Magestic 2

Copyright © Geoff Wolak

www.geoffwolak-writing.com

Part 9

Friday prayers, Kenya, 1984

After Friday prayers, the regional commander of a town forty miles southwest of Mawlini began with the usual hangings, floggings, mutilations and beheadings. Those who had defied The Brotherhood were being punished, especially those people found with Christian idols, as well as people simply found stealing food – or simply failing to bow their heads to Arabs as they passed in the street.

Halfway through claiming how all-powerful The Brotherhood were, the regional commander wondered why his flag - the symbol of his authority - was on fire. It sat atop a tall pole, and was not on fire a moment ago. It was a hot day, but still...

Turning, where he stood on a podium, he could now see that all of their flags were on fire, the fighters trying to pull them down and douse them, the enforced crowd now very confused as to why their imposed overlords were setting fire to the symbol of their authority. Smelling burning, the commander dishing-out the punishments now wondered why his own headscarf was on fire. A moment later, he wondered if a solar eclipse was due, as the world turned dark for him.

Fighters dropped dead where they stood, most with their clothes smoking or on fire.

‘It is the wrath of god,’ someone in the audience dared whisper.

Inside of two minutes the fighters were all dead, their flags burnt. The crowd ran off in a panic, not wanting to be blamed for the deaths, or the flag burning. But all around the town they found other dead fighters and Arab officials. It was very odd.

The Rifles moved off, and towards the next town, moving rapidly towards Nairobi.

At Mawlini, six hundred members of Rescue Force Africa had already arrived, tents set up. Our corporation facilitators had arrived, their own tent and comms centre set up. Supplies were being carried through the portal by the Rifles, dumped down as the soldiers headed off in many directions, most northeast and towards Somalia.

1938

In Canada, the German technician from 1984 had finally arrived after a long flight from Germany, the brave pilots having risked a night landing southwest of Berlin. They had refuelled on the way from Canada, setting down in Scotland, and had then flown straight back, across Britain, Iceland, Greenland and the Arctic Circle. It was 9am in Trophy, and Jimmy called the various leaders and liaisons together in the diner. The man was shown in, the German timidly taking in the faces, and looking a little bewildered. He appeared to me to be in his fifties, gaunt and grey, a permanent frightened look etched into his thin face.

‘Have you been treated well?’ Jimmy asked, pointing the man towards a seat and placing down a cup of tea with a biscuit.

‘Yah, and I speak English. Thank you.’ He sat, taking in the twenty faces sat staring back at him.

Jimmy sat. ‘Why ... do you speak English?’

‘I was raised in Coventry, England.’

Jimmy glanced at those now watching the man. ‘To German parents?’

‘Yes.’

‘They were serving in England?’

‘Yes, both officers in the Medical Corp.’

Jimmy took a moment. ‘How was your flight?’

‘That aircraft ... it was incredible. It is 1938 here, and it flies with autopilot, and the distance – fantastic.’

‘I designed it.’

The man studied Jimmy carefully. ‘You ... are the one called Silo?’ Jimmy nodded. ‘The instructions ... to perfect the time machine ... we thought they came from you.’ The various government liaisons in the room puzzled that, a few in the room not aware of the detail. The man’s features hardened. ‘But here, now in this place, you arm the British and destroy German cities.’

‘Do you not approve?’ Jimmy asked, an odd question.

‘Approve? Of course not.’

‘Would you say that you are happy ... with everything your government has done since 1938?’

The man took in the faces, thinking through his answer. ‘No, not with ... everything.’

‘On our world, the Germans lost the war, as did the Japanese, yet went on to become very peaceful ... and ultimately very prosperous countries. That will happen here; we’ll rebuild Germany and Japan. But, we will also make sure that any future government turns away from violence. If you like ... a war to try and end future wars. I won’t say a war to end all wars, since they said that about the First World War – and yet here we sit in the middle of the second. Anyway, I’d like you to start in 1935, and to tell us what happened from a political and military point of view.’

The man again took in the faces, and made ready, collecting his thoughts. ‘In 1935 the Italians took all of Libya, and then Abyssinia, sparking a conflict with the British. The German Army joined that conflict in 1936, and defeated the British in Egypt in early 1938. That defeat led to a naval war in the Mediterranean for a half year, also some ships fighting in the Baltic. Germany then moved into Holland and Belgium -’

‘Was there a British expeditionary force in Belgium?’ I asked.

The man frowned. ‘No.’

‘Carry on,’ Jimmy encouraged.

‘Germany occupied Holland, Belgium, then France, also Denmark.’

‘Were you fighting with the RAF at this time?’ Jimmy asked.

‘No, no war in the air yet. In September, 1938, Germany took Poland and attacked Britain with aircraft. The war in the air was over in the spring, the RAF defeated. German and Italian units landed in Southern Ireland -’

‘Ireland?’ I queried.

‘Yes, in Ireland, the south, and liberated Ireland. Also Norway at this time. Our forces occupied Northern Ireland, and this was the start of the Irish Army.’

‘Irish Army?’ Jimmy puzzled.

‘Ireland was given independence, as well as an army, many of who wanted to fight the English. They landed with our forces in Wales, other forces in Scotland.’

‘You left the southeast alone,’ I noted.

‘It was where the English Army was. That fight was six months to reach London,’ the technician explained.

‘And Russia?’ Jimmy asked.

‘Russia was attacked in spring, 1940, Moscow taken in September, 1941. And also Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Greece by the Italians. Turkey entered into a pact with us, and Turkey took Palestine and Syria from the French forces there.’

‘And North Africa?’ I asked.

‘We took it all, some by the Free French Army.’

‘Some elements of the French joined you?’ I asked.

The man nodded. ‘Why ... is this detail not known to you?’

‘We’ve not been to your world,’ Jimmy informed our puzzled guest. ‘And the instructions you received to perfect the time machine did not come from me, even if those instructions had my name on them.’

‘Then why were they sent?’ the man puzzled.

‘To draw my attention towards your world,’ Jimmy stated. ‘For a reason that I’m yet to discover.’

The man sipped his tea. ‘We thought it was to save us.’

‘It was,’ Jimmy confirmed. ‘Just not in the manner you might have hoped for.’

‘But your soldiers ... they fight the Arabs.’

‘They do, and we’ll rid your world of The Brotherhood,’ Jimmy explained. ‘But that doesn’t mean we’ll hand your world back to you. There will be ... a few changes to your political system.’

‘Changes?’

‘Yes, my kind of changes. Your Greater Germany will be split up into the previous borders, elections held.’

‘You would try and tell us what to do?’ the technician asked, not looking or sounding too happy.

‘How many Jews, Romany, and mental patients were exterminated?’ Jimmy asked the man.

Our guest shifted in his seat, taking in the faces – and now the hard stares from some of those arranged in front of him. ‘Not all of us are proud of our heritage. But it was a long time ago.’

‘And how many Arabs were butchered, more recently, giving rise to The Brotherhood?’ Jimmy asked. The man did not seem to want to answer. Jimmy added, ‘We’ll save your people, but we’ll make a few ... changes along the way. Now, tell me about the relationship between America and the South American countries.’

‘They are ... trading partners -’

‘Not political partners?’ Jimmy queried.

‘Some, yes, but America fought many small wars against the communists, and Greater Germany trades with Argentina and Brazil.’

‘America has no political or economic unions?’ Jimmy asked.

‘With Australia, New Zealand, and islands in the Pacific, yes, but not with South American nations.’

‘Interesting,’ Jimmy said, a glance my way. ‘And Japan’s hold on the Far East?’

‘The communists under Mao took back China ten years ago, and they now fight in Thailand and Burma. The Japanese have left those countries in this past year.’

‘Japan is nuclear armed,’ Jimmy mentioned, for the benefit of the Americans from this world. ‘Did they use their nuclear weapons?’

‘Some, yes, against the communists, but the communists do not build cities or large towns, some towns underground.’

‘And the German use of nuclear weapons?’ Jimmy pressed.

The man again appeared uneasy. ‘They were used against many cities and towns in the Middle East, after those towns and cities had fallen.’

‘But the bombs didn’t stop The Brotherhood,’ Jimmy stated. The man shook his head. ‘And Turkey?’

‘We drew a border at the Bosphorus.’

‘Sounds familiar,’ Jimmy commented. ‘And did the Turks not like that fact?’

‘No, they ... many of them joined the fighters.’ The man sipped his tea. ‘And ... after six years we lost Europe. First it was bombs in cities, then bombs on trains and boats, then bombs at border check-points. The economy suffered, food was short, fuel short, many young men sent to fight. But ... but we did not stop them; tanks and jets were no good.’

Jimmy faced the liaisons to our era, a look exchanged. ‘And do your leaders talk with America and Japan?’

‘America sits and waits for us to fall,’ the man said with some attitude. ‘And now Japan does not help, the Japanese economy very poor now.’

‘And the American economy?’ I asked.

‘It is OK, as far as I know.’

‘OK, here’s a tough question for you,’ Jimmy began. ‘Have The Brotherhood formed an alliance with the communists?’

‘Alliance ... no, but the communists sold weapons before, not now. The Chinese communists have some small fight with the Arabs in Uzbekistan.’

‘Do Russian communists and Arabs have a common border yet?’

‘No, Belarus and Ukraine are still fighting with us. The Arabs, they wanted to destroy Germany, the Fatherland, more than other countries.’

‘Payback is a bitch, eh,’ Baldy let out.

‘What year did you start work on your time machine?’ Jimmy asked.

‘1947, when we learned that the Americans were developing one.’

‘One which obviously didn’t work,’ I noted.

The man nodded. ‘We have spies, and our spies say that it does not work.’

‘Where’s the American machine located?’ Baldy asked with a curious frown.

‘In the deserts, Nevada I think.’

‘And the Japanese?’ Jimmy asked.

‘They do not believe it will work, and we think they do not look. I was working with Japanese scientists till six years ago, and they have no interest after this. They think the book from you an American trick.’

‘Why did you not think it a trick?’ Jimmy asked.

‘General Hest and others, they were there when the portal opened and the book came through. There was rumour that some details about the General were in the book, detail only known to him.’

‘Ah...’ Jimmy let out. ‘Proof was included, just in case. And General Hest did not want to blow-up the machine when ordered to do so.’

The technician took in the faces. ‘What will become of me?’

‘You’ll remain here,’ Jimmy began. ‘You’ll answer any questions these fine gentlemen have, and you’ll be treated well, sent back when your world is a little more ... safe. Do you have family there?’

He man lowered his head. ‘My son, he ... died in Arabia, my wife to an explosion on a bus.’

‘Then perhaps you could give some time and thought as to what matters to you; saving the sons and wives of others, or a Greater Germany.’ Jimmy stood, leading myself and Baldy away, this world’s Americans very keen to press additional questions, not least because it was a glimpse into a possible future for them.

‘What do you think?’ I asked Jimmy as we sat at the counter, Cookie fixing fresh drinks.

‘The American administration over there is Cold War era, paranoid and aggressive, the Japs desperate – and nuclear armed, the communists gaining ground, but at odds with The Brotherhood.’

‘It’s a fucking mess,’ Baldy commented.

‘It’ll be difficult to unwind the knot in the rope,’ Jimmy agreed. ‘You could find enough material for a Phd just studying the political dynamics over there.’

‘What’ll you do?’ I asked.

‘Go for a chat and sound out each group, offer a few incentives. They’ll notice the Rifles in a few days, if they haven’t done so already. And, the one thing that they all agree upon - is that they’d rather have The Brotherhood gone. Then ... then they can go back to plotting against each other.’

‘Difficult ... and dangerous,’ I pointed out.

‘Someone wants me to go there,’ Jimmy pointed out.

‘Why?’ Baldy asked. ‘What’s the angle? Someone from the future wants you to sort that world in a hurry? Why?’

‘That, my young friend, will reveal itself in the fullness of time,’ Jimmy said. ‘Something over there is worthy of my attention. But I’m conscious of the fact that they linked that world to this, and to a certain time period. This has happened now for a purpose, and that purpose might be because of my state of mind now: a Second World War state of mind, stepping across to a Cold War state of mind. It’s as if ... as if the past twenty years was a practise session, approaching the Cold War mentality from its roots, not from some point far into the future.’

