The Didymus Contingency

FIVE
Descent
28 A.D.

Bethany, Israel

Tom woke up feeling sore. His head was pounding and his dry eyes stung as though he had spent too much time in an over chlorinated pool. His throat burned as though he’d swallowed a vial of acid; he was parched for even the smallest drip of water. Tom climbed slowly to his knees and rubbed his eyes.

His direct surroundings were strange and confusing. He was inside a bush. That wasn’t a good sign. As Tom braced himself against some branches, he remembered their success the day before. He remembered eating with David at Peggy’s. And he remembered drinking…a lot. Tom thought he must have made a fool of himself, but after his fourth beer, the night was a blank slate. From the headache, dryness and odd surroundings Tom deduced that he must have gotten thoroughly drunk. How long had he been unconscious? Why hadn’t David found him and dragged him home?

Stumbling from the bush, Tom leaned up against a tree. After taking a moment to relax his body and clear his mind, he realized what he was doing-leaning against a tree… in the middle of the Arizona desert? Tom absorbed his surroundings. He was encircled by trees, bushes and a dazzling array of colorful flowers-orange, yellow and red. He breathed deep as the smell hit him. The fragrant odor of the flowers was like none that had tickled his nose before. Tom had no idea such oases existed in Arizona. Wherever he was, it was beautiful, and Tom decided he would try to remember how to get back, just as soon as he found a way out.

Tom trudged through the thick forest for what felt like an hour, but was closer to ten minutes. He stopped to rest for a moment and fell asleep. He wasn’t sure how long he was out, but knew he hadn’t awoken on his own. A tingling sensation rippled across Tom’s head, causing his hair to stand a little taller. He was not alone, and judging from the amount of wilderness around him, his company probably wasn’t human.

A crack of twigs in the near distance widened Tom’s eyes and caused his chest to rise and fall a little more quickly. He was in no shape to outrun, outfight or outwit a grumpy animal. He pushed himself up and hugged a tree, pressing his body into the bark in an effort to look as treelike as possible. He sensed that whatever was out there-whatever creature was stalking him-was growing closer.

Hands tense around the tree trunk, Tom leaned out for a peek. He saw nothing. He leaned in the other direction and let his head slowly emerge from behind the tree. His heart beat to a maddening rhythm. He could feel his pulse in his neck. Then he saw it.

A floppy eared goat foraged through the forest floor, ruffling through pine needles and leaves as it searched for fallen fruit. Tom sighed. The goat looked up at Tom and immediately went back to searching for a meal. Tom watched the creature, his confusion growing with each slowing breath. A goat? In Arizona?

Eyes closed, Tom turned, leaning his back against the tree, trying to think. Where am I and how did I get here? Tom’s nose twitched. He smelled something odd carried by the breeze, which had changed directions. He opened his eyes and his heart skipped a beat.

Ten feet away and low to the ground was what looked like an African lion. But it was built differently. Its head was thicker and its body was massive. Tom’s limbs locked as his mind shut down. The lion crawled forward slowly, its muscles tense, ready to pounce. Then it jumped.

The speed of the creature was amazing. Tom screamed as the lion burst into the air and sailed past his head. He heard the beast land and the whine of the goat before its neck was snapped. Tom’s head spun around. The panting lion was lying on the ground holding the goat’s neck firmly in its jaw.

Tom now knew he was no longer in Arizona. But he felt it wise to worry about where he was after the immediate physical threat of becoming a lion dessert no longer existed. Tom slowly crept away, keeping the tree between himself and the dining lion. As soon as he was sure the lion could not see, hear or smell him, he ran.

Trees and shrubs flew past in a blur. He knew this run would do him in, but dying of exhaustion or dehydration was far more appetizing than being eaten alive. He did his best to take in his surroundings as he ran. All around him were things that should not be. The trees were like none he had ever seen and some bore fruit: dates, figs and pistachios.

Tom grew more and more annoyed by his predicament as his run slowed to a jog. In all his years spent in Arizona, he had never once encountered a mosquito. But now a ravenous swarm of the pests were draining him as if he was a living blood bank. Now walking, Tom used a branch from a pine tree to swish the pests away. A large bird of prey circled overhead, taunting him and making the situation feel that much more perilous.

