The Scientific Deviation - 1

Dr. Alfred was busy in his lab, preparing a unique formula that could increase the resistance power of the Human Mind.

Today evening, as Freddy was working on the Final Calculations, he received a Phone call. The caller ID display was blank with no number .Confused, he answered the call.

“Freddy, don’t ask me from where I am calling. I know you’re working on a rare formulae, as per requested by Dr. James in the Annual Meeting of the Scientist’s Federation. But there’s something you need to do now. Take all your notes and calculations and hide them in the Trash can locker. Next, move in the CCTV room as fast as you can. Hurry up, & do as I say. We have no time.” The caller hung up. His voice somehow sounded familiar. Who’s this guy & why was he saying to hide everything? Nevertheless, considering the secrecy and importance of his formula, he had to listen.

He carefully placed all his notes in the Trashcan locker, and hurried into the CCTV room. As he entered inside, a pungent, disturbing odour caught him, like rotting fish and burnt metal burning together. He entered the CCTV room & his phone rang. Same blank display with no number.

“Observe the Security entrances Cam. Do it now.” Freddy switched on the CCTV display screen and zoomed in near the entrance Cam. He couldn’t believe what he was watching.

3 people, covering their whole body & faces with protective suits, with automated rifles, stormed inside the facility. Switching to another cam, Freddy saw them heading directly towards his lab.They charged inside, searched vigorously everywhere. Not getting what they wanted, they discussed something between them and again headed for the exit.

Who are these people? Why are they behind me and my experiments? As Freddy was thinking, again the pungent ,disturbing odour caught him. His cell phone rang.

“I think they have left.” The same familiar voice. “Now move out of there and go to the Main Server Room. Take the CCTV Display Tab with you. Hurry up, they’ll be back anytime.” Before Freddy could ask anything, the caller hung up. Unable to understand the scenario, Freddy took the Display Tab, and hurried to the server room.

As he entered inside, the same pungent, disturbing odour caught him. He bolted the door and sat below the AC grill, exhausted and sweaty. He then switched on the Display Tab to check the activities outside using the CCTV camera’s Live Footage. As he zoomed in to the observation room, what he saw almost dropped the Tab from his hands.

The same 3 people, in protective suits and automated guns, entered the CCTV room, searched around everywhere. Coming outside, they then sprang up in different directions, and sprinted in the other parts of the facility. They’re probably searching for me, Freddy thought as he checked them on the Display Tab, roaming around in different parts of the facility. Again, his cell phone pinged.

“Use the rear Fire Escape staircase,” the same familiar voice “& head towards the Chemical Labs. Use the darkness outside and keep your display devices off. Remember to…”

“Who are you,” Freddy asked, interrupting him, “why are you helping me so much?”

“I’ll explain later.” The caller replied, “Open the Iron doors in front of you and get inside .I’ll call you once you are there.”

As Freddy was running towards the Chemical Labs, a bright light & a small explosion caught his attention. Unable to focus on that, he kept running. Once inside the labs, Freddy checked the Display Tab again. The 3 thugs were near the Server room, trying to break open the main door, bolted from inside. Freddy ran at the end of the corridor, and took the steps to basement .Towards the end of the staircase; he reached the main landing in front Iron Door fixed on a Glass Wall. As instructed, he moved inside, expected to see the caller sitting in front. What he saw was the biggest surprise of his life.

The whole room was filled with wires and generators. In the right corner, was something that looked like a huge Metal Drum. A mild humming sound was filled in the room. Adjacent to the Metal Drum, were graphs and meters and scales with all wires attached to the Drum with gears and axels arranged on one side. The whole room looked like a machinery factory. His Cell phone pinged.

“The thing that you are seeing in front , is the Time Machine.” Freddy couldn’t believe his ears. A Time Machine? Who had invented it? Since when was it here? Who was using it?

“Don’t think so much, Freddy. We have no time. The Thugs are approaching you. We need to act fast. Go near the Axels and Gears …”

“Who these people are and why are they behind me?” Freddy questioned sternly, interrupting him.

The caller paused for a long moment before answering. “Those are Time Travellers, Freddy. They came from the Future. They know you’re every move, because once they miss you out, they travel in the future back to their time, know you’re whereabouts in the Facility, then again come back and chase you.”

