Part 3: The Nevis Incident

The time transport Mark 23 arrived at the museum and inserted itself back into normal time, Wilma Jenkins and her crew contacted their control section to make sure that everything was back to normal.

"Well Boss, we're back" Wilma said into her communicator.

C.T.I Rawlings voice could be heard on the speaker, "Wilma, thank god, what happened? We had an incursion underway and then it reversed itself."

She smiled, "Yes Boss, we know. You'll have a full report, in the meantime can you get the boffins over here and check the system over, we've got some interesting additions that they might like, but we can't remove them from the transport without losing them to the timestream." She was referring to the communications equipment, which was sent to them by Centurion Cooper, since her time-line no longer existed then if the technology was removed it would just vanish.

Rawlings answered, "Okay Wilma, I'll be interested in reading your report, but did you catch the perp who stole the GV589?"

Wilma grimaced at this, "Well, yes and no."

"What do you mean Yes and no?" was the quick reply,

Wilma smiled, "Yes - we did catch the perp, who managed to escape, but it seems there's more behind this than we thought. Look boss I think I'd better give you the report when I arrive, we've got a lot to talk about!"

Rawlings considered this, "Okay Wilma, report back to headquarters as soon as the technical team arrive."

Wilma acknowledged the response and turned to the others in the group. "Okay you heard him, we wait here for the boffins and then report back to headquarters. I'll remind you all, the information Mark gave us regarding destroying GV589 has to remain secret - don't tell anyone at all. Understood?"

The seven men nodded their heads to show they understood - Wilma smiled.

"Thank you Investigators," Said the computer, "You don't know what a relief that will be."

Wilma arrived at the Time Corps Headquarters and reported to Rawlings' office, she knocked on the door and entered.

Rawlings looked up, "Welcome back Investigator Jenkins, now can I have your report!" Wilma handed a large sheaf of papers Rawlings looked at them, "What's this, I can't read through all these, can't you tell me instead."

Wilma looked at him and said, "Okay Boss, you asked for it." And she started to relate the story of the stolen time transport, which ended up in the far future, how the enemy went back to Ancient Rome and introduced technology to that time, which caused the incursion, and how they managed to force the enemy to flee from that time before he could change the line permanently.

Rawlings was confused, "But you're saying that it was this time machine GV589 that was behind the troubles in the first place."

Wilma nodded, "Yes boss, it seems that it couldn't face the prospect of being decommissioned before it's time, the machine went awry and eventually concocted a plan to change time, I hope we managed to destroy it when it last entered the time-stream."

Rawlings was interested now, "How do you mean destroy it?"

Wilma thought quickly, she didn't want to reveal how she knew the procedure, but she couldn't leave her commander completely in the dark. "We threw all our firepower into the craft as it dematerialised, we thought that if we didn't destroy it we might disable it somehow, anyway the explosion we felt must have done something!"

Rawlings nodded, "Yes, that could do it, I mean it's only a theory and we can't prove it, Well done Investigator Jenkins, I take it that we can downgrade the emergency now?"

Wilma nodded, "yes boss, but before you do can you process our working hours, here's the list!"

He looked at it, "But you've put down for all the subjective hour's you spent in the transport as well? Didn't you sleep in them at some stage?"

Wilma nodded, "Yes boss, but the handbook states that all time spent during the emergency is paid for out of the council's accounts NOT the time corps, but you have to register it before the emergency is cleared, or else you have to pay it out of the Corps's funds."

Rawlings quickly scribbled on the paper and entered the details onto a computer screen in his office, he then looked up at Wilma, "I suppose you think you require some time off after this?"

Wilma nodded, "Gee thanks Boss, that'll be great." She smiled, and then added, "I've got to report to registration and the clinic." At Rawlings raised eyebrows she said, "Michael and I are going to have a family, so I might be requesting maternity leave." And she quickly left the office before he could say anything else.