His thighs burned and his shins stabbed with pain, but he pressed on. Between the drinks he had the night before and the scalding heat, Tom knew he wouldn’t last much longer. He pushed through a low branch and stumbled into a clearing. Not a clearing…a road! A wave of relief surged through him as he reached his first sign of civilization. Tom looked in both directions. The road was empty. He reached into his pocket, pulled a quarter out, flipped it and caught tails. He headed left.

It was only ten minutes before Tom saw three objects moving toward him on the path ahead. He moved forward as quickly as he could, desperate for help and human contact. After all he had done in his life and believed he would still do, he thought it a shame if he died now, like this, in the middle of nowhere.

As Tom came within fifty feet of the strangers, he could see that one of them was an animal. A horse, Tom thought, but he soon realized it was a donkey. Tom then noticed how strangely these two people were dressed. One, a man, wore a red robe tied at the waist by a brown sash. The other, a woman, was wearing a mustard yellow robe complimented by a white head covering. Tom stopped in his tracks; exhaustion delivered its final blow and his legs began to shake. Tom saw the two strangers rush toward him as he fell to his knees.

He opened his eyes and looked up at the sky as he lay on his back. The woman and man were standing above him speaking to each other in a language that Tom recognized but couldn’t understand. They were clearly confused by what Tom was wearing and were debating over what to do with him. Tom’s mind began to function and put together the pieces of the puzzle. The land, the flora, these people, the donkey, the language and clothes of these people…Tom rolled his head to the left and looked at his wrist. He was wearing a watch, but not his own. It was different. It was…the watch…the time travel device!

Tom’s heart nearly stopped as nervous tension tied a tight knot in the small of his back. The events of the previous night slammed back into his conscious mind like a runaway freight train. He had traveled back in time!

“My god…” said Tom aloud.

The two people standing above Tom stopped talking and stared at him, obviously trying to make sense of the words that just spilled from his mouth. Tom felt their eyes on him and knew he had to make an attempt to communicate.

“Water,” Tom said in his native Hebrew tongue, hoping that two thousand years of modernization hadn’t changed the dialect too much. That, and he hadn’t held a conversation in Hebrew for fifteen years.

He was in luck. The woman quickly retrieved a wineskin full of water and poured it into Tom’s parched mouth. When Tom finished drinking, the man spoke. “Tell me stranger, are you a Jew?”

Tom thought about the question before answering. He had been an American citizen and held to none of the Jewish beliefs for so long that he no longer considered himself to be truly Jewish. But under the circumstances, he thought it wise to not stand out any more. “Yes,” said Tom in his best Hebrew, “I’m a Jew.”

The response Tom received was not expected. Both man and woman took a step back. “Then we will help you no longer.”

Tom panicked. “Wait! Why?”

The man and woman looked at Tom through squinted eyes. He was a true enigma to them. “We are Samaritans; surely you do not want our help?”

“I will take help from anyone who offers it,” Tom said.

The man and woman shared a look and it was enough for them to come to an agreement, “We will take you to Bethany and find you lodging. Then you are on your own.”

“Thank you,” Tom said.

“But first…tell us, why are you dressed so strangely?” the man asked.

Tom looked down at himself. He was dressed in blue jeans, running sneakers and a short-sleeved, red and blue plaid, button-down shirt. He wracked his mind for some kind of answer.

“I was a slave,” Tom said, “In…Asia…and I escaped. They dressed me like this.”

The man and woman were shocked. “A slave?” asked the man and then continued, “I have heard of this Asia. You have traveled far to escape your slavery. Like Moses from Egypt, you are now free. Come, follow us and we will see that you are taken care of. I know of a man in Bethany who can care for your needs.”

The man pulled Tom to his feet and helped him up on to the donkey. Tom thought the donkey smelled foul but his exhaustion overpowered his sense of smell. He clung to the creature and fell asleep as the two Samaritans led the donkey back the way they had come.

David was as ready as he could be on such short notice. He looked the part, could speak the part, at least better than Tom could, and he knew the beliefs and culture of ancient Israel. Unlike Tom, David had never given up his Jewish heritage. True, he was a Christian, which practicing Jews consider blasphemous, but the Christian faith is based on a Jewish man, who lived in a Jewish culture. David knew more about biblical times than the average man, but he also knew that two thousand years of history books could never capture how things really were in the day-to-day life of ancient Israel, his homeland.

Prepared or not, David was going. He knew where and when Tom had gone. When David found an instruction booklet in the receiving area, he thought perhaps his future self had foreseen this predicament. He learned that each watch had built-in tracking devices. Any one watch could be used to track down another-any place on Earth and in any time. David kept the instruction booklet a secret, even from Sally. The moral issues involved with time travel had already boiled over and David didn’t want anyone else knowing how to use the watches to their full potential. He read the instruction manual, committed it to memory and destroyed it.

