Title: At The Present Moment
Author: David Lee Rickman II
Fandom: 7 Days
Rating: PG
Status: new, complete
Archive: Feel free to include on any web page or archive. The truth must be known!
E-mail address for feedback: frankbparker@yahoo.com
Series: 7 Days
Disclaimers: I do not own the characters. I just report what's happened at NNL lately, which Christopher Crowe can't use because he is sworn to secrecy.
Summary: A backstep to save the president causes time to seem to stand still temporarily.
At The Present Moment
By David Lee Rickman II
"Hide! Mr. Parker is coming!"
Everybody ducked down as Donavan turned off the light in the debriefing room. As Parker and Olga walked into the debriefing room moments later, Donavan switched the lights back on.
"Surprise!"
"Ah guys, you shouldn't have. Olga, were you in on this?"
"Of course Parker."
Ballard came up to Parker and handed him his present.
"I bet you forgot it was a year ago today you backstepped for the first time and began the Chrononautical Era."
"Actually, it's been a little longer for me. I keep on gaining days."
"Here Parker." Ramsey shoved a package into Parker's hands.
"Ramsey, I am honored you also got me a present."
"Parker, I'd put it through an X-ray machine before I opened that present."
"Good idea Donavan."
****
"Mr. President! Mr. President!"
Crowds gathered around an airport terminal to greet President Richards as he arrived at the Las Vegas International Airport.
*****
"This is Michelle Fong reporting live from Las Vegas for CZN news. The president has just arrived for his reelection tour. He is now coming off of Air Force One, waving at the crowds as.... Oh no, the president is down! I repeat, the president is down! Somebody just tossed what appears to be a pipe or rod, and it exploded. Secret service has just grabbed a man. He is fighting, but they have him restrained. I don't know what's happening, but the crowd is trying to push each other out of the way. People are...There's another explosion! The man the secret service restrained just exploded."
<,center>*****
The screen went black as Talmedge turned it off.
*****
"This video was recorded two days ago. A suicide assassin threw a pipe-bomb at the president, and then exploded another one which was on his belt after secret Service caught him. President Richards was just declared dead at 10:17 this morning."
Ramsey held up the assassin's photo. "Another Chinese wacko. We believe he worked for Bin Laden. He posed as a foreign exchange student, and somehow got a counterfeit press pass."
"Parker, you are to backstep and call us. No heroics this time."
"No problem Talmedge. I've been planning to take it easy this week anyway. You can do all the work."
"O.k. Parker, suit up!"
******
"Parker, are you ready?"
"Olga, I am ready at any moment."
"I mean to put the reactor on-line."
"You bet."
"Reactor to 60...80%...100%. Dasvedanya, Mr. Parker."
Parker grabbed tightly to the control stick. Suddenly, there was a horrible sound as the sphere jolted up and down. It sounded as annoying as finger nails against a blackboard, and seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.
*****
Parker jumped out of the sphere as it arrived in the hanger. "Hey! A perfect landing!" Parker ran over to Olga, who was standing in the control room. "Olga! Now what do you think of that landing?" Parker looked annoyed as Olga just stood there. "Olga? Can't you hear me? Why are you giving me the silent treatment?"
Olga just stood still. Parker ran over to a group of other hanger personnel, and found they were also frozen. Parker ran to the middle of the hanger.
"Hey! Can anybody move? Hello?"
"Parker, what's going on?" Ballard rolled his wheelchair into the hanger.
"Ballard, what's happened to everybody? It's almost like time has stopped."
"Don't be silly Parker. You can slow down time, but never stop it completely." Ballard looked around. "But sure would seem like it."
"Than what's happened?"
"Time is probably going very slowly. You must have not been affected because you've just arrived from the other side of the timeline."
"And what about you?"
"I was conducting some tests on my transtemporal transmitter when you arrived. The electromagnetic field from the antenna must have protected me."
"Can we make time speed up again?"
"It should do it naturally. Time will move slower and slower, and rebound before it completely stops. At least if Einstein and Hawking are right."
"Ballard, I need to get to the Las Vegas airport now. Try to predict when it will rebound and let me know through my phone."
"Will do Parker."
Parker started to run out the door.
"Parker!"
"Yes Ballard?"
"You're forgetting something." Ballard pointed to Olga. "You might never get another chance." Parker went up to Olga and kissed her on the lips. "Thanks for reminding me."
******
As Parker sped down the highway, it began to get increasingly warm. Turning on the air conditioner and rolling down the windows didn't make any difference.
Parker reached for his sunglasses on the dashboard, but the dashboard felt warm to the touch. "Jeez...This car feels like a spacecraft reentering the atmosphere. Wait a minute! I am going at 60 MPH by this car's standards, but that could be thousands of miles since time has slowed down and the air molecules are slower. This car IS like a spacecraft reentry!" Parker pressed hard on the brakes as he entered the city limits. He gave the car a few minutes to cool down, and turned the ignition key to start the car again. The car stalled at each attempt.
"No! Please no! The heat couldn't have damaged the car! Son of a b----."
******
Parker got out of the car and started running down the city streets. Out of habit, he waited for the walk sign to turn green to cross the street. RI don't know what's happening, but the crowd is trying to push each other out of the way. People are...There's another explosion! The man the secret service restrained just exploded."
*****
The screen went black as Talmedge turned it off.
*****
"This video was recorded two days ago. A suicide assassin threw a pipe-bomb at the president, and then exploded another one which was on his belt after secret Service caught him. President Richards was just declared dead at 10:17 this morning."
Ramsey held up the assassin's photo. "Another Chinese wacko. We believe he worked for Bin Laden. He posed as a foreign exchange student, and somehow got a counterfeit press pass."
