Welcome To Quantum Holidays

CHAPTER 10 (PART I): WELCOME TO QUANTUM HOLIDAYS

"At what point does a good man become a greedy man? And at what point does that greedy man become an evil man? Can he ever return to the good man he once was?"

Jack roused from his sleep. On the small monitor in front of him, a movie played. The headphones stuck to his ear where he had been sleeping on the side of his face. The sound invaded his head. In the movie, two men were stood on top of the roof of a skyscraper. One man, dressed in black tactical armor, pointed a machine gun at the other man, who wore a white suit with an unbuttoned red shirt.

"Don't talk to me about good and evil, Rashnikov. You lost your chance for salvation when you blew up that school!"

Rashnikov backed away as the other man advanced with the gun. His crocodile skin boots slipped on the edge of the rooftop and he almost fell. The man raised the machine gun to shoulder height to steady his aim.

"It's time to pay for your crimes!"

Rashnikov fell to his knees and began to plead with the man.

"Damn it. Lex Hammer. You can't kill me. I'm unarmed and you're a cop."

Rashnikov's plea fell on deaf ears as Hammer unloaded a full round into his chest. The terrorist's body fell from the skyscraper and down to the street way below.

"Today's my day off..."

The sound of Lex Hammer's machine gun startled Jack and he sat up in his seat. He pulled the headphones out. The side of his face felt bruised where he had laid his head and the headphone had been squashed inside his ear. Slyly wiping the drool from his chin, he looked around at the other passengers to see they were either as groggy as he was or still fast asleep. He clicked his seat into the upright position and cleared the blanket from his lap so he wouldn't be tempted to fall asleep again.

On his screen, the credits of the film had been rolling, but it now switched to a map of the world. On it were a small plane and a dotted red trail showing the route it had taken from New York. They had traveled in a relatively straight line before looping around Russia like a horseshoe. The plan icon hovered in the far east of Kazakhstan, teetering on the border with China. They were nearly there. Over head, the pilot made an announcement.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are about to begin our final descent to Belukha Airfield. Currently at Belukha, the weather is cloudy and the temperature is -3, so wrap up warm. We have enjoyed having you on board today and we hope to see you again soon. Thanks for flying with Quantum Holidays."

An air stewardess walked up the aisle waking the remaining sleeping passengers and checking their seats. Jack fastened the belt tightly around his waist and lifted the blind.

Outside, the view was carpeted with thick white clouds. Breaking through was the dark grey ridge of the mountains sprinkled with snowfall. The plan began a gradual descent beneath the clouds. The landscape below was more varied. Between the creases of the mountains, rivers flowed down and round into the valley basin. The color of the land changed quickly from white snow to muddy rock to vibrant green.

The plane landed smoothly on the runway. As it was in taxi, Jack saw that Belukha Airfield was little more than just that, an airfield. There were only a dirt landing strip, an old control tower and a rusty hangar. The airfield sat amongst the mountain tops like a bird's nest.

Stepping off the plane, Jack saw a minibus parked at the bottom of the stairs. A group of purple blazers waved enthusiastically up at the passengers as they emerged. Walking out into the open air, Jack felt the biting wind on his face. He rushed past the welcoming party and onto the minibus where he found Buckle and sat down next to him. He looked out at the dilapidated control tower and the large rusty hangar.

"I got to say. I was expecting a little more than this," said Jack.

Buckle chuckled and shook Jack's shoulder reassuringly.

"Trust me, friend. You ain't seen nothing yet."

Once everyone was aboard the minibus, they drove the short distance to the hangar. Stood at the entrance were several security guards. They were dressed in oversized silver ski jackets that reached their knees. They opened the hangar doors and ushered the minibus in.

Apart from more security guards, the inside of the hangar appeared empty and Jack wondered where they were meant to go. The driver cut the engine. He picked up his radio and spoke into it Moments later he received a reply. The security guards began to disperse from the middle of the hangar and two giant doors opened up in the ground to reveal a hidden descending road. The driver started up the engine, turned his headlights on and drove down.