“So that means….” Freddy expected the predicated answer.

“Of course…they know exactly where you are and what your next move is.” The caller answered back, hastily. “Do as I say, fast. Go to the Display screen towards your front side. Use the manual combination towards the right side and set a date of 14 days in the past, two days after the Annual Federation Meeting. Type our facility’s location. The map co-ordinates will adjust accordingly. After that enter the Metal machine, close the door and press the Red button on the wall. That will take you in the past, exactly 14 days before today. And remember, DO NOT BUMP INTO YOURSELF IN YOUR PAST, ELSE YOU’LL JUMP BACK INTO THIS TIME. The Default travel time is 45 minutes. I’ll call you and help you to finish the task in given time. Once the time is over, you’ll bounce back in this present time.” The caller disconnected without waiting.

Having no option, Freddy did exactly as he was told to. He set the timer and the location. He turned & as he was about to enter the machine, he stopped short looking in front.

The 3 Guys in protective suits & masks were standing in front, with their Laser pointer Guns aimed at him.

“Put your hands in the air and kneel down, do not move else we’ll have to fire.” One of the guys said.

Freddy bend down, thinking hard about his next step.

Suddenly, without any warning, the Glass Wall to his side shattered with a cracking sound and someone fired from an XREP gun towards the assailants. The projectiles hit two out of three, the relative currents electrolucating them. The third got confused and Freddy, without looking at the person who fired, dashed towards the Metal machine, opened the door & jumped inside. Without losing time, he closed and locked it with circular gears and hurriedly pressed the red button on the adjacent circular wall.

Freddy felt as if he was being sucked inside himself. A pain sprang up inside his spine, and in the next instant, he was standing in the park just outside his facility. It was Sunday. He felt suffocated for few moments, but regained his breath, and the first thing that he smelt was the pungent, disturbing odour, like rotting fish and burnt metal burning together.

His cell phone rang. Somehow balancing himself, he answered it, knowing who the caller was.

“I know you made it right. Now enter the facility, go to the mailbox and look for a parcel for Dr James. Get it out and burn it in the burner.” The caller instructed him and disconnected.

He went straight to the labs. Entering inside, he went to the locker rooms and opened the parcel locker. As he found the envelope under Dr. James’s name, he took it to the burner. Before burning, he felt a strong urge to open and see what was inside. But since he was travelling in time, doing that could have altered certain other events in the timeline, so he scrapped that idea and burnt the envelope.

“You have just altered the past, Freddy.” The caller called him and said. “I think we just avoided a major thing from happening. The envelope that you burned contained the planning of the attack that happened on the day you travelled back in time. It was planned by your senior, Dr. James.”

Dr. James attacked me? Why did he want the formula? Is this the reason he was convincing me to discover this unique medicine? Freddy was unable to find any answers.

“Return back in your time, Freddy.” The caller instructed him “I’ll explain everything once…”

“Wait….” Freddy interrupted him. “I think there is a mistake, a PARADOX. Since I travelled back here and destroyed the planning, HOW THE ATTACK ON ME HAPPENNED? IF ALL THE IDEA WAS BURNED DOWN RIGHT NOW IN THIS TIMELINE IN THE PAST, THAT MEANS I DESTROYED THE PLANNING AND NO AMBUSH SHOULD HAVE HAPPENNED ON ME IN THE PRESENT TIMELINE,BUT IT DID HAPPEN,I STILL WILL BE ATTACKED IN THE PRESENT TIMELINE,TWO WEEKS FROM NOW.SO WHO DID IT? WHO PLANNED AND EXECUTED THE ATTACK ON ME……?”

The caller paused for a long time, probably thinking about the permutations. What Freddy said was right. How did the attack happened, when it’s planning itself was destroyed two weeks earlier?

“In that case, Freddy…we are in serious trouble.” The caller paused for a sometime, trying to execute the combinations and complications that aroused while travelling in time. “After you’re default time runs out, you’ll bounce back in your time, not necessary exactly in the same room, but somewhere nearby. To be safe, take the XREP weapon from our weaponry department. Once you bounce back, again be careful not to bump to yourself, in case that ever happens. I’ll explain what all is exactly going on.”

TO BE CONTINUED …..