Command Z

Prologue

  Dr. Keith Leaf is a Canadian scientist. He was born and raised in Saskatchatoon, Canada. He wears a lab coat in the lab and a red Canadian flag sweater anywhere else. He wears a shaggy, brown Winter hat over his curly reddish-blonde hair. He wears khakis all the time. He has a missing tooth in the middle of his bottom row of teeth. He is a happy friendly man with a big smile and wide brown eyes. He moved to London, England in 1982.

  It was February 12th, 1989. It was Keith’s big day. He had come up with what he would call a breakthrough. He had created a high-tech device that could harness the energy of electronic devices from up to a mile away and withdraw 50% of the electronic energy from the device into the main central tube and have living, visible energy floating around and bouncing off the walls of the tube. He could then take any electronic or non-electronic device and inject it with enough power to create a living robot . . . or living object.

  For example, he could take a boombox, put it into a refrigerator-sized tank, turn on the machine and the device will come to life. He could also take a non-electronic device like a brick, put it in the tank, and BOOM, a living brick. It was going to blast his career into a whole new definition of successful. A machine that creates life. He was going to be drenched in praise and awards.

  Until something went wrong.........

  As Keith turned on the device ~ The Lifolectrum as he called it ~ a flash of the blue lightning-like energy in the tube looked a bit thicker than the others. As the other “Lifostrikes” died out and the misty remains flew into the top circular fuel tank and more started forming and doing the same, the one was not dying out. And it was bouncing off the sides of the tube with a bold force. Every time it bounced off the sides of the tubes the strike got bigger and bigger. When it looks as wide as baseball bat, it hit the wall with a blast of electricity. The glass of tube flashed a crack.

  Suddenly, all sides of the tube were cracking every time they were hit. A hole bursted through the glass and the Lifostrikes were flying out of the Lifolectrum and scattering about the whole auditorium where Keith was presenting the machine. People were ducking behind the chairs in front of them with their arms over their heads and screaming. Keith observed the Lifostrikes passing through his audience. The Lifostrikes passed through everyone in the auditorium as the jumped up in shock and slight chills ran down their back. Keith saw a Lifostrike heading toward him and was alarmed at the size of it. It was “the one.” “The Trouble-Stirrer.” “The Glass-Breaker.” He jumped out of the way and watched the Lifostrike shock the fold-up chair behind him. The chair was shaping what seemed to be limbs and human-like features.

  He then realized that these little streaks of energy were the least of his problems....

  Chapter 1

  The Captain’s Log

  Day 1:

  The machines have turned this town to rubble. The buildings are half-demolished and there are flames out of every window. Debris of metal, brick, and wood are in the middle of the streets. Stray house and zoo animals are running around; barking and yelling. It’s complete mayhem. I am writing this log incase I do not make it, someone will find it. This situation will not be forgotten.

  2/13/1989   ~   Dr. Keith Leaf

  Keith tucked his notepad and pencil into his lab coat pocket and came out from behind a carriage. He watched in horror as the destruction he had caused was affecting everyone. He ran into an abandoned building that he had claimed as his on. He had one ceiling light on, shining on a wooden table with more than 10 pieces of paper scattered and a wooden cup with pens, pencils, and markers in it.

  He sat down at his swivel-chair and got to work. He was sketching some of the machines that were terrorizing all of London. He wondered how much farther the Lifolectrum could travel. The Lifolectrum traveling? His head rose high and his eyes turned wide. He ran to the door shutting off the light as he ran out. He sprinted through the town jumping over broken flower pots and flaming chunks of brick wall. He got to the town auditorium and was met by a big predicament. The roof of the auditorium was missing, chunks of it on the ground. The machine was somehow growing, out of the auditorium. The Lifostrikes scattering endlessly in all directions. He was terrified of what would happen next. He into the auditorium and tried something that he knew was the only chance of stopping the machine. He ran behind the machine where the secret code programer was and simultaneously held down the buttons Command, Alt, Control, Eject. This was the code to shutdown the machine. He was now making his fingers ache. He was holding down the buttons relentlessly. The Lifostrike serged at him with piercing anger. He was shocked. Literally. Outlines of blue lightning-like Lifostrikes were surrounding him. They were carrying him afloat, like a father lifting up his child in his arms. The head bulb shattered and his Lifolectrum now clearly saved the best Lifostrike for last. The Big Cheese. “Lifoblast,” he thought to himself, eyes wide open. He heard an electronic blast noise. One an alien UFO might make. A blue electronic sphere was growing bigger and bigger. Little Lifostrike “babies” bouncing off the sides inside. When it was about the size of a huge beach ball, it exploded. A huge ray-blast shot out as wide as a basketball and as long as a flagpole. It blasted Keith and he shot back into the top row of seats, screaming as he did. The neon blue LED lights of the Lifolectrum shut off, and auditorium was dark and quiet. Only the constant, silent buzzing you always have in your ear could be heard. Keith got up and started limping out of the building, holding his hands to his chest, groaning in agony.