"What the-," said Jack.

"I told you," replied Buckle with a smile.

The road spiraled downwards. The way was occasionally lit by fluorescent green lights, just enough for the driver to see where he was going. After several hundred meters, the road ceased to spiral and straightened out into a large cavernous parking lot.

There were vans, jeeps, and tow trucks. There were more minibuses like the one they were on and there were other much larger coaches. There was what looked like a small fire engine and Jack was sure he saw an ambulance too. They had scooters and motorbikes and sidecars. And amongst them all there were even a few regular cars too. The only thing they all shared in common was the corporate logo and colors of Quantum Holidays. Overshadowing all these was the entrance to the time travel facility.

The building stood at the far end and stretched along the entire parking lot. It looked several stories high, but it was hard to judge as it had no windows. Where it ended it seemed to merge into the rock face, like the building had grown from it naturally. The entrance itself was a large white marble portico, contrasting with the dull grey exterior of the rest of the building.

The minibus pulled up alongside the entrance. The door opened and the passengers began to exit. Although they were deep underground, it felt more like night to Jack.

The group climbed the marble steps and through glass doors held open by members of staff. The marble continued inside and stretched out up ahead where Jack could see a large congregation of people. As they led to join the larger group, Jack was taken aback by the expense and grandeur of the interior. He would have thought he had entered a luxury hotel in London, not an underground facility in Kazakhstan.

The entrance opened up into a large circular hall and Jack felt the ceiling disappear above him. He looked up and counted at least fifteen floors, each with their own balconies that circled the entire hall. The balconies were unoccupied apart from the occasional purple blazer or polo shirt looking down.

In the middle of the hall was a platform where a large sword was held in place. Stood directly beneath the blade was a tall, slim old man. Jack recognized him from the television.

"Welcome to Quantum Holidays! My name is Stanley Mandeville!"

He opened his arms wide to the crowd in a symbolic embrace.

"I do believe that now our guests from New York have arrived we have everybody here so I think we are in a position to begin."

He looked off to the side for confirmation and when he received this he carried on addressing the crowd.

"First and foremost, I'd like to thank you for having the bravery to go on a path that you are not entirely sure where it will lead. Just like a deep sea diver or an astronaut, time travel takes a measure of courage, and for that I commend you."

He joined his hands together to make one fist and held it towards the guests in a show of humble gratitude.

"You know, it's been over ten years now since I discovered time travel. It still seems like only yesterday that Michel and I went on our first expedition into the past. I still remember it so clearly when we went to Camelot to see King Arthur.

You see, when I was a child, my mother used to always read the great Arthurian legends to me before I went to bed. I used to go to sleep dreaming of the likes of King Arthur and Lady Guinevere and, in a way, my journey to discover time travel began there. So it seemed like an apt choice when deciding where to travel to in the past for our maiden journey.

There we saw the likes of Sirs Lancelot and Gawain, Lady Guinevere, and of course, the great King Arthur himself. We bore witness to kingdoms won and lost, great legends made, and amazing lives cut short."

Mandeville turned to the side and gestured theatrically to the sword behind him. The crowd all leaned in to get a better look at the mysterious weapon.

"Behind me stands a replica of King Arthur's Excalibur. The sword in the stone. I had it placed here as a reminder for all those that pass it. A reminder that the impossible is, in fact, possible. The sword can be pulled from the stone."

Parts of the crowd ooh'd and other parts ahh'd.

"I hope that over the next week all you gathered here will have your eyes opened to this truth. I hope you feel the same unbridled amazement that Michel and I felt when we first laid eyes on Camelot.

However, that will all come tomorrow. For today, we must prepare for the trip ahead, and for that I will hand you over to our Head of Security, Frank Solomon."

Mandeville left to great applause. A large man replaced him. He was well over six foot and despite looking close to fifty, was muscular and fit. Jack could not tell if his face was scarred or just severly wrinkled. He wore a purple polo shirt he had seen the other security guards, which seemed somewhat odd and belied his seniority.