I gave that some thought. ‘The American administration on that world ... will get to see what you’ve done here, in winning the war for the Americans here.’

Jimmy smiled, and nodded at myself and Baldy. ‘Someone’s done their homework, so I’m ruling out the guy who threw the manual as being named Holton.’

Lobster accepted a data-pad.

‘Message for you from Mister Silo, sir.’

Lobster read the detail, a frown taking hold.

1984, Washington

President Richard Kennedy stepped into the emergency planning room under the White House, the assembled officers settling down after he had taken a seat at the head of the table. The CIA representative remained standing, ready to attend a slide machine, a young Air Force officer stood ready to assist.

‘Mister President, as you’re aware we’ve been getting strange intercepts from Germany, from the area southwest of Berlin.’

‘From the German time portal, the one that doesn’t work,’ the President curtly noted.

‘Yes, sir, that area,’ the CIA reported, a few Generals glancing at each other. ‘At least, it didn’t seem to work for them.’

‘Meaning?’ Kennedy pressed.

‘A door swings two ways, Mister President, and they opened the door to the future.’

Kennedy took a moment. ‘I hope you have some facts to back that up; we’ve wasted a fortune in taxpayer’s money on time machines.’

‘We do, sir. To recap, we first intercepted odd radio messages sent from occupied Germany back to London, suggesting that ... that an army of black African soldiers from the future were coming through the German portal.’

‘Black ... African ... soldiers?’ Kennedy queried.

‘Black African soldiers, sir. There were several radio messages, followed by numerous recon flights sent over the area by the German Chancellor - our people close to him have verified that. We started to take satellite recon images of the area, as well as time-lapsed images, and we also began to monitor all of the signals from the area. We can confirm now that ... someone in the area is using encrypted burst-micro-wave communications, like nothing seen before – not on this world.’

‘We’ve been unable to break the coded signals,’ a General stated.

The CIA continued, ‘We have spies in the German population southwest of Berlin, and they’re now free to walk the streets, The Brotherhood’s fighters all now dead in those areas, the fighters reported to have ... just dropped dead.’

‘Just dropped dead?’ Kennedy queried.

‘The wounds reported are of small holes surrounded by burn marks, burnt clothing or hair, sir.’

‘Laser weapons,’ a General stated. ‘Man portable, multiple discharges. We looked at them, but could never get the batteries to be powerful enough.’

The CIA continued, ‘On top of the that, we then found a second set of these odd signals, this time coming from Africa, from northern Kenya. They’re the same odd signals exactly. We moved a satellite, and this is what we found.’ He turned, and stepped to the side. ‘Slide please.’

The image came to life, that of regimented rows of tents, the frozen black and white images of what appeared to be many people moving around.

‘It’s a camp in the desert that wasn’t there last week, thousands of soldiers and support staff, the soldiers carrying weapons that we can’t identify. If you focus on grid C5 - enlarge please - you’ll see two lines of soldiers appearing from thin air. OK, time lapse please.’ The assembled men studied the images. ‘They’re appearing from nowhere, sir, then being directed towards tents. Slide four, please.’

A grainy image appeared, that of hundreds of bodies. ‘This was taken yesterday at a town in Somalia. The local fighters were wiped out, and our radio intercepts of The Brotherhood in the region have them in a panic, all contact lost with their people across an area at least a hundred miles in diameter. The soldiers, the ones appearing out of thin air, are moving outwards and attacking the fighters – and winning.’

‘That’s ... incredible,’ Kennedy let out with a puzzled frown. ‘And in Berlin?’

‘The black African soldiers are killing Arab fighters, but leaving everyone else alone,’ the CIA reported ‘It’s our conclusion, sir, that these African soldiers are from the future.’

‘And their purpose here?’ Kennedy floated.

‘Seems to be to destroy The Brotherhood, so far,’ the CIA reported.

‘Why would anyone – in the future - send back black African soldiers?’ Kennedy wondered out loud.

‘Could be a type of mercenary army,’ A General suggested. ‘We don’t know what things will be like in the future.’

‘So why the hell are they appearing now, instead of going back to ... say 1930 and giving us nuclear bombs?’ Kennedy floated.

‘You’re assuming that we sent them,’ a General pointed out. ‘Maybe we’re not around in the future. If we were, and we had command of a time machine, we certainly wouldn’t be sending back black African soldiers.’

‘We should nuke both sites now, sir,’ another General suggested. ‘We don’t know what their agenda is.’

‘If we nuke West Berlin, abandoned or not, we risk a nuclear conflict with Germany,’ Kennedy firmly pointed out.

An officer stepped in. ‘Mister President.’ From his tone, it was urgent. ‘An unmanned drone aircraft just landed on the White House lawn, sir.’ The Generals glanced at each other, all sitting up. ‘We checked it for bombs, it’s clean, but had a note, sir, to hand you this strange looking phone. We’ve checked it for bombs, and it seems OK.’

They all focused on the phone.

The newcomer added, ‘It says that it’s from the nice people in northern Kenya, sir.’

‘They sent a drone here?’ a General asked. ‘Why the hell did we not pick it up on radar!’

‘Seems to be solar powered, and radar invisible, sir,’ the officer reported.

Kennedy waved the man forwards, accepting the phone.

‘It could be a trick, sir!’ men protested. ‘Don’t touch it.’

‘Relax,’ Kennedy told them, examining the phone.

‘Sir, there’s a battery housing, and a small sticker that says it was last tested in the year 2047.’

A chorus of whispers broke out.

‘2047,’ the President repeated. ‘Sixty years from now.’ He pressed the green button, the phone coming to life, a six inch holographic face appearing, and startling many.

‘Technical Sergeant Nlobo. How may I help you, sir?’

‘This is President Kennedy, the man you sent the phone to. Could I ... speak to whoever is in charge?’

‘One moment please, sir.’ The head disappeared.

‘Well, at least they’re more polite than White House receptionists,’ Kennedy quipped.

The face of Lobster appeared. The image saluted. ‘Mister President, I’m Colonel Nbeki of the Kenyan Rifles.’

‘Well, Colonel, perhaps you’d like to tell us where you’re from, exactly?’

‘We’re from the future, sir, but not from this world.’

A chorus of whispers shot around the room.

‘Not ... from this world?’ Kennedy pressed.

‘No, sir, we’re from a parallel dimension, a parallel world.’

Kennedy focused on a smiling Air Force General. ‘You just lost me twenty bucks, Colonel, since I bet that such theories were complete nonsense.’

‘Sorry, sir, but the theories are correct.’

‘Might I ask ... how many parallel worlds there are?’

‘Thousands, sir, maybe millions.’

Kennedy took in the faces. ‘And each one is slightly different?’

‘Yes, sir, some very similar, some very different. On your world, this world, the Germans and Japanese – they win the war. On most they lose the war, sir.’

That caused a reaction, many exchanging looks and quick and hushed sentences.

‘Colonel, on your world, who won the Second World War?’ Kenney asked.

‘The British and Americans won the war, sir, America the strongest country.’

Kennedy eased towards the shimmering holographic image. ‘Colonel, what’s your remit here?’

‘To destroy The Brotherhood, sir.’

‘That’s ... it?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Why are you here now, this date?’

‘The Germans, sir, they opened a portal and a man stepped through to another world, then The Brotherhood opened the German portal and tried to invade that world, sir.’

‘You mean ... your world.’

‘No, sir, our world is OK. They invade a world where Mister Silo was.’

A dozen conversations broke out at one, cut short with a raise hand from Kennedy. ‘Who is this Silo fella, Colonel?’

‘He’s a time traveller, sir, the first time traveller. He came to our world and saved us.’

‘Saved you?’

‘Yes, sir, from wars, earthquakes, plague, and The Brotherhood.’

‘What ... what is he, exactly? And where did he come from?’

‘He’s British, sir.’

‘British?’

‘Yes, sir. He came from a world where they had a nuclear war, most people dead, The Brotherhood rising up. Your NASA group there, they made a time machine and Mister Silo went through to many other worlds, trying to stop wars ... and to warn people about The Brotherhood. He was on another world when The Brotherhood invaded.’

‘What was he doing there?’

‘He was helping the Americans to win the war, with advanced technology and atom bombs, sir.’

Kennedy stared wide-eyed at the image, many mouths now hanging open. ‘Why ... why did he not attempt that here?’

‘This world has a portal open, and affecting the other world. If he goes back in time it causes the paradox, sir. So we come to help.’

‘Help how?’ Kennedy pressed.

‘To destroy The Brotherhood, sir.’

‘And then?’

‘I don’t know, sir, you have to speak to Mister Silo. But Mister Silo said to tell you that we’ll supply you with advanced medicines, and coal to oil technology, solar technology, and EMP weapons to stop ballistic missiles.’

Several Generals were on their feet, Kennedy as well.

‘You’ll supply us with advanced weapons?’ Kennedy pressed.

‘Yes, sir, but Mister Silo said to tell you ... that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Something about horse-trading, sir.’

Kennedy cocked an eyebrow. ‘Horse trading? What ... what does he want?’

‘I don’t know, sir, I’m just a simple soldier.’

‘Why ... why are African soldiers being used, Colonel?’

‘Because the US Marines were busy on another world, sir.’

Kennedy frowned at his Generals. ‘The Marines ... are busy?’

‘Yes, sir, fighting the Japanese on another world. But that war will be over quickly, so maybe they can come here.’

‘Oh.’ Kennedy took a moment. ‘And on the world you come from ... people use Africa soldiers?’

‘African soldiers are regarded as being the best, sir, trained by Mister Silo.’

‘Oh.’ Kennedy took in the faces of his staff. ‘And you have ... sophisticated weapons of some sort?’

‘Laser pulse rifles, sir, and the men ... they are all genetically enhanced.’

‘Genetically enhanced soldiers?’ Kennedy repeated. ‘How ... how advanced?’

‘Very strong and fit, sir. In the drone I sent you are sample drug vials. If you inject a few soldiers you’ll see a difference in a few days. And those drugs, sir, they will cure all diseases.’

‘All diseases?’

‘Yes, sir, all diseases.’

‘Can I call you again using this phone?’ Kennedy asked.

‘Yes, sir, anytime.’ Lobster saluted, his holographic image disappearing.

‘I want those drugs analysed straight away,’ Kennedy barked. ‘And find someone willing to be injected. And take that drone apart, see how it works!’

The officer who had brought the phone rushed out, a dozen conversations breaking out at once. A minute later, Kennedy called order.

‘Gentlemen, this is the dawn of a new reality, the start of a new age, and hopefully a turning point. You heard what he said, US Marines fighting the Japanese, genetically enhanced super-soldiers from the future!’

‘We don’t know what their agenda is,’ a General complained. ‘Their real agenda.’

‘We know the first part, and that’s to defeat The Brotherhood,’ Kennedy reminded them.

‘We should strike against the Germans before they recover,’ an Admiral suggested.

‘And risk German submarines firing their missiles at us,’ Kennedy pointed out.

‘They offered us EMP defences,’ a General noted. ‘Once in place...’

‘Yes, once in place and tested,’ Kennedy replied. ‘Until then, any move on our part risks a German strike, possibly a Japanese strike. But start to make plans, because this situation could change quickly. Very ... damn quickly.’

‘Sir, we’re overlooking something,’ a General called. ‘Our own time travel project.’

‘What’s your point?’ Kennedy curtly asked.

‘We now know that it works, sir.’

‘We know that their machine works, and that our cash-drain doesn’t!’

‘Sir, we should still continue the research, now that we know that it should work,’ the General insisted, others echoing that sentiment.

‘And do what – exactly?’ Kennedy asked. ‘Go back to the Little Big Horn and give Custer a machinegun? Help has arrived, and you want to undo it before we even know what that help is. So we’ll get some answers before we do anything rash.’

1938

In the diner, I smiled when Jimmy explained what Lobster had done. ‘You just gave the administration over there a blow job, with a hint of better things to come.’

