Ten Minutes Ago

16. Another Attempt for Home and Preparation to Rescue One in Danger

INT. PUB

The lively Irish jig played and people chattered indistinctly.

Luther, Five, the twins and Old Five were at the bar.

Luther sighed. "Well... This is nice, isn't it? The five of us, together like this."

"No," both Fives said.

"Somebody explain to me how it is I'm having a pint of Guinness with my younger self," Old Five said.

"Older, actually," Five corrected. "I'm you, just 14 days older."

"I have pubic hair smarter than you. How is that possible?"

"I can explain. You see, one hour from now, on the grassy knoll, before the president is killed, you break your contract with the Commission. I already know you're thinking about it. All those years in the apocalypse, we never stopped worrying about our family. Diego married a great woman, the mother of Liam and Layla. Well, today, you are going to do something about it. Today, you are going to attempt to time travel forward to 2019. However, you are going to screw up the jump and end up in this twip of a body, trapped forever, small, pubescent."

"Okay." He farted. "Even if I was to believe you, what am I supposed to do about it, not jump?"

"No, no. I need you to jump. If you don't jump, I cease to exist. What I need from you is to jump correctly."

"I'm listening."

"The first time through, I got the calculation wrong. That's how I ended up in this body. But now, I know the correct calculation."

"What is it?"

"I'll be glad to tell you... in exchange for that briefcase you're holding under the table."

Luther piped in his two cents. "Yeah, yeah, so you go back to 2019, as planned, but this time with the right math, so you remain a full-grown man. In exchange, we get that briefcase that you no longer need. Timeline restored, paradox resolved."

"Everyone goes on existing happily ever after."

"That's quite a bit to take in," Old Five commented.

"What do you think?" Five asked.

"I think... I need to piss." He got up and took the briefcase with him.

"Oh," Luther said pressing a cloth to Five's face. "Well, besides the flop sweat, I think that went pretty well, am I right?"

Five pushed Luther's hand away. "No, no, there's something... Something doesn't feel right about this," Five replied.

"What... What do you mean?"

"I don't trust him."

"But he's you."

"Exactly."

The twins looked between the three with confused expressions.

INT. COMMISSION

Typewriters clacked nearby and an office phone rang as Diego and Guinevere walked the halls.

A gentle chime sounded over the speakers and a woman spoke. "A tidy workspace is a happy workspace."

Diego opened a door and entered a room, followed by Guinevere. "Bingo, the Infinite Switchboard. All right." He sat and popped his knuckles. "How hard can this be?" He inserted some wires and it whirred. The console beeped.

Diego shouted and grunted as sparks shot out. Guinevere screamed, hiding behind her husband.

A hand was placed on Diego's shoulder, and he turned, holding a knife to the man while shielding Guinevere's body with his.