She shut the door and was down the corridor before the bellow reached her "WILMA JENKINS, HOW COULD YOU!" She thought, 'Just like this boss!' and went to meet Michael who was waiting by the main door.

They went to the registration office to formally note that they intended to raise a family, the registrar smiled at them and made the adjustment to their records and allocated them larger accommodations in the Time Corps building.

Their next stop was the clinic where Wilma's implant was removed, she was advised that it would take eight days before the contraceptive was completely out of her system, but after that her normal cycle would re-establish itself, she asked the doctors there if there was anything they could give her to clear it quicker, the doctor smiled at her and, looking at Michael, said, "I could give you a shot that would do it, we normally suggest letting the body adjust itself, it isn't dangerous, but has a side effect."

Wilma looked at the doctor worried, the doctor smiled, "It doesn't really cause any harm, it just increases your sex drive for the first three days, that's all."

Michael rolled his eyes, "I'm not going to last! Hey Doc, can you give me something to keep up with her?"

At this the doctor laughed, "No! You're going to have to keep her happy without drugs!" she raised the injector to Wilma's neck and there was a 'phsst' of the pneumatic spray forcing the drug into Wilma's system.

The doctor looked at Wilma and said, "This take a few hours to really get started, I suggest you go home and rest, you're going to need it!" as the two left the clinic the doctor threw a bottle of pills to Michael, who looked at it closely then up at the doctor

"Stimulants," She said with a smile, "but use them carefully!" and she returned to her patients.

Laughing Wilma and Michael returned to the Corps building and found their new rooms, Michael insisted on carrying Wilma through the doorway into their new home. Thanks to the bureaucracy that prevailed only Michael's belongings had arrived, Wilma's, it was promised, would be arriving soon.

The bedroom was larger than Wilma thought and the double basins in the bathroom was a nice touch, but she didn't notice that at first, a stronger feeling was creeping over her she kissed Michael and then said, "Those tablets you were given?"

He looked at he bottle and said, "Yes?"

She smiled, "I think you'd better take a couple!" and pulled him onto the bed.

1736 - Nevis, the Mountravers plantation.

My Personal chronicles

I was dizzy, the medical cabinet was doing it's best, but the loss of the main transport had disrupted the circuitry, my body was ageing at a quick rate, it couldn't end like this! I had to eliminate that blasted Wildflower/Cooper/Jenkins/Somebody - I couldn't concentrate, I opened up the cabinet and took off my jacket, I was too hot, hard to focus, I had to survive! Had to!

I went to the computer console, although this was an emergency unit it still had a working system, the main transport was gone, destroyed, kaput! It was only the fact that this system was slightly out of phase with the other that I was still alive.

The screen was displaying information that needed to be added to the medical cabinet routines, they contained a memory, of the original transport system, I wiped that and placed an interface helmet onto my head, allowing the computer to take a snapshot of my memory, at least the parts that I needed, I had to skip several unwanted memories, the capacity of the machine was below that of a human mind - Once done all I had to do was to entice somebody into the medical cabinet and once he was in stasis I could download my mind scan to his, I would live forever!

I managed to control the wild flight of the cabinet, and I arrived on an island, the weather was quiet warm, but where was I, it looked - familiar? Strange how the mind can play tricks on a person, especially when it's defragmenting.

I stumbled outside of the transport, a man was approaching me, this was my chance, I lent against a tree and he came over.

"I say," he said, "You look like you need a hand."

I smiled gratefully and he started to raise me up, as he staggered under my weight, I hit him and knocked him out, I carried him into the capsule and locked him into the medical cabinet - taking the interface helmet I added the last few seconds of my life to the information and started the transferral.

My Personal chronicles

I awoke in the medical cabinet, I seemed to have two sets of memories which was slightly disconcerting, my name is Adam Huggins, my father is the owner of this plantation on the Island of Nevis, we'd moved here in 1794, after a long sea voyage from England, the date is, is, J-July of 1836. A wave of pain overtook me, my name is Controller/Leader/GV589/Sir/Huggins I/we have a plan to take over time... I blacked out again...