‘I set the tone,’ Jimmy responded. ‘But it’s a risk, because we don’t know how the Germans and Japanese will react. Still, I have taken steps to placate the Japanese, and tomorrow ... tomorrow we’ll fly down to Washington, then I’ll fly over to London, and I’ll go onwards to Berlin.’

‘You’ll parachute in?’ I queried.

No, they can land me at night, a quick descent from seventeen thousand feet.’

A US Marines officer approached. ‘Sir, German Rescue Force contingent now on the ground near Berlin, going through the portal as we speak – direct from 2047.’

‘Thank you,’ Jimmy offered the man as he withdrew.

‘Hearts and minds?’ I asked.

Jimmy made a face, taking a moment. ‘I doubt that a simple message would get us any points with the German Chancellor. He’s on his arse at the moment by the sound of it, imminent defeat on the cards. He is ... a wounded and cornered animal, very dangerous, if a Nazi leader wasn’t dangerous enough before.’

‘He could hold Britain indefinitely,’ I commented. ‘Good old English Channel to keep the fighters out.’

‘But what of their economy?’ Jimmy said. ‘Britain is an island nation, it couldn’t survive alone. Besides, they’re reporting that the island is weighed down with refugees from Europe, two hundred million people in an area that was cosy with sixty million!’

‘Food must be at a premium,’ I said, nodding to myself. ‘You’ll talk to him face to face?’

Jimmy gave a quick nod. ‘Only way. I need to know the person that he is, and what makes him tick. And then ... then I’ll work around him.’

‘He’s not an American President.’

‘No, but he can’t be too popular right now.’

1984

The Japanese High Command were puzzled, a drone having landed in the gardens of the Imperial Palace. The writing was in Japanese, an invitation to open a small cargo bay. Inside were the detailed instructions – also in Japanese - on how to convert coal to oil very cheaply, a gift that would have horrified the Americans of that world. The drone was also fitted with vials of super-drug, and instructions on their use, the letter stating that it had come from Jimmy Silo, Time Traveller.

1938

My dear partner, Susan, had been handed a task by Jimmy, and was now busily coordinating the release of the super-drug to various hospitals around Canada and the States, batches sent to Britain. Doctors from various medical centres had been summoned to Seattle, where Susan gave lectures on the application of the drugs. For now the number of vials were limited, and their usage one of priorities, emergency cases only.

Whilst she was busy doing that, Jimmy and I had sat down and made a few plans regarding Trophy Aircraft, and the future. We then called for a meeting of all directors and managers, Boeing chiefs asked to fly up for the big pow-wow, along with the US Army, Navy and Air Corp. The US administration’s liaisons sat in on the meeting as a courtesy. In a canteen at the aircraft factory, we assembled sixty people, drinks handily availably. When everyone had settled, Jimmy stood up.

‘Gentlemen, we’re here today ... to discuss the future direction of Trophy Aircraft. As you are aware, the war will end soon, but that will not mean that soldiers suddenly start to go home, turning swords into ploughs. We still have orders from the military in Britain and America, and those orders will be filled by us.

‘But within a week or so, some areas of munitions production will be cut back, other areas taking up the slack. The number of staff we now employ will be just about the most that we will ever employ, and after the war our production will shift partly towards civilian aircraft. We will still make weapons, and military aircraft, and will probably do so for the next fifty years. However, more of the production of civil and military aircraft will switch to Boeing, and to a few other American companies. Because of that, I want five hundred engineers from our factories to be sent to Boeing, to work there and to help Boeing to improve its design and production methods. Those men should be volunteers first, and for the first three months will be paid for by us, thereafter to be effectively employees of Boeing.

‘Some technologies will remain here, not because we don’t trust our partners, but because other nations may wish to get hold of them. Certain items will continue to be made here, and Aluminium glue will remain here for now, as well as heat-bonded honeycomb. Production of the prop fighters will continue for another six months at least, as British and American units modernise and adopt the aircraft.

‘As the American Army is aware, we have fast jet aircraft, aircraft that obviously out-perform the prop fighters. But those jets are very expensive to make, and take a long time to make. As such, we will aim to have a smaller and cheaper jet fighter available to the American and British military within a year of now, the designs already being considered. That aircraft will be a production jet aircraft, the second generation of which will be made by Boeing.

‘Whilst on jets, we will require almost a hundred of our larger jet bombers to be produced over the next two years, the majority of which will be operated by the American Air Corp, which will be known as the United States Air Force in the future, blue uniforms. Those bombers will become Strategic Bomber Command, and will be capable of dropping conventional bombs, fuel-air explosives, or atom bombs.

‘As an aside to that, I want a passenger version of the heavy jet bomber to be converted as soon as possible, and I want four prototypes. I want eighty passengers in the aircraft, windows, two toilets, a food galley and two stewardesses. That aircraft, when ready, will fly its passengers non-stop from America to Japan, or from America to London.

‘Now, as you are all aware, the Goose production line will be ended, so too the Super Goose. The next generation of aircraft are currently being worked on, and I’d hope to have a prototype within a year. We will continue to develop propeller-engine aircraft – forever. Even where I come from in the future there’s still a need for them; jet aircraft will never completely replace them. What we will do, however, is continuously improve them, and improve the manufacturing processes.

‘Let me be clear ... when I say that this company, working with Boeing, will be at the front of this planet’s technological development for the next fifty years. Yours ... is an important task, and that is to assist me and my team to push the boundaries of technology, but only as fast as you can absorb new ideas. We will never release technology that you do not fully understand, because that would be dangerous. We are here to teach, and to guide, we are not here to simply make things for you. You must understand how every item works, and you must be able to make them for yourself.

‘OK, production of rifles, munitions and mortars will continue for a while, and then be scaled back. Tank production will also continue for a while, and future production will depend on orders from Britain and America. Those tanks are, however, expensive. We will also being looking at the next generation of naval vessels and aircraft carriers soon, although the aircraft carrier named after Trophy should sail the seas for a good thirty years or more.

‘Gentlemen, your priority is long-range jet passenger aircraft. Within a few short years I will be looking for a jet passenger plane that can carry four hundred passengers, non-stop from here to London.’

They were shocked, but also keen.

‘We will also be moving quickly towards launching orbital space rockets.’

They sat up, especially the American military.

‘You have already designed guided missiles, and rockets that fly high. I want the budget for those rockets increased, and a facility created in the deserts of Nevada, which the Americans will give us free of charge.’ He held his gaze on the American military. ‘Those rockets, once ready, will launch what’s known as a satellite, basically a big radio receiver, into the earth’s orbit, about eighty miles high. Travelling quickly, they’ll remain in position over a target area, such as Hawaii. We can then send radio signals to that satellite, which will then be passed on to Japan or Hong Kong. It could also relay television images.

‘We will not, however, be sending a man to the moon, as was achieved on our world, nor wasting money thinking about manned expeditions to Mars. We will be cornering the market in global communications, as much for commercial television as anything else.

‘From today, I want all departments to start to make plans, plans to end wartime production and to switch research and development towards the areas I’ve outlined. The priority will be passenger aircraft. Any surplus aircraft that we have, converted for military use, should be converted back to civilian use if it’s practical to do so. As soon as the war is over there’ll be a great need for passenger aircraft; we’ll have no problem in selling them. What we will do in the future ... is balance production with the order books; we’ll make what people are asking us to make.

‘As an aside to that, I want an electronics research facility created here, and for that facility to employ four hundred people to start with. I want the best and brightest minds, scientists and engineers, and materials people. This new research facility will work on improving radios, electric control of aircraft functions, television, telephones, radio direction finding and radar. Basically, anything electrical will be researched and improved in this facility, with the guidance of my team.

‘One of its first functions will be to create an electric slide rule, what we call a computer. A series of valve switches can be created to add two numbers together; you’ll soon discover the wonders of binary. That first step will open up a world of possibilities for the future.

‘Gentlemen, you are all in a unique position, a position where you will influence the course of mankind’s future development. Yours is a privileged position, since you will see new ideas before anyone else on the planet, and you will see those ideas grow into practical tools that will benefit the people of this planet. Some of you may have reservations about time travel, and the influence that I and my team have. Some of you may even see that influence as interference. But what you don’t know yet ... are which dangers lie ahead for this world, and how dangerous the future will be. We did not come here to alter the political map, or to give this planet a helping hand over a small hurdle. Without our direct interference, gentlemen, most of the people on this planet will be killed, those left alive enslaved.

‘You’ve probably been speculating about time travel, after all you’re a bunch of very smart individuals, so I’ll tell you something now that is classified, and not to be discussed widely. There are thousands of worlds just like this one, existing side-by-side in parallel dimensions. On most of them, mankind developed atom bombs, and they used those bombs in a global war, killing most of the people on the planet, and taking themselves back to the Stone Age.’

He let them think about it, worried looks exchanged.

‘The future is not such a wonderful place. The planet will be crowded, food will be short, diseases will break out, wars, and natural disasters such as earthquakes will kill tens of millions of people. Myself and my team, we went through those trials, and we survived as a united planet. Most worlds did not survive those trials. I’m not trying to frighten you, but yours is an important task, and that task is to support me and my team as we guide mankind away from its worst excesses … and towards peace and prosperity in the future.

‘All of you will be offered the super-drug that is now available, and that will mean that you will live to be two hundred years old. I’m well over three hundred years old. What you do, gentlemen, is not a job. What you do ... is a calling. You ... are the front line for humanity, the people who will make the real difference, a difference of success and failure. Get it wrong, and a few million people will die. What you do in the future, gentlemen, will have a profound effect if you get it wrong. All you need ... is faith in me, and faith in yourself ... that you have the best interests of this planet at heart. Thank you.’

We left them all appearing a little stunned, which I guess was the aim.

On the plane, I commented, ‘The American military where sitting there, taking it all in.’

‘They feel involved, and at the centre of things, which means they won’t try and spy on us – or shoot us.’

‘They’ll end up with a massive advantage over Russia and China,’ I pointed out.

‘They’ll be so far ahead that Russian and China will never be a threat. They’ll have radar jamming, EMP weapons, nukes, lasers, satellites.’

‘Won’t that give future Presidents the idea that they can do whatever they want?’

He adopted a wry smile. ‘Not with Britain and Africa counter-balancing them, because both will have the same weapons.’

‘As well as a strong economic tie-up.’

He nodded. ‘Strong tie-up is something of an understatement.’

Down in Washington, we drove around to the White House in convoy, people on the streets and waving.

‘They know we’re here,’ I noted. ‘And they’re either curious, or they like us. Driver, what’s the mood of the people?’

‘Mood, sir?’

‘Yes, the mood of the people, since you are indeed a person,’ I said.

‘Everyone thinks the war will be over right soon, sir.’

‘And how do they see us?’ I pressed. ‘Do they accept our help, or worry about us?’

‘Well, I’d say they all think it’s fantastic, sir.’

‘We’re popular?’ I asked.

‘Yes, sir, very popular. You won the war for us.’

Jimmy said, ‘Driver, if we hadn’t interfered ... your own army would have won the war, but it would have taken longer. We just speeded it up to save lives.’

At the White House, we were surprised to find a bank of cameras and reporters lined up waiting, the President and his staff greeting us as honoured guests. Jimmy and I exchanged looks; they were milking our new-found popularity for all it was worth, one big happy family.

We stood and smiled at the cameras, handshakes given by the President and his staff as we entered the White House. I had to bite my lip and not say anything rude.

Inside, we made our way to a drawing room made into a meeting venue, but not a room I had used in our era. I think, in our era, this was a room used by lobbyists. Pity the room could not have stayed as a meeting room. I noticed a modern-era White House aide with a data-pad as part of the meeting.

Settled, the President began with ‘We’ve had a few comments from the Japanese that suggest they’re ready to fold.’

‘But still no unconditional surrender,’ Jimmy suggested.

‘They’re suggesting a withdrawal with honour,’ the President reported. ‘And a detachment of combatants.’

‘Our modern-era soldiers in Manchuria are destroying their forces,’ Jimmy pointed out. ‘The Japs will soon have no forces left to withdraw, honourably or otherwise. Time is on your side, Mister President, so just wait for the inevitable, and limit the number of casualties to your men.’

