Chapter Five

The Time Mobile stopped shaking. Sherman opened his eyes to see if the world no longer looked like the inside of a blender set on puree. Serendipity had already undone her seatbelt, bouncing out of her chair. “We should be in at least the 20th century by now. All we have to do is find an electrical outlet, plug in and pump this baby up. I want to get back to my workshop in Beaverton. I’m going to need to do more work on this puppy. I’m still bound and determined to see Janis Joplin.”

Sherman undid his seatbelt and followed Serendipity to the door. She flung it open, grinning. Her grin dropped, as she looked around. They appeared to be in a work yard surrounded by a high wooden fence. Lumber and pieces of metal lay scattered about in piles that looked like they had been picked over. In the corner was a six foot square wooden shed. “Dang it, I don’t see any outlet.”

Serendipity sprung back to the dials and began setting them frantically. “Don’t know where we are, but your generic wooden shed should do the trick to hide us.” She finally stopped and moved back toward the door. “Well, got to figure out when we are.” She stepped out, scanning the area. “See any equipment, kid, that could give us a clue to the year?”

“No.” Sherman carefully studied the yard. “That little shack over there might be a tool shed. There’s a gate over there.”

The two crossed the yard to the exit, and Serendipity yanked on the wooden handle. “It’s locked, I think.” She looked around the edges of the gate. “No lock. Must be on the other side. See if you can look over the fence, kid, figure out where we are.”

Sherman saw some planks stacked against the fence, and climbed up on them. He was just able to peer over the enclosure. “I see some carriages pulled by horses. Everyone is dressed like they were out of a Charles Dickens’ movie.”

“Oh great, 1800’s, Victorian age. A century short. Any idea where we are?”

“America? Europe? Don’t know. We seem to be in the city limits wherever we are.”

“Come on, let’s get back inside the Time Mobile and I’ll try again, see if I can power her up at all.”

With due care, Sherman climbed down his makeshift ladder and hurried after Serendipity into the Time Mobile. He plopped down in his seat and strapped on his seat belt. Serendipity studied the monitors and shook her head. “Better undo your seat belt, kid. We’re stuck here, wherever here is.”

“Battery is drained completely?” Sherman asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yup.” Serendipity plunked down in her seat, looking defeated. “And currently steam is the best power source. Not enough to power us.”

“Great! Now what do we do?”

“Not sure.” Serendipity rubbed her chin, a spark of determination in her eyes. “First we find a way out of this junkyard or whatever it is and figure out exactly where we are. Then I’ll have to build some gizmo using current technology to get us out of here. At least we are up to the Victorian Age now.”

“Whoopie,” Sherman said with no enthusiasm. “Kerosene lamps and buggies.”

Serendipity frowned at him. “Where is your sense of adventure, kid?”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Sherman didn’t want to sound too wimpy. “Well, I guess I better earn my keep. What can I do to help?”

“We need to figure a way out of this yard, before we can do anything.” Serendipity got up and headed for the door.

Sherman undid his seatbelt and followed her out into the yard. Serendipity walked over to the gate again and studied it again with more care this time. “If we had a screwdriver we could undo the hinges and just remove the door. Of course, then we’d leave our Time Mobile unprotected from scavengers.”

“Won’t they just think it’s a shed?” Sherman looked back at the structure. “How will they know it’s a time machine?”

“They won’t but they might try to break in and steal whatever is in the shed. Why do you think the gate to the yard is locked?”

“Oh, yeah. But could they get in? You have it locked.”

“Don’t know how it would standup to a sledge hammer, kid. They could damage the Time Mobile. And even if they couldn’t, they’re going to figure out this is no ordinary wooden shed.”

“Yeah.”

“Now, kid, be real quiet and help me think of a way out of here.” Serendipity crossed her arms and gazed off into space. Sherman tried to emulate her, hoping the pose might boost his own brain.

It was then that they heard a noise outside the gate. “Quick,” Serendipity whispered to Sherman, “Someone is coming in. Hide!” The Time Mobile was on the other side of the yard, so she ran over to the smaller tool shed and hid behind it. Sherman dove behind a pile of lumber scraps.