I shook my head, it seems that some of the program from the computer had survived, but now I was fully in charge of myself - or rather of this body, his memories were fully accessible to me and so I left the medical cabinet and went into the capsule, I stared at the emaciated body on the floor, it was completely dead, given up to the years it had survived.

I left the capsule and made a note of it's location, I would get some workers to move it 'home', whist I made plans to take over from 'my father' the memories of Adam Huggins was full of his father's illness, he wouldn't last too long, I submerged myself in Adam's memories and let him take over.

I walked back to my pony; the strange box like affair had attracted my attention. I would direct the overseer to move it to the courtyard of the house, I pushed the pony into a gallop - for some reason I was anxious to back to Mountravers and home.

Present Time - Three years later

Michael was looking after the children, Intombi (2) and Pauline (1), they were lovely and enchanting children and the delight of Wilma's eyes, since the birth of their first child Michael had decided that he wasn't really cut out to be an active investigator, so he worked in the research and prevention office, Wilma couldn't stop taking an active role and became the second in command of the Time Corps and, now that the children could be left either with the créche or Michael, she was taking a more active part in the Corps.

A couple of cases of off-time kidnapping, both of which were brilliantly solved by Wilma helped to improve her standing in the Corps - The improvements made to the time capsules, thanks to technology introduced by Wilma and her crew, gave the time capsules a new lease of life, visual communications between capsules was now possible and improved upon, moreover the transporter system that was used during the Roman Incursion was now working, allowing the transfer of goods, and in one case livestock from a travelling capsule to another.

Also there were now councillors who were talking to decommissioned time capsules, trying to prevent another case of GV589's occurring. All in all, a good time to be a time capsule. Wilma decided to use as her personal transport the Mark 23 - a fact that annoyed the museum; they had hoped to keep the machine as an exhibit.

Wilma had approached the Time Council with the information from Wildflower, regarding The Leader, what had been implanted and how it was to operate, they discussed the implant and spoke to scientists who agreed that such a nanite could be created and controlled, but would take years to create, the programming would have to be meticulous so that they would act only on those who committed violent crimes would be affected, due to the nature of the nanites their existence was top secret and could never be revealed to anyone, a special implant was then created to hold them and release them into the bloodstream of a person, to travel to the fallopian tubes and wait for 'contact', as one scientist gently called it.

The nanites would then invade the 'foreign body' like a virus, multiply until they could spread to any part of the body, then at a signal given by the host, due to connections in the implant, they would attack their host, only the violent ones - a distinction made by the type of adrenaline in their blood stream. They would have specific changes to make in the human body, however the ones that had more contact with the host would be eaten alive as a punishment, since they would deserve more aggressive action to detain, it was decided that they should face a death sentence, the others would lose their manhood's, painfully, as such persons should never reproduce again.

What nobody thought of was of those persons force to rape or abuse, but Wilma had a suggestion for those, since the adrenaline markers would be different they nanites would be benign, but when the markers changed then they would activate, this satisfied all the scientific minds and so the project went ahead.

"Wilma," The head scientist said, "We've created the nanites, and have manage to adapt a standard contraception implant to hold them, we just need to know when and where they going to be used?"

Wilma gave a grim smile, "Hold them in cold storage. Now I need to know if memories can be removed without inflicting any injuries on the brain. If I wanted to forget something could you or your people do it?"

The scientist thought for a moment, "Yes, it's possible, we'd need to download your memories into a supercomputer and adjust the patterned in that, then it's a case of either deep freezing you or placing you in stasis to wipe your brain and upload the adjusted memories, Stasis is better, less chance for the brain to lose cells during the thawing process." Wilma shuddered at the thought of a frozen brain defrosting!

