A Stitch in Time

word count: 5,432

A Stitch in Time

By Marshall Leo Dotson



Phillip

Colonel Phillip Gage looked down at the pistol in his hand.  It was a Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum.  The red wood of the grip was shiny and slick against his palm.  The brilliant chrome body of the gun caught the light of the room with a magnificent gleam. It was flawless in every right.  But it should have been.  It had never been fired. 

He held it in his hand awhile, examining its excellence.  It was the most beautiful gun he had ever held.  He couldn’t have asked for a more perfect weapon to take his life with. 

He flung the chamber open with a well practiced flick of his wrist.  He had given 32 years of his life to the U.S. Army Rangers and Special Forces Command, and they in turn had given him a knowledge of weapons rivaled by a very slim few. 

Raising the chamber into the light he studied the bore.  Despite the weapons lack of use it was without dust. This of course was not by accident. He had received the revolver upon his retirement from the service five years earlier and he had cleaned it regularly ever since. 

He sat alone in the dark den of his home.  The house was vast and desolate; silent if not for the rhythmic tick of the grandfather clock in the foyer.  He looked down at the lonely round that stood upright on the coffee table.  No sense in wasting time, he thought plucking the round from the table; Might as well get it done. 

He loaded the round and slung the chamber closed with the same ease he had used to open it. Then he gave it a hard spin.  The mechanical whirl and click of the chamber reminded him of the Wheel of Fortune.  That had been his wife’s favorite program.

He sighed hard at the thought of her and then placed the barrel to his temple. Exhaling a deep breath, he bit his lip and squeezed the trigger. 

Click.

Perhaps tonight wasn’t the night after all. 

Best two out of three, he thought.  He had grown weary of this game he had been playing night after night.  He gave the chamber another spin.  It whirled and clicked, finally locking itself into place.  Again he pushed the barrel firmly against his temple and placed his finger on the trigger.

Then the phone rang.

He looked down at it on the table.  The high pitch chirp was deafening in the silence of his empty home.  The barrel of the gun was still pressed firmly against the side of his head.  He cursed under his breath and set the gun down next to the phone.  He measured the two of them next to each other. Then he picked up the receiver.

“Gage,” he said, massaging his temples with his thumb and middle finger. His voice was raspy and gruff from years of barking orders over gunfire. 

“What if you could prevent the single greatest mistake you ever made?” The words were crackled and distorted.

Col. Gage sat up in his chair.  “Come again?”

“What if you could change any and every mistake you have ever made in your entire life?”

A wave of dizziness hit Col. Gage hard.  He sprang to his feet, injected with the familiar rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins. “Who is this?”

There was an uncomfortable pause.  Static crackled from the receiver.  Then the ominous voice returned.  “Are you shell-shocked, Phillip? It’s me, Arthur Pinkerton; from across the street.”

Colonel Gage flopped back down on the couch slightly annoyed by his reaction.  He should have known who it was.  He hadn’t been able to get a moments rest since Dr. Pinkerton had moved into the vacant house across the street some two or three years earlier. 

Colonel Gage sighed hard into the phone.  “What is it this time, doc?”  He looked down at the gun on the table.  “I was getting ready for bed.”

“What!?  Didn’t you hear what I just said?” The crispness of his British accent was only slightly annoying.  “What if you could change the… Oh never mind.  You’ve ruined the dramatic effect.”

“Arthur, you are the dramatic effect.  Now get to the point.”

“Well.  There’s no need to be curt, old man.  I was merely expressing the magnitude of this momentous occasion.  We stand on the precipice of an extraordinary—“

“The point, Arthur!”  He wasn’t in the mood for one of the little man’s boisterous rants.

“Right.  I need your assistance with something, Phillip.  You must come over at once.”

Colonel Gage looked down at his watch. “Right now?  It’s damn near midnight.”