Sherman peered through a crack in the pile. The gate swung open and a man stepped in. He was not dressed in workman’s clothes as one might expect, but instead was dressed as a gentleman wearing a brown frock coat and a brown top hat. He closed the gate and put a padlock on the latch, no doubt transferring the lock from the outside to the inside. He then turned and Sherman got a better look at him. He was medium height, medium build and had medium brown hair with sideburns that weren’t too long and a mustache that wasn’t too noticeable. His looks were average, not ugly, but not striking either. In other words, if you saw him on the street, you wouldn’t have remembered him. He also had a baffled look on his face. “My word, what are you doing here?” His accent sounded English.

For a moment Sherman thought he was talking to Serendipity, but then saw the man staring at the Time Mobile, now disguised as a long narrow shed. If this yard belonged to him he would know it didn’t belong here. The stranger walked over to the fake shed and ran his hand over the surface and frowned. “Not wood, too smooth.” He pulled a small black leather Bible out of his pocket, flipped open the cover. He clicked his tongue a couple of times, then muttered something. He gasped and stepped back. Turning, he pointed the back of the book toward the yard, again muttered something and began to wave the Bible about. He looked at a page inside, his expression changing to agitation.

Transferring the open book to his left hand, he then reached into his pocket with his right and pulled out a small ornate pistol with a short barrel. “All right, come out, both of you. I know one of you is behind the shed, and one is behind the woodpile. I must warn you, this only looks like a single shot derringer. I am just as capable of shooting you both as I am one of you. Come out now, hands up.”

Serendipity stepped out from behind the tool shed, her hands raised. Sherman followed her example, standing up and putting his hands up.

“Good.” The man waved the pistol. “Come closer and tell me who you are.”

“Serendipity Brown and this is my assistant, Sherman Conrad.”

“Americans by your accent and¾wait, did say Serendipity Brown?”

“Yeah, real mouthful, huh?”

The man gave her an odd look, then looked back at the large shed. He looked at the book and made a clucking noise like one would use to get a horse moving. “Photo, Doctor Serendipity Brown.” He looked at the open Bible, then back at Serendipity. “You can’t possibly be the Serendipity Brown.” He clucked again. “DNA scan.” He pointed the back of the open Bible at Serendipity, then studied the inside. “Compare to DNA of Serendipity Brown.” His eyes got big and he looked back at Serendipity in awe. “No! Not the Serendipity Brown, inventor of Time Travel?”

Serendipity stared at him. “What a minute? How do you know who I am and that I invented time travel? And how can anyone from the 19th century do a DNA scan with a Bible? How would you have my DNA record? How do you even know what DNA is? You are no more Victorian than I am! You have got to be from the future, my future!”

The man smiled at her, putting the gun and Bible in the large pockets of his frock coat. “I say, you really are a genius, aren’t you?”

“Why because I can guess the obvious? So you’re a time traveler, too, huh?”

“Yes. I must say, I never in my wildest imagination would I have dreamed of running into you in the past like this.”

“And who are you?”

The man tipped his hat. “Dr. Howe.” He stuck out his hand. “Glad to make your acquaintance.”

“Dr. Who?!” Serendipity looked incredulous as he pumped her hand.

“No, Howe. H-O-W-E.” He looked a little annoyed. “Dr. Wendell Howe.”

“Wendell? Let me guess, your nickname is Wen? Wen Howe? Is your middle name Watt or Ware?”

“It’s Abercrombie, if you must know.” Dr. Howe frowned at her. “Lovely, I run into one of my childhood heroes and she makes fun of my name. With a name like Serendipity I would think you would be a little more sensitive to that sort of thing, I dare say.”

“Sorry.” Serendipity ducked her head.

“Apology accepted.”

“So if you are from my future, when and where are you from?”

“Cambridge University, 27th century. And what are you doing in 1851 London? Come to see the Great Exhibition?”

“No, my Time Mobile broke down. We’re stuck here. I don’t know how to get back to my own time.”