Sally entered the receiving area where David was preparing to leave. She approached him quickly, wringing her hands together. “Listen, David,” she said, “When you find Tom, grab him and come back as quick as possible. Try not to do any sightseeing.”

“That’s the plan,” David replied.

“I was wondering…where and when do you think Tom went?” Sally asked.

“The most logical choice for someone who wanted to disprove the story of Jesus would be his death and resurrection, just outside Jerusalem,” said David, knowing that was the plan, but not wanting to reveal he knew more.

Sally looked slightly disappointed. “Just don’t hang around too long, okay?”

David was confused. Was Sally trying to tell him something? “Got it,” David said, “I’ll be there and back with Tom before a minute of your time has passed.”

Sally smiled at David’s confidence and her shoulders dropped an inch. “You have everything you need?” she asked.

David looked himself over. “I’m just waiting for Tom’s clothes.”

A man carrying a pile of clothes, identical to David’s entered the back of the control center just as David finished his sentence. When the door swung open, David saw three men. The first he recognized as George Dwight. He also recognized George’s assistant, Jake. But David had no idea who the third man was and took a mental snapshot of the man. He was dressed in ancient clothing, tattered and authentic looking. He stood tall and straight and had a look in his eyes that longed for action. And then, as the man moved his arm, David saw a shard of light reflect off what looked like a handgun. This is not good.

Sally saw them too and attempted to stand in David’s field of view, but it was too late.

“Who is that man?” David asked. “And what is he doing here?”

Sally was unsure how to answer.

“Tell me or I’ll ask him myself,” David demanded.

Sally mulled over the question and answered, “His name is Captain John Roberts. He’s the head of LightTech’s Time Enforcement Division.”

“Time what?”

“He’s our…backup plan.”

“Backup plan?”

“In case you don’t make it back for some reason. He’s going to the time just before Jesus’s death, where we’re most likely to find Tom. If you can’t find Tom, he’ll track him down.”

David nodded like he agreed with this assessment, though he knew better.

“So what you’re saying is if we choose not to come back, Roberts is the permanent solution.”

“It’s not my call,” Sally said. “George is taking over. You’re lucky he’s letting you go at all. This was put in motion years ago without my knowledge. Just stay away from him. If he finds you, come back without Tom.”

“Why?”

“Just do it,” Sally said, “Now go. The sooner you leave the longer you’ll have to find Tom before Roberts follows.”

“I think Roberts might have a harder time tracking us down than he thinks,” David said with a smile.

“What do you mean?” Sally asked.

“Just that time is on my side.”

David watched as George, Jake and Roberts enter the back of the control room. “Time to go.”

Sally glanced toward the control room.

“Better leave the room,” Sally heard David say behind her.

She turned around and looked at the bright light flashing between them. “Be careful,” she said and quickly left the room.

WhumWhumWhumWhumBoom!

David disappeared in a flash, leaving only glowing particles in his stead. It was a sight the LightTech staff would never grow used to.

Sally watched through the wall of glass as the little blue flakes settled to the floor. She wondered if she’d ever see David again.

“We’ll give him one minute before I go back and finish the job,” said Captain Roberts, standing behind Sally.

Sally pivoted toward the man. “Try and bring them back alive, Captain Roberts. We’ve invested a lot of money in these two men and no one knows more about this technology then they do.”

“I’ll try,” Roberts said, “but if your boys give me any trouble I’m going to have only two choices…”

Roberts pulled a military knife from inside his ancient robe, “rare…”

Roberts drew his silencer-laden handgun “…or well done.”

Sally glared at Roberts and he chuckled. Only a man trained like him could find this funny.

The room Tom found himself in was unfamiliar. The walls were scarcely decorated and constructed from some kind of clay and straw bricks. Tom sat up; he was still a bit nauseous, but his headache had subsided. He stood from the bed, which was cushioned by straw and covered by a thick handmade blanket. Tom stumbled as he took his first step. He was more dazed then he thought. But he wouldn’t let that stop him. He had to get his bearings. He had to find out where he was and how he was going to find Jesus.

Tom remembered why he had come back, and while it was true he would have never done it had he been sober, he was here. The least he could do was prove to David that it wasn’t complete buffoonery on his part. His pride demanded it. He could picture David now, storming around in the future; fearing the end of the world was near. It brought a smile to his face.

