Story 36

36

“Petar!” He found himself enveloped in Oriana’s fierce embrace.

“Dave! Oh no, where is my Davi gone now?!” He found himself similarly and happily in Robin’s arms.

“Welcome back yourself, Robin. Davi is here, and here.” He pointed to his heart and head.

The pair laughed as the women and those around looked puzzled.

“Tale and a half this time for sure folks!“ Dave looked around at familiar and unfamiliar faces. “First things first, what the heck is the year!”

“It’s 2189, Dave. And yes, half of us are from the lab complex.” A man he recognised as a lab technician who had infrequently visited him, Sam, spoke. “Your last known sighting was running for your lives as the lab imploded.”

“Imploded?” Petar queried.

Sam nodded. “The lab went up in an incandescent light that took out not only the lab but all the lower levels with it; yet only to the boundary. Bear Camp here was totally unaffected. The lab is a crater.”

“And everyone else?”

“A few missing. Yourself, your companion, the professors, more than a few militia the colonel not the least. Everyone else ran the same as you when the shakes started, even before the alarms triggered. More than a few volunteered to join the community here since.”

Another spoke. “The militia are not happy bunnies. They’ve questioned every last one of us at least twice. No one can tell them anything. The whole thing has been given up as a lost cause. Hooray and thank heavens for that!”

“Ah, there I totally agree with you!”

“OK, gentlemen, gentlemen. Food and drink anyone?” Oriana spoke to the gathering as a whole. In a lower voice she added “I’m not sure how many you want to ‘explain’ to, both of you.”

“Anyone who cares to listen, my dear,” Petar said, his lips close to her ear, “I don’t know how to explain myself anyway never mind the rest!”

Dave grinned at him. “Agreed my friend. Looks like this is OUR final home so I don’t intend to start with more lies and evasions.”

The gathering was something that had been seen untold times over the eons, everyone full of food and now sipping teas happily waiting for the main players to speak and tell their tales.

“OK, I’ll start.” Dave stood. “I don’t know what everyone already knows, so most of this will go straight over the tops of your heads anyway. It would take far, far too long to start from the beginning!”

Petar clapped at the scattered laughter. “He’s right of course, folks. Call it a good imaginary tale when it gets too unbelievable; believe me, it will.”

“And just to confuse everyone else, could you please start with your last journey Dave? Where did you go when we were brought here - the equivalent of ‘upstairs’ outside the lab?”

“And what happened to Davi?” Robin was confused. “What did you mean, he is here?”

“First question first. Further than we ever went before, Oriana. I can’t give you a date. Somewhere in pre-history, long before Man. Our two scientific friends had been taken there by the rock. It’s hard to say how long they had been there before us. They were DEVOLVING; from human life to animal life. They said they were happy with the situation. I got the impression they wouldn’t have the power of speech much longer, just animal instincts.”

“And they did do good, for us at least. Mr Mitchell appeared again.” Petar came in. “Robin, Davi got hit by the last bullet he fired, fatally. Davi told the pair not to be sorry, he wasn’t gone yet, he COULDN’T go. Then he asked Dave to hold him … The next bit is hard to comprehend, even for me.”

Dave closed his eyes, remembering. “I didn’t understand, of course, how could I? I was always unknowing, the one with the amnesia. Davi melded with me as he died. The pain of the joining was something else, but I had my memory back. I was ME, WHOLE.”

“And told us who you were at last. Or not?”

“And told you Petar. I’m Dave Grayson, brother of a brilliant scientist, Daryl Grayson; who died destroying OUR invention in 2510 to prevent the military of the time from gaining it. The rock power source we had was well on its way to its final potency. It sent the entire party from that time back into time, and forward OFF the planet. Me, joint builder, it split into two personalities. Davi - all knowing; Dave - knowing nothing, but gradually finding bits along the way.

Sam whistled. “You are from the 26th century?”

Dave grinned. “Yup. That’s me. I think I’m happy here in the 22nd though. Your new lady friends here are from the 21st, Bear Camp employees there. Petar, like to introduce yourself?”

“Hi everyone, I’m Petar, from what you call the Pleistocene Era or Stone Age Man if you like. It’s been a bigger journey for me!”

The gathering went silent, stunned by all the revelations. Dave broke into the silence. “Told you folks, don’t say you weren’t warned. Petar, I take it you went back to where you first found the rock?”

“Yup. Dammi was quite understanding, for a Stone Age Man of Spirits he sure had modern perceptions. Knew the rock was the key. Where did you go anyway?”

“As far as you came here, Petar, and a lot further. It sent me to our friends’ world as it was in its death throes. I was given a crystal to give to them, which we only got to see after the colonel disabled me.”

“Yes!” Robin spoke. “It was after that when they went looking around Bear Camp. Maybe they got the idea to ‘go’ then!”

“If the rock has been the catalyst in all of this, guys, maybe IT spoke to them in the darkness and GAVE them the idea?” Oriana spoke her thoughts well.

“What’s ‘the rock’ folks? This crazy tale would make more sense if we ALL saw it.” A voice from the back spoke, and many joined in assent.

The two looked at each other quizzically. Neither remembered picking up the thing in the far mists of the past; their pockets were empty.

Dave shrugged. “If we had it, we would show it. Seems it got left.” The very idea made him shiver, that was NOT good.

The two women grinned. “No it didn’t. It appeared before you did!” Robin pointed to the now large rock atop the stone pedestal.

“So,” Sam spoke for them all, “What is it? Guys?”