“Yes.” Dr. Howe rubbed his chin. “You did say your first machine was a failure, but you improved it by changing your energy source from electrical batteries to a Neutrino Dark Energy Generator.”

“Dark Energy?

“You combined Neutrino Energy with accelerons to create a condensed Dark Energy similar to that pushing the galaxies apart.”

“Hmmm, that might work.” Serendipity rolled her eyes up and nodded.

“It also allowed you to drastically reduce the size of your Time Mobile, too.”

“Really? But no system of Nutrino power I know of would fit in the machine I have now.”

“You invented a Dark Energy Generator the size of a beach ball.”

“I did? How did I do that? Would you mind if I had a look at your machine, see what I did?”

“Oh, I can do better than that. I can download the complete diagrams if you like, from my computer.” Dr. Howe pulled out the Bible again.

“Cool design for a computer.” Serendipity came closer to look at it. So did Sherman.

“Yes, perfect disguise for this time period. The computer is basically in the spine. The back cover has a sensor for doing scans. This heavier page in the center that says ‘The Epistles’ is in fact the main screen. The rest is real pages with the New Testament printed on them to fool anyone who picked it up. A pocket Bible isn’t an odd thing to have on your person in this century. The Pony Express riders each insisted on carrying a full sized Bible, even though they couldn’t read. Magic talisman, I suppose.”

“What a minute!” Sherman butted in. “Did you say you could give Serendipity the diagram to this generator. If you do that, how is she going to invent it?”

“Maybe this is how I originally did it.” Serendipity looked over at Sherman.

“But you can’t do that.” Sherman shook his head.

“You could be right.” Dr. Howe looked uneasy. “I probably shouldn’t even be talking to you, but this is an emergency. If Dr. Brown gets stuck here, it could change history. As for giving out secret documents, I don’t have access to any of those. The Dark Energy Generator is a fairly common system in my time. Not like it’s time technology which the Institute keeps under wraps. Dr. Brown invented the Dark Energy Generator, so she would only be stealing from herself, now wouldn’t she? Completely cricket, old boy, wouldn’t you say?”

Sherman just stared at the two, struggling to find an argument.

Dr. Howe gave him a sympathetic smile. “When you’ve time traveled as much as I have, you get used to these time paradoxes. It’s why the Institute has very strict rules regarding private conduct when traveling. Don’t want to wind up as our own great grandfathers, now do we? Very embarrassing when someone does up a family tree.”

“The Institute?” Sherman asked.

“Of Time Travel. Time Travel has been very heavily regulated, or will be, I should say. Only Registered Time Travelers are allowed to use time travel and most of them are Temporal Anthropologists, like myself.”

“Temporal Anthropologists?” Serendipity leaned forward.

“Yes, we come into the past and study the cultures and collect everyday artifacts that won’t be missed. We are immersed into the culture so we can blend in, so the natives won’t even know we are here. Speaking of which.” Dr. Howe gave them both an appraising eye. “I hate to criticize, but you could have done better on your costumes. You look more like 20th-century hippies, than Victorians.”

“That’s what we were going for.” Serendipity looked down at her long skirt. “I was trying to get us to the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.”

“I believe you eventually enhanced your steering system, by going from magnetic to laser and improving your wormhole detector feedback to determine and control where your wormhole extended, too.”

“Of course!” Serendipity got excited. “Lasers! Gee, I’m brilliant!”

Sherman cringed. “Ser, I don’t know if you should be doing this.”

“And you don’t know if I shouldn’t be.”

“Uh.” Dr. Howe looked hopeful. “Would it be too much to ask if I could look at the inside of your time machine? Maybe take some pictures? You never did save any of your first prototype, so we have no idea what it looked like inside. It would be a real honor.”

“Sure, why not.” Serendipity looked flattered.

“Wait.” Sherman grabbed her arm. “Maybe this is all some elaborate trick. Maybe he’s from your time come to steal your plans for the Time Mobile.”

Serendipity gave him a look of disbelief. “Sherman, if that’s true, then how did he get to 1851 without a time machine?”

