Chapter 12: The Time Travel Experiment

Date: April 27th, 2008
Place: Lucas’s House, Old Storage Shed, Warrior, Alabama

Eric arrived in the cool haze of early morning to find the scene at Lucas’s house a study in contrasts. Lucas was outside, hunched over a collection of equipment and notes in the dim light of dawn, while Josh was notably absent, presumably catching up on sleep inside after a long night of work.

“Morning, Lucas,” Eric called out, stepping closer to where Lucas was intently focused on the rock. “What have you figured out so far?”

Lucas looked up, his eyes tired but burning with relentless curiosity. “Hey, Eric. It’s… complex. But from what I’ve tested, it seems like the amount of voltage we put through the rock determines how far back in time you can go.”

Unveiling the Rock’s Power

Eric furrowed his brow, processing Lucas’s explanation. “So, the more power, the further back?”

“Exactly,” Lucas confirmed, glancing back at the rock with a mix of awe and caution. “And it’s a good thing the lightning didn’t hit this thing directly. If it had, we could’ve been talking about sending someone back to the dinosaurs, or even the beginning of time.”

The weight of Lucas’s findings hung in the air, a testament to the profound implications of their time travel experiment. Eric, feeling a surge of both excitement and apprehension, considered the possibilities—and dangers—of such power.

“Wow, that’s… intense,” Eric managed, trying to wrap his mind around the concept. “So, what’s the next step? How do we control it?”

Lucas sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s the million-dollar question. Right now, I’m trying to figure out a safe way to test the limits without… you know, accidentally erasing ourselves from history.”

A Curious Precaution

Eric’s gaze wandered around the shed, taking in the various equipment and makeshift setups, when a particular detail caught his eye—a lengthy rope tied off to one of the wall’s sturdy beams. Curiosity piqued, he turned to Lucas. “Hey, what’s with the rope?”

Lucas followed his gaze to the rope, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Oh, that. We tied it around Josh when we sent him back the first time. Just in case he had a rough landing on the other side. We wanted a way to pull him back quickly if things went sideways.”

Eric raised his eyebrows, both impressed and amused by their precaution. “You guys really thought of everything, huh? How many times did you go back?”

Lucas’s expression sobered a bit. “Only two or three times. We’re treading lightly here. Too afraid of messing with the timeline more than we already have.”

Testing the Limits

The seriousness of their endeavor wasn’t lost on Eric, who nodded in understanding. Then, a new question formed in his mind. “So, how did you figure out that voltage mattered?”

Without a word, Lucas turned to a table nearby and picked up a stun gun. Eric watched, intrigued and a little apprehensive, as Lucas pointed the device at the rock. With a quick motion, Lucas activated the stun gun, sending a jolt of electricity crackling into the stone.

“Found this at a shop in Gatlinburg,” Lucas explained, nodding toward the stun gun. “We started small, but it was clear right away—the rock responds to electrical input. And the more we gave it, the further back Josh went. We had to dial it back, figure out a safe limit.”

With the stun gun still in hand and the implications of their discovery weighing heavily in the air, Lucas and Eric shared a look of determination mixed with apprehension. Deciding to test the limits of their understanding once more, Lucas carefully adjusted the settings on the stun gun, aiming for a moderate charge that would hopefully give them a glimpse into the past without risking too much.

A Glimpse into the Past

Eric, standing a safe distance away, watched as Lucas activated the stun gun once again, the electrical current arcing towards the rock. The air around the stone vibrated with energy, and suddenly, a portal shimmered into existence—a swirling vortex of light and shadow that seemed to tear open the very fabric of reality.

As the initial burst of light faded, the portal stabilized, allowing them to see through to the other side. What they saw took their breath away. The land spread out before them was unrecognizable, a wild, untouched expanse that bore no signs of the neighborhood that now occupied the space. No house, no shed—nothing but dense forest and the natural lay of the land as it might have been centuries ago.

“Wow,” Eric breathed, stepping closer to get a better look. “It’s… it’s like we’re looking at a completely different world.”

Lucas, equally captivated and bewildered by the sight, nodded slowly. “Yeah. This is way before the house was built, before any of us were even thought of. There’s no telling exactly when we’re seeing.”

The Weight of History

The implications of their accidental voyeurism into the past were staggering. They were peeking into a time before their town, possibly even before their country, had taken shape in the annals of history.

Eric turned to Lucas, a mix of excitement and concern in his voice. “So, we’ve just opened a window to… what? The 1700s? The 1600s? How can we even figure out when this is?”

Lucas shook his head, the stun gun hanging loosely in his hand as he gazed into the portal. “I don’t know. Without any landmarks or signs of civilization, it’s impossible to pinpoint. We’d need a historian, or an archaeologist, or… or a time machine.”

The absurdity of the situation wasn’t lost on either of them, and for a moment, they allowed themselves a brief chuckle at the notion of needing a time machine to solve a problem caused by what was essentially a time machine.

“But seriously,” Lucas added, his expression growing serious once more, “this is beyond anything I imagined. We’re dealing with forces we barely understand.”

Eric nodded, his gaze fixed on the portal. “Yeah. It’s incredible, but… it’s also kind of terrifying. We’ve got to be really careful with this thing.”

As they stood there, the portal a silent testament to their journey into the unknown, Lucas and Eric realized they were on the cusp of something extraordinary. The potential for discovery was endless, but so were the risks. Whatever steps they took next, they knew they would have to tread lightly, for they were walking on uncharted ground, with the weight of history itself hanging in the balance.