After throwing on a tattered robe that hung on the wall, Tom managed to walk his way through the humble home and out the front door. A small, but bustling town greeted him. The streets were dirt and the buildings were all made from the same pale bricks, but what struck Tom were the architecture and the layout of the town. It was beautiful. Tom wandered out into the busy street looking around in awe, listening to the ancient dialects, smelling the pungent odor of cooking lamb and the sweet scent of flowers. The colors were brighter then he had ever imagined as a child. People were dressed in colorful robes, buildings were decorated with flowing sheets and the flowers…the flowers grew everywhere.

Dizziness spun over Tom and he raised his hand to his head. He surmised the effects of time travel had taken its toll on his body. Before Tom could take action to prevent falling down or passing out, he careened into a passersby. The man yelled at him in Aramaic, “Watch where you’re going, swine!” But he could not understand the language.

Tom rolled from the hit and slammed into an old woman whose arms were full of food. Her bread and fruit fell to the ground. Tom bent over as best he could and started to help the woman pick up her goods, but she swatted at him like a pesky dog. “Back! Get back! You beggars won’t be getting any of my food!” the woman yelled.

The woman’s language sounded strange to Tom, but the message was clear. He tried to explain in bad Hebrew, “I’m just trying to help you.”

Wide, angry eyes stared at Tom from the woman’s wrinkled face and she yelled, “You speak like a man with half a mind!” She spoke in perfect Hebrew. “Away with you!”

The woman took one last swat at Tom, who moved away from her quickly and in doing so, ran into a large man’s elbow. Tom heard a crack in his nose as the cartilage twisted from the impact. As Tom fell to the ground, the large man simply looked down at Tom and walked away, seemingly unfazed and uncaring about the collision. Pebbles on the dirt road dug into Tom’s palms when he caught himself on the ground.

Tom grimaced in pain. His first time travel experience was not going well. He pushed himself up onto his knees and looked at his hands. They were covered in muddy blood. He did his best to remove the rocks, which caused him great pain, and to wipe away the dirt from his wounds. He trembled at the idea of how many foreign bacteria were now invading his system.

Still on his knees in the middle of the road, Tom removed the last stone. He grunted in pain and clenched his hands together.

“That’s not the best place to be praying,” came a deep voice from behind Tom. The man spoke perfect Hebrew.

Tom looked up and saw the man standing over him. He was rugged, like a man gets from years of physical labor. His facial features gave the initial impression that this was the kind of man you wouldn’t want to get into a barroom brawl with, but at the same time, he had kind eyes.

“I’m…I’m not praying,” Tom said.

“Of course not,” the rugged man said with a chuckle. He reached down for Tom’s hands. “Here, get off the ground before you’re trampled to death.”

Tom took the man’s hands and was pulled to his feet. The rugged man eyed Tom curiously. “Are you a slave or a prince?” the man asked.

“What do you mean?”

The man pointed at Tom’s clothes and said, “You are dressed like a beggar or slave…”

The man took hold of Tom’s wrist and held it so the time watch could be seen and said, “Yet you are adorned with an object that is no doubt from a far away land and worth fifty sheep.”

Tom smiled at the comment. The watch he wore was far more valuable than fifty sheep. It was probably the most valuable object in human history, well, one of the ten most valuable, he thought. He tried to explain, “I’m…from far away, where it is not uncommon for people of average stature to wear such things.”

The rugged man seemed to understand, “That explains why your Hebrew is so bad. Do you not speak Aramaic?”

“No,” Tom replied.

The man didn’t seem shocked, “If you plan to stay in Israel, you must learn.”

Tom smiled, “I’ll try.”

“You look weary, my friend. Come let me buy you a drink,” the rugged man offered.

“That would be great,” Tom said with a tinge of guilt, knowing he shouldn’t even be talking to this man, but he thought one drink with a historical nobody shouldn’t do much to alter the future. Besides, he was as thirsty as hell.

The rugged man led Tom down the road. As Tom began to walk with the man, he brushed his hands off against his dirty robe. Brush…Brush…Brush. Dust clapped away into the air, revealing Tom’s bare palms, which were no longer cut or bleeding. All that remained were dry bloodstains. His wounds were healed completely, as if they had never been. Perhaps from lack of pain, or confusion from his whirlwind tour of the past, Tom never noticed.