“What if it’s not 1851. Maybe it’s 2353 and this is some holographic illusion? What if we are really in your workshop?”

“Kid, that is the craziest story I have ever heard in my life. I haven’t announced my invention to anyone but you. How could anyone from our time even know about it? This guy has to be legit. If you really believe that, then ask Lauren to verify it.”

“Quite the imagination.” Dr. Howe looked over at Serendipity. “College student?”

“Picked him up at a McDonald’s in 1985.”

“What?” Dr. Howe raised his eyebrow, as only a Brit can.

“Goes with my décor.”

Sherman pulled out his computer, not sure if he should feel mad, or just stupid. “Uh, Lauren?”

“Yes, Steve?” Lauren Bacall’s voice purred.

“Who’s Steve?” Dr. Howe frowned, baffled.

“Computer glitch,” Serendipity said. “Long story.”

“Where am I?” Sherman asked Lauren, ignoring the other two.

“Standing here holding me, Steve.”

“Not you, too.” Sherman felt betrayed.

“You aren’t asking questions it can answer, kid. It doesn’t have enough information.” Serendipity stepped over, “Lauren, scan for any electrical activity that’s not natural.”

“Only coming from within this yard,” Lauren said.

“Any radio frequencies? Wireless internet, television, cell phone or any other broadcasts?”

“None.”

“There.” Serendipity turned to Sherman. “Happy?”

“I guess. It just seems a bit of a coincidence we ran into another time traveler is all.” Sherman stuffed his hands in his bell bottoms pockets.

Dr. Howe smiled. “Rather serendipitous, eh?”

Serendipity grinned back at him. “That was good. When people try to make jokes about my name, they just call me ‘Dippy’.”

“Better than ‘Wennie’ or worse ‘Wen-Dull’,” Dr. Howe assured her.

“Come on, Wendell.” Serendipity stepped over to the Time Mobile. “I’ll give you the grand tour of the world’s very first time machine.”

“Oooh!” Dr. Howe’s eyes lit up. “My word, this is so exciting! Would you mind if I take photographs, Dr. Brown?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Sherman followed Dr. Howe, who was trailing after Serendipity up the steps. Dr. Howe pulled out a pair of oval reading spectacles with gold wire frames and put them on. He kept his hand at the left temple. “Wow, it’s so much smaller on the inside than the outside! There’s hardly any room at all.” Dr. Howe turned and nearly ran into Sherman. “Bit crowded, eh.” He gave Serendipity a wistful smile, “Would it be all right¾I mean, would you mind terribly¾That is to say, it would mean a lot¾If I‘m not being too forward?”

“What?”

“Would you mind too awfully if I had my photograph taken with you, Dr. Brown?”

Serendipity couldn’t help but chuckle. “You act like I’m a celebrity.”

“You certainly are among Time Travelers. You are what Sigmund Freud is to psychologists or Isaac Newton is to physicists. You started it all.”

“Sure, why not.” Serendipity shrugged.

“Oh thank you!” Dr. Howe took off his glasses and shoved them at Sherman. “Would you mind taking our photo, old chap?” He stepped over beside Serendipity and struck a pose.

“What? But these are glasses? How do I take a picture with a pair of glasses?”

“Oh sorry. I have a camera hidden in them. No one gets suspicious in the 19th century if I pull out a pair of glasses to get a better look at something. What do you use your glasses for?”

“Seeing.” Sherman looked at Dr. Howe like he was from another planet. “I’m blind as a bat without them.”

“Oh, that’s right, you’re from the 20th century, back when people still wore glasses to see. Back before laser eye surgery and other techniques were perfected in the 21st century.”

“Wait a minute!” Sherman looked accusingly at Serendipity. “Are you telling me I don’t have to wear these ugly things?”

Serendipity gave Sherman an embarrassed smile. “Oops sorry, kid. I guess I just liked them on you. They are so 20th century. Tell you what, if I get your eyes fixed, could you wear frames with plain glass?”

“The point is to get rid of them.”

“Okay, I’ll pay you an extra $1000 a week to wear them. Okay, $3000.”

