Chapter 14 of Under the Oak Tree pushes Eric, Lucas, and Josh deeper into the mysteries of time travel. When a portal opens before they even begin their experiment, the three friends find themselves face-to-face with some very familiar visitors: themselves. But an unexpected discovery about the mysterious rock may be even more important than meeting their future selves.
Chapter 14: Meeting Their Future Selves
Date: May 1st, 2008
Place: The storage shed behind Lucas’s house, Warrior, Alabama
The last few weeks were marked by the air of relentless curiosity and the hum of ongoing experimentation. Josh, Lucas, and Eric had dedicated every spare moment to understanding the mysterious rock and its portal-opening capabilities. The shed had become their laboratory, a space filled with the buzzing of ideas and the energy of discovery.
While they stood around the rock, now laden with wires and various gadgets, Josh, ever the daring one, proposed a new angle for their next experiment.
“What if we tried to swap places with our past or future selves? Like, actually see if we can interact across time?”
Lucas, adjusting a dial on a nearby device, looked up, skepticism written across his face. “Swap places? That sounds like a sci-fi movie, Josh. How would we even manage that?”
Eric, leaning against the wall, notebook in hand, chimed in, “Well, theoretically, if we can open a portal to another time, why not? Maybe we just need the right moment and the right settings on the equipment.”
An Experiment They Haven’t Started Yet
As they debated the possibilities, a sudden, unanticipated hum filled the air, a sound they had come to recognize. It was the prelude to a portal opening. But none of them had activated their equipment yet.
“Did anyone do anything?” Josh asked, looking from Lucas to Eric, who both shook their heads in confusion.
“No, everything’s as it was. I didn’t touch anything,” Lucas confirmed, his gaze locked on the instruments.
The air in front of them shimmered, and a portal cracked open. But this wasn’t just any portal. It was clear, stable, and perfectly formed, unlike any they had managed to create before.
And through it stepped another Josh, Lucas, and Eric, looking just as bewildered as they felt.
Face-to-Face With the Future
“Uh, guys,” the other Eric started, stepping forward with a cautious glance at his counterparts. “Looks like we figured it out a few moments into the future. We thought it’d be interesting to see if we could meet ourselves.”
The original trio stared at their future selves, a mix of awe and astonishment flooding their expressions. Josh stepped forward, eyeing his future self with a curious tilt of his head.
“So, you’re us, just from a few moments ahead? Did you plan this?”
Future Josh grinned, a flash of excitement in his eyes. “Sort of. We just tweaked the settings based on this conversation we remembered having. Looks like it worked.”
Lucas, both versions of him now examining each other, added, “This is incredible. We’ve created a stable time loop, just by remembering and acting on a conversation we hadn’t even finished yet.”
Eric, taking notes, murmured to both sets of his friends, “We need to document every detail. This is breakthrough science. We’re interacting with our future selves, seamlessly.”
Future Eric nodded, “Absolutely, let’s get all the data we can while the portal’s stable.”
The shed was filled with an electric energy, as both trios collaborated, sharing insights and observations, the portal humming softly in the background. This unexpected meeting not only validated their theories and experiments but also opened up a myriad of new questions and possibilities about time, causality, and their own existence within these concepts.
A Warning From the Future
As the future trio prepared to return to their own time, Future Lucas turned to his past self.
“Keep experimenting, and be careful. We don’t fully understand the consequences yet.”
With a nod of agreement and a final wave, the future trio stepped back through the portal, which flickered and closed behind them, leaving behind a room charged with potential and three very excited, very determined young scientists.
A Crack in the Rock
A few hours after the extraordinary encounter with their future selves, the energy in the shed was still palpable. Eric, Lucas, and Josh continued their assessments and experiments, still buzzing from the implications of their discoveries.
However, during a routine inspection, Eric paused, his brow furrowing as he noticed an anomaly on the surface of the mysterious rock.
“Guys, come check this out,” Eric called over, his voice tinged with concern.
Josh and Lucas approached, watching closely as Eric pointed at a visible crack in the rock. It wasn’t just a surface blemish; it looked deep and significant. As Eric gingerly touched the area around the crack, a small chunk of the rock loosened and fell off into his hand.
The three of them stared at the fallen piece, then back at the rock, their minds racing with questions and implications.
“Does this mean our calculations are off?” Eric wondered aloud, turning the chunk over in his hand. “Will this affect the portal’s stability or functionality?”
Josh, ever the optimist, quickly chimed in with a theory. “Maybe not. What if both pieces still contain enough of whatever makes this rock work? Maybe we’ve just found a way to have two operational portals.”
Lucas, more cautious, considered the possibilities, his gaze shifting between the rock and its broken piece. “Or it could mean that the rock’s integrity is compromised. If this piece falling off affects the rock’s ability to channel energy, we might have just reduced its effectiveness or, worse, its stability.”
The discussion quickly turned technical, as they debated the rock’s properties, its apparent ability to store and channel energy and whether the break might have altered its structure on a molecular level.
One Rock, Two Portals
“Let’s test it,” Lucas suggested after a moment of intense debate. “We need to see if both the main rock and this chunk can still function independently. If they can, we might be onto something even bigger. If not, we need to know if we’re at risk every time we activate it.”
Agreeing, Josh set up their equipment, dividing their usual setup to accommodate both pieces of the rock. They decided to start with low energy tests, monitoring the response of both the rock and the chunk to minimal electrical inputs. The room was tense with anticipation as they initiated the experiment, half-expecting another portal to open or some other unforeseen effect to manifest.
As the test continued, a palpable tension filled the air. Both pieces of the rock, now separate, displayed a similar ability to react under the experimental conditions.