She brought the details up to the council, Rawlings also added his suggestion that Wilma should try to arrest or eliminate the perp. To which Wilma had to say, "I'm afraid we can't - he's trapped in a loop!" She turned to the council and explained, "We first met the perp in the future, where he had a older version of me as a prisoner, after we escaped he fled to the past and started an incursion, we've yet to catch up with him, and when we do he's going to capture me and hold me prisoner - as a prisoner I'm going to infect his band with the nanites, escape from his clutches and return home, leaving a younger version of myself to chase him back into the distant past. That is his whole existence, he kidnaps me, I escape and chase him, I defeat him and then allow him to kidnap me and so the cycle carries on!"

A council member interrupts her, "But where did he come from?"

Wilma shrugged her shoulders, "Who can say, when he first comes to our attention he's just stolen a time capsule model GV589, a model which we've later found out has designs on destroying our whole time line, we hope we've destroyed that model, but there must have been a time when it took over the perp. We just don't know!"

A second council member then spoke up, "What if we don't send you, wouldn't that break the time loop?"

Wilma sighed, "No councillor, I'm afraid that would create a paradox, I've already lived through two meetings with the perp. I have to continue with the plan, it's part of established history as far as I'm concerned, and you are aware of the policy on established history." She shook her head, "I'm sorry councillors, we have to proceed with the plan, I must admit I don't like it but I'm assured that when, you notice I say when not if, when I return I'll have my memories altered so that little of the abuses I suffer will remain, I've also had a hypnotic conditioner done, to move my conscious mind into a safe holding area, with certain triggers to wake me up. Although my body will still be at his command, my mind will be safe. Any further questions?"

There were none, but the president of the council said, "It's a terrible thing you are doing Wilma, I do hope you'll be alright!"

Wilma tried to smile, "Don't worry Madam President, I will return" with that she and Rawlings turned and left the council chamber.

As they left the room Rawlings said, "I hope you're right Wilma, it's a difficult task you've set yourself."

Wilma nodded, "Yes I know, but we still need to find the bastard!"

1738 - Nevis, the Mountravers plantation.

My Personal chronicles

With the death of my father, I decided to make some changes in the running of the plantation, I expanded the number of male slaves to continue working in the fields for the sugar cane, I started to buy large quantities of Iron and I found some crystals that seemed to take my fancy.

It was agony hiding inside that mind, I could direct it as I wanted and make it seem that Adam was really doing it himself - I had plans to complete, First I had to train some soldiers and get them used to modern weapons, the slave force was perfect to do this, I would bring them to the medical cabinet and hypnotise them to follow my orders, no matter what. I amused myself one day by ordering one of them to rape his sister and then kill her, it was wonderful to hear her screams as her roughly entered her, she still didn't realise why he was doing this upto the point where he cut her throat. When he was finished with her I made him kill himself. I mean if he'd do that to his own sister what would he do to me?

The slaves are behaving themselves, but with the establishment of their village and food that I'm providing they realise that I'm a good master, we did have one case of a slave going mad, he did unspeakable things to his sister before killing her and himself, there was great moaning and wailing in the village at the funerals.

The strange thing was that Adam wasn't aware of my presence in his mind, of course if he did I would know and be able to re-direct his thoughts away from me, I was growing stronger though and eventually would overcome his mind completely.

My plan was simple, I'd increase the number of slaves and through hypnotism train them in the use of weapons, then transport them into the future where they would wreak havoc, while doing that, I'd be able to infiltrate the time corps or at least get one of them and adjust him, with this young healthy body I should be able to accomplish that.

It's strange but there are times when I can't remember, whole hours seem to vanish, but as the slaves don't seem to take any notice I don't suppose I've done anything wrong, I find that I've taken to having a bed warmer each night, it's strange I hadn't really thought about having slaves as sexual partners before, but somehow it seems right, after all why would God have placed me in such a position over these lesser being, I should be able to treat them as I wish.

I've also been slightly guiding Adam's mind into the path I want to follow, and I sometimes 'listen' in to his coupling with the slaves, I find it rather amusing, and he still thinks it's his ideas. I will miss him when the time comes!

