A MIND OUT OF TIME

Jenny Wilcox and Jason Spurrier stood over a table in their private underground lab beneath the ruins of World One TV.

Before them, on a small table sat a single ring of dark blue and silver.

Hidden beneath the silver band were nearly two years' worth of circuitry and invention.

With much of England in ruins, they had been assigned to find a way to bring a stop to the war which had now raged for just over six years.

It had been Spurrier's remark, that it was a pity they couldn't just prevent the war in the first place, which had set them on their quest to build a method to travel back in time.

Then, when the first ring had been made and tested with a brief trip to and from the previous day, the project had been shut down before more rings could be created. Deemed too dangerous.

What if some do-gooder, they had wondered, had decided to take a team back in time to win the lottery in order to pay off a government debt. Or to kill any one of the major dictators or terrorist cells of the past? These might seem like noble aspirations on the surface. But each carried with it a terrible consequence.

To prevent the deaths of millions was a nice idea. It made grieving families happy for a while. But it also added new people to a population that already exceeded the food supply.

In the end, the project was disbanded and the group told to destroy the time ring they had created.

Now,three months into the year 2015, Khonsu, as the solitary time ring had been called, was still in existance.

Lance Corporal Bryce Lynch soon joined them.

"Bryce," Jenny said. "If they get wind of what you're doing..."

"I know the risks, Jenny," Bryce told her. "But I can't go into this battle without leaving behind a son or daughter to carry on the family name."

"Can't you just send someone else?" Jason asked. "Knowing the risks..."

"That's why I can't send anyone else," Bryce said. "I can ask others to follow. But I cannot in good conscience ask another to die in my place."

There was a pounding on the door.

"Open the door in the name of the British Army!"

"Hurry!" Spurrier said. "Take Khonsu and go. But remember, you have two and a half days to finish and return.

Bryce snatched up the ring and placed it on his finger,slowly twisting the band and watching the tiny numbers change until the date read March 3, 2005. Then with a simple wave goodbye, he vanished.

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