"Thank you, Mr. Mandeville. Good morning, everyone."

Solomon's tone was altogether more serious than Mandeville's.

"Firstly, I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Frank Solomon. I am Head of Security here at Quantum Holidays. I have been with the Group since its inception. Before that, I served for 17 years in the United States Marine Corp, where I completed three tours of Iraq and two tours of Afghanistan. During that time, I rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel."

Solomon spoke plainly and with a slightly tired air, like he had said the same words a hundred times before.

"Secondly, I wanted to reassure you all that Quantum Holidays is a completely safe holiday experience. We have been operating for over ten years now, and we have not a single casualty, making Quantum Holidays the safest way to travel. You have nothing to worry about. The only way it is dangerous is if you choose to make it so.

For all trips, you will be accompanied by a security team that have all been vetted and approved by me personally. These men and women are some of the finest soldiers in the world and have fought in some of the toughest war zones.

Generally speaking, for every two guests there will be one member of the security team, commonly referred to here as a Handler. As well as the team of Handlers that will escort you on your trip, there are also countless security operatives who have been placed within the native population of each destination. These operatives, referred to as Sleepers, will be watching over you, but will only make themselves known if the situation necessitates it.

In the highly unlikely event that you do need medical attention, all Quantum Holidays members of staff are qualified first aid providers. If you need more serious medical attention, you will be transported back to the facility here and taken to our infirmary, which can deal with any situation a major hospital can.

That's all I have to say for now. Shortly you will be giving a tour of the facility and then after lunch you will split into your groups to go over preparations for your trip tomorrow.

As I said at the beginning, Quantum Holidays is a safe travel experience. The only way it is dangerous is if you choose to make it so."

---

Jack stood in the middle of the room with the rest of the group. Surrounding them was a large circle of time machines. There were rows upon rows of the capsules, each row further back and higher up. The machines were oval shaped and were a plain pristine white. Professor Bennett was addressing the group from one of the sets of steps that ran down the rows of capsules.

"So this is where the magic happens! The Chamber Room, as we like to call it around here."

She was only in her late twenties, but you would be forgiven to think her older. Her hair was frizzy and unkempt. Her eyes were covered by unflattering spectacles and her face looked just as it had when she had woken up that morning. There was genuine warmth to her, however, and a sense that when she spoke it was not rehearsed.

"I just wanted to take some time out today to talk you through the time travel process a little. I'd imagine for most of you this will be your first time, and while there is absolutely nothing to be scared of, I think it will help if you know what to expect."

Professor Bennett smiled reassuringly at the group. She then knelt down at the nearest time capsule, presenting it to the guests.

"So these capsules will be your very own time machines. These are what you will be entering tomorrow morning and what you will be stepping out of when you reach your far-off destinations. In fact, we can ope up one for you to have a look inside."

Professor Bennett reached down and pressed a few buttons on the side of one of the capsules. The lid slowly opened like a fridge door. She gestured for everyone to come closer and have a better look. Jack stood on tiptoe above the people ahead of him to see. The inside was simply furnished with a soft looking leather interior. Like the exterior, it was also white.

"As you can see, they are pretty snug. Very cozy, I can assure you."

She ran her hand over the leather and invited some of the guests to do the same.

"So, I'll just talk you through the process step by step. I should point out straight away that you will lose consciousness. It's perfectly normal. In fact, it's vital you do. If you didn't, then we would have a problem. You see, the whole experience is incredibly overwhelming. I mean, of course, it is right. You are traveling through time after all.

We find that most people find it too much to bear and pass out. That's totally fine. It's the five or so percent that do not pass out that we have to worry about. It's those people that can find the experience profoundly traumatic. It is for this reason that we administer anesthesia at the beginning to all passengers to ensure they avoid this nasty scenario"

The mention of anesthesia alerted Jack and looking around the group he saw other concerned faces. Buckle leaned over and whispered to him.