Present Time - Panic in the streets

It started as a small item in the news:

'There are reports of armed men roaming the streets at night, attacking anybody they meet, the police have tried to arrest these men, but cannot find out who they are or where they come from'.

Then the attacks escalated - city blocks were targeted, but the people running the attacks seemed to disappear into thin air, finally the police got a break, one of the men, managed to say that he was from Nevis. At first this confused people as they thought he meant Ben Nevis, a mountain in England, then they realised he meant the Caribbean island of Nevis, they sent his photograph to the island police, who said he was not recognised there.

When questioned further he said he was from Mountravers

The city police insisted that that was were he was from, the reply they received, "Mountravers? That place is history." didn't really satisfy them, a team of detectives was sent out to investigate, they found the local police helpful - which surprised them, and what was even more surprising was when they arrived at Mountravers, to find the trees had completely covered the site, which hadn't been inhabited for decades.

The question everyone was asking was: - "So where did he come from?" he was so insistent under questioning that nobody could say he wasn't telling the truth! Then they got the idea to ask the Time Corps to help them.

A team was sent to gather whatever information they could; they started with the obvious question. 'What is the year?' To which they got the reply '1838' the man seemed confused and dazed, the police had put it down to drugs, but the team decided to take him to a hospital where his condition could be diagnosed properly.

The results were amazing, the toxicology tests found no trace of modern pollutants, psychological tests showed that he'd been deeply hypnotised, but was shaking off the effects of the hypnotism. The general tests showed that he'd worked hard all his life, mainly outdoors, there was scar tissue on his hands which showed that he had not be using machinery, their summary was - This man does not come from this time.

Wilma managed to get hold of the report she showed it to Rawlings, who was nursing a knock on his head, which he'd received during a break-in at the headquarters, "So what am I looking at?" He asked.

Wilma pointed to the information, "He's off-time, from this Mountraver's place in the year 1838, and our perp must be there! It's time boss, we have to plan our attack!"

Rawlings seemed a bit disorientated, "Attack him? - I don't think this is the best time to do that. We don't have any established facts just yet. I suggest you send a recon. team to investigate. Let them find the problem, set up a base camp and then report back."

Wilma nodded and went to arrange the team, it wasn't until later she realise that Rawlings had seemed wrong when he spoke to her.

The team was given definite instructions, "Get to Nevis in 1838, try to find out everything you can about the set-up, our target should be the man in charge, try to get a plan of the place, and we'll need a location where we can insert into, and keep your heads down, we don't want to lose any of you out there!"

The men saluted and entered their time capsule, which after a few minutes shimmered out of sight. Wilma watched them leave.

It isn't really understood that although it is possible to appear at any place, at any time, travelling to a time destination takes time, so the Time Corps talk of objective time and subjective time, always ensuring they are paid according to subjective time. Wilma knew that to get to 1838 from her time would take a half hour, so didn't wait for the team to report their arrival, she returned to her apartment with a request to the computer to alert her when a report was available.

Michael was playing with Pauline, the girl was looking around the room with her large, too serious eyes, she saw Wilma and smiled at her, holding up her arms, Wilma bent down and picked her up, the child's hand pulling at her face.

Wilma looked at Michael and back at Pauline, she realised that soon she'd be going away for a long time, for her that was - for the children she'd only be away for a day. Tears started to fall down her cheeks, Michael went to her and held them both, he kissed Wilma and said, "It's soon isn't it?" She couldn't say anything, but nodded her head, Michael kissed her again, "I'm coming with you, and I'm going to make sure you're safe when you get onto that bastards craft!"

Wilma shook her head, "No Michael, I can't let you endanger yourself, you're needed here to look after the children, what if something goes wrong?"

Michael still held her and kissed her again, "It's alright, I've spoken to Rawlings, I'm going to get my field agent's badge back for this one mission only, we're going to place the kids in stasis, they won't even know we've been gone, and when we get back we'll be a family again"

Wilma gave a small smile, "Won't they notice when I've suddenly aged?"