"Parker, you are to backstep and call us. No heroics this time."
"No problem Talmedge. I've been planning to take it easy this week anyway. You can do all the work."
"O.k. Parker, suit up!"
******
"Parker, are you ready?"
"Olga, I am ready at any moment."
"I mean to put the reactor on-line."
"You bet."
"Reactor to 60...80%...100%. Dasvedanya, Mr. Parker."
Parker grabbed tightly to the control stick. Suddenly, there was a horrible sound as the sphere jolted up and down. It sounded as annoying as finger nails against a blackboard, and seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.
*****
Parker jumped out of the sphere as it arrived in the hanger. "Hey! A perfect landing!" Parker ran over to Olga, who was standing in the control room. "Olga! Now what do you think of that landing?" Parker looked annoyed as Olga just stood there. "Olga? Can't you hear me? Why are you giving me the silent treatment?"
Olga just stood still. Parker ran over to a group of other hanger personnel, and found they were also frozen. Parker ran to the middle of the hanger.
"Hey! Can anybody move? Hello?"
"Parker, what's going on?" Ballard rolled his wheelchair into the hanger.
"Ballard, what's happened to everybody? It's almost like time has stopped."
"Don't be silly Parker. You can slow down time, but never stop it completely." Ballard looked around. "But sure would seem like it."
"Than what's happened?"
"Time is probably going very slowly. You must have not been affected because you've just arrived from the other side of the timeline."
"And what about you?"
"I was conducting some tests on my transtemporal transmitter when you arrived. The electromagnetic field from the antenna must have protected me."
"Can we make time speed up again?"
"It should do it naturally. Time will move slower and slower, and rebound before it completely stops. At least if Einstein and Hawking are right."
"Ballard, I need to get to the Las Vegas airport now. Try to predict when it will rebound and let me know through my phone."
"Will do Parker."
Parker started to run out the door.
"Parker!"
"Yes Ballard?"
"You're forgetting something." Ballard pointed to Olga. "You might never get another chance." Parker went up to Olga and kissed her on the lips. "Thanks for reminding me."
******
As Parker sped down the highway, it began to get increasingly warm. Turning on the air conditioner and rolling down the windows didn't make any difference.
Parker reached for his sunglasses on the dashboard, but the dashboard felt warm to the touch. "Jeez...This car feels like a spacecraft reentering the atmosphere. Wait a minute! I am going at 60 MPH by this car's standards, but that could be thousands of miles since time has slowed down and the air molecules are slower. This car IS like a spacecraft reentry!" Parker pressed hard on the brakes as he entered the city limits. He gave the car a few minutes to cool down, and turned the ignition key to start the car again. The car stalled at each attempt.
"No! Please no! The heat couldn't have damaged the car! Son of a b----."
******
Parker got out of the car and started running down the city streets. Out of habit, he waited for the walk sign to turn green to cross the street. Remembering that time had slowed down, he began to cross the street.
"HHHOOOONNNKKK!"v Parker jumped to the end of the street as a car suddenly came toward him. Frank silently cursed after he tripped over the curb.
******
"I need to see your press pass before you can enter this area."
The guard looked suspiciously at the young Chinese man as he stood at the side entrance of the terminal.
"Certainly." The young man reached into his pocket and took out his card.
"Please stand here while I call to verify your identity." As the guard turned to the phone, the young man took a rope from his pocket and strangled the guard. "Don't bother. I'll find my way, stupid American."
*******
Ballard explained the situation to Talmedge after time rebounded.
"Did Parker tell you why he backstepped?"
"No, he only said he needed to get to the Las Vegas Airport."
Talmedge picked up his phone. "Get me the security guard at the Las Vegas Airport please." Talmedge shook his head moments later. "Nobody is answering the phone."
******
"Mr. President! Mr. President!"
Crowds gathered around an airport terminal to greet President Richards as he arrived at the Las Vegas International Airport. Near the plane was a young Chinese man eyeing the plane. As the door to Air Force One opened and the president began walking out, the young man began to reach into his coat pocket.
"If you throw that, I will kill you."
The Chinese man quickly turned around. Frank Parker held his gun steady and aimed at the man's heart. Parker began to shout. "I am with the NSA! Get the president back in the plane!"
The secret service agents escorting President Richards covered the president as they quickly ran back into the plane.
"This is Michelle Fong reporting live from Las Vegas for CZN news. The president has just arrived for his reelection tour. He is now coming off of Air Force One, waving at the crowds as...Something is happening! The president just went back into the plane. There is a man aiming a gun at another man in the press section. We have no idea what is happening since neither man is wearing a uniform. The man with the gun just shot the other man. I have also just got word that the flight tower has just authorized an emergency take-off for Air Force One. It looks like the president isn't making his visit to Nevada today. Stay tuned for more details, as they become available.
*******
Parker answered the knock at his door later that day. "Olga, what a surprise."
"Hi Mr. Parker. I hope I am not bothering you."
"Mi casa, su casa." Parker didn't know if Olga knew any Spanish, but Olga gave a knowing nod.
"Mr. Parker, before you backstepped, did you know...I mean, do you know what special day it is the day after tomorrow?" Parker remembered the surprise party, which he wasn't supposed to know about yet.
"Uh, no. We're not going out, so I don't think its any kind of anniversary."
"So nothing out of the ordinary happened before you backstepped?"
"No. You know how it is before a backstep. Everybody's rushing around."
"O.K. Thanks Mr. Parker."
As Olga left, she could only think one thing: "Men! They probably couldn't even remember the year, let alone special days without women!" But in the back of her mind she knew the truth. This wasn't the first time he's lied about a backstep. And Olga made a mental note of it.
The End