“Well, I suppose they do make me look smarter.” Sherman looked down at Dr. Howe‘s spectacles. “So how do I take a picture with these other glasses?”

“I’ll show you.” Dr. Howe came back over to Sherman. “Take off your glasses and put on these. There now, do you see the little circle in the left side?”

“Yes.” Sherman squinted at the lens.

“That’s the view finder. Now look through that to see what the photo will be. Then reach up here to the left temple and push the screw. That is actually the shutter button.”

“How do I know if it took a picture?”

“If the scene in the view finder is static that’s your photo. It will disappear after a few seconds and you can take another photo.”

“Awesome!”

Dr. Howe stepped back over next to Serendipity, and resumed his pose. “Okay, we’re ready.”

Sherman looked through the lineless circle. He pointed it at Dr. Howe who was beaming and Serendipity who looked amused. Sherman reached up to the temple bar and clicked the photo.

“Please, take another one, just in case,” Dr. Howe said.

Serendipity put her arm around his waist. “Go ahead, put your arm around my shoulder, Wendell.”

Dr. Howe looked even more pleased as Sherman took this photo.

Serendipity looked up at Dr. Howe and winked. “How about a shot of us kissing?”

Dr. Howe’s grin dropped to a look of embarrassment. “I¾erm¾well¾”

“Don’t do it, Dr. Howe,” Sherman warned him. “The next one might be of her undressing you.”

“Oh, ha-ha!” Serendipity frowned at Sherman. “Don’t push it, burger-boy.”

“Sorry.” Sherman fought back a smile. “But I think you’re making Dr. Howe uncomfortable. He is English, you know.”

“Yeah.” Serendipity looked at Dr. Howe. “And probably been in the Victorian Age too long. Sorry, Wendell, didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“Erm, that’s quite all right, Dr. Brown.”

“Please, call me Serendipity.”

“All right, Dr. Brown.” He stepped toward the door. “My word, getting a bit stuffy in here. I think I need some air.”

Sherman handed Dr. Howe back his glasses as he passed. “Don’t worry,” Sherman whispered to him. “She’s harmless.”

Sherman and Serendipity followed their fellow time traveler back out into the yard. “Well.” Dr. Howe tugged at the sleeve’s of his frock coat. “Thank you so much for the tour and the photos. I must be going. I have things to do.”

“But we’re stuck here.” Serendipity face showed disappointed. “I thought you were going to help.”

Dr. Howe turned around and blinked at her. “Erm, yes, of course, I’ll help you. But first I have to complete my mission. Most important.”

“Mission?” Serendipity asked. “Gathering Victorian teapots for a museum?”

“That was years ago. This project is a bit more important than that. All Top Secret. Can’t tell anyone from this period of time.” Dr. Howe frowned at Serendipity. “But then you aren’t from this period of time, are you? Well, I suppose I can trust you. You are Dr. Serendipity Brown, after all.”

“So, what is it? What is this Top Secret Mission?”

“Long story, I’ll have to explain later. How long have you been stranded here? Are you hungry? I would love nothing more than to take you two to dinner. In the meantime, I came here to pick up a few things.” Dr. Howe stepped over to the small tool shed. Instead of pulling out a key, he pointed his Bible at it and clicked his tongue twice. “Unlock door.”

Sherman caught on. “Is that clucking you do the cue for your computer, instead of a name?”

“Exactly! And I always use verbal prompts rather than keys. People will assume I’m talking to myself. My computer is programmed never to speak unless I ask it to. And well, no one is suspicious of someone walking around with an open Bible in this age. If anything they will admire my piety for reading it so much.”

“I got a bigger question.” Serendipity got closer to the tool shed. “Is that your time machine?”

“Yes.” Dr. Howe opened the door. “Using the Holographic Skin you invented.”

“Hey!” Sherman perked up. “They kept the name I gave it.” He peered into the machine as Dr. Howe stepped in and went over to a small cabinet built in the wall and opened it. He pulled out one of several cloth pouches and a couple of small boxes and closed the door back. He then slipped the items into his pockets.

“You may come in.” Dr. Howe beckoned to them.