“Forget about the time, Phillip.  Time is not a factor.”  There was a hasty chuckle through the phone.  “You’ll be back before you even realize you’ve gone.”  This amused the little man quite a bit.  He giggled like a kindergartner.  “The side door is unlocked.  Come quickly.”  Then the receiver went dead.

Colonel Gage set down the phone.  Though he had been guilty of enjoying Arthur Pinkerton’s company on occasion, ninety percent of the time the little man was an extraordinary pain in the ass.  He checked his watch again.  If time wasn’t a factor then why couldn’t it wait until morning?  Glancing down at the revolver on the table he realized that tomorrow probably wasn’t going to come for Colonel Phillip Gage. 

He grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

Arthur

Dr. Arthur Pinkerton was a wild eyed little man. He had a thick mass of hair that shot out wildly like great gray flames atop his head.  He spoke with his hands, always flailing them about in wide, sweeping gestures as he tried to vocalize the lighting bolts that comprised his thoughts. 

He had devoted his entire life to the study of physics, and had made quite a name for himself in the process.  The name Pinkerton had long since been associated with brilliant ideas. In his opinion a brilliant idea could have rightly been called a Pinkerton. 

True, he was eccentric.  But the people around him had attributed his eccentricities to his brilliance.  His wife had been one of them, always willing to place second best to the passion of his thoughts.  She had never complained when his research had spilled over from the setting of the sun into the breaking of dawn across the horizon.  She had loved him completely and he had done the same.

He smiled at the thought of her, momentarily pausing from his work.  If only she could be here now, for this most auspicious occasion.  It was the culmination of his life’s work.  He could see the tears of pride swelling in the corners of her eyes.

He regained his focused and resumed his task, vowing that he would see her again.  He scribbled a few notes on the pad of paper on his desk. Then he checked over his calculations again.  The numbers rearranged themselves and danced into place as he reviewed them.  They were flawless.

He was absorbed in his work when Colonel Gage entered the garage.  The old soldier took in the details of the room without thought; the act was programmed into his brain.  The garage door, while still bearing the sectional wooden appearance on the outside, had been completely sealed over inside the room.  The opener and railings had been removed.  The four walls were uniformly white like the interior of a padded cell.  True to from, the resident madman was hard at work. 

Dr. Pinkerton was hunched over a steel table that was wedged into the corner of the room. His white lab coat dangled to his ankles, revealing the fuzzy black slippers on his feet. There was a glowing computer monitor perched atop of the table.  Aside from the door he had entered, Colonel Gage saw another door he presumed led into the house.  On the wall opposite from him was a large plane glass window.  He saw nothing through the darkness on the other side. 

The little man was scribbling fiercely into a pad on the table.  Aside from the two men and the steel table the space was empty, save for a seven by five foot box that stood in the middle of the room draped beneath a pristinely white sheet. 

Colonel Gage studied the item in the center of the room.  What worthless contraption had Arthur constructed this time?  The little doctor was always calling him over at odd hours to inspect some molecular re-arranger or focused laser inhibitor.  They might as well have been glow in the dark sunglasses for all he was concerned.  But standing in front of this large and well concealed mystery the old colonel’s curiosity bested him.  He moved towards it and pulled back the sheet.

“Don’t touch that, you Neanderthal!”  The little man intercepted him and batted away his curious hand.  “I assure you it will work best without your greasy, cheeseburger fingerprints.”

Colonel Gage returned his hand to his coat pocket and cocked a half smile down at his friend.  “You called me over here to see it remember?  Or were you just inviting me over for tea and cookies?”

“What?” The little man seemed puzzled for a second but quickly regained his bearing. “It’s tea and crumpets, you oaf.”

Colonel Gage’s smile widened “Is that so. So where are they, then?” He gained a certain enjoyment from baiting the little man.

Dr. Pinkerton waved away the colonel’s remark and started back to the table.  “Impossible as it may seem, Phillip, what I am about to demonstrate is much larger than your appetite.”  He jotted a few more notes onto his pad and then turned again to face his friend.  “Tonight” he said with a mischievous grin, “we make history.”