‘Should we strike their cities again?’ the President floated.

‘Possibly, but keep in mind that an occupied Japan will be easier to occupy if it’s not a charred tangle of wood. Since you’ll occupy, and no doubt rebuild, you should keep in mind just how much it may cost to rebuild.’

‘And odd view on the situation, but a practical one,’ the President agreed. ‘Since we will occupy and rebuild, as you say. And Germany?’

‘Still trying hard to get its forces home before negotiating,’ Jimmy explained. ‘But we’ve cut-off and surrounded Berlin, and decimated their infantry near the city. They know it’s just a matter of time, but they’re being stubborn. We did, however, have our people talk with Von Rundstedt yesterday and ask what terms he would accept.’

‘And ..?’

‘He won’t accept an unconditional surrender yet. So, as we speak, our people have employed a little modern technology to locate Von Rundstedt, and to kill him and his staff. That will create a power vacuum, and whoever takes over may ... wish to talk. If not, we keep going with the advance towards the German border.’

‘Where are the British forces?’

‘Right up to the border; Holland now liberated, Denmark partly occupied. I don’t believe that there’ll be any serious German resistance in France after tomorrow.’

‘Our lead units have reached the outskirts of Paris,’ the President keenly informed us. ‘Quite a welcome laid on. And our forces in Italy have met only retreating German units, or those wishing to surrender.’

‘Yes, Mister President, a rout – so far. But we hear that German units are digging in around the Alps, and intend to make a stand,’ Jimmy reported.

‘We were wondering ... if the black African soldiers could withdraw from Italy,’ the Chief of Staff broached.

Jimmy studied the faces. ‘Your forces, gentlemen, are not strong enough in Italy to tackle a long mountain campaign against determined resistance. You may get bogged down, and you may risk high casualties.’

They considered that. ‘Still, we would like them to ... let us and the British soldiers to take the lead,’ the President pressed.

Jimmy lowered his head, ‘I’m aware of the ... sensitivities amongst your population towards Negro fighters, especially if they’re the ones winning the war for you. So I’ll arrange for leap-frog paratrooper operations in the hills to destroy the German defences, whilst making sure that the newsreels don’t report it. That way, the folks back home won’t get to see brave Negro soldiers, but you’ll also enjoy limited casualties – and you won’t get bogged down.’

‘That seems like a good compromise,’ the President suggested towards his team, and I had to wonder about the politics that was going on behind the scenes. Still, it was 1938, and their country, so I resisted telling them what I really thought about it.

Jimmy lifted his phone and punched in a number. ‘Ngomo, Jimmy. Listen, I want all Rifles units to avoid the Press of this world, no interviews, keep a low profile in Italy and other places, and start inserts into the Alps to destroy fixed German defences. Thanks.’ He cut the call, and faced the assembled men. And waited.

‘Moving on,’ the President began. ‘We thank you for the drugs, they’re now going to many hospitals, already a few dramatic claims of rapid recoveries.’

‘You’re looking well, Mister President,’ I put in.

He took a moment. ‘Yes, I’m ... well, and I have been injected.’ He seemed embarrassed at the revelation, embarrassed at accepting our help.

The Chief of Staff said, ‘We’ve been learning of this other world, the one where it’s 1984.’

‘On that world, you lost the war,’ I pointed out.

‘And yet you said,’ the Chief began, ‘that we would win the war on this world, just taking six years.’

‘The outcome ... was not set in stone,’ Jimmy responded. ‘There are many parallel worlds, and many worlds where the Germans won the war.’

‘And having won that war, lost out to these Arab fighters,’ the President floated, a hint that we had not been completely truthful.

‘Mister President,’ Jimmy began. ‘There are a great many details that we’ve not informed you about, details about your probable future. Even with my help, the chances of you getting to 2025 in one piece are slim, you may just lose the planet – and everyone may die. Do not ... assume that my presence here will fix it; I may just cause a problem that even I didn’t see.

‘The opening of a portal to this world was not predicted, and there may be many other circumstances that are not predicted. What I can tell you, Mister President, is that on the majority of the worlds that I encountered - and that I know about - mankind suffered great disasters, wars with atom bombs, plagues that kill hundreds of millions, and the rise of people like The Brotherhood. The future, Mister President, is a dangerous place to visit, with or without my help.’

He had them suitably scared.

‘And ... will you involve yourself in this other world?’ the President asked.

‘I will,’ Jimmy confirmed. ‘And for you it’s a perfect opportunity to glimpse what things may have ended up like, a divided world on the brink of a nuclear war, and on the brink of being over-taken by The Brotherhood. If you don’t chart the right course, those who follow you may end up in that situation.’

‘Unless, of course...’ I began, and left it floating.

‘Unless we follow the route-map,’ the President finished off. ‘And avoid the oil-dollar, whilst investing in Africa.’

I stared at the White House aide from our era. ‘Been getting a bit of advice, have we?’ I testily asked.

‘That is ... what you sent the gentlemen for?’ the Chief responded.

‘I had figured,’ Jimmy began, ‘that the gentlemen would not wish to face legal problems back on his world.’ The man stiffened. ‘Maybe he plans on staying here, or maybe ... he could just consider very carefully what he says.’

‘Should we not know these things?’ the Chief of Staff asked. ‘Paul told us to tighten up Mexican immigration, which the others seem to agree with.’

Jimmy flicked dust off his knee. ‘Mister President, if you try and run before you can walk, you’ll cause severe economic problems for yourselves, and civil unrest. People will demand the drugs to cure all manner of health problems, and having received them will live to be a hundred and twenty years old, which will cripple your federal pension services. You’ll save money on the public health bill in the short term, but have to pay people retiring at sixty-five, when they’ll live another sixty years – or more.

‘If technology is released too soon, such as cars that run on electricity – cars which don’t need to be fixed for twenty years, then your motorcar industry will be devastated, unemployment very high. If we give you artificial food products, your farmers will be out of jobs, and rioting on the streets. Mister President, if you listen to anyone other than myself and Paul ... you’ll destroy yourselves.’

Could have heard a pin drop, nothing said for several seconds.

The President finally faced the White House aide from our era. ‘I don’t remember you giving me such a warning.’ The man shifted uneasily on his seat. The President turned back to Jimmy. ‘Could you remove all the people with knowledge of the future, and future technology, save yourself and your staff?’

‘If that is your wish, Mister President, we’ll do so. All of the soldiers will be withdrawn just as soon as you occupy Japan and Germany, my staff scaled down.’

I hid a smile, realising now why Jimmy had invited the White House aides in the first place. They would now go back, unable to interfere, but unable to criticize us either, since we had allowed them access. We got into detail about the war, equipment still needed, and then broke for half an hour.

Back in session, Jimmy said, ‘Mister President, your soldiers - those injected by us, will live an extra twenty years or more, so pensionable ages will need to be adjusted, and soon.’

They took notes.

The President took his glasses off to clean them, not realising perhaps that they will soon not be needed. ‘I understand, Jimmy, that no-one else on your future world is allowed to travel through time, except you and your nominated team. And I think maybe I know why now. You took twenty years to help us, working in the shadows, releasing new ideas slowly, and teaching the engineers in your factories to do it for themselves. I can see the sense in that now, and it scares me to think that people may get lazy when these new gadgets are invented.’

‘If food and electricity were to be supplied for free, then why would anyone get out of bed?’ Jimmy posed.

‘Not much of a utopia, if we lose our desire to strive,’ the President said.

‘Utopia is a very dangerous place,’ Jimmy cautioned. ‘Very dangerous. People will always need some guidance, to guide themselves away from their own worst human traits. Where we come from, some teenagers stay in bed all day and play games. They don’t work, and they don’t want to. They also know that they won’t starve.’

‘My father would have taken a rod to my back,’ the President commented.

‘Not a bad thing,’ Jimmy commented. ‘You turned out OK.’

‘I can see that there’s much to consider when planning not just a country’s economy, but its future – its social future.’

‘We’ll guide you every step of the way,’ Jimmy offered. ‘We’ll release advanced technology, but only when your people understand it, and can make it for themselves.’

The President nodded. ‘Keeping jobs at the fore.’

‘Jobs are important, and it’s important that people don’t daydream about a future where no-one works.’

‘Mister President,’ I called. ‘Take your glasses off, and read the notes in front of you.’

He stared at me over the rims, but then did as asked. ‘My ... eyes are improving.’

‘Within a few days you won’t need those glasses,’ I informed him. ‘But if you inject everyone, all opticians will be out of a job.’

He held his glasses and studied them as Jimmy smiled towards me. Some messages needed a practical element to them.

‘Let’s talk about your ... financial status,’ the President broached.

Jimmy offered the President a flat palm. ‘Make a choice to trust me, one way or the other. If I wanted to I could take all your money, but I won’t be doing that. I will, however, make a great deal of money from your country, and then use it to fix things that you would struggle to fix. There will also be many things that it would be illegal for you to get involved with, and some that you should not be involved with for political reasons. Rest assured … that America will be the world’s largest and best economy from this point forwards, and your military will dominate for the next hundred years.

‘Where I will use some of the money I make here, will be in fixing small countries around the world which - if not fixed - may give rise to people like The Brotherhood. Besides, if you attempted to curtail my ability to make money I’d use proxy agents and you’d never know about it. This way, I’ll declare everything openly to you, and the administrations that follow you. Take it or leave it.’

‘As you say, you could work around us,’ the President admitted.

‘The American economy will always be the strongest?’ the Chief asked.

‘Yes,’ Jimmy confirmed. ‘I won’t be trying to lessen your position.’

‘And these comments about Africa?’ the Chief asked.

‘Well meant, I’m sure,’ Jimmy responded. ‘But it will be many years before you need concern yourselves with Africa.’

‘And this oil-dollar problem?’ the Chief added.

‘In the future, all oil is traded in dollars only. Those that follow you print dollars to pay for the oil that you import – which will be in huge volumes – and then one day the music stops and all the dollars come home, creating a hundred percent inflation of prices overnight. Successive generations of Presidents sweep that problem under the carpet, and so could you – if you wish.’

‘And pass the problem onto our grandchildren,’ the President realised. ‘No, that’s not what we’re about.’

I said, ‘Many of those that follow you ... are interested only in their popularity, not the future. You could, if you were genuine about your grandchildren, alter a few laws, maybe the constitution, so that future Presidents don’t create a financial mess to pass on to the next administration.’

Jimmy coughed out a small laugh. ‘They’ll never do that.’

Our hosts did not seem to like Jimmy’s comment, at all.

‘Seems that the standards of this office fall somewhat in the future,’ the President unhappily noted.

I said, ‘One future President is impeached for having sex with a young lady intern, one impeached for lying, another impeached for organising a break-in at the other party’s headquarters.’ They were horrified. ‘In the future, people have very little respect for American Presidents. Your own CIA will even assassinate one.’

‘Still, we hope to avoid such things,’ Jimmy cut in with. ‘Since foresight is a great tool, and a great deterrent. Now, why don’t I say something to the cameras and the Press hordes outside, and reassure the voting public.’

‘I would have suggested that,’ the President agreed.

Outside, Jimmy and I faced the Press. The President’s Chief of Staff was with us, but not the President himself.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen, citizens of America, Paul and myself have just met with the President to discuss a wide range of issues, especially the on-going war. Japan is defeated, Germany is defeated, but they are trying to negotiate a surrender on their terms. We’ll have none of that: they’ll surrender on your President’s terms, or not at all.

‘As we speak, super-soldiers from the future - US Marines, are in China, the Japanese taking heavy casualties, losses that they will not be able to sustain. If the Japanese do not surrender soon, there will be no young men left to return to Japan to till the fields and work in their factories. That’s their choice, not ours. We’ve bombed their cities, and they’ve taken a heavy toll in casualties amongst women and children, not something we wish to continue with, but we will keep fighting till their surrender is unconditional.

