Kidnapping Time

Chapter One

Chapter One

The streets are not paved with gold but cold, very cold in fact as a winter’s night closes in on London’s Belgravia. A tall dark haired Italian with the air of royalty and the look of a rock star watches his breath precede him as he looks along the crescent-shaped street at a row of large expensive looking houses. Finally, he stops at number 33 and ventures up the steps to be confronted by a large ornate doorknocker that appeared to be the only sign of getting the attention of the owner. In mid flow of his third knock, a Dickensian looking character opened it enquiring as to his business. The Italian spoke good English as he introduced himself, “The name’s Da Vinci, Michael Da Vinci. I believe you are expecting me. Are you George Wells?” The Dickensian like figure looked over his small spectacles parked at the end of his nose and stroked his goatee beard and confirmed he was indeed George Wells. He ushered Michael in and closed the door.

Michael found himself sitting in a living room that looked like it hadn’t changed in 50 years. In fact most of the artefacts adorning the room looked like they were from a bygone era. George himself blended right in with his surroundings in his spotted cravat and blue smoking jacket. The guy definitely had the feel of an eccentric about him, whereas Michael was dressed dark and stylish, which often earned him the nickname of Count Noir. Michael gave a cheeky quip, “So you’re not big on fashion I see.” George, thinking Michael was referencing his surroundings responds with, “I may be a scientist but technology is not necessarily a good thing. Take mobile phones for instance, it has set the human race back thousands of years if text speak is anything to go by. Talking of fashion how about something that is never out of favour or fashion. Would you like a nice cup of tea?” “We Italians prefer our espresso coffee but I’m also a subscriber of when in Rome, in other words, yes I’d love a cup of tea. Oh and I’m not from Rome by the way, I’m from Florence.”

Tea was duly served but it seemed George was anxious to get to the point of Michael’s visit. “Your letter was very cryptic and I was surprised you didn’t email or phone me with more details.” Michael looks candidly around the room and speaks in hushed tones, “It would appear that technology is not good at keeping secrets, what with phone and email hacking being rife these days. I find good old-fashioned mail is the safest form of communication still. If what I have to say fell upon the wrong ears, it could be very dangerous for the whole of mankind not to mention my well being.” George frowned, “You make it sound very dramatic or maybe that’s just an Italian trait?” “Ok George I will get to the point. My grandfather came across some papers and drawings that suggested his direct ancestor Leonardo Da Vinci had invented some sort of prototype Time Machine. I believe he contacted your grandfather after reading his book and suggested that the two may be able to make it a reality and he may have a missing ingredient. I found a reply asking him to visit H.G. in London but on the way over to London my grandfather mysteriously drowned, apparently falling from the boat that was bringing him here.” “So do you suspect foul play, is that why you are here? It’s a bit late in the day to find a murderer. They too will be long dead.” “Although something is nagging at me about the timing of my grandfather’s demise that is not the reason for my visit. I have looked over the drawings and plans of Leonardo myself and I am convinced that although they may not have worked half a century ago they could work now. My area of expertise is Biology and Physics and I believe you are a Physics Professor as well as a technology wizard of sorts inventing many new things that have driven the Internet forward so fast. George nodded, “For my sins, I have to own up to pushing the Internet, inventing multiple apps and moving other tech forward at a fast pace but I’m beginning to regret it, but that’s another story. Let's just say you are correct. What is it you need from me?” “As I said our ancestors were ahead of their time but now time has caught up with their theories and they may actually work. We need a super conducer and a multi-wave oscillator. Could you build such equipment?” George scratches his head, “I have to say your timing is strange. Only a week before I received your letter I was clearing out my attic and came across all these time machine plans and wondered ‘What if?’ Then a week later out of the blue I receive a communiqué from you.” Michael smiles, “Maybe it’s not as strange as it seems. I’m a great believer in the afterlife and have visited many mediums and I believe that our ancestors are influencing us from the other side to make contact and build a Time Machine.” “Ok let’s compare notes tomorrow and if we think it all adds up then I will definitely give it a try. I will say am definitely exited about such a project . Would you like to stay here tonight or have you booked yourself into a hotel?” “I came straight here, so if it’s not too much trouble I’d be happy to take you up on your offer of accommodation”, replies Michael.

The next day the two sat studying papers and plans in George’s workshop and George was first to speak, “I’m not sure we are the geniuses that our ancestors were but I actually think this could work.” Michael agrees, “In a strange sort of way it all makes a lot of sense. The fact that you can go backwards in time and drop into the mind of someone you have DNA links with, at a designated time but not physically time travel does make sense. The fact that you have to be linked up to a hospital type life support system while you are gone also makes sense. The only thing I don’t get is this. How is it that we can’t physically travel through time, yet we can bring someone from another time zone back with us?” George puts forward his take on things, “I think it has something to do with the fact that we grab them at the point of death and bring them across a time zone and revive them via a defibrillator the way hospitals revive patients that die and are brought back to life at the last minute today.”