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A teenage boy ran into the living room from the time travel room. He instantly ran over to the couch, which had been turned into a makeshift hospital for Carmen. An extension cord trailed along the ground leading to the couch, where the boss had been placed. She had all kinds of medical contraptions hooked up to her, all unfamiliar to Player.
After she was hospitalized, Player had been told to go back to his time, the 70s. He had tried to fight back, but his skills were no match for a seasoned ninja, forcing him back to his own era. He had finally gotten a message on his time watch that he could visit, and he rushed as fast as he could, leading him to seeing his best friend unconscious on the couch.
Player bent down and grabbed Carmen’s hand, looking up at Shadowsan, who had been caring for her in her current condition. Player felt a sense of doom, but he knew that the modern era had such advanced medical technology that she would be fine in no time, right? He shook softly, containing his nerves. If so many viruses that haunted Player’s time were barely an inconvenience now, why would hypothermia be any different? “How long until she’s back on her feet?” the boy sniffled. Shadowsan looked down and sighed. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Player almost didn’t believe it, but for him to say that instead of any sort of time frame terrified him. He had to repeat it, just to make sure he heard right. His heart sank when Shadowsan nodded, confirming his fears. One hand still gripping Carmen’s tight, Player rose to his feet. “So you guys have basically cured every disease, every sickness, every injury from my day, and hypothermia is still a problem?” His voice was raised, something unusual for him. “Just because it’s been 40 years doesn’t mean that we can solve everything.” Player dropped his friend’s hand and approached the man. “How can you have things I couldn’t even dream of, but still can’t help her?”
“Look, I don’t control technological advancements. There’s nothing we can do. I don’t know why we don’t have the technology to help her more, but we just don’t.” Shadowsan snapped back. “Then take her to the future! Take her to a time where they do have those things!” Player suggested, almost pleading. The older man pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know we can’t do that. We’ve brought one person forward in time, we won’t do it again. You almost died getting used to this era. Putting Carmen in such a vulnerable position while she’s already on the brink will lead to certain death.” Player recalled how when he started adjusting to the 21st century, he became incredibly sick, though he wouldn’t have considered that a near-death experience. He figured that for Carmen, it would be, though.
“Then someone else should go to the future and get the equipment to bring back! That should work, right?” His eyes were fighting releasing tears. Carmen couldn’t die, and Player couldn’t just watch it happen. Shadowsan glared at him once more. “I want to help her too, but you know the rules. You don’t mess with the future. We don’t know much other than how destructive it can be. It is a risk we cannot take.” He wouldn’t give up, he needed to do something. He already felt useless enough not being able to bring back technology to his own time period, he had to do something to help his second home. “You don’t know that. You’ve said it before. You said that we know nothing, there’s no guarantee something bad will happen.” Shadowsan snapped. Just as much as Player, he wanted Carmen to be okay, he just knew he couldn’t do anything. “I do know. I’ve seen it firsthand, I wouldn’t wish that upon anybody!” Player went quiet, never having heard of his experience. Shadowsan felt a pang of guilt after lashing out at the kid, sitting down in one of the sofa chairs.
“Don’t tell Carmen, or anyone for that matter, but it was the fate of her father. ACME found him and used him as a lab rat. Their attempt led not to him being sent forward in time, but instead to his atoms decaying. He was slowly vaporized, not even leaving a body to bury. In all my years, I have never seen anyone in more pain than him.” As much as it had answered a burning question in Player’s mind, it only kicked down another door with Carmen’s dad hiding behind it. He wanted to press for more, but he looked like he would kill him if he pushed further.
As painful as it sounded, Player had gone forward in time so many times that it was second nature to him. If anyone would be able to jump ahead even more, it would be him. No matter how painful, no matter how many atoms got ripped apart, he had to do it if there was even a sliver of a chance to save Carmen.
He strolled back over to her, and Shadowsan, figuring he had scared him off from time hopping, opened up a book he had been in the middle of. “We’re gonna save you, Red. I promise.”
…
Jumping from the 1970s to the 2070s would have been nearly impossible for his flimsy time watch, but the headquarters just happened to have a room with much higher quality time travel equipment. It was usually where he ended up being transported to upon arrival, but a downside was the sound. If he tried to go ahead, he would alert everyone in the building to his goal.
Zach, Ivy, and Shadowsan had been eating dinner and discussing modern era things Player had only just started to understand. It would have been loud, but it was his only choice. Player snuck up to the machine and started plugging in the numbers. The location of a hospital, and exactly 50 years into the future. It was a large jump for him, but he was ready. The device began whirring much louder than he had anticipated, probably from being pushed past its limits. The lights flashed, nearly blinding Player. The aggressive shaking that the machine had started knocked him to the ground, laying him on the glowing circular platform. The lights turned red, and an alarm blared. It was a blur. All that Player was aware of was the flashing lights, blaring alarm, and the pain shooting through every inch of his body. It seemed to come from everywhere, as if all of his cells were dying simultaneously. He tried to get up, to escape the hell he put himself in to save Carmen, but he couldn’t move.
One moment, the lights made Player’s vision dance, and the next,t they were all off. The alarm followed a few seconds after, but the pain didn’t, assuring him he was alive. Did he do it? No, something felt wrong. He didn’t have that typical queasy feeling he usually had from time travel, he was just in pain. Player felt himself lifted off the ground, but his senses were still too overwhelmed to figure out what was happening. He tried to speak, but all he could release was a weak groan. He eventually felt himself sink into the soft cushion of one of the sofa chairs. Eventually, his vision cleared up enough to see Shadowsan and Ivy in front of him, likely the ones who had turned off the time travel machine and carried him down. “You good?” Ivy asked. His ears rang like a gong, making it hard to think, but he was able to somewhat form a sentence. “I just wanted to help Carmen..” he said softly. “We know. We turned it off in time to prevent more damage. Please tell us what pain it has done to your body.” Shadowsan demanded.
“It hurts. Everything just.. hurts.” Player started. However, he was interrupted by something that caught his eye, a movement on Carmen’s couch, accompanied by a soft mumble. He wasn’t able to force his body to cooperate and journey over, but he looked over at her. She had likely been disturbed by the violent shaking the machine caused the building.
“Carmen?”