‘After that we will occupy Japan, and will start to rebuild the damaged cities, as well as to make sure that never again do they threaten anyone or start a war. I shall, however, be offering a defeated Japan advanced technology to produce electricity, and to solve some of the problems that caused them to be aggressive in the first place. We’ll also help to treat their wounded.

‘The Japanese empire has been defeated, but we must now turn our attentions towards rebuilding that country, so that they don’t sit and stew – or make plans for a war that will affect the next generation of Americans. Without occupying Japan, and rebuilding their country, future wars would be a possibility.

‘Germany has also been defeated, but their leaders stubbornly hold out for some eleventh-hour miracle. Their major cities have been bombed by the British using advanced aircraft created in Canada. Those cities have been reduced to rubble, the people going short of food and fuel, civilians suffering greatly. We hope to bring an end to that suffering very soon, and to start to reconstruct that country as well, so that it poses no threat in the future.

‘People of America, we bring you great hope of a good future, but that future is not certain. We can help you with advanced technology, medicines, and can guide you, but as your President just stated to us - there’s no substitute for hard work. America got where it is today with hard work, good business ideas, free and fair elections, and with a sense of not just law and order, but a sense of fairness for the little guy. If America wishes to continue to be great in the future, you need only hold onto those values.

‘Clever machines may make life easier, but they will never replace people. There will always be jobs, taxes, and husbands and wives arguing – we can’t fix that. Kids will grow up, go to school, and get jobs – even in a future where clever machines do much of the work. In that future, America will be the largest economy, and the best economy for much of the time, and your military will be the strongest.

‘But from that position of strength comes the implied idea of leadership, leadership for the smaller countries. That does not mean that you should get involved with smaller countries because they have something you want, it means that you get involved in disputes and wars because you’re the biggest kid in the classroom. If you don’t get involved, then who will? Future wars and conflicts can be prevented before they even take root, provided that the man in the White House has the desire to fix those problems, and to fix them for the right reason.

‘All conflicts have roots going back decades, and many are to do with land disputes, and the uncontrolled movement of people across those lands. We can wait till the rope has a knot, or we can prevent the knot from getting there in the first place. That may mean that America spends money on fixing small problems around the world, but what price would you end up paying if another country grows strong for twenty years, then attacks your interests. What price in lives? That country should be dealt with when the idea forms, not when it attacks you twenty years later.

‘I’ll be providing your President with a route map, and advising him on the places in the world that will be a problem in the future. Together we can act ... and save a great deal of money, and many lives, in that planned future. From a small acorn a mighty oak tree grows. Better to deal with the acorn now, than to try and fell the mighty oak later on.

‘America has a destiny, and America has an important role to play in leading the other nations of the world. To that end, we’ll soon be creating a building in New York to house a new body of representatives from the world governments, the idea being that those governments spend time talking instead of making plans for war. I will be involved with that new body, and those countries that refuse to cooperate will suffer, those that do cooperate will be given assistance. It is our hope that - following this war - we can end all global conflicts through negotiation. Thank you, that’s all for now.’

Back inside, the Chief of Staff did not appear unhappy with the speech. For the most part. ‘You’ll give the Japanese advanced technology.’

‘Not the Japanese, the American body governing the country,’ Jimmy pointed out. ‘In other words, you lot. Besides, if they have enough coal and electricity, they won’t want to invade anyone else – now will they?’

Back aboard our aircraft, I said, ‘America interfering in small countries? Don’t we want to stop that ... and do it ourselves?’

‘We do, but we also want the States policing the world our way, and not their way; more about earthquake relief ... and less Vietnam, more factories and investment in countries ... and less support for tin-pot dictators. Fact is, America in our era propped-up more dictators than the Russians ever tried. Some were supported to suppress communism, some to secure oil – and to hell with the human rights of the populations, or democracy. And one of my aims is to show that to the people here, in this time, where decency still counts for something.’

‘That won’t last,’ I said as we took off, heading towards London, giving a lift to a few diplomats.

As we journeyed towards London, Timkins was set to expose himself. And he had chosen to do that in the Houses of Parliament, when due to make a report on the war. So far, no one had openly suggested that he was a time traveller, but a comment in passing the night before had spurred him on, and into action.

‘Members of the house, right honourable gentlemen,’ he began, addressing a full turnout of Britain’s lawmakers. ‘I will deviate from the report that I had planned to make, to discuss another matter, and one that weighs heavily with me. The Prime Minister has known for some time of my close associations with Jimmy Silo, and has tolerated my status as a necessity because of the war. That war may soon end, with a certain victory for us and our allies, thanks in no small part to Mister Silo and his team. Members of the House, I am part of that team ... and I am also a time traveller.’

A chorus of hushed whispers shot around the chamber, a few surprised looks given.

‘I was born here in England, but not on this world. I entered politics when in university, and later worked as the personal assistant to a Prime Minister of the day, a lady no less. That lady was the daughter of Paul Holton, who – like Mister Silo – is considerably older than he looks. I, on the other hand, look my age.

‘It was never my intention to deceive, or to gain favour through falsehoods, but I had a task to complete, a mission, and a war to prepare for, the outcome of which was never certain. And, in the years that follow this war, there will be a great many trials and tests for the people of our great nation. I am holding knowledge of the future, and it was my aim to continue to use that knowledge, and to work behind the scenes to steer this house and its members through some difficult periods ahead.

‘Since Mister Silo’s revelations as to who he really is, and my known close associations with him, I have become reluctant to deny who and what I really am, and I would like to face my colleagues here, and to debate with them, in a more open and honest manner. But, given that I know the future, it would be uncharitable for me to talk to members of the house as equals, members who do not enjoy the benefits that I enjoy.

‘It is therefore my decision to consider my position, but to first discuss the matter with the house, since you have the right to know. Members of the house, I will take your guidance on my position and status, and stand down immediately if you require it of me. I would, Mister Speaker – and with your indulgence, like to break with tradition ... and ask for a simple showing of hands. Those who wish me to step down, please raise your hands.’

Everyone looked around, but only a handful raised arms.

‘Hear, hear,’ loudly echoed about the chamber.

‘Thank you, gentlemen. I shall, later today, make my status known to my constituents, and to the wider public, who may still wish me to step aside.’

By time we had landed, Timkins’ status was known to the BBC, who had announced it over the radio, the huddled masses listening to crappy old radios in wooden boxes, valves that needed to warm up first. For the most part, his ratings improved.

We landed at a foggy Heathrow Airport, the pilots talked down by Air Traffic Control, radio direction finding gainfully employed. Still, I was nervous. The trip into London still took an hour, the roads no better, but this time we had a modest police escort. We arrived at Timkins London pad, a nice twelve bedroom pad in Belgravia, not too far from our old apartment – which had not yet been built, and now wouldn’t be built because the existing building had not been levelled by a German bomb.

His wife welcomed us, stood in a period dress that would have made a nice pair of curtains. Food was waiting, and we settled about a large table, Jack and Sykes sat waiting.

‘Nice pad,’ I commented. ‘Be worth a bit in the future.’ The lady of the house did not quite know how to take that.

‘I came out of the closet today, as you may know,’ Timkins informed us.

I stared.

Sykes caught my look, and said, ‘The British public now know that Timkins is a traveller.’

I breathed again.

‘How have they reacted,’ Jimmy asked.

‘The members of the house have voted to allow me to stay on,’ Timkins reported. ‘And the BBC made an announcement around 6pm.’

I faced his wife. ‘Did it shock you?’

‘No, I was informed ... when Mister Silo identified himself.’

‘Any thoughts?’ I pressed, getting a look from Jimmy.

‘It does not change the person, nor does my husband have any intentions of returning to where he came from.’

‘All’s well that ends well, eh,’ I quipped. ‘Jack?’

‘I informed my dear wife at the same time, who is still trying to figure it all out – not least my age.’

‘Not planning on leaving you, is she?’ I asked, getting another look from Jimmy. ‘Trade you in for a younger model.’

‘No, I don’t think so,’ Jack said with a smile.

‘What’s the latest from Germany?’ Jimmy asked Sykes.

‘Chaos, no firm leadership,’ Sykes reported. ‘Soldiers packing up and going home, wages not paid, food deliveries disrupted. Utter chaos. And they all believe that Berlin is surrounded, or even destroyed. All radio signals have been jammed by the Marines.’

‘And in the Alps?’ Jimmy asked.

‘A few hard-line units digging in, but Ngomo has now landed men in the area.’

Jimmy glanced at the lady of the house. Lowering his head to cut-up his food, he said, ‘The US President asked that we ... not let Negro soldiers be seen to be active in the area.’

‘It’s 1938,’ Timkins replied. ‘And American attitudes to blacks will be poor till the 1990s at least.’

Sykes said, ‘The Rifles in Italy were ordered to avoid American units beforehand, and they have done. Still, it’s been worse for German units, being shot-up by blacks. That must have ... vexed them somewhat.’

Jack said, ‘German Rescue Force are here, reported around Berlin, but which world?’

‘They’ve gone to 1984,’ I explained. ‘A little hearts and minds work. And in 1984 Africa, Mawlini looks busy, I saw an image. Sixty tents, six thousand people on the ground already.’

Jimmy lowered his knife and fork and took out his phone. He selected a number, and pressed the green button. ‘It’s Silo. Listen, I want continuous broadcasts made around Germany, explaining the futility of holding out, asking people to stop fighting, offer food and water. Get a full-on propaganda campaign going – but keep jamming their military comms. Thanks.’ He cut the call.

‘You think they’ll listen,’ Sykes asked.

‘As you said, it’s chaos, so it may do some good.’ He faced Timkins. ‘Ready every paratrooper you have tomorrow, and drop them in west of Berlin, a night drop tomorrow evening. We should, at least, try and stop this with fewer casualties. Use the gliders as well, you should have some spare.’

Timkins nodded as he chewed. ‘If we take Berlin, and announce it, maybe they’ll give up.’

Jimmy slid his gaze across to Sykes. ‘And Russia?’

‘The Marines have drones that scanned the area. They’re digging trenches.’

‘Trenches?’ I repeated. ‘Then they do think we’ll attack.’

‘Did Churchill talk to their ambassador?’ Jimmy puzzled.

‘Yes,’ Timkins reported. ‘The Russians are preparing defences in case the Germans turn east,’ he mockingly paraphrased.

Jimmy shook his head. ‘Paranoia.’

‘How will we deal with them after the war?’ Sykes nudged.

‘I’ll engage with them, trade with them, yet contain them. And, very soon, they’ll realise what they’re up against. They’re at least ten years away from an atom bomb, maybe fifteen years, so no worries there for a little while.’

‘And Mao?’ Sykes asked.

‘Has every reason to like me, and to trust me,’ Jimmy suggested. ‘So I’ll go and sit down and have a chat, but after he’s taken the whole of China.’

‘Much to the consternation of Britain and America,’ Sykes pointed out.

‘I’ll explain it to them at some point,’ Jimmy offered. ‘Using Mao against the Japanese was necessary, very necessary, and ... China has an important role to play in the world in the future, the aim being to awaken the commercial red monster ahead of time.’

‘And the empire?’ Timkins asked. ‘The British Empire?’

‘Will evolve into a company called CAR,’ I said. ‘Same benefit, different flag. Peace on earth, good will to all men, British goods in the shops.’

Jimmy nodded his agreement with that. Facing Timkins, he asked, ‘Do any ... good people desire that the empire goes on?’

‘As you said, it’s about commerce and benefits, more than political shades on a map,’ Timkins agreed, but I had my doubts. ‘Is the Congo developing as expected?’

‘Well ahead of the curve,’ I responded. ‘Rudd is playing at being me.’ We laughed.

‘He learnt a thing or two in your shadow,’ Sykes put in.

Jimmy said, ‘Within six months, most of the revenue will be directed back into Africa. Our aircraft sales, fridges, radios, they’ll make enough money after we’ve cut back at the factories from a war footing.’

‘That much revenue,’ Timkins began, ‘in Africa in this day and age, would cause a huge expansion of the continent’s commerce.’ He waited.

‘Consumers of British goods,’ Jimmy responded. ‘Some money spent on Germany and Japan.’

‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘BMW, Mercedes ... and Sony.’

