Free Scrapyard Ship 4 Realms of Time by Mark Wayne McGinnis Page A

triggered the module’s collapse. Most of the other RCMs were gone, stowed into individual’s backpacks. Traveler and several other rhinos were scattering what remained of the three campfires to ensure there were no hot embers lying about.
    Jason hailed Ricket to see how things were going on the Minian.
    “ Go for Ricket.”
    “ Good morning. Status?”
    “ Good morning, Captain. All is quiet here. I have the first three drone pairs ready for you. Have you located the first one?”
    “ I believe we’re close. From what Rizzo tells me, we’re at a location referred to as the Cradle of Humankind. Early man evolved in this general location.”
    “ According to my historical database, that very well could be true. At two point five million years in the past, yes—you’re at a pivotal point in your species’ evolution.”
    “ Stand by. Once we have the exact coordinates of the drone, I’ll contact you.” Jason cut the connection and joined Billy and several other SEALs. They were again looking toward the rocky rise in the distance.
    Billy’s visor was up and a stub of a cigar filled the corner of his mouth.
    “ Our friends are back,” Billy said.
    Jason put his helmet on and used his HUD to zoom in on the distant ridge line. Thirty men, all naked and hairy, stood as if keeping vigil over the exact location Bristol had indicated the drone would be located.
    “ They’re armed,” Rizzo said.
    “ Spears. Basically sharpened sticks. That too much for you, Rizzo?” Billy asked with a smirk.
    Rizzo nodded, then said, “Considering those few beings just may represent the birth of mankind, are you sure you want to kill even one?”
    Bristol joined the group, his helmet held in the crook of his arm. His hair was oily and plastered to his head. Drops of perspiration glistened on the back of his neck. He huffed as he looked over to Rizzo.
    “ You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about. Once the drones are all paired and deactivated, time here will revert back to its relative reality.”
    Rizzo bristled, “How do you know? And by the way, you have a big mouth.” Rizzo then shrugged and smiled condescendingly.
    “ Explain,” Jason said.
    Bristol turned and scowled—looking as if the energy needed to reply was more than he was willing to exert. “The drones aren’t really time machines.” He thought a few seconds and continued: “Their original purpose was to set the calendar back one hundred years, right? What they were doing in actuality was creating a network that projected a multiverse representation of how things were one hundred years ago in the past. But once the drone network is deactivated, time continues on from where it left off.”
    “ So you’re saying all of this, what we’re experiencing, is nothing more than a multiverse projection? None of this is real?”
    “ No, that’s not what I’m saying. This is perfectly real. It’s just not our reality specifically. And that’s what is important, isn’t it? Kill those hairy bastards on the ridge, have the rhino-freaks skewer them up for lunch if you want; I don’t care—it won’t impact our own time reference. Got it?”
    Jason didn’t answer. He used Ricket’s PTCC and rewound Bristol’s commentary. Satisfied he had it all, he used his HUD settings to message it off to Ricket.
    Bristol looked quizzically at Jason, “What? Do I need to talk slower? Maybe draw pictures in the sand?”
    Before Jason could reply, Billy’s fist caught Bristol on the chin. Now all arms and legs, Bristol cartwheeled ten feet backward and landed on his hands and knees. He grabbed at his jaw and started to weep.
    “ I think it’s broken. You broke my jaw.”
    Ricket was hailing and Jason turned away from Bristol.
    “ Go for Captain.”
    “ What you sent me, Bristol’s commentary? It’s basically correct, Captain. You’re not impacting our own time while there, not in the least.”
    “ Got it. Thanks”
    Jason hailed Dira.
    “ Hi there!”
    So