tip then headed straight to the clothes store. He got inside and the cashier gave him a annoyed look. Tommy felt uneasy he was sure he had been here before. He picked some nice trousers and took them to the till.
“So your actually gonna buy something and not spend half an hour browsing like you did an hour ago.”
“Excuse me, I don’t understand, I’ve only been here 5 minutes and I wasn’t here an hour ago.”
Tommy said.
“God, you’re a Looney, aren’t you, I watched you, you were looking for someone.”
“Wasn’t me mate.”
“WHATEVER!”
What was all that about? He wondered, the cashier was so sure he had been there before. Tommy was deep in thought puzzled by what had just happened. Maybe he had a long lost twin or something. The clock ticked away as he ate in a posh restaurant with his new clothes. He had spent £300 in the past half hour. He felt good about himself and almost forgot about the meeting. He woke with a jolt; he had fallen asleep on the park bench. Luckily he still had the disk and wallet; He had ten minutes for meeting time.
The man was early Tommy could see him, but he couldn’t see him. He waited for the right time then approached him.
“Okay, this is it. I’ve been working on a new high tech watch with gadgets for the military, the time travel jargon is a cover up, and on the disk are encrypted files and procedures needed to operate the watch.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Give me the disk.”
With that the man lunged for Tommy.
“Don’t shoot.”
It was too late a bullet from the sniper went off and lodged in the man’s ankle.
“Engage.”
Suddenly five men came out of nowhere and grabbed the man and Tommy. The man was screaming in agony shouting save yourself. He took off his watch and aimed a bright light from it at Tommy which blinded him for a second before knocking him unconscious
Tommy woke up and there was no sign of any of the men who attacked him or the man with the disk. He did notice he had the watch though. He looked at the watch and the date on it said march 2023. The cars were different to.

“Stand back.” A policeman said.
“What’s going on?” Tommy asked.
“There’s been a murder on this bridge about half an hour ago.”

Tommy suddenly realized that he had travelled in time and he must be in the future 2023.

Chapter 2


Tommy stared at the watch a bit longer, he still couldn’t believe it. Running his thoughts through his head he decided to see how much money he had in his wallet, and then studied the watch, he had no idea how to use it, so to avoid suspicion he would book himself into a hotel. If it was still opened he remembered back in his time that there was a cheap hotel down Lucien Street, it was only a 5 minute walk. He put the watch on his wrist and proceeded towards the hotel.
Fashion had changed dramatically, women seemed to wear even shorter skirts and men wore more jewellery, there were still the beggars on the edge of the streets though. Prices seemed to have gone up as he glanced at the clothes in the windows. He was going to have to find a hotel, once in the hotel he would be able to think; perhaps he could fiddle with the watch and get back to his own time. It then occurred to him that he had a golden opportunity to explore, I mean why not?
It started to rain so he pulled up his hood stopping his neatly combed hair from coming out of place. He checked the watch it was 13:55, and suddenly felt hungry despite the meal he had had. Well he probably would be he hadn’t eaten in 20 years.
The door was an automatic one and opened as soon as he was close to it. A blonde haired woman spoke.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes I’d like to book a room.”
“Business or pleasure?”
“Pleasure.”
“Ok that’s £250 for a meal and one night, do you have any bags.”
“No.”
The woman looked suspicious.
He opened up his room, it was like the Ritz, and there was a glamorous armchair, a TV and a huge bed. The television was like a projector, he turned the knob and a flash of light came on, shining into the shape of a man.
“What program do you wish to watch?”
The holographic image said.
Tommy thought it was beneficial that he watched something on time travel.
“A Documentary on time travel.”
“I recommend this one” The image said.
The screen flashed and the title screen came on. The documentary quoted that apparently in 1976 a scientist had invented a time machine and proved that time travel was possible.


Meanwhile Pc Compton was sitting on the wall of the bridge in complete shock. His colleague spoke to him calmly.
“What is it? He asked.
“I’ve just seen the body.”
“What’s wrong with that, I know it’s horrible but we’ve seen many murder cases, why’s this one different?”
“I-I just saw a kid in the same clothes and he was exactly the same, it was him what’s going on?”
“Don’t be stupid Compton.”
The policemen were getting on with their work when two men approached.
“MI5 we’ll carry on the investigation.”
The two men were taken to the boss and he explained to them that it was a normal murder case and that the boy was yet to be identified.
“Boy