Chapter 8: CHAPTER 6

By the time Jake and Zoe left the room, it was late in the day and they were both well sated. They exited the room and made their way to the dining hall.

There were plates covered on the table. As they lifted the covers, they notice pancakes and butter. There were also a couple of glasses that were filled with orange juice and cover with a coaster. 

Jake noticed a note folded on the table. He picked it up and head aloud. “Hope you had a good night’s sleep. There’s breakfast on the table. I’ve gone out to pick up some groceries. Be back soon.”

The note was addressed by Liam.

Both of them sat down and got started with their food. After last night’s workout, they both needed nourishment. So, they sat silently, enjoying their breakfast.

Jake couldn’t help but think about their training mission. Sure, they were able to complete it but if it had come down to a fight, he wasn’t sure they could have won. They caught that one warrior by surprise but if the captain had thought of placing more than one warrior before sending up the rest…

Jake resolved to improve his fighting prowess. He had to if he was going to fight dangerous criminals throughout history. He couldn’t understand why the old man hadn’t trained them physically. But Jake had already decided that he was going to find a gym, today and learn the skills. 

While Jake and Zoe were each contemplating, Liam had returned.

“You two look deep in thought,” Liam said, interrupting Jake’s reflection.

“Just thinking about yesterday’s mission,” Zoe replied.

“Of course. Once you’re done with your breakfast we’ll discuss the mission and work on an After Action Report,” Liam said. “You’ll be expected to fill one after every mission so that you can inspect it and see where you can improve. We’ll also go on a walk in the evening where you’ll remember everything from cars to people’s meals and be able to notice if there are any changes. As I mentioned before, even the smallest change can suggest that someone has started meddling in time. “ Liam warned them both.

Then they talked about little things till the pair finished their food and they could begin their AAR.

 

***

 

“Alright, before I point out your mistakes, why don’t you try it.” Liam started. “Anything you believe could have made this mission better or more efficient?”

“Information,” Zoe replied. “We didn’t know anything before the mission. We didn’t know the ship’s layout, the number of men, the cargo they were carrying, the kind of weapons they had, and all that. The only reason we completed this mission is that Jake is a history buff.” She smiled at Jake.

“Good,” Liam replied. “While in further missions, I’ll try to provide you with more information but since our source of information is the history there and chances that we’ll miss smaller details. In such cases, it’ll be up to you to gather data and improvise,” Liam continued apologetically. “But rest assured that all the information pertaining to any major events will be conveyed to you.”

“We needed more training too,” Jake said, speaking what he thought earlier. “That ship had armed and trained soldiers and we didn’t even know any professional fighting techniques. Even the smallest mistake could have gotten us killed,” he finished angrily.

“Your anger is justified and your point is justified. You should have been trained more,” Liam started. “But since there are no active teams of time knights, it was more important to train you to travel in time in case there was an emergency.”

“Couldn’t you have done it if there was an emergency?” Zoe Interjected. “You have done plenty of missions after all.”

Liam grimaced at her question. “I’m afraid the previous mission took a heavy toll on me. I was very seriously injured and any major exertion on my body could lead to serious harm.”

Zoe looked at him with pity. Liam also felt sorry for the price the old man had paid.

“No, it’s up to you both to do anything at this point in time. But rest assured that we’ll be conditioning your body to fight and increase your endurance by a fair amount.” Liam continued. “As for the danger in the ship, it was significantly reduced because I was with you at all times and I was armed.” Liam showed them a gun. It looked like a newer model. Definitely, not the kind used in the 18th century.

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“I thought we weren’t allowed to carry any items in the past?” Zoe asked in confusion. 

“In most cases, we’re not. But in certain conditions, like a ship sinking in the Atlantic Ocean, we can. It depends on the team leader's decision.” Liam answered. “Any other issues you would like to point out?” Liam answered.

Both Jake and Zoe remained silent.

“Okay. In the first part of the mission, good job on crossing the guards. Now, you were both lucky that another guard was there to stop the unruly guard otherwise it could have gotten out of hand,” Liam said. “I would have said that I sneaked down for a sip of the wine. Most of the time, it is common for the sailors to sip the goods if they’re carrying an exotic or expensive wine.”

Jake and Zoe nodded their understanding.

“Next, you were able to find the captain's cabin and reach it pretty easily. Good job. In the next part of the mission, where you had to escape the ship,” Liam continued, “you lit the sleeping quarters on fire. Now, in this case, it was fine because the people were going to die anyway, but generally, we avoid killing anyone. That’s because you don’t know who was a major influence on the history and what consequences killing them can have. What I would have done was wake up the sleeping people and run out with them. That would be useful twice because, firstly, there was a chance that you both would be recognized and captured. In the case of a large group, your chances of recognition were much less. And secondly, you didn’t kill anybody so the future is not influenced.”

They both nodded again.

“In the