The Time Stone, Third Edition (Extended Version)

On the plane, James and Tina sit next to one another on their supposed assigned seats and smile to one another.

“We are on our way to new good times and grand adventures my friend.” Tina uttered.

“I hope you are right as I have a bad feeling we are about to encounter the unthinkable.” James responds as the plane flew through the air from Chronix Bay to the far away land of Brazil. Tina takes off her wig. She notices the man in the dark suit seated next to them.

“Are you who I think you are?” Tina speaks slowly and frightened.

“I was Michael Prescott many years ago.” His voice is mechanical and sharp. “I am now number five hundred thousand and fifty-five.”

“I was told my father disappeared thirty-five years ago. I never knew him because I was only a baby. I saw photographs only and heard stories that he worked for some covert agency as some type of analyst.”

“That is true. He is your father and has been assigned high priority clearance to the Genesis Missions. He is closely affiliated to a group of men in power, a secret society of warrior-prophet-billionaire-politicians and entrepreneurs, with a society as old as civilization and a mission as old as time, bent on complete domination and control of everything.” He turns his head and James and Tina notice a small flesh wound in his ear slowly healing itself.

“You got shot?” asks Tina rhetorically.

“A minor wound. I will not be harmed. My regenerative capabilities continue. The natural order of things has been adjusted by mind control and technological implants providing superhuman mental and physical abilities so that is why your father is not here, but only his likeness. Everything about him is replaced with the advancements handed down throughout the centuries in complete secrecy, unknown to the world outside.” Number Five Hundred Thousand and Fifty Five speaks calmly.

“What is this society?” asks James.

“They are a devious cabal that sought to control all from behind the scenes for centuries even before the founding of this country. They evolve with time and technology. There are those amongst them who believe and that have made contact with alien beasts, true danger experiments. They are known as the Machination or 12VMX.”

“That’s amazing” says James.

“And what could they possibly want with a couple of nobodies like us?” asks Tina.

“They sense specialness in both of you. They are constructing a weapon to be unleashed in the skies above, a new prototype bomb beyond any known nuclear fission technology.

“You mean like end of world stuff?” Tina asks frightened.

“It is known as project Prometheus. It is a cold fusion reactor capable of generating an explosion so powerful it will be one million times as strong as the atomic bomb.” Number Five Hundred Thousand and Fifty Five speaks roughly.

“Dear God, why would they want to do this?” asks James.

“They ultimately desire control of all time.”

“And why are you helping us with this?” asks James.

“I am no longer amongst them. It is a complicated … story…” he held his ear and sensed himself begin to fade. “No one will remember my presence when I am gone.” He looks at them with darkness in his eyes. “It is for the best. They are the ones who set you two up. Clear your names and look out for one another. Always remember.”

“What?” Tina and James uttered simultaneously and rhetorically.

“Remember my words and this… your destinies are one and the same throughout time, and knowledge is power.” With that Number Five Hundred Thousand and Fifty Five vanished into thin air.

James and Tina sit in their seats like the rest of the passengers on board the craft and hold tight to their armrests thinking of greater things to come in the future.

“Tina, do you remember how we got on board?” whispered James.

She looks at him with a suddenly blank stare, smiles, and shrugged her shoulders.

They stare forward for the rest of the trip trying to figure it out as they did not even remember what they were running from. The 747 jet plane soared through the dawning skies.