Chapter Three - Martin
William was taken aback by the question. he had vowed to himself that he would never reveal to anyone the nature of his machine. In the wrong hands, his invention could be used for nefarious ends. Besides, when he stepped into the machine he had no idea what was going to happen. he had rather hoped that the machine would transport him into another dimension, where perhaps, he would find Anna. He assumed he would most likely perish, which in William's mind, was still preferable to living another day without her.
"So then, I traveled through time?" Martin thought. From the surrounding landscape, it would appear that he had arrived somewhere in the past if not for the strange machinery, and Martin himself. This time when Martin spoke, the voice came from within Williams mind. At first, it seemed he was only thinking about Martin speaking, like when a familiar person speaks in your dreams. "That is correct, William. You have traveled through time," Martin's voice said. "Today is November 19, 2081".
William stood motionless as he tried to comprehend the situation. His mind was racing through all the calculations he had made as he built his machine. He believed that time travel was only a remote outcome, never in his wildest imagination did he expect to be hurled almost 200 years into the future. 200 years between Anna's life, and the rest of his. William fell to his knees, sobbing with his face in his hands. "What have I done? This is worse than death! Perhaps, had I known, then I could have altered the machine to travel backward in time a few years, giving Anna and myself a few more years together."
"Take Mr. Sinclair to his quarters, he will need to rest," Martin instructed Ron and Nigel. They both nodded and help William to his feet. After exiting the room they can to an elevator and ascended a few floors. William was too exhausted and depressed to even care about the technology he was seeing throughout the building. The men escorted him into his quarters, a small but comfortable room and explained how to use the communication system should he need anything. William lie on the bed, exhausted, unable to sleep, his mind still racing. As the evening wore on, his mind finally gave in to exhaustion as well.
William had a vivid dream during the night. In it, Anna was having tea with him in their London home. They talked about visiting France in the summer, laughed about the time William was attacked by a peacock during a speech. The peacock was not going to overlook William's trespass of his territory and backed William right into a fountain. Anna reached out her hand to pull him out and the dream abruptly concluded with a wisp of smoke as they touched. William woke with a start, realized it was only a dream, then slowly remembered where... and when, he now exists. The gloom returned.
As soon as he got up from the bed the room filled with a soft light. William walked to a sink, took a cup from the dispenser and drank two cups of water that he thought had a peculiar taste. The room had two doors. He had entered through the one facing the foot of the bed, so he walked over to the other door to open it. There was no doorknob, only a panel with a blue silhouette of a human hand. It was just about chest high. William placed his left hand on the panel and the door quickly slid open, revealing a small room with a mirror, sink, and what appeared to be a toilet. Just in time too. After William use the toilet and washed up in the sink. He looked at himself in the mirror and for the first time in weeks, a grin appeared on his face. "Congratulations, Mr. Sinclair. You have now mastered the technology of the future. You can open a door, use a toilet and get a cup of water! Well done!" he mused.
A guard's voice came over the system and instructed William to be dressed and ready to meet with Martin in 20 minutes. "I'm ready presently," William responded. "I'll escort you in twenty," the guard answered. William wondered why he had to be "escorted" around the building. There was a military formality for certain and security was obviously a concern. Still, William felt he had not been treated all that badly. "I hope to get some clarity from Martin today", he thought.
The guard brought him down to Martin's floor and presented him with the usual bow of the head. William now understood that Martin was communicating somehow via their thoughts. Martin's gaze turned to William. "We have much to talk about today William," He began. "What I'm about to tell you will be extremely distressing to you. At any time you may ask me to stop." Martin paused, closed his eyes for a moment as if thinking carefully about his next words. "I can bring Anna back to you, William. Though it will come at a cost..."
