This story would probably take about 10-15 Minutes to read so I have broken it down to make it more readable. Anyway here goes.
When I was about 14 my English teacher read a story to the class. It had won a short story competition and as far as I know she had no religious affiliations nor beliefs and neither did I at the time.
I obviously can't remember the story verbatim so, while the twist at the end remains that of the unknown author, the writing and everything that gets the story to that point is all mine.
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The assembled group of people were gathered to mark a very special occasion. Two hundred in number, they had won the competition to be pioneers; to travel on a journey never before taken and to go to a place that until now was impossible unless living in the realms of science fiction.
They were all strangers made up of different ages, creeds, ethnicities and social status and there was more or less an equal balance of males and females. They were all excited and while some preferred to stand alone, most were beginning to form clusters and make tentative connections with their new travelling companions.
On cue, an elderly bespectacled gentleman with a formal demeanour and slightly pompous looking bow-tie took his place before the glass lectern on the stage, but few noticed even when he quietly said through the microphone, ‘Can I have your attention please.’
He coughed slightly and repeated and now probably about quarter of the room gave him the attention he wanted. It was enough, as those who had noticed suddenly shushed the voices of the others until anybody present could hear the proverbial pin drop.
“I am pleased to announce that each and every one of you here today represent a new generation of explorers,’ he started. His voice was firm and confident, while quiet at the same time. Listening to him meant focusing carefully so not to miss a single word.
It was all quite deliberate on his part. This wasn’t his first speech.
‘But with new frontiers comes new responsibilities,’ he continued. ‘We must learn from the mistakes of the past and not inadvertently – nor deliberately for that matter – interfere in any way with the civilisation we are going to encounter. To do so, is to risk unforeseeable and terrible consequences.’
A murmur of nervous chatter rippled through the crowd.
Now he held his hand up to silence the gathered throng.
‘Two guides will go with you and we already have staff locally placed to help you get settled. You will be dressed appropriately in attire that we have managed to acquire from the local markets. You absolutely must blend in and not even speak for giving yourselves away. I remind you too that to speak, is to expose yourselves to possible hostility and even harm from the local population and the authorities who will be completely unfamiliar with you.’
That got everybody’s attention.
‘So now it only remains for you to find out where you are going. As part of the competition we asked each entrant to choose where they would want to go and the most popular choice would be your destination. I will announce the top three in reverse order.’
‘In third place, the eruption of Vesuvius and ensuing destruction of Pompei.’
He paused.
‘We would have kept you a safe distance away,’ the speaker added with the slightest hint of a smile and the crowd tittered nervously.
‘In second place, King Harold receiving an arrow in the eye at the Battle of Hastings. You can rest assured there won’t be any flying arrows where you are going,’ he quipped before pausing dramatically.
‘And in first place…’
Tummies quivered throughout the hall. In seconds they would know when they would be going.
‘And in first place,’ he repeated before pausing again to drag out the moment and maximise the tension, ‘The trial before Pontius Pilate and the crucifixion of Christ.’
There was a rash of whispered conversation, some nervous, others excited, by what all of the entrants had considered collectively to be the most important event in all of human history.
‘So now all the announcements have been made I will leave it in the capable hands of my assistants,’ he said before removing his spectacles and leaving the stage.
A young woman immediately put her hand up, ‘Please follow me to the changing area. You will need to hand over absolutely everything you have. We will hold it in secure lockers for you for when we get back.’
The crowd were ushered out of the hall and led to changing rooms, both male and female. Clothes, wrapped in plastic cellophane with each of their names on were handed out and they went through and got changed. It turned out that the lockers had combination codes, not too dissimilar to those found in hotels the world over and each entrant was able to set their own four number combination after depositing their regular clothes and other trappings of modern living. More than one commented on how smart it was because they would not need to take keys back with them, something that would look alien and out of place where they were going.
Before long they were ready and now they just had to make their way to the portal....
They saw that the portal, when they arrived, was a large metallic arch, almost gothic in shape that soared above them. A truck would have been able to drive through it quite easily. Maybe that was why it had been made so large.
Trepidation filled many of them and even some fear as to whether they would be able to come back, threatened to overcome others.
As though she sensed their disquiet, the young lady who had led them out of the hall reassured them, ‘The portal is quite powerful and will both geolocate and time-locate us. I, and only I, will have the button that will reactivate the field that we will open when we go, so that we can come back safely. We have tested it and not had any problems, only this is the first time we have done it for such a large group. We will set down somewhere outside of Jerusalem so not to create a disturbance. It is a busy time of year with many flocking there for Passover so we shouldn’t stand out too much. Remember we are to say and do nothing but observe.’
Again the crowd murmured nervously. If this tourist excursion were to be a success when else could they go? Maybe they could watch the building of the Pyramids or see the Hanging Gardens of Babylon or watch Rome burn? Or more recently they could relive the coronation of the great British monarchs, Victoria, Elizabeth II (and Elizabeth I for that matter). They could be present at the start of the American Revolution or even relive the moment when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon in real time.
What a time to be alive!
Time… that word now took on a whole new meaning. We would no longer be confined to the limitations of each moment and history was now as much present as it was past.
‘Are we ready?’
Whatever anxiety the crowd were feeling the thought of approaching the threshold of time itself displaced it and replaced it with unadulterated excitement.
The young woman took a step and the crowd followed. She took another two or three and disappeared and the crowd followed, disappearing first of all in twos and threes and then half-dozens and then dozens before the portal had swallowed them all up and they were lost to time itself...
More tomorrow
As always stay safe and well my friends.
