Timeshock - I Want My Life Back by Timothy Michael Lewis Read Free Book Online Page A

Previum.   For some reason the Bilozians couldn’t or wouldn’t go there.

    Something that occurred to Nigel on the way to the hub worried him deeply.   If he was five years’ flight away from earth, even if he did get back in time, he would most probably be stuck in space and die instantly.   He talked this through with Zac who saw the problem but also proposed a solution.  

    Zac modified Nigel’s time machine to add a teleportation feature.   It would automatically teleport him to the nearest habitable world when it had travelled back in time.   It still meant Nigel needed some other way to get home - but at least he wouldn’t die in space.

    While Nigel was extremely impressed by the level of technology, he was still shocked by the fact that there were no proper toilets in the Bilozian spacecraft.   Those functions involved shunting a bag of waste into space.   Zac seemed not particularly bothered by this, but Nigel was.   Interestingly, Nigel found toilet paper had been replaced by nanobots - tiny microscopic robots - that did the same thing, ensuring that the expected hygiene problems of not having a toilet never became an issue.

    Similarly, there were nanobots for shaving body hair that Nigel found extremely convenient.   No more shaving, just tell the nanobots to keep it under control and they would.

    Nigel got used to day after day travelling and was becoming accustomed to things when one day Zac pointed at a dot in the view-screen.   Yellow lines could be seen converging on the dot.  

    “That is the power hub!” exclaimed Zac.

    As they grew closer to it, the majesty of the hub became clear.   It was enormous - and hundreds of vibrant beams of energy surged in and out of it.   This sign of oppression was awesome to behold, thought Nigel.

    “So what is the plan to get into it?” asked Nigel
    “I’ve not really thought one up yet,” admitted Zac.
    “Oh.   Better come up with something soon.”
    “I know.   Very hard to get in without being captured.”
    “We need something better than that,” said a concerned Nigel.

    At that moment the whole ship shuddered and the view-screen changed from being of the hub to being of a cargo bay inside some kind of enormous structure.   Two Bilozians, with hands raised up showing their palm beams, materialised in front of Zac and Nigel.

    One of the two Bilozians spoke: “You two, come with us.   The Emperor wants to see you.”   With that the door of the spacecraft opened and Zac and Nigel were forced out.

    They were force-marched through a long array of corridors.   It was clear from the view out of the windows along the way that they were inside the hub.   Nigel had the time machine stowed inside his storage diamond.   If he just had a minute to get it out and activate it he could escape!   But the Bilozian guards were keeping a keen eye on him and Zac.

    Eventually they arrived at a huge chamber. On each side of it were spheres of glowing light that were interconnected with power beams.   At the far end of the chamber sat a hugely fat and bloated Bilozian.   Its head had multiple wires protruding from it leading towards a large glass container on the ground beside it.   It contained something that looked like a human head.   But Nigel and Zac could not yet see it clearly.

    It’s definitely a human head thought Nigel.   As he and Zac were forced closer, the true horror of the situation eventually became clear.  
    The head in the jar was that of Raymond Deville.  

Chapter 12
    Zac and Nigel just stood and stared.   Raymond’s head was in a jar next to the Bilozian emperor.   What on earth was going on?   Raymond’s head looked dead - there was no facial movement but it had a set of probes inserted into it.

    “Nigel Saunders” said the Bilozian emperor.   “We meet again.   Of course you are wondering where we met.   I have in me the consciousness of Raymond Deville, who you left for dead.”  

    “What?”