The Machine

Dr. Pinkerton moved to the side of the shrouded object in the middle of the room, shooing the old soldier back with his hands.  “What I’m about to show you will forever alter the very fabric of human existence.”  He smiled up at his friend.  The soldier’s gaze showed not the slightest glimmer of comprehension.  Dr. Pinkerton shook his head sighing and then pulled away the sheet.  “Behold!”

The little Doctor stood in silent pride, sticking out his chest as Colonel Gage studied the object before him.  With his hands trudged deep into his pockets the Colonel whistled as he circled it.  It was comprised of dull steel, slightly taller than himself and twice as wide.  There were two handled doors in the front that opened from the middle. “I’ll be damned.” He stopped when he reached the little man on the other side.  “I hate to break it to you, Arthur. But somebody already invented the refrigerator.”

Dr. Pinkerton was not dissuaded from his stance.  Instead he chuckled at the larger man’s ignorance.  “If your brain worked nearly as hard as your stomach, Phillip, you just may have actually accomplished something with your life.”

Colonel Gage soured at the comment.  If it wasn’t for people like himself this smug little bastard would be building commodes for communists.  His patience was suddenly thin. “Alright, so it’s not a refrigerator.  What the hell is it supposed to be then?”

Dr. Pinkerton chuckled heartily and then placed a delicate hand on one of the taller man’s broad shoulders.  “What this is, my dear friend, is a time machine.”

It was Colonel Gage’s turn to laugh.  He chuckled slightly.  Dr. Pinkerton replied the same. Soon the two men were sharing in uproarious laughter.  Both of them laughed at the utter absurdity of it, but both for different reasons. 

When the laughter finally subsided Colonel Gage looked down at his watch.  “Listen Arthur, this has been swell, but I’ve got some business I need to attend to.” He pulled his jacket down snuggly and headed for the door.

Dr. Pinkerton became gravely serious.  “You don’t believe me, then?”

Colonel Gage stopped in mid stride, shaking his head before turning to face the little man.  “Come on, Arthur.”  He squinted his eyes in skepticism. “A time machine?  I can only assume you mean a clock”

Dr. Pinkerton chuckled again.  Colonel Gage did not.  The little man quickly regained his serious tone. “I can most assure you that this is no clock.”  He looked back toward his creation. “Why, in fact this device is the very antithesis of the clock.  From this day forward the clock shall forever be obsolete!”  He turned on his heels and headed toward the door that led into his home.  He stopped when he reached the handle and turned to face the reluctant soldier still planted firmly by the exit across the room. “You don’t have to take my word for it, Phillip.  Allow me to demonstrate.”

He disappeared into the darkness across the threshold.  Colonel Gage sighed a hard, exhausted breath and followed after him.  If nothing else he was guaranteed a reason to give the little know-it-all some grief.

The doorway led to a small laundry room.  The door ahead of Colonel Gage was closed but the door to his right cast a dim light into the room.  He stopped and studied his surroundings, wondering which way the little doctor had gone.  “Arthur?”

“I’m in here you buffoon.” 

Colonel Gage stepped through the open door into the dimly lit room.  Dr. Pinkerton was adjusting a video camera that rested atop a tripod. “I apologize, Phillip, but I didn’t have time to draw you a map.”

Colonel Gage took in the details of the small room.  It was a narrow rectangle that could barely accommodate the two men.  He calculated that he could reach out and touch the adjacent walls with his elbows.  The camera that Dr. Pinkerton was adjusting was pointed into the room they had just left through the large window that Colonel Gage had observed earlier. 

Satisfied with his adjustments the little man turned to face the old soldier.  “My requirements of you are simple, Phillip. You need only press the record button on this camera and read the statement I have prepared.” He plucked a sheet of paper from the small table next to the camera and shoved it in Colonel Gage’s direction. “I assume you can read.”