Lucas, jotting down the readings, confirmed, “Both pieces are still functional. They’re responding to our inputs just like the whole rock used to.”
Josh, who had been silently observing the results with a mix of excitement and apprehension, nodded thoughtfully. “Looks like we’ve just doubled our research potential. This is incredible, guys.”
Eric Tests a Dangerous Theory
Eric, caught up in the thrill of discovery and pondering the possibilities, suddenly had a spark of curiosity.
“Could we make three?”
Without waiting for a response, he picked up the original rock and, in a moment of reckless curiosity, threw it down hard against the floor. The rock split, a new piece breaking off with a sharp crack.
“Eric! What are you doing?” Lucas exclaimed, both alarmed and amazed at Eric’s impulsiveness.
“I just wanted to see… if it would work,” Eric replied, slightly sheepish but eager to see the outcome of his spontaneous experiment.
They quickly gathered around the new fragments. Josh, shaking his head with a grin at Eric’s methods, set up the equipment again to test all three pieces.
“Let’s see if this madness has method,” he joked, adjusting the sensors.
As the tests proceeded, all three pieces of rock responded identically, generating portals when stimulated under controlled conditions. The air in the shed was electric with the implications of their findings.
Lucas, who had been making meticulous notes, looked up with a mix of disbelief and excitement.
“This is unprecedented. Each fragment retains the properties of the original rock. It’s as if the energy or whatever power these rocks harness is intrinsic to their very composition, no matter the size.”
Eric, watching the portals shimmer into existence from each rock piece, felt a rush of excitement and a bit of vindication.
“So, theoretically, we could have multiple access points to different times or places if we control the conditions right.”
Josh leaned back, arms crossed, his mind racing with the potential. “We could revolutionize the way we think about time and space. Guys, we’re literally holding the pieces to new frontiers in our hands.”
The Risks of Discovery
As they wrapped up the tests, the implications of their discoveries hung heavily in the air. Each was aware that they were treading on unexplored scientific territory, with potential risks they couldn’t fully predict.
“Okay, we need to be extremely cautious,” Lucas finally said, his excitement tempered with a healthy dose of caution. “We have the power to explore, yes, but also the power to cause real damage. We can’t let curiosity override safety.”
Eric nodded in agreement, the weight of their responsibility settling in. “Right. Let’s set some ground rules for any further tests. We have an amazing opportunity here, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
With a newfound respect for the power they wielded, the trio decided to document their findings meticulously and plan their next steps with as much scientific rigor and ethical consideration as they could muster. Their journey into the unknown had just begun, and they were determined to walk it wisely.
A Phone Call Eric Doesn’t Remember
As the excitement of their discoveries continued to simmer, Lucas glanced at Eric, noticing his friend’s unwavering focus on the rock fragments and the experimental setup. He knew how easy it was to get lost in the thrill of their work, but he also remembered the balance that Eric needed to maintain in his personal life.
“Hey, Eric,” Lucas interjected, a gentle reminder in his tone, “you’ve spent a ton of time here lately. Maybe you should check in with Caitlyn. You know, spend some quality time with your fiancée?”
Eric blinked, pulled abruptly from his reverie by Lucas’s comment. He quickly pulled out his cell phone, realizing that he had indeed neglected some of his personal responsibilities amidst the whirlwind of their experiments. With a sense of urgency, he dialed Caitlyn’s number, ready to apologize for his recent absences.
Caitlyn picked up after a few rings, her voice cheerful and light. “Hey, you!”
“Hey, Caitlyn, listen, I’m really sorry for being MIA these past few days. We’ve been caught up with some… intense projects,” Eric began, his voice tinged with regret.
Caitlyn laughed softly, her amusement evident. “Eric, are you okay? Did you forget about our plans this weekend? You called me yesterday, remember? You promised we’d spend some time at Lakepoint State Park, booked us a lodge and everything.”
Eric paused, confusion washing over him. He had no memory of making such plans, let alone calling her the day before about them.
“I… I did?”
“Yes, you did. And it was very sweet of you,” Caitlyn replied, still chuckling. “I’m really looking forward to it. It was such a lovely surprise.”
As the implications dawned on him, Eric shot a bewildered look at Lucas, who raised his eyebrows in return. The pieces clicked into place: their time-traveling experiments, his alleged call to Caitlyn, their planned getaway. It all made sense now.
Lucas grinned, leaning in. “Looks like you covered your bases without even knowing it. Nice move, time traveler.”
Realizing what had happened, Eric let out a relieved sigh, a smile breaking across his face. “Yeah, I guess I did. Alright, Caitlyn, looks like I’m more on top of things than I thought. I’ll see you this weekend, then?”
“Absolutely,” Caitlyn confirmed warmly. “Can’t wait, Eric.”
After hanging up, Eric looked at Lucas, a mix of awe and amusement in his eyes.
“Man, this is wild. I’m making plans in the past to save my future.”
Lucas clapped him on the shoulder, laughing. “Just make sure you keep track of which timeline you’re in, buddy. We don’t want any more accidental surprises.”
Chuckling, Eric nodded, his mind now equally divided between the fascinating possibilities of their discoveries and the very real, very important commitments of his present life. As he and Lucas began to tidy up their workspace, Eric felt a renewed sense of balance, his feet firmly planted in both the realms of scientific exploration and the grounding, joyful realities of love and commitment.
What Would You Do If You Met Your Future Self?
If you came face-to-face with yourself from just a few minutes in the future, what would you ask? And what do you think it means that every fragment of the mysterious rock seems to retain the same power as the original?
Share your thoughts with me on social media at @realdrewtolbert.
Don’t miss Chapter 15 to see where Eric, Lucas, and Josh’s experiments take them next.
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