Post by Tim E. Vortex on Apr 18, 2011 2:55:25 GMT
July 14th 2120
“I’m bored,”
Michelle moaned as she firmly planted her head onto her folded arms that rested on a white, plastic table of Cafe 2000. She leans back against the ugly, red cushions of the booth and sighs as our food is presented to us.
“Two bad burgers with funky fries. That’ll be £59.96,”
He stated and Michelle’s face dropped. I didn’t think it was possible for a Scot to turn pale, yet somehow she managed it.
“Return unto us in five minutes,”
I told him. He gripped the visor on his cap with his middle and index fingers and tipped it gently before retreating. Michelle turned to my and her eyes widened in anticipation of my explanation.
“Inflation, my dear.[/color]”
“[/color]Why are we here?”
She seemed confused. I had chosen her out of the billions of people throughout time and space as my companion and when we travel one-hundred years into the girl’s future, she questions me.
“We are explorers... We’re exploring,”
That wasn’t enough.
“[/color]Exploring? I’m from the twenty-first century and you take me to a twenty-first century cafe that’s nothing like the twenty-first century?”
She was clearly not amused. It’s hard for anywhere to be one-hundred percent historically accurate and Cafe 2000 isn’t that far off.
“Come on... there must be something you like about this place,”
“[/color]Other than the fact Justin Beiber isn’t alive anymore, it doesn’t really have much going on for it, does it?”
I was insulted. I do my best to impress an orphan and show her things that no other human being has ever seen and she goes and spoils it all by saying things like that. How dare she? “Baby, Baby, Baby” is a classic.
“Couldn’t we go somewhere a bit more exciting? The birth of Christ, the painting of the Sistine Chapel, the Roman Empire...”
This time, my face dropped, remembering my recent encounter with Julius Caesar’s army.
“I’d rather not,”
“[/color]Hey, I know. You have a match against Camisado 109 years ago... why don’t we look it up to see if you won?”
“Absolutely not!”
I snapped at her as I shot up out of my seat. If my outdated apparel wasn’t enough to attract attention, then my overdramatic outburst must have been. It was one of those moments where everyone just stopped; a record stopped, a waiter dropped his tray and I swear I could hear cars screeching to a halt outside. I recomposed myself and sat back down, taking note of Michelle in her miserable attempt not to smile and our surroundings resumed.
“It is very risky to assert yourself into your past or future circumstance and any sort of interaction could damage the very fabric or reality,[/color]”
“I concur,[/color]”
I said. Wait a minute, I didn’t say that. Well, I did, but not now. It was now, but not my now. I did in my future, which I suppose is my present at this point. My apologies, I fear I may be confusing you again. Allow me to explain. First, I become aware of Michelle’s jaw lowering as her eyes darted to my right. I turned my head and sliding into the booth was me... or at least, another me. Another Timothy Edward Vortex.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to ruin what happens on Live-Wire, although I will give you a word of advice that I found to be most useful... wear a cup,[/color]”
Timothy said. This is the first time I have ever encountered a paradox and, in keeping with the theme of first times, Michelle was quite, unable to think of anything to say and, even if she could, she probably would not have the ability to say it.
“What the devil are you doing? What the devil am I doing? This can’t be safe,[/color]”
I insisted.
“I can assure you, this is an exception to the rule and you are in no danger,[/color]”
“How can you know?[/color]”
“Because I’m still here, aren’t I? I can appreciate that you have hitherto had an experience like this and I understand more than anyone. I’m only here because when I was you and was here, I saw me who told me what I’m telling you now. One day, you’ll be me and you’ll be here telling you the same,[/color]”
I now realise why people stare blankly at me during a conversation, but I listened and somehow managed to comprehend the handsome man beside me.
“Enigma,[/color]”
He said.
“I beg your pardon?[/color]”
“That’s what I came in here to tell you.[/color]”
“Well, what does it mean?[/color]”
“I don’t know yet. I’m only reciting what I heard myself say when I was you. Oh, and I also said “it’s coming”,[/color]”
He ejaculated with his charming smile. My mind was a rampant jungle as I raced to make sense of this new information. What is this enigma? And more importantly, when is it coming? Oh, this paradox is marvellous.
“I agree,[/color]”
Timothy said. Did I say that out loud?
“No, but I can remember what I was thinking,[/color]”
“[/color]Okay, this is freaky. Wait, why is my future self not here? What happens to me? Am I going to die? Och, are you going to leave me behind?”
Timothy grins again; he’s such a dazzling chap. I know he told me that this was safe and while there’s no one in the entire universe that I trust more than myself, I am often filled with doubt and I could sense the danger in this. I frantically reached into my pocket and pulled out my white-gold watch and begin to input coordinates for the Live-Wire arena before fiddling to get the correct date. I didn’t want to appear rude, and so I through my eyes at Timothy for his approval, who was still smiling with his hypnotic gaze.
“Don’t worry... you’re merely duplicating my actions,”
He declared. I nodded quickly.
“Come on dear,[/color]”
I offered her my arm, which she naturally linked. I turned one last to face myself. I then pressed down on the watch’s button and began my journey back to the 14th April 2011. Upon arrival, Michelle immediately threw my arm away before typically storming off down the corridor.
“Michelle?[/color]”
“[/color]You leave me!”
She barks.
“You don’t know that,”
“[/color]Well, you either leave me or I die and either way... I don’t want anything to do with you,”
“Come on. You’re overreacting,”
“[/color]You would say that. You’re gonna be sat there smiling away with all your “Enigma” shit while I’m probably lying in a ditch somewhere in the forty-third century,”
“Don’t be ridiculous ...I’d never take you to the forty-third century. Not without a gas mask anyway,”
I didn’t realise she was being sarcastic. I put my hand on her shoulder and she stopped, chuckling as she span on her glittery, red boots.
“[/color]So what does “Enigma” mean?”
Michelle was often one for changing the subject upon realisation that she’d been mistaken.
“A puzzle, a mystery, a riddle. Were you merely acquiring a definition or do you expect me to comprehend the underlying connotations?”
“[/color]Well you said it,”
“Yes...”
I began.
“However you’ll forgive that it was a future version of myself and he too had yet to decipher it. Maybe it’s something we’ll never know and I merely say it to resemble the echo. As I said... and endless paradox,[/color]”
I told her, which painted her omnipresent look of confusion. This time, I must confess, I shared her expression. The thought of whatever this was scared me and, as most would describe as an antonym for virtue, excited me. Whilst I am in the dark as to what it means, I know something about it. I know it’s coming.
[/color]