The room was only a little smaller than the room inside Serendipity’s machine, even though the outside was less than a quarter of the size. There were no dials except for one large button. Apparently the controls were hidden. There was only one chair. Everything looked slicker and plushier than Serendipity’s proto-type, like something commercially produced.

“Wow!” Serendipity was impressed. “You certainly have improved on my machine.”

Well, I didn’t do it,” Dr. Howe said. “And this isn’t much different than your final model. Mostly cosmetic improvements is all. We could make them smaller, but we need to be practical. The shell is mostly to protect the passenger when traveling through the wormhole.” Dr. Howe seemed pleased that Serendipity approved of his transportation. He stepped out and allowed them to study the machine for a few minutes, then poked his head in. “Well now, are you hungry, or would you prefer to buy clothes first?”

“Clothes?” Serendipity asked.

“I’m afraid you will be stuck here at least a day until I finish my mission and we get your machine repaired. I say, we can hardly have you two running around looking like Bedlam escapees, now can we.”

“I’m not going to wear a bustle!” Serendipity put her foot down.

“Not to worry, those won’t be in fashion until the 1870’s. Right now, it’s the hoop skirt.”

“No way!”

“Fair enough, we won’t dress you in the height of fashion. We will find you something a little more conservative. Just a few flounces. Maybe a nice bonnet and a short cape.”

“I can see why no women came with you from the 27th century.”

Sherman looked at the uncomfortable looking high collar and ascot tied in a bow that Dr. Howe was wearing. “I don’t know, Ser. Men’s clothes don’t look very comfortable either.”

Dr. Howe rolled his eyes. “If you’re going to time travel you must get used to wearing period clothing. You mustn’t stand out.”

Serendipity nodded and looked at Sherman. “I may have invented time travel, but Wendell has been doing it a lot longer. He’s the expert.”

“I will be your host in Victorian London, if that is all right with you.” Dr. Howe tipped his hat. “You two may stay at my digs, if you like. I rented some rooms in Kensington.”

“You don’t live here?” Sherman looked outside.

“Heavens, no!” Dr. Howe pulled out the pouch he had just procured. “Not when I have these.” He handed Sherman the pouch.

Sherman grabbed it and opened it up. His jaw dropped when he saw the sunlight glint of the gold coins inside.

“That’s why I came down to the yard.” Dr. Howe took the pouch back. “Just came by to get some more gold Sovereigns. I only rented this yard to store my time machine. The contractor was more than happy to sublet it to me, now that the project is finished.”

“Project?” Sherman asked.

“Come along.” Dr. Howe looked smug. “I have something to show you.”

Sherman and Serendipity followed Dr. Howe, who took them outside the fence and locked the gate behind them. They appeared to be on the edge of town, the neighborhood made up of a few farm houses that looked like they were quickly being crowded out by tall brick buildings. Dr. Howe led them around the block to a busy street. Across it was a large open area that looked like a park. There amid the tall deciduous trees was a building of glass and steel. It was huge! It was several stories high and looked wide enough to fill a block. In the very center of it was an arched roof, jutting above the rest of the building.

“Wow!” Sherman was taken aback.

“The Crystal Palace!” Dr. Howe said proudly, as if he had built it himself. “The Great Exhibition.”

“Somehow it looks familiar.” Serendipity studied it.

“The Crystal Palace inspired a lot of buildings, not only in this century but the next.”

“Oh, I know!” Serendipity pointed at it. “Looks like a giant greenhouse.”

“Well, the designer, Joseph Paxton, was a gardener who started out making greenhouses. In fact they built the structure around the parks trees rather than cut them down, so I guess it is a greenhouse.”

“Park’s trees?”

“Yes, this is Hyde Park. Would you like me to show you around? No, wait first we really need to do something about those clothes. I know of some shops nearby. Come along then.” Dr. Howe smiled and started off.

Serendipity shrugged at Sherman. “Might as well go along with him. Guy seems harmless enough. Who knows this might be fun.” She followed after the man who called himself a Temporal Anthropologist.

Sherman saw no other choice but to go along.