The old soldier scowled and then snatched the paper from the doctor.  He glanced over it briefly.  “Let’s just get this done.”

“Right.” The little man turned abruptly and headed for the door.

“Arthur, wait.”  The colonel’s tone was filled with concern.

Dr. Pinkerton stopped and slowly peered back over his shoulder. “Yes, Phillip.”

“Maybe you should tell me where you keep the fire extinguisher.”

The Trial

The little man disappeared through the door and quickly reappeared on the other side of the glass.  He paused in front of the machine and mouthed a few animated words to his friend.  Colonel Gage stared back at him dumbly.

This infuriated the little man quite a bit.  He waved his hands around furiously as he repeated his words.  Colonel Gage smiled and then pointed a finger toward his ear. “What,” he whispered, exaggerating the syllables with his mouth.

Dr. Pinkerton slapped his palm against his forehead and walked back toward the door.  He flipped a switch on the wall and suddenly both rooms were filled with the hum of overhead speakers.  The little doctor moved back to his invention.  He paused before it and turned to face Colonel Gage again.

“Now press record and read the paper”

Colonel Gage fumbled the camera on and snapped the paper steady in front of his face.  Without his glasses, he squinted at the small print. “Time machine… trial one.  The time is now… state the time… Dr. Arthur Pinker-“

“Don’t say “state the time” you stupid ape.  State the time displayed on the clock!”

Colonel Gage shot a fierce look at the little man before turning his attention back to the paper.  “The time… is now… 11:47.  Dr. Arthur Pinkerton will now attempt a temporal displacement from the present moment to exactly one minute into the future.”

He looked up again and saw the little man had disappeared into the large steel box.  The closing of the metal doors reverberate from the speakers.  There was a loud pop, and suddenly the speakers were filled with a deafening high pitched whir.  Still clutching the paper Colonel Gage threw his hands up to his ears.  The curses he put on the little doctor where drowned out by the intense noise.

The sound reminded Colonel Gage of a jet engine preparing for take off.  He closed his eyes and winced.  The noise grew into a crescendo, louder and louder before suddenly stopping, leaving the room filled with an exaggerated silence.

The old soldier opened a wary eye and stood up in the small room.  The ringing in his ears was tremendous.  His temper flared.  “Arthur, out of all the worthless junk you’ve-”.  His jaw dropped when he looked through the glass.  The large metal box in the center of the room was gone.  A lone sheet of paper floated gently to the ground.  Nothing remained of Arthur Pinkerton and his precious invention. 

Colonel Gage stood dumbstruck in the little room, staring through the window at what had once been his friend.  “You’ve done it this time Arthur.  You went and invented yourself out of existence.” 

His words still hung in the air when the thought occurred to him.  What if the little bastard was right?  He looked down at the clock.  11:48.

When Colonel Gage looked back through the glass he saw a small black orb suspended in the center of the room.  It started off the size of a golf ball and slowly began to expand.  The center of the object was aglow with beams of electricity dancing outward from the nucleus terminating against the black sphere’s outer walls.  Colonel Gage was reminded of the electric plasma globes he had seen at novelty shops.  In all his years of service, in all the breathtaking and horrible things he had seen in his life, never before had he seen anything so mesmerizing.

His amazement was short lived.  The exterior of the orb snapped and violent colorful beams of electricity shot out wildly through the empty room.  A bolt of lightning struck the window in front of Colonel Gage causing him to stumble backward into the wall.  The monitor on the steel table exploded under the barrage of electric current.  The overhead speakers spewed an amplification of the fierce crackle of electricity. 

The electric orb underwent a massive transformation.  It went from a sphere to a cube while still suspended in midair.  The bottom section shot down four feet to the floor.  The upper half shot up four feet into the air.  The thin rectangle expanded to the size of a large refrigerator.  The bolts of electricity shooting outward buckled and bent backwards, as if reluctantly being pulled back to where they had come.  Simultaneously they all disappeared back into the dark object leaving a pitch black rectangle standing alone in the center of the room. 

