Cogs Of Fate

Somewhere Inbetween

Present Day

Agent Christopher and Jiya stood back as the Lifeboat returned with a clank. As the whirring stopped and the hatched opened, the team began to emerge.

"What happened?" Agent Christopher asked. She glanced at Rufus as he rushed by, leaving the main living area behind. She turned back to the others. "Is he-"

"On a mission," Wyatt explained, shaking his head. "Don't ask."

"No, I am asking," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's going on?"

Lucy opened her mouth to speak but Wyatt cut her off. "He claims that Future Jiya came to see him."

"What?" Jiya gasped. She glanced over her shoulder to the hallway Rufus had taken. She turned to track Rufus down.

Denise eyed Wyatt. "Did he say why?"

"To warn us that our presence in 1852 was a trap, apparently," Wyatt stated.

"You don't sound convinced," Agent Christopher pointed out.

Wyatt shrugged. "I guess I'm not."

"You didn't see her?"

Wyatt shook his head. "Just Rufus."

Agent Christopher took a moment before asking, "So, what happened?"

Lucy cleared her throat. "Well..."

Before Lucy could continue, Mason had joined the group, holding the journal that Future Rufus had given him tightly to his chest. Rufus was trying to pry it away from his hold. Agent Christopher turned to see the commotion. She asked, "What is going on?"

"Rufus came into my room searching for the journal," Mason explained, swatting Rufus's hands away from the book. "He insists that he needs to read it."

"Look," Rufus started. "Future Jiya told me that I had to read it! She said there were things in there that I needed to know!"

"I've read it and there wasn't much in there for you to know," Mason explained.

"Times have changed!" Rufus shouted. He ran a hand over his head. "Look, I know that we agreed that no one should read the journal, but..." he sighed heavily before continuing, "Don't you think it's strange that we got another visit from one of us from the future? And one of us in the here and now is missing?"

Agent Christopher thought about it for a moment. She understood his logic. She couldn't deny that his thinking was sound. She also knew the ramifications of knowing too much of what hasn't happened yet.

Rufus looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please...you have to let me do this..."

Denise glanced at the others. For the first time in quite a while, she felt unsure of what the correct answer was. She couldn't risk the potential insanity that could lead to the destruction of Rufus's mind. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but it's too great of a risk."

Rufus scoffed. "Seriously? Don't you think it's strange that she came to warn us?!"

"Did she say anything-"

"She told us to get home as soon as possible!" Rufus interrupted.

Agent Christopher nodded. "I understand but did she say anything else? Like why you needed to leave?"

"Only that the longer we stayed, the more damage Bloodstone would accomplish," Rufus replied. "She implied that I needed to read the journal...said it was important."