  Day 2:

  The Lifolectrum is defused - I believe. I’m not sure exactly. It shot me with a ray that I have personally renamed Lifoblast. It pulled me in the air like the Lifostrikes were its arms. Yesterday, it blasted me from the main bulb like it was its heart, like Iron Man does in those comic books. I personally that that teenage actor Robert Downey, Jr. has some potential in the cinemas as Iron Man someday. Anyway, back onto what matters, I think the Lifolectrum has somehow blasted itself and turned itself alive. I have a bad feeling that this is about to get so much worse than it already has gotten.

  2/14/1989   ~   Dr. Keith Leaf

  Chapter 2

  The Continuum

  Day 3:

  I am in my new lab. I put a wooden sign on top of the door saying “DR. KEITH LEAF’S LABORATORY” in thick white paint. I found an old abandoned building 2 days ago and have made it my own. I have now decided in each log, I will say where I am so that if anybody ever finds this, ever, they can track me down and save me incase I do not win this battle. I have come up with a somewhat genius theory. I have recently been thinking about the space-time continuum. About a device that allows a man to travel through time, from the start to the dead end. I know this sounds absolutely insane, but I feel this is my only choice. To save the world.

  2/15/1989   ~   Dr. Keith Leaf

  Keith had tens and twenties of papers and drawn diagrams about time travel. If he was correct, he could ultimately master time and all that lies within. He had already started on what he calls a prototype. Matter of factly, it was constructed of tinfoil pipes and cardboard boxes with colored buttons sketched on the cardboard with a Sharpie.

  He was anxious about the whole idea. Actually traveling through time. He was not actually even sure it would work. Not until he had proof.

  He got to work right away the next morning. He hopped off the old sofa as soon as his eyes opened. Restless, he ran to his swivel-chair and bulky, slow computer. He composed a document listing all he knew about the space-time continuum. Though he knew little, he did know the most important rule of time: do not change ANYTHING! He learned this from a film he had seen by the name of Back to the Future that had been released into the cinema theaters four years earlier.

  Chapter 3

  The Finished Pro
duct

  Keith was anxious. He gazed upon the time machine. He was in awe at the site of such a glorious invention. As he got up to press the red button that makes the machine, “go,” it occurred to him that he could not do this alone.

  He got out an old Canadian phonebook he had saved at the time of his moving to London. He got his telephone and starting dialing three numbers. The first number he dialed was a fellow scientist he became friendly with ten years earlier at a science convention in Vancouver. He had an invention he was sure would woo the judges. But the fellow scientist crossed some wires and dotted a few wrong buttons and wouldn’t you know it, Keith came in eighth place. And the fellow scientist, Dr. Scott Edler, came in first. Though he cheated him and lied about it, Keith needed him. And so he called him right away and conversed with him about the situation.

  The next person he called was a woman he met in college who was the smartest in his science class and was his lab partner, helping him with some and becoming better friends on the way. Her name was Dr. Ann Kesler. He found her number and called her with the same speech he had with Edler...after a minute or five of “catching up.” She seemed interested and with an unsure goodbye, they had hung up.

  His final and most difficult call was to a jock from his high school and strangely enough, his college also. His name was Brock Hansen and he ruled both his high school and college, even as a freshman. Though not too smart, Brock was tough a titanium wall. If they ran into anything dangerous, he could handle it. He called him and was blocked by several question mainly consisting of “Why should I?” and “Yeah, right!” He was a skeptical jerk and was unfortunately the brawn over them all. After what seemed like hours of persuading, Brock was onboard.

  Chapter 4

  The Z Team

  Day 65:

  It is the second day since I have been in touch with my 2 old friends...and Brock. We have established enough to know what to do when they all get here. None of them have called which means they would have most likely already left their homes away from any possible telephone. If only portable telephones existed. Anywho, my white, scrap-paper blueprints have been displayed on the walls just to show my visitors how much work I have put into this proj

  *Knock, knock, knock*

  Keith got up from his swivel-chair and greeted his first guest at the door. It was Dr. Scott Edler.

  “Hello, Scott. Great to finally see you again,” said Keith.

  “Oh yes, quite. Quite. Where is this time machine?” Scott interrupted, walking past Keith and into the rest of the lab.

  “Wow!” Scott whispered to himself in astonishment.

  “Isn’t it marvellous?” Keith uninvitedly replied, trying not to sound boastful.

  “And this was just here when you got here,” Scott questioned, in the form of a statement.

  Keith was shocked and angry, but not for a houseguest. But he just couldn’t help himself to this rodent of a person.

  “I built it!” he screamed, red-faced. “I...build..this......myself, here..by myself!” Keith only showed his surprised and scared face on the inside, for he had never yelled like that to anyone, or ever for that matter.

  Scott’s face was grim and “not my fault,” “he started it” kind of facial expression.

  “I,” Scott started to say, “was not aware of this. I am truly sorry.”

  Keith’s face beigeing to its normal, he said, “Thank you. I too apologize.”

  Between the seconds, or hours, it did not matter, of awkward silence, the door was knocked three times upon. And Ann was greeted by both Keith and Scott, Scott shoving in front to seem like the man of the hour.