The object flickered between absolute darkness and radiant light.  There was an explosive “boom” that shook the walls of the house itself.  A thick cloud of smoke exploded into the empty room shrouding it in darkness.  The speakers fell deafly silent again. 

Through the cloud of smoke Colonel Gage heard a muffled cough from the speakers.  As the smoke dissipated he made out the shape of the little doctor emerging from the machine.  The small man looked at his watch and then to the clock on the wall.  He danced a jig around the room, occasionally hopping in the air to click his heels together.  “We did it, Phillip!  We did it!”

Colonel Gage stood on the other side of the glass with his mouth agape.  He couldn’t quite come to terms with what he had just witnessed.  It was impossible.

Dr. Pinkerton continued his celebratory dance from the garage back into the observation room where Colonel Gage was still standing in awe.  “We did it, Phillip.”  The little man’s expression was pure jubilance.  “Do you realize the implications that this has?  More research must be done of course, but can you imagine the impact this will have on modern society.  The possibilities are endless!”

When Colonel Gage finally regained the ability to speak all he could manage was a weak, “I don’t believe it.”

“Always the skeptic, you are, Phillip.”  He was beaming up at the taller man.  “This may very well be the greatest technological innovation in the history of mankind.  Why, this makes the Apollo missions look like a game of marbles.”

Colonel Gage was still having trouble forming a sentence, so he simply repeated himself.  “I don’t believe it.”

“Oh, Phillip you’re as stubborn as a mule.  Very well then.  We will demonstrate a temporal displacement of greater proportions.  And this time you’re coming with me.”

This seemed to bring Colonel Gage back to his senses.  He found the idea of traveling in any of Arthur’s inventions a bit unnerving; especially through time.  “Oh no, Arthur.  There’s no way in hell I’m getting’ in that thing.  If you wanna go screwin’ with time, be my guest, but I’m content right here in the present.”

“Are you, now?  Honestly, Phillip.  Isn’t there anything appealing about the prospect of it to you?”  Colonel Gage’s mind shot quickly to his wife.  His life had unquestionably been better when she was still alive. Maybe Arthur’s invention might make it possible to avoid her death before it happened. 

“I assure you it is most safe.  The first step has already been taken.  Now you can be Buzz Aldrin to my Neil Armstrong.  Your name will be immortalized synonymously with time travel from here until eternity.”  He stared up at the old soldier.  Colonel Gage’s brow was scrunched up in contemplation.  “Or you can simply sit here and wait 15 minutes for me to return when only mere seconds have passed for me.”

The old soldier pondered the idea. The concept of everlasting fame didn’t hold much appeal to him, but considering that 20 minutes ago he had a revolver dug into his temple he didn’t have much to lose even if something did go wrong.  “Alright, Arthur,” he sighed.  “I’m in.”

“Excellent!” the little doctor replied robustly.  Grabbing Colonel Gage by the arm he led him toward the garage. 

The Paradox

The inside of the machine was much smaller than Colonel Gage had imagined.  Being taller than Dr. Pinkerton he had to adopt a slight hunch in his back and crane his neck just to fit inside.  He scowled down at the little doctor.  “Not exactly built for comfort, is it?”

“This is merely a prototype, Phillip.  Once the production line is released I’m sure you’ll be able to purchase a diesel model with a gun rack and a Confederate flag bumper sticker.  Now please be quiet while I make my adjustments.”  The little man vigorously tapped the keys on the laptop mounted into the wall.  He then turned slightly to face the old soldier looming uncomfortably behind him. “Now pay attention to the LED display over the door.”