‘But that much money used internally,’ Timkins pressed, ‘would put Africa on a course towards being a super-power in twenty years. Are the political structures in place?’

‘It’s a valid point,’ Jimmy agreed. ‘When the African nations seek independence they’ll fracture, and dictators will take hold, or at least they would have. But, since Rudd has modelled himself on Paul, and started a parliament, we’ll not re-invent the wheel, but control Africa from the Congo parliament. A decade or two down the line, that parliament could do with a good man to run it.’ He held his gaze on Timkins.

‘Not Rudd?’ Timkins asked.

‘I said a good man, not a keen man; Rudd is no politician.’

Timkins glanced at his wife. ‘Jimmy sees me as someone who may run Africa in the future.’

‘I’ve visited the continent,’ the wife commented. ‘But as for a place to live and school the children...’

‘It will change rapidly,’ I told her. ‘Within ten years, our region of the Congo will make London look like a quiet backwater.’

‘Gosh,’ she let out.

‘I’d accept a posting down there for a few years,’ Jack offered. ‘Kenya.’

‘Want to get away from the cold and the smog?’ I teased.

‘For a while at least,’ Jack replied.

‘How’s Israel these days?’ I asked him.

‘Settling down a little, now just a trickle from Europe, many from Russia – when they can get out. But they have more people than sustainable jobs.’

‘When did they have otherwise?’ Jimmy dryly asked.

I suggested, ‘When we get the Congo going, link them.’

‘They’re already benefitting from a link, but the war – it’s not good for sales,’ Jack explained.

‘And the Palestinians?’ Jimmy nudged.

‘Compensated, and booted across the Jordon or to Egypt or Syria. I’ve started a housing project in Jordan, a sizeable project.’

‘Good, support Jordan’s economy,’ Jimmy encouraged.

Jack seemed hesitant. ‘Do we ... intend to encourage the Israelis to boot out most of the Palestinians?’

‘Yes, because soon enough you’ll make a start on an enclave for them,’ I suggested.

‘An enclave may not be necessary, not in 1938,’ Jimmy countered with. ‘If they’re compensated now, then they can thrive in the Arab countries. If they stay and try and cause trouble, then an enclave will help.’ He faced me fully. ‘Your enclave was popular after decades of suffering Israeli rule. Now, they’d not be keen to move.’

I shrugged my acceptance of that. ‘It’s a case of wait and see then. Most of the Palestinians were booted out after the ’67 war on our world, different case now, and they have longer to get used to a new country.’

‘As well as far fewer people,’ Sykes put in, the lady of the house appearing a little lost. ‘Far fewer.’

‘We might just get away with it,’ Jimmy suggested.

‘What’s happening on the other world?’ Jack asked.

‘The Rifles have gone through, almost six hundred of them,’ Jimmy reported. ‘They secured the portal – both ends – and are fighting The Brotherhood. German Rescue Force is there, helping those German citizens previously under the jackboot of The Brotherhood, an odd skew on history. The Rifles are already forty miles out, most of Berlin liberated.’

‘And they’ve contacted the US President of the day,’ I put in, surprising our hosts.

‘They have?’ Sykes queried.

‘They had a chat, apparently,’ I added. ‘Jimmy asked Colonel Nbeki, the famous officer known as “Lobster”, to have a chat. He told the US President that we’ve come to help, and that we’ll supply advanced weapons to them.’

‘Will you?’ Sykes asked Jimmy.

‘To a degree. To start with, I just wanted his finger off the little red button, so a little sweetener was offered. I also sent the Japanese High Command a small gift, which will help to keep their fingers off the button.’

I faced Timkins wife, who was still looking a little lost. ‘On the other world it’s 1984, and the Germans and Japanese – they won the war, Germany occupying all of Europe.’

‘Gosh, how horrid. And without your kind and timely intervention here...?’

‘Could have gone either way,’ I admitted. ‘But on our world the British and Americans won the war – with a great deal of help from Russia.’

‘How’ll you handle it?’ Sykes asked Jimmy. ‘Assuming you aim to interfere there.’

‘We have no choice about interfering there,’ Jimmy responded. ‘Many people on that planet are interested in building time machines, and someone ... sent them the manual. So I have to get involved, not least to stop the interested parties from creating a paradox. And over there they’re all nuclear armed, in a Cold War as well as a war with The Brotherhood, and probably completely paranoid – the communists on the rise.’

‘What a mess,’ Sykes let out. ‘One wrong move and it’ll trigger a global nuclear war, The Brotherhood inheriting the ashes.’

‘If there is a war, we’ll take Africa and build up from there,’ Jimmy suggested.

‘And we can’t go back to 1920 on that world?’ Jack asked.

‘Not with an open portal to this world, no,’ I answered him. ‘It would create a paradox. The worlds are now linked.’

‘Are the Americans pressing for possession of their own atom bomb?’ Jack asked.

‘No, why?’ I replied.

‘Churchill is making a big deal of the fact that Britain is the first nuclear power,’ Jack explained. ‘I figured that the Americans would be ... put out by that.’

Jimmy said, ‘I’ve promised them a fleet of bombers and twenty nukes, within six months. They know that the bombs are not needed for this war, so they’re happy to wait.’

‘You kept that quiet,’ I complained.

‘It’s a delicate matter,’ Jimmy insisted. ‘America’s Strategic Air Command will be formed in 1939, not in the sixties.’

‘A massive advantage over the Russians,’ Sykes noted.

Jimmy nodded. ‘They had that before. The Russians were at a disadvantage till the 1980s, all hype and propaganda by the Americans trying to justify defence spending.’

The next morning we were whisked around to No. 10 Downing Street in delightfully dated old cars, no thronging British crowds to stare at us, or even to wave. We met Churchill and his wartime military leaders in a cramped meeting room in the bowels of No. 10, led to a long and thin room filled by a large table, a delightfully dated red phone next to Churchill, a museum piece. We greeted the various Generals, Admirals and RAF Commodores, then settled.

‘A good flight over, I trust?’ Churchill began with.

‘If it wasn’t, we’d complain to the manufacturers,’ I quipped, making the Brits laugh.

‘Fine aircraft they are indeed,’ Churchill offered. ‘And I’ve been again to see the jet bombers in Scotland, both the odd aircraft with two tails, and the very large beast of a plane.’

‘Have your stored the atom bombs?’ Jimmy asked.

‘We had a special facility made ready, as per your instructions, many months prior to the arrival of the bombs. It is sufficiently isolated, in case of accidents.’

‘Accidents are impossible,’ Jimmy gently reminded our host. ‘To set them off would be like accidentally completing a hundred-piece jigsaw puzzle.’

‘Indeed, indeed. I won’t be losing any sleep over it.’

‘How goes the war?’ I asked our host.

‘We’re advancing our forces south through Denmark, with the full and unequivocal support of the Danish people and Government. And, as we sit here, many thousands of our soldiers are boarding aircraft for this planned assault on the German citadel, more again boarding ships ready to sail into the Baltic and land north of Berlin. We aim to end the war in two weeks, even without any formal leadership on their part making an agreement. We shall sit in the living room of their house till they notice us, and acknowledge us.’

A General put in, ‘And now something of a resurgent French Army taking shape, former officers and ranks grouping to push the Germans out of their country.’

‘And the American forces in France?’ Jimmy asked.

‘Around Paris,’ Churchill reported. ‘And, no doubt, enjoying the delightful Parisian cafes and bars!’

‘I’d like a unit of American paratroopers to land near Berlin, as well as regular American soldiers in gliders,’ Jimmy told Churchill.

‘I detect a whiff of politics, more than practicality, or indeed necessity.’

‘There’s nothing wrong with your nose, so keep an eye on post-war politics, and post-war relations. Germany will be held by British and American forces.’

‘And these African soldiers?’ a General asked.

‘Will be removed just as soon as it’s practical to do so,’ Jimmy offered the man.

‘And then what’ll they do?’ the same man asked.

‘They’ll work for me in Africa,’ Jimmy told the man, firm eye contact maintained.

‘A very capable army ... you’ll have at your disposal,’ the same man noted.

Jimmy took a moment. ‘In the years following this war, many colonies of the British Empire will desire independence, especially India. You will only make a rod for your own back if your try and hang onto them, and you’ll fight many small wars of independence. Instead of that approach, you could take my advice, and turn your previous empire into one large economic trading area, where Britain is the preferred supplier of goods.

‘I’ve created a company called CAR, it operates around Kenya and my region in the Congo, and it will grow rapidly. My aim ... is to operate that company in most all of the countries of the existing empire, so that when those countries are independent, Britain will still get the commercial benefit that it enjoyed before. The flags and the governors may go, but the trade will remain. The alternative … is that you ignore me, and pay a high price for doing so.’

‘We would never ignore the favourite son of Britain,’ Churchill loudly announced, lighting a cigar.

‘You’ll lose all of your African colonies,’ Jimmy told the Generals. ‘That was inevitable. This way ... you still retain influence and fiscal benefit.’ Jimmy leant forwards. ‘Gentlemen, the next fifty years are about making money and building empires, commercial empires – not political empires. We’ll hand your aircraft manufacturers advanced technology, and you’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with the Americans, although they obviously have a far greater industrial base, and greater resources.’

‘And Hong Kong?’ a General pressed.

‘Will be yours till 1997, but largely owned and operated by my people, as now,’ Jimmy explained.

‘And the communists?’ the same man asked.

‘Will behave like communists. They will posture, threaten, march up and down and proclaim their way the right way, but will not invade Hong Kong because you’re a nuclear power – and they’re not. And, in the decades ahead, once they’ve decided that they need a few pounds to keep the lights on, they’ll trade with the outside world, going on to be the world’s largest economy.’

‘The world’s ... largest economy?’ Churchill repeated.

‘Billions of the little slanty-eyed people,’ I said. ‘And a massive industrial base. Whoever partners with them first will reap the benefit. Do you have a commercial outpost near China that could be used to ... facilitate that?’

‘I believe we do posses such an outpost,’ Churchill said with a grin.

‘Gentlemen,’ Jimmy called. ‘The next fifty years is a race, a race between many nations – not to be the strongest militarily, but the strongest economically. Never take your eye of that fact. Africa will develop into a massive economic engine, so too the Far East. You need to be there at the start, in the middle, and at the end. And I will help.’

‘We are in a fortunate position,’ Churchill offered. ‘Now, what of this other world?’

‘Little there will concern you,’ Jimmy answered. ‘We’ve stopped them from invading this world, and we’ve sent soldiers to occupy parts of that world. Unfortunately, on that world the year is 1984, and the Germans and Japanese won this war. They stand opposed to America, all armed with atom bombs, and fighting a war with the communists as well as the Arab armies.’

‘It sounds a most hellish place,’ Churchill noted.

‘Which is why I’m going there,’ Jimmy informed them.

‘Is that ... wise?’ A General asked.

‘Your war is over, your path ahead less of a problem than the one they face. Should I not go where I’m most needed?’

‘If we had a say in the matter,’ Churchill began, ‘we would obviously like you to remain here.’

‘Paul and my team will remain here, and they know everything I know. In fact, we have two versions of Paul here, so twice the quality of advice.’ I wasn’t quite sure how to take that, Jimmy adding, ‘And I’ll be going back and forth.’

We got into small detail, and it seemed that the Canadian Rifles armour would remain in Britain after the war, as well as a permanent contingent of the Canadian Rifles to maintain and operate the weapons. Hal would also be leaving the F15s behind, a rotation of pilots left as the RAF learnt how to use them. Some fighting was still going on around France, but the American, British and French Brigades were heading to the German border, ignoring surrendering Germans in a mad dash to be the first to Berlin. The American Brigade had already crossed the German border just north of Geneva, and were now making a nuisance of themselves with German housewives - and their officer husbands, the odd hanging undertaken.

Back at Timkins house, Big Paul was waiting with three bodyguards from our era. ‘Did you wipe your feet?’ I asked him.

‘On the mat like a wire brush,’ he quipped.

‘You passing through, or going with Jimmy?’

‘Off with Jimmy, to 1984-land.’