"Don't worry about it, Jack. I've done it plenty of times before. It's completely harmless."

Jack looked at him questioningly. At the front of the group, Professor Bennett continued her induction.

"Upon entering and sealing the time capsule, passengers typically lose consciousness within two to five minutes. If you haven't, don't worry. In each capsule we have installed a simple panic button."

Professor Bennett knelt down at the capsule and pointed out a button built into the side.

"If you are still conscious after five or so minutes, or if you have any other problem, just press this button. Whatever you do, do not try to get out of the capsule on your own. This is very dangerous. Just press the button. Someone will be there to assist you right away."

She pressed the button and a recorded message played. Please do not panic. A member of staff has been notified and will arrive shortly. Please do not panic.

The voice was feminine and soothing. The inside of the capsule began flashing a bright blue. The message finished and started to play again. Professor Bennett pressed the panic button and the capsule returned to normal. She sprung to her feet and addressed the group.

"Anyway, that's all for now, folks. I'll look forward to seeing you again tomorrow morning when you set off on your adventure."

The purple blazers led out the group and Professor Bennett closed the lid of the open time capsule. As she did, Jack couldn't shake the feeling it reminded him of a casket.

---

"Hello everybody my name is Doctor Celestine Anichebe. I am the Head Doctor at the infirmary here at Quantum Holidays. I know you guys must be getting pretty hungry by now, but I'll just say a few words and then I'll let you go get your lunch."

The group was crowded around the doctor who was sat on the edge of one of the beds in the ward. Fatigue and hunger had begun to set in amongst them and they listened to the doctor wearily.

"As you can see, the infirmary is equipped with state of the art equipment and technology, which means we are prepared to deal with any emergency that may arise. Right now we are in the patient's ward where we are able to handle up to ten patients at any one time. Behind you on the left, we have an X-ray machine and beyond that an MRI machine, and on the other side of the corridor we have our operating theater."

Doctor Anichebe signaled to where each room was from his seated position.

"We also have two consultation rooms at the back and a well stocked blood bank. And that's it really, that's the infirmary. Hopefully you will never have to see it again, and as long as you follow the advice I'm about to give you, the chances are you won't.

I strongly recommend that you do not eat or drink anything whilst traveling that has not first been approved by one of your Handlers. Many of the foods you encounter may look appetizing, but much of it has not been prepared properly and they will make you very ill. If you see something you think you might like to try then ask a Handler first.

Do not have s****l relations with the natives. I realize that you may have been warned about this by other people today, but if only for your own health, please abstain. Effective protection and contraception is a relatively modern phenomenon and as such, s****l disease is rife in many places you will visit. So please, if only for your own health, please abstain."

Anichebe rose from the bed and walked through the crowd and gestured with his hand for everyone to follow. He led them past the beds and beyond the operating room and machines. Anichebe stopped at the entrances of the two consultation rooms. Inside each room sat a nurse.

"Now, some of you will need to receive an injection today."

One of the nurses flicked her finger at the end of the needle. The group looked on uneasy and a fer murmurs of discontent were heard.

"Don't worry it is completely routine. Just like traveling to the far reaches of Africa or Asia, when you travel to the more exotic parts of history, you too, need to be protected. So if you would like to form an orderly queue outside my office. We can begin to administer the injections and then you can go and have lunch."

The guests were not forthcoming to receive their injections and Jack ended up at the front of one of the queues. When he sat on the bed, the nurse asked him for his name. She took a clipboard and ran her finger down a list. As she did, he unbuttoned his sleeve and rolled it up his arm.

"Ah yes, Mr. Sinclair. You are going on the Honeymoon trip, correct?"

"Yes."

"Okay. You will only need one injection today."

She opened a silver case full of multi-colored syringes and pulled out one filled with a murky red liquid. She held it towards Jack.

"Now Mr. Sinclair, don't worry. You won't feel a thing."