Colonel Gage turned his head to see what the little man meant.  Mounted above the door was a red display that must have certainly used to belonged to a digital alarm clock.  The four numbers were flashing in bright red, “15:00”

“Now please put your seats in an upright position,” Dr. Pinkerton chuckled and looked up at the grizzly soldier hunched over him.  Colonel Gage showed no signs of amusement.  The little man nervously cleared his throat.  “And we’re off!”  The little doctor punched a button and the machine began to shake violently. 

Colonel Gage began to curse him but was distracted by the sudden change on the display.  Slowly it began to count backwards. “14:59, 58, 57” increasing rapidly until the numbers became a flashing red blur.  The whir that he had heard earlier was muted now, but grew louder as the clock sped to zero.  When the countdown stopped the machine lurched violently, causing Colonel Gage to bang his head loudly against the ceiling.

“Son of a –“ 

“Yes the ride can be a bit rocky,” the little man chuckled. He glanced up at the angry hulking man behind him and quickly turned away. “But I’m sure you have survived worse.  Now, if everything went accordingly we should be exactly 15 minutes forward of where we originally began.”  With that Dr. Pinkerton turned the metal handle of the door and eased it open.  White smoked billowed into the chamber as both men stepped out.

Colonel Gage was rubbing his head gingerly.  “Well, when we get back to the past remind me to tell myself not to come.”

Dr. Pinkerton turned to him with a grave expression.  “You most certainly will not! The possibility of paradoxes has not yet been properly explored.  The ramifications of a temporal paradox could very well lead to the implosion of the space time continuum itself.  Why do you think I’m limiting my time displacements to such miniscule increments?  Much more research is needed into the effect of causality on the… Are you listening to me, Phillip?”

But Colonel Gage was distracted by something else.  As the smoke dissipated from the room the shape of two lifeless bodies could be seen lying on the floor.  The old soldier slowly moved closer, bending down lower to examine.  When the smoke was clear enough for him to see he jumped back quickly in horror at the realization of what lay before him.  He was no stranger to death, but all the carnage he has witnessed in his long career couldn’t prepare him for what he was seeing now.  “Oh my God, Arthur,” He said turning to face the little doctor.  “It’s...  It’s us.”

Dr. Pinkerton moved forward to examine for himself.  He knelt down on one knee, hovering over his own smoking corpse.  Silence hung in the air as the two men looked down at their own charred remains.  Then he slowly turned to face the old soldier behind him. “Good God. We’ve managed to kill ourselves.”

Colonel Gage looked down at his mangled body in disbelief.  His hands were splayed out in front of him, his fingers locked in a ghastly contortion.  The intensity of the pain he had suffered prior to his death was burned into the expression on his face.  Although he had been contemplating suicide for months, standing over his own dead body sent a cold chill rushing up his spine.  He turned to the little doctor in a fit of rage.

“You said it was safe, Arthur!”  With one hand he lifted the little man by his shirt collar so that the tips of his slippers scraped violently against the floor.  “You see what you’ve done in your lust for… for greatness!”

Dr. Pinkerton pawed uselessly at the old soldier’s large hand.  Colonel Gage twisted the fabric around the little man’s neck.  “The time machine,” the little man wheezed.  “It… It hasn’t happened.  We can… eck... we can… undo it. With the machine.”

The old soldier released his grip and Dr. Pinkerton fell to the floor gasping furiously for breath.  Still panting he pointed toward the clock hanging lopsided on the wall. “Look… at the time.”

Colonel Gage looked up at the clock.  It read 12:03.  “Well congratu-fuckin’-lations, Arthur.  You pulled off another time dispersal.”

“No, Phillip!” the old doctor shouted rising again to his feet.  “We’re in the wrong time! We were supposed to move forward 15 minutes, but it’s only been 10.”  He pulled his shirt collar away from his throat and massaged his neck.  “Something was off in the temporal displacement.  Perhaps the additional weight of an extra passenger?  How could I have been so foolish?!” 

Colonel Gage bit his tongue.

“My calculations were only off by a fraction. It’s a minor miscalculation.  Completely repairable.”