‘How’s Hong Kong?’

‘Quiet now, many of the troops back, Japs all fucked off - or surrendering, a few killing themselves. Loads of the fuckers starved to death, many died from their infected wounds. Fucking communists hack them up something terrible when they find them alive.’

‘Payback time.’

Big Paul nodded. ‘Can’t blame them.’

Jimmy joined us, leading us through to a lounge, tea being made by a maid in an odd little outfit. ‘How’s Han?’ he asked our former bodyguard.

‘Went off to see Mao a week ago, nothing heard since. Day after he left a few modern-day US Marines landed, so Po has a phone and data-pads.’

‘How is Po?’ Jimmy asked with a wry smile.

‘Back to buying things and building things,’ Big Paul reported. ‘He aims to own the whole fucking colony.’

‘And the Chinese Nationalists?’ Jimmy asked.

‘Being wiped out in their frigging tens of thousands. Mao will be in Beijing in a fucking week!’

‘Any word on the Philippines?’ I asked.

‘Yanks fly in and out now, sending soldiers up for a little R&R. They say that it’s all over bar the psycho Japs hiding in the hills; they’ve taken all the cities and towns.’

Jimmy’s phone trilled and he took a quick call. Knocking the phone off, he informed us, ‘The dear old US President has had our aircraft carrier, The USS Trophy, off Japan for the past two days, something they didn’t mention at the meeting. It’s two hundred miles east of Japan, and they’ve launched two mass raids against Tokyo, RPGs fired down and buildings strafed. All ships in Tokyo Bay are alight, as well as much of the city.

‘That carrier, it has a hundred prop fighters on board, and they’re using drop-tanks – literally. When they get there, they drop the drop-tanks with a little fuel left in them, and they explode and burn when they hit the ground. The prop fighters have been going in at low level and four hundred miles an hour.’

‘Still no surrender?’ I asked.

Jimmy shook his head. ‘Still, at this rate it’s bound to be over soon.’ He faced Big Paul. ‘Where’s the American Brigade?’

‘Back in the colony. They thought about the Philippines, but there’s fuck all left to do there.’

‘Make a call, have them sent back to the States, stop-over in Hawaii, and back to Canada. Then a thirty-day holiday after back-pay and bonuses are issued.’

Big Paul made the call, Jimmy’s phone going again. Facing me, he said, ‘Lobster has contacted the German Chancellor in London, 1984, and asked for an aircraft for me. They’ve agreed.’

‘Into the lion’s den,’ I carefully mouthed.

‘I can’t live forever.’

‘Probably could, actually.’

‘Who’d want to?’

Big Paul rejoined us.

‘You up for this crazy stunt?’ I asked him.

He shrugged. ‘Same risk. Be interesting to see London with large fucking Nazi flags waving. That’s going to be real weird. Still, I bet the fucking trains run on time for a change!’

‘It’ll be an odd mix,’ Jimmy began. ‘German occupation, then influence - economic influence, then any benefits destroyed by the war with The Brotherhood. The trains would have run on time, then been improved, then shortages of everything would have slowed up any industrial progress. As for the social mixture, it’s hard to say what forty years of occupation would do, being skewed by a massive influx of refugees from Europe in the past six years. You might have the Dog and Duck pub, next to the Beerkeller, full of Italians and Czechs, German police walking the beat.’

‘Sounds like modern-day London,’ I quipped. ‘Hardly find a white person there, and then they’re bloody foreigners!’

‘Yes, well on this world we’re going to make a few subtle changes to ... immigration policy. Paul, if I don’t get back, fix the Mexican border, stop the British from bringing in immigrants from the former colonies, and then ... then when the Congo is going, recruit black Americans from the south.’

‘Recruit ... black Americans?’

‘They speak English, and they have better education standards than the local Africans in the Congo. Well, their education standards are very poor, but they’re non-existent in the Congo,’ Jimmy insisted. ‘Besides ... it will ease racial tensions later on.’

‘Folks back on our world will puzzle that one,’ I cautioned.

‘It’s for the best, to ... provide the blacks of America with jobs and opportunities. And fewer immigrants in Britain will help, especially if India and Pakistan fall apart later on.’

‘Will the nice man in the White House notice?’

‘Sure, but he’ll understand; less of a ... welfare bill for him and his successors. Anyway, I’m sure that you could sell him on it.’

I cocked an eyebrow.

We enjoyed a meal, and a few beers with the lads, gossip caught up on, especially all of Big Paul’s bad habits in the colony, and his diplomatic skills – or lack of them. Still, he was getting better. At 11pm the cars arrived, taking Jimmy and the minders to Heathrow. I said goodbye stood alongside Timkins, wondering how things might turn out over there.

At Heathrow, Jimmy and the gang boarded a Super Goose, the pilots both Canadian Rifles – and both tipped a good bonus. They took off east into the night. Over Germany, three hours later, the US Marines on the ground used miniature radar devices to watch the skies for German fighters, plotting the course of Jimmy’s plane. At eighteen thousand feet over the portal, the pilots nosed down into a tight-corkscrew, descending quickly. The Marines guided them into a quiet military airfield, all of the lights now out save green runway lights, and the Super Goose touched down smoothly.

At the portal, Big Paul and his mates accepted laser pistols, miniature anti-bug kit, miniature radar jamming kit, and pens that would cause a heart attack if used incorrectly. Jimmy carried several phones in a bag, and several data-pads.

At the portal, Lobster was stood waiting with two men. He saluted. ‘Good to see you again, sir.’

They shook. ‘You too, Lobster. How is it over there?’

‘The Arabs, they send more fighters from their front lines with France, and we kill them. In many places the smell is very bad, sir.’

‘How big is the pocket that side?’

‘Almost a hundred miles across, small units moving outwards, sir.’

‘And Berlin?’

‘Mostly clear of the fighters, sir, the people move around like they are drunk; they don’t know what to do anymore.’

‘No government, or civil society,’ Jimmy noted. ‘That’s what Rescue Force Germany is there for.’

They turned and headed towards the portal. ‘They do the medical work, sir, and re-assure people. But one killed by a fighter, two wounded.’

‘Clear the areas better, I don’t want our medics in the front line.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Jimmy jumped through, quickly followed by Lobster, Big Paul and the team trailing. They found several German technicians almost straight away.

‘They work for us now, sir,’ Lobster explained.

Jimmy shook their hands, exchanging greetings in German.

‘This is Mister Silo,’ Lobster announced, the technicians staring as Jimmy moved off.

Outside of the portal building it was just about dawn, a time difference of a few hours between worlds. A commandeered bus took the group south ten miles, and to an airfield, the place looking more like a civilian field than a military base. Sat on the apron was a twin-prop aircraft, but modern looking, not unlike a Dash-7. Stood next to it was a pilot in a military uniform, and a second man, both studying Jimmy carefully as he approached.

‘Do the Arab fighters have surface to air missiles?’ Jimmy asked the pilot in German.

‘Some, in some places, but not common, sir. They have shoulder-launched missiles, only good for low aircraft. We will climb higher, and today some clouds, sir.’

Jimmy considered the salutation and respect, wondering if they were under orders – or just naturally polite. He gestured the men aboard their aircraft. ‘Next stop, London.’

Three hours later, Jimmy and the team had reversed their course, now descending into a busy Heathrow Airport, the name being the same on this world. Breaking through the clouds, Jimmy could see that they were in a queue of aircraft, several jet liners ahead of them, a few glimpsed in the distance. And the terminal buildings, they looked as if they had been planned and built better than the Heathrow of Jimmy’s era; there was a symmetry and order to them.

Touching down, Jimmy took in the airliners, the craft appearing to be more like 707s than 757s or later aircraft, they certainly appeared to be more dated than he had expected for 1984. There were no 747s to be seen, no particular aircraft that he could pin a specific name label on. The identifiable airlines were Lufthansa, a Czech airline, an Irish airline, and a Norwegian. And then he caught a glimpse of an aircraft with a flag of St. George on it, the English flag. “Royal English Airways”, it announced.

Jimmy pointed it out to Big Paul. ‘Royal English Airways.’

‘They kept the monarchy,’ Big Paul noted, a look exchanged.

‘Not British, but English,’ Jimmy noted. ‘And they probably kept the monarchy to keep the English citizens happy, happy and subservient.’

Halting at a terminal with a walkway, not needed for this small aircraft, a line of black Mercedes limos waited, a sprinkling of soldiers around them. Jimmy and gang studied the uniform designs of the soldiers, figuring them to be reminiscent of Argentina circa 1980, rather than Britain or Germany. They stepped down as the aircraft’s engines wound down, soon flanked by the soldiers – who had eyes everywhere apart from on those they were there to guard, or to protect. Jimmy and Big Paul exchanged a look. A threat to them was evident, but from who? Certainly not their hosts. And so far, no attempt to search them had been made.

Settled into the limos, enough room for four men in each, they began their journey, negotiating the terminal buildings, and onto a main road, soon heading into London past houses that appeared as they should have, no differences in design or architecture noted. Jimmy studied the cars and trucks as they progressed, the Mercedes almost identical to 1984 vehicles on his original world, the BMW’s slightly different. The British cars were unrecognisable, but he did notice Leyland and Land Rover name tags.

Closer in to the centre of London, red buses appeared, but seemed to be more 1970s than 1984. Billboards displayed advertising, not Nazi party emblems, just a few Nazi flags displayed from houses, and not many of those. Jimmy recognised much of the centre of London, mostly built prior to the war, but noticed more tall towers, glass-fronted, certainly more for 1984. Police walked the streets, and looked like typical English officers. But on a few corners Jimmy glimpsed armoured personnel carriers and soldiers, and the streets bustled, the traffic heavy. Two burnt-out buildings caught his attention; these guys had suffered a few bombings lately.

From The Embankment they turned north, soon around the back of Horseguard’s, and towards the rear of No. 10 Downing Street.

‘They still use No. 10,’ Big Paul noted.

Downing Street was closed off, a large black brick wall one end, no press hordes - or nutters with placards, in view. The convoy eased to a halt, many soldiers dotted about, Jimmy’s gang assembling on the road. A group of three grey-haired men stood waiting for them in drab grey uniforms, much braid displays, gold on shoulder epaulets. Jimmy stepped forwards.

‘Mister Silo, I presume,’ the Chancellor said in English, a neutral expression maintained.

Jimmy offered his hand, and they shook. ‘Chancellor?’

The man nodded. Turning to the man on his left, he said, ‘My Defence Minister, George Williams.’ Jimmy shook the man’s hand. Twisting the other way, he said, ‘Adolf Schule, my Security Minister. Come on inside.’

‘Do you wish us to give up our weapons?’ Jimmy asked as the men turned.

‘I am reasonably certain, Mister Silo, that you did not travel across space and time to kill us.’

‘A very practical approach,’ Jimmy commended, puzzling the odd statement as he trailed behind them.

Inside, Jimmy familiar with the building’s layout, they were led to a meeting room, Jimmy asking that the three bodyguards be found a room, some food and drink. He and Big Paul followed the three grey uniforms, and sat about a large table, drinks soon offered. So far, it was all very civilized, apart from the large portrait of Hitler on the wall.

Once settled, the Chancellor began with, ‘We are led to believe, Herr Silo, that these ... African soldiers are massacring the Arab fighters around Berlin.’

‘They are,’ Jimmy confirmed.

‘And the man that I spoke to, a Colonel no less, suggested that they took direction from you. Might I ask ... what office you hold where you come from?’

‘I don’t hold office, Chancellor, since where I come from I would easily win any vote. Such a vote would be ... like a child voting for its mother to stay in the job.’

‘You ... exercise much power and influence?’

‘Very much so, on the particular world that I saved. Since I saved them, and they know it, they’re very grateful. I also hold some influence on other worlds.’

‘I’ve had the briefing by our scientists - twice, and once before, many years ago. There are ... many worlds, all very similar?’

‘The basic shape and nature of this planet remains the same, the people and politics varied, but some are almost identical. If you imagine your world, and its current political and social make-up, then a year from now this world may split in two – in cosmological terms. You would feel nothing, but a carbon copy of your political system would be created. As time went on, random chance would alter it from the original.’

