Chapter 1

My life sucked. I was fifty-two and recently divorced. My X just got sick of me and I didn't really blame her. No kids, so no child support, at least I missed the monetary outflow.

Then I went for my yearly physical. The doctor found a skin cancer. Melanoma. Malignant. I had more tests, some imaging, and they found multiple metastases in my lungs.

Things were looking up all around. At least I wouldn't have to worry about my shit life for long. My doctor suggested chemo therapy and radiation, but I suggested something he didn't try either.

I called work and quit. I wasn't rich, but I had a lot more money than I could spend before I shuffled off. I spent a couple of days doing nothing, unless you count feeling sorry for myself as something to do. I slept a lot.

What a weird dream. I was sitting in a straight-backed chair in a space ship. Fuck me running - it wasn't a dream.

A panel in the polished metal wall across from me slid open and someone or something about seven feet tall came through it and sat in the chair across from me.

"Well John, it's good to finally meet you. You can call me Argent."

"I hope it's going to be good meeting you Argent. I'm just guessing here, but would I happen to be in what we like to refer to as a UFO?"

"You are correct."

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I have to ask about Elvis."

"Elvis is doing what he does best at The Domain of the King - three sets a night. Did you think Douglas Adams just made it all up?" he asked.

"Then I guess I should ask what you want with me. I can't sing a note."

"We have transported you here because we would like for you to help us with an experiment. Your singing voice won't enter into it," Argent said.

"It had better be a short experiment, rumors of my longevity have been greatly exaggerated."

My first thought was This is crazy. Next I felt I should be shitting my pants or something. I'd always assumed there were other types of life in the universe, but I'd never thought I would encounter any of them. I'd assumed if some other form of life were advanced enough to get to Earth they wouldn't find anything here worth coming to see.

"We are aware of your disease. It will not be a problem. In fact, if you help us with this experiment we will cure it," he said, oh so matter of factly.

Just like that he would cure my cancer? How could I lose - no matter what he wanted me to do?

"Maybe you could tell me what you have in mind."

"Actually, we want to put you on Earth as it was about forty thousand years ago. We would like to observe your interactions with the people and conditions of the time."

Even with the unusual situation I found myself in I was stunned. How were they going to manage this little trick? If I were sent back wouldn't it fuck up everything which had already happened? I guess it didn't really matter to me, but I wondered about it and finally I said so.

"Won't I corrupt everything that has come afterwards?"

"We won't actually be putting you back on this Earth. We never interfere with the timeline of a planet in this dimension. I can't really give you all the details, and you don't really need them. You will be put on what amounts to a copy of this Earth as it was then," he said.

"What could be so important about my interactions with people and things of the time to cause you to create a copy of Earth?" I asked, trying not to sound as stupid as I felt.

"We won't be creating it, we will just be taking you to another dimension where a version of Earth in an earlier time exist. I believe it's the best way I can describe it to you. Your life here will appear to end accidentally and then we will take you there and release you. You will be basically on your own after we put you there."

There wasn't any real choice for me. I could stay put and die or agree and have a chance to live, so I agreed.

"We will make a few modifications to your body before we put you back where you were. We will be curing the disease and restoring your body to the physical condition it was in when you were younger. You will then have two weeks to gather supplies and equipment you decide you will need to help you get started in your new life.

"A total of three thousand pounds of anything you want to carry will be allowed. We will provide you with the means to purchase anything you want. If there is something you want and cannot obtain through normal means within the two weeks we will construct it for you - as long as it doesn't require anything which is currently beyond Earth's technology," Argent said.

"Such as?"

"I'm sorry, but we will not help you with decisions about what you might need. I can tell you another three thousand pounds of supplies of your choice will be provided once every year," Argent said, explaining.

"When do we start?"