“An extra teaspoon of sugar is a minor miscalculation, Arthur!”  The old soldier looked down at his own corpse again.  “This is really fuckin’ bad.”

“But I assure you, Phillip it is repairable.  All we must do is travel back to the exact moment we left.  Once we are there this whole incident will have never taken place.  Surely you can understand the simplicity of that?” 

Colonel Gage didn’t want to understand it.  He just wanted to be back in his den, in front of his coffee table, listening to his grandfather clock tick.  With much assurance from Dr. Pinkerton and the hope of undoing the catastrophe they had created, he eventually conceded to climb in to the time machine once again, swearing that it would be his very last time ever. 

The machine whirred and popped and shook and lurched and just as suddenly as they had gone they were back where they had started.

Dr. Pinkerton eased open the door. The two men nervously study the floor around them as the smoke cleared.  There was nothing there but a lone sheet of paper. “You see, Phillip?  Nothing to worry about at all,” he said stepping out of the machine.  “Though I can understand if you were a bit rattled by the experience.  Honestly, I was as well. Truly a testament to the awesome complexities of time travel.”

“I’d rather not talk about it, Arthur.”

“Understood. Understood.”  The little man clapped his hands and rubbed them together briskly.  “Well how about a spot of tea, then? Or maybe some brandy?  I have a bottle that I’ve been saving just for an occasion such as this.  I’m sure you’ll find it most-”

His words were cut off by the loud groan of crunching metal.  Both men looked back at the time machine.  Once the shape of a large refrigerator it was now dented inward like an hourglass. 

“My word,” Dr. Pinkerton whispered moving towards the machine. The hairs on Colonel Gage’s arms stood on end.  The machine gave another loud groan as it crumpled into itself like a soda can being crushed by an invisible hand.  “My time machine!” Dr. Pinkerton cried out rushing towards it.  Colonel Gage caught him by the tail of his lab coat.  The once great steel box imploded suddenly into the center of the room leaving nothing in its place but a small black orb hovering in the center of the room. 

Adrenaline shot into the old soldiers veins.  “We’ve gotta get out of here, Arthur!”  He tugged at Dr. Pinkerton’s robe but the little man wouldn’t budge.

“Most incredible,” he whispered leaning forward against the larger man’s might.  The black orb slowly expanded to the size of a softball. 

“It’s not safe, Arthur!” Colonel Gage was dragging the reluctant little man toward the door.  “We have to get out of -”

But the old soldier was too late.  The exterior of the orb snapped suddenly, shooting brilliant streams of electricity throughout the room.  Both men screamed in agony as the powerful electric currents ripped through their bodies.  They collapsed to the floor twisting and writhing uncontrollably under the assault.

When the barrage of electricity ended their two smoking bodies lay motionless on the floor.  A loud boom exploded in the empty garage and the room was suddenly filled with the thick white smoke.
Through the darkness there was the metallic clang of an opening door.  Colonel Gage’s voice cut through the darkness.  “Well, when we get back to the past remind me to tell myself not to come.”  He was rubbing his head gingerly as the smoke cleared.

“You most certainly will not! The possibility of paradoxes has not yet been properly explored.  The ramifications of a temporal paradox could very well lead to the implosion of the space time continuum itself…”

Colonel Gage was no longer listening to the little man.  Through the clearing smoke he could make out two lifeless bodies sprawled across the concrete floor.  He slowly moved closer, bending down to examine.  When the smoke was clear enough for him to see he recoiled quickly in horror.  “Oh my God, Arthur,” He said turning to face the little doctor.  “It’s...  It’s us.”

Dr. Pinkerton moved forward to examine for himself.  He knelt down on one knee, hovering over his own smoking corpse.  Silence hung in the air as the two men looked down at their own charred remains.  Then he slowly turned to face the old soldier behind him. “Good God. We’ve managed to kill ourselves.”

And so it continued into infinity.