‘Fascinating. And I’m informed that here, in America, certain religious groups wish such talk to be a crime.’

‘The religious groups on the world I saved accepted my role as ... having been sent by God.’

The men smiled. ‘They fitted you into their neat little model of the world,’ the Chancellor noted.

‘Some even consider me to be a prophet.’

‘If it helps them sleep at night, so be it,’ the Chancellor said with a dismissive wave of his hand. ‘Here, we do not suppress religious freedoms, unless they wish dissent of course.’

‘And I bet the trains run on time,’ Big Paul put in.

‘Trains ... on time?’ the Chancellor queried with a frown. ‘Of course, or there would be no point to them.’

Jimmy explained, a quick glance at Big Paul, ‘On our world, around 1984, few British trains ran on time, and were always dirty.’

‘Then we may lay claim to having improved that. Mister Silo, these black African soldiers, they are ... mercenaries of a kind?’

‘No, they are the national soldiers of African nations from our world. But, because I founded them, trained them, and funded them, they are available to me to make use of – subject to final political approval by their respective governments. I exert great influence on the world I come from.’

‘So it would seem. You say ... you trained them. You are a military man?’

‘I am when I need to be. Chancellor, I am three hundred years old -’ They blinked. ‘- and have fought in many wars and campaigns.’

‘Three hundred years old?’

Jimmy produced several vials and handed them over. ‘That’s a drug from the future. Inject a soldier who’s injured or sick, and watch the amazing results. It will cure every disease, and whoever takes it will live a very long time.’

The three men ranged opposite picked up the vials and examined them with keen interest.

Jimmy added, ‘I’ve used the drug many times to inject soldiers, like the African soldiers. Afterwards, their endurance is ten-fold, and they heal very quickly from any wounds, even serious wounds.’

‘Super soldiers,’ the Defence Minister keenly stated.

‘And they carry advanced weapons.’ Jimmy turned his head to Big Paul.

Big Paul withdrew the pistol he carried. ‘Laser pistol. Our soldiers carry laser rifles, night sights and EM scanners, good to two miles, and they never miss. Each weapon can discharge a million times. Right now the Arab fighters are having their brains cooked from the inside, without sight nor sound of our soldiers – and from a mile or two away, even at night.’

‘Fantastic,’ the Defence Minister stated, examining the pistol.

‘Why did you send us the book of instruction?’ the Chancellor asked.

‘I didn’t.’

‘You didn’t?’

‘No. Someone from the future did that, with my name on, knowing that if you opened a portal ... it would lead you to a world where I was living and operating at the time. It was meant ... to attract my attention to this world, and to its problems.’

The Chancellor sat upright, and took a moment to study Jimmy. ‘You are English, Mister Silo, so might I ask as to your ... political leanings?’

‘I like the trains to run on time, but I’m also in favour of democracy. I like harsh punishment for criminals and terrorists, yet sponsor medical charities. I will topple a white government in Africa so that the blacks are free, but they will be free my way – and will not make war on anyone. I work around American Presidents, yet endorse them in public. I supply advanced weapons and defensive systems to nations, then sue for peace. I work in the shadows to make money, but then use it to influence political direction.’

‘There are a few contradictions in there,’ the Security Minister noted. ‘In that democracies like America are soft on criminals.’

‘Indeed,’ Jimmy agreed. ‘I would empty the prisons by executing them all; it’s a waste of tax-payer’s money. Yet I would support the American political system over yours, even though I have often said that a good dictatorship is far better than a weak democracy.’

‘And how, exactly, do you see our political system?’ the Chancellor asked.

‘How it is now ... I don’t care about. Where it will be, is of interest to me. On the world that we just came from, we spent twenty years arming the British and Americans to win the war against the Germans and the Japanese.’

The three hosts stiffened.

‘I interfered directly, knowing that just a decade or two after the war, Germany and Japan would offer economies that easily beat the British, and that they would live peacefully in prosperity thereafter, rich British businessmen always choosing to drive Mercedes or BMW cars. You see, gentlemen, sometimes the left fork in the road is the correct one. And, if you want to know a secret that spans many worlds and hundreds of years ... it’s about winning economically more than with bullets and bombs.’

They considered Jimmy’s words, glances exchanged.

‘These African soldiers, what are their orders?’ the Chancellor asked.

‘Simply to destroy The Brotherhood; they’ve been told not to fire on civilians or soldiers that are not Arabs. And, as we speak, tens of thousands of my soldiers are moving into Africa.’ Their eyes widened. ‘And within a few short weeks they will have killed the majority of the Arab fighters there, before starting their attack on Arabia itself.’

‘Tens of thousands?’ they repeated.

‘Yes, gentlemen, tens of thousands.’

‘And when they have succeeded in their assigned task?’ the Chancellor posed.

‘Gentlemen, I apologise, but I’m just about to strip you of any powers that you may still mistakenly believe that you hold. Those soldiers brought with them tactical nuclear weapons, radar jammers, radio jammers, and EMP weapons that will knock down ballistic missiles or high-flying aircraft.’

The three hosts were horrified.

Composing himself, the Chancellor said, ‘You did not come here in person to tell us that, and you would not have come here today if you considered that we may be adversaries.’

‘You are indeed a wise leader,’ Jimmy acknowledged. ‘No, I came to help you beat The Brotherhood, then to help your wounded, to help you rebuild Europe, and then ... to negotiate away some of the aspects your political system that I don’t like.’

‘Negotiate away?’

‘I have no desire to fight with you, or the Japanese. So, when I say negotiate ... look at the vials in front of you. I’m a time traveller, gentlemen, and I can offer advanced technologies, medicines, I know where all of the world’s oil is to be found, its gold, platinum. I also know when major earthquakes will strike. I’m a ... very useful man to know.’

The Chancellor eased back. ‘What is it that you wish to negotiate, exactly?’

‘The future political map of this world, of course. As far as you’re concerned, I’ll make you this offer, and you should think carefully before rejecting it: I’ll push The Brotherhood out of Europe, and I’ll destroy them. I’ll capture Africa - that will belong to me, except South Africa. You re-occupy Germany, Austria, northern Switzerland, The Czech Republic – and that’s all.’

‘That’s all?’

‘That’s all. The other countries hold free and fair elections, including Belorussia and the Ukraine. The alternate, gentlemen, is that I ... nudge you ... towards accepting my terms for assistance.’

‘And this ... nudge?’

‘Would start with all electrical devices in this country ceasing to work,’ Jimmy threatened. ‘That would be followed up with all of your ballistic missiles and subs failing to work.’ He let them think about it. ‘Consider your existing position, gentlemen. I’m offering you back The Fatherland, and the German speaking countries, free of the Arabs.’

‘And then?’

‘And then I’ll help you build a prosperous modern society. How you run the politics of that society is down to you, I won’t interfere. And, if other countries vote to join you in an economic or military union, then I won’t interfere. Where I come from, the whole of Europe is one big economic union dominated by Germany.’

‘Dominated by Germany?’

The Germans operate the strongest - and the best run - economy.’

‘Great cars,’ Big Paul helpfully put in.

‘And what do you see as the future of Britain?’ the English man asked.

‘Britain would hold free and fair elections, political parties tolerated.’

‘And the Russians?’ the Chancellor floated.

‘Would have to be stopped, and then dealt with within their own borders. If they attacked outwards I would get involved – and defend you with advanced weapons. Where I come from, the Russian Federation is peaceful and prosperous. They were communist for a long time, till their citizens desired a better quality of life. That was true of the Chinese communists as well; their own people destroyed them from within, a desire for a colour television set.’

‘You have spoken to the Americans?’

‘No, that’s my next chore, and they’ll probably be more difficult than you.’

‘You have no love for them?’

‘On our world they are the largest economy and operate the strongest military, but sometimes they think they should police the world as they see fit; we’ve clashed over ideology many times. Anyway, as a sign of good faith, I would like to deliver drugs to you, as well as the technology to very cheaply convert coal to oil.’

‘Coal to oil? We are aware of the process, but it is anything other than cheap, or practical.’

Jimmy handed over a two-page document. ‘It is where we come from, very cheap. What will that do to the economy of Britain?’

‘If it works ... then a significant boost, a very significant boost.’

‘Try it, and if you get stuck I’ll help. Send a cargo plane to the airport that you picked me up from, and we’ll arrange medicines. One simple injection will cure everything, even third degree burns, cancer, everything.’

Jimmy opened his bag, handing over two phones. ‘Press the green button, and you can talk to me wherever I am on this world. If I’m not on this world, they’ll get a message to me.’ He retrieved a data-pad. ‘Could you close those curtains, please.’ The Defence Minister did so. ‘Computer,’ Jimmy called. ‘Display images of Frankfurt, from the year 2025.’

A wall came to life, an image of tall and gleaming towers, bustling streets below.

‘Mein Got,’ the Chancellor let out.

‘Computer, display Berlin airport, 2025.’

The airport burst into view, a gleaming terminal with twelve planes at gates.

‘Computer, display images of New Kinshasa, Africa, 2025.’

The image stunned them, the huge and gleaming city.

‘This is Africa?’

‘It is where we come from. Computer. Display international space station, 2030.’ The space station came to life. ‘Built with money from all nations of the world, astronauts from many nations.’

‘Astro what?’

‘Men who fly into space. There are Germans aboard, Americans, even Chinese and Japanese. On our world, we sent men to land on the Moon and to bring back rocks. All it needed, gentlemen, was a few decades of peace, and some cooperation around the planet.’

‘How soon could you clear the Arabs from Germany?’ the Chancellor asked.

Jimmy cut the image. ‘Four weeks, it’s a large country.’

‘And we could land there?’

‘Why don’t you organise a press conference, and I’ll get you some political points.’

‘The people, they ... don’t know about our time machine programme,’ the Defence Minister hesitantly stated. ‘We have not ... disclosed your presence to them.’

‘That’s your choice,’ Jimmy acknowledged. ‘But they will wonder about the stench of dead Arabs as they land back in Germany, and they may see some of the black soldiers.’

‘Could those soldiers ... leave the area as our forces arrive?’ they risked.

‘Could we ... negotiate?’ Jimmy teased.

‘We are very closely integrated into this country,’ the Chancellor insisted. ‘And our military bases are here.’

‘We have time, Chancellor. What’s needed ... is an agreement in principal, followed by a practical timescale, and first – elections in say ... Spain, France maybe. Or ... I pull out my soldiers and you ... you’ll all be dead in a few months.’

‘Give me back Germany, and I make the agreement in principal to hold elections in the smaller countries within six months to a year.’

‘Then I think we have an agreement in principal. I’ll hand you Germany, but first we’ll remove the Arabs from France and northern Europe, a move that will need to be coordinated – send a military liaison to Berlin. When the Arabs have been pushed back to Italy, then you can move in. Four weeks.’

‘If you can clear an area north of Berlin to the coast, we can land some units and claim a small victory,’ the Defence Minister risked.

‘As you wish,’ Jimmy agreed. He lifted his phone. ‘Colonel, concentrate on attacking north from Berlin, to clear a corridor to the coast so that ships can come in, bring in more men. With dispatch, please. Thanks.’ Jimmy lowered his phone. ‘Now, I assume that you have an American Ambassador here?’ They nodded. ‘I’d like to meet him, to arrange for passage to America tomorrow.’

‘We ... will arrange it,’ the Chancellor tentatively agreed. ‘But might I ask ... what you have planned, as far as the Americans are concerned?’

‘If I don’t talk to the Americans, then I can’t ask them not to attack you whilst you’re still on the back foot,’ Jimmy replied, his hands wide.

The Chancellor studied Jimmy carefully. ‘And the real reason?’

‘Arms reductions, trade agreements, a common policy on The Brotherhood and the communists. And for my second meeting with them: peace on earth and goodwill to all men.’ They stared at him. Jimmy eased forwards, onto his elbows. ‘You know, before I came here I had a quick look at the year 1986,’ Jimmy lied. ‘You know what I found?’ He waited. ‘Take a guess, take a good guess.’

Part 9B