Time Management - Repost

Oft gang aglay. Fiction. 500 words, 3-minute read.

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Here’s a little tale of a time travel mission, gone a bit off the rails. I posted this story on Substack back in May 2024, when I had 47 subscribers. So, many of you might’ve missed it. Time Management first appeared in Daily Flash 2011, Pill Hill Press, ISBN-13: 9781617060106 and ISBN: 1617060100.

Time Management

by Ray Tabler

“How’s it look?” Schneider bellowed into the hurricane-force wind roaring into the chrono field forming in the middle of the clearing, a rather annoying side effect of time travel.

Professor Witker puzzled over the readings displayed on fragments of instruments salvaged from the wreckage. “Difficult to say. No way to properly calibrate these gauges.”

“Calibration hell, Doc! Is it gonna work or what?”

“Don’t get snippy with me! If you’d been more careful, the others would still be with us to help.”

“Hey, the briefing binder specifically said that saber tooth tigers couldn’t climb trees!”

“Well, that one forgot to read the briefing binder now, didn’t he?” Witker shuddered. “I can still hear Seifferly screaming.”

“I feel just as bad about them as you do, but we have other business at the moment.” Schneider pointed at the chrono field which had seemed to stabilize into a silvery green oval orb

Witker glanced at the field and his instruments. “Something’s wrong.”

“What?”

“There are some very weird harmonics in the field.” Witker tapped a gauge. “And, we need more power.”

“I’ll take care of that.” Schneider pulled his pistol and hopped off the control platform. “Faster, you primitives!” He pumped a couple of .45 caliber performance incentives into the air.

The one hundred thirty-seven remaining members of the Cro-Magnon spotted bear clan whimpered and pedaled desperately. A dozen empty wooden exercise bicycles attested to what happened when the thunder gods were disappointed with slackers. A complex network of vine-driven pulleys cranked the chrono generator salvaged from the wreckage of the time craft.

“There’s still not enough power.” Witker threw up his hands. “This the field is only going to transport ...”

“Transport what?”

“Only enough power to transport one of us,” Witker whispered. He dithered for a moment, and then sprinted for the chrono field.

Caught flat-footed, it took Schneider a few seconds to figure things out. “Son of a bi--” He fired at Witker, missed, and took off in his wake.

‘I’ll send somebody back for you!” Witker promised.

“The hell you will! You’re not leaving me here with these cave men, Doc!”

“The gods are angry!” Chief Kookluk panted, still pedaling like mad.

Witker was faster than Schneider would have thought possible. He had to run too hard to be able to aim properly, but he was gaining on the scientist.

The pair leaped into the chrono field at the exact same instant. A blinding flash lit up the clearing. Witker and Schneider both slammed into something solid and were thrown back out of the field. With a ripping sound the field collapsed and the wind abruptly died away.

In the sudden silence Schneider blinked and shook his head in dizziness. A bizarre sight was before him. On the opposite side of where the field had stood was another Schneider, blinking and looking back at him. To his left and right were two identical Witkers.

The two Witkers stared at each other, and simultaneously exclaimed, “Oh, bloody hell! I was afraid this might happen.”

END.

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