Apple Orchard

When Oliver opened his eyes, he saw that it had worked. He had traveled back in time. Oliver stood up and looked around. He saw his reflection in a mirror and noted his clothes has changed from a lab coat and jeans to a pair of slacks and a pastel blue polo. He looked like he belonged here. Once he verified that he was at the airport, he began his mission. He had to find the brown suitcase left by the stairs in terminal B. Oliver glanced at the clock and noted it was 4:02pm. He had 12 minutes before the original person the suitcase was left for arrives to pick it up. He couldn’t let that happen. Doing that would set off a dangerous series of events that would, long story short, start the next world war in 2052.

It was more than just a war. Earth would lose over half of its population and the soil would become un-farmable with nuclear fallout. Fresh produce has ceased to exist, and animals were dying at an alarming rate.

Oliver dashed down the hallway, grateful for the old blueprints kept on file in the digital library. He found the staircase at terminal B and looked for the suitcase. There it was. Just like it was supposed to be. He glanced around and saw very few people close by. No one was looking at him. It was 4:04pm, he had done it.

Picking up the suitcase, he walked towards the lost luggage desk. Once inside, all he had to do was slip behind the counter and into the lost luggage storage. His return to present day would populate once he stepped through the door. He knew that at 4:08 the person manning the counter would take a bathroom break and all Oliver had to do was wait and not be seen by the people involved with the suitcase. He leaned against the wall with the suitcase on the floor beside him, his jacket and hat resting on top to keep it hidden.

4:08 arrive without a hiccup and Oliver waited another thirty seconds before heading into the room. He headed towards the door that would send him back and ensure this whole war and the doom of civilization would never happen. He glanced at the counter where the clerk spent his day helping people fin their lost luggage. He saw a small package, wrapped in brown paper, tied with string, just sitting there. Written in red ink was his name. He picked it up and glanced around. No one was around, no clues as to who left it, but underneath was a small card that read:

“Bring with you on your journey home. -J”

Oliver didn’t have time to think, it wasn’t the strangest thing to happen to him while on a mission. He grabbed the box and walked through the door. Once through, he was greeted by his supervisor, Marcus. Marcus took the suitcase and took it into the hallway, handing it off to whomever was out there to ensure it delivered to the person in charge.

“What do you have there, Oliver?” Marcus asked, motioning for the brown package. Oliver looked at the box and handed it over, along with the card.

“I’m not sure, but if I had to venture a guess, I’d say Jacob had something to do with it.”

At the mention of his name, Jacob walked into the room. He saw the brown package in Marcus’ hands and reached for it. Marcus moved so he couldn’t grab it. Jacob raised an eyebrow.

“What is this, Jacob?” he asked.

“A box I needed brought back from the day Oliver was going to. Hand it over. Its part of AlphOm and it is very time sensitive.”

At the mention of AlpOm, Marcus handed over the package. Jacob took it and almost ran he walked so fast out of the room. Oliver shrugged and went to grab a food tube. Traveling through time really makes one hungry. He thought of a time when he was younger and food was fresh, he could pick up an apple and bite into it and savor the juice and the crunch. No more of that. Now they have food tubes. Pure artificial goop made with added vitamins. Bleh.

It would soon be over. He wasn’t sure how long it would take for the results of his mission would come to fruition; he’d never done one that would have such a huge impact on the world. If this all went well, he would receive enough money to retire and start up the apple orchard he’s dreamed of running. He had a plot of land that had been in his family since about 1910. There was 502 acres of former farmland, waiting to be brough back to life.

His temple buzzed. He held his finger to it and his bank app flashed. He had just received that payment. His temple buzzed again. This time it was the President, asking for a direct report. Oliver couldn’t believe it. He hurried through the maze of stairs and hallways until he came to the door with the Secret Service standing outside. They let him in, having already been briefed of his impending arrival. A mere ten minutes later, Oliver left the office. He walked back through the maze until he came to the exit. When he left, a car was waiting to take him to the train.

He smiled.

It worked. It actually worked.