Michael shook his head, "Nope! Rawlings' allowed for a rejuvenation adjustment as part of the re-implantation, he's sparing no expense."

Wilma shook his head, "No way! That's not like Rawlings at all, he's changed I think that bump on his head's done something to him, made him more human."

Michael started to smile, and then frowned, "You're right, it isn't like him." He walked to the computer screen and spoke into it for a moment, the screen cleared and showed Rawlings' office. Michael spoke to Wilma, "this is a few minutes before the break in, I've told the computer to concentrate on Rawlings."

They watched the screen as somebody knocked on Rawlings' door, he looked up as the door opened, then there was an electrical discharge of a stun gun, Rawlings fell back in his chair, a man brought in a rubbish trolley and placed Rawlings body inside, The trolley was then pushed out of the room, the camera's followed the route taken by the trolley as it entered the main travel craft room, it was rolled inside a small emergency unit which vanished into the time stream, the screen went blank.

Michael looked at Wilma, "The break in was a rouse - the main target was Rawlings."

Wilma went to a communications unit and patched herself in to the guards circuitry, "This is Deputy Chief Investigator Wilma Jenkins, emergency code 555 target Chief Investigator Rawlings, detain, I repeat code 555 on Investigator Rawlings. Detain." - code 555 meant that an operator may be an impostor, there were two possible commands with the code, detain or oblit. (Where the impostor was summarily executed) - the code had never been used before.

The expected response came immediately, "This is Security officer Morris, please give command code and password." Wilma was please, someone who knew the procedure!

"The command code is Delta Gamma 555 Epsilon, the password is Gibbon, repeat Gibbon." Wilma smiled as she spoke - she'd never arrested her boss before.

Morris's voice spoke again, "Thank you Deputy Chief Investigator - code and password match, we are underway!" and the line went dead

Wilma looked at Michael, "Sorry, but I've got to go back to work." She kissed him and his daughter and left the apartment.

Present day (12 hours previous)

My Personal chronicles

The diversions were going to plan, I had to direct the craft to the Time Corps headquarters, with any luck I might be able to get my target, that Blasted Wilma Jenkins she had defeated me in the future and, from my fragmented memories in Rome - I had been so close. I looked at a chart on the wall, running my fingers down the J's - Jenkins, Wilma - off time.

Drat I couldn't get her, I then looked at the top name, Rawlings - Chief Investigator - IN, well I couldn't get the Gander, I'll have to settle for the Goose, I picked up a large rubbish trolley and started to move it down the corridor, I found the room and knocked on the door.

The voice from inside said, "Come in" and, as I opened the door, I drew my pistol, he didn't even move as I hit him with the stun ray, he just had a puzzled expression on his face as he slumped back in his chair.

I managed to get him into the trolley and started to push it down the corridor back to the time machine, I noticed that the lights seemed to be getting dar...

Where was I? The last thing I remember was getting into the bed with my newest slave, and was about to bless her with my body, and now I'm here walking along this strange passageway pushing an object on wheels, what is happening to me, am I going mad?...

My head was pounding, I must be draining myself out with this, Adam's mind seems to be fighting back, I shook my head to clear it and pushed the trolley faster, I got to the transport and started it up to prevent anyone from attacking me.

While we were travelling I placed the man into the medical cabinet and switched it on, he went into stasis immediately, his mind was open to me, I smiled and gave 'my' instructions, he was to make Wilma Jenkins chase after me in 6 months time, my time, I was not to be killed by any operative, he wasn't to do anything that would jeopardise my self, but he had to get Jenkins to come after me. Me. me...

I awoke to find myself on the floor, how did I get here? Never mind. I checked that my prisoner was still in stasis, went into the second room and sat down on the bed, I'm trying too much at once, that must be it, I was so tired, had to sleep...