  “Hi, dear Ann. Dr. Ann Kesler? Scott Edler... Doctor! Scott Edler,” he exclaimed forcing his hand out to her.

  “Hi, Ann Kesler. Nice to meet you,” she replied walking passed Scott and greeting Keith, who was glad this person had her common sense in order of who's boss around this operation.

  They talked for not a minute and Ann put her suitcase against a leg of Keith’s work work table and was greeted by in her eyes what looked to be the pearly gates of Heaven.

  “Oh...my...God...” she paced.

  “Great, isn’t it?” said Scott, leaning forward into the conversation. This, without doubt made Keith furious, and he did not wait to start his unplanned presentation, when *Knock, knock, knock* the door was banged on by none other than “King” Brock Hansen.

  “Keithy!” he screamed, embracing him with a possible sarcastic bear hug, crushing Keith relentlessly.

  “Hey, buddy!” Brock baby-talked Keith as if he were some kind of puppy. This went on for minutes, Brock not taking one second of it seriously.

  Keith stopped Brock with the stern hand and insisted on getting to business. First up to share their ideas was Ann and Keith half-listening, considering the time machine was already built and ready, picked up his notepad and pencil and...

  ect. I am the least bit excited to see anyone of these wretched people except for the brilliant Dr. Ann Kesler who is currently sharing her “plan” with the team. I am excited to say we are forming an actual team. Dr. Keith Leaf, Dr. Scott Edler, Dr. Ann Kesler, and Brock Hansen. Though I feel something is just...missing...

  4/18/1989   ~   Dr. Keith Leaf

  Chapter 5

  The Set Mission

  After Ann was finished her big speech that Keith and even Scott and Brock already knew, it was time for Keith to start.

  “Now as you all know, this is a fully built time machine and it is ready to be used,” Keith started to say as he got up to the front of the room next to the time machine.

  “Wait,” Brock interrupted. “How do we even know this thing works?”

  “Ah, I’m glad you asked. I spent a full sixty days on this machine. If I was not sure it worked, I would not have told a soul about it,” Keith corrected.

  After Keith explained the plan of how this expedition was going to work, he realized that the clock must be off. He checked outside, and it wasn’t. It was awfully late and Keith decided to let his guests stay.

  “Alright, it is terribly late. So, I figured you would all spend the night so we could get an early start in the morning. Ann will take the sofa, Brock can sit on the table here. Let me grab you a pillow for that. Scott, you will take the swivel-chair, and I myself will take this cushioned chair.”

  “Why do you get the cushioned chair and I get the lousy swivel-chair?” Scott argued.

  “It’s a quality swivel-chair, and you’re lucky I’m not making you sit on the cold, hard ground,” Keith argued back. Scott scowled.

  Keith finished up his schedule and everyone went to their accommodations and went to sleep. Keith was having some trouble falling asleep. He was not quite sure if it was because of his eagerness or his nervousness. After draining his mind of all thoughts, he was fast asleep just waiting until the day where it all really started was upon them.

  Chapter 6

  The Portal

  Day 66:

  I finally figured out why I was feeling like something to this mission and this team was missing: Professor Hogarth Hughes. He was my science professor in college, and taught me many thing; he became a good friend of mine. Anyway, the others have not yet awoken. It is only 3:37 a.m. and I had to grab under Brock to grab my notepad and pencil. But today is the day we embark on our journey.

  And a journey it shall be. A journey into the void of time. A portal...to life itself.

  4/19/1989   ~   Dr. Keith Leaf

  The clock struck 5:00 a.m. and Keith emerged from his chair and woke everyone in order of importance to him. First Ann, then Brock, last Scott.

  “Attention, all. Today is the day you will voyage into the void of the space-time continuum. It will be frightening, yet amazing. It will be terrifying, yet incredible. You will see things that man saw only a hundred years ago. But you will also see things never seen, nor ever imagined by man, from millions of years ago. Today is the day you become a certified...
” he paused. “...Time traveler.”

  His partners awoke to this inspiring quote. They were pleased that they all felt refreshed, for it was going to be the most incredible day of their lives.

  “Are you all ready to turn on the machine?” Keith impatiently questioned, too excited to wait a second for anyone but himself.

  “Wait a minute! What about food?! Water?!!” Brock loudly judged.

  “Ohh,” Keith chuckled, as if drowned in the stupidity of partner. “Have you forgotten that we are only going back two days before the incident happened?”

  “Two days before the incident?” Brock questioned, puzzled. In fact, all three of his partners appeared this way.

  “Yes,” Keith answered. “We need time and preparation.”

  “For what?” Brock asked.

  Keith froze in the solid ice block of stupidity he was emplaced into. “...To stop my machine, the Lifolectrum, from ever going wrong and saving the world from complete and utter destruction! Did you not know this?!”

  “None of us did,” Ann explained. “You never told us of your scientific failure.”

  Scott chuckled. “Yes, indeed. Why were we not informed?”

  “Mistake, actually. And because I thought that I did. That I had. Didn’t I?”

  “Ahh, nope.” Brock said.