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Language:
English
Collections:
Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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Published:
2020-11-04
Completed:
2004-07-01
Words:
1,236
Chapters:
2/2
Kudos:
14
Hits:
1,726

At The Present Moment

Summary:

A backstep to save the president causes time to seem to stand still temporarily.

Chapter 1: 1

Notes:

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.

Chapter Text


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."

*****

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."

*****

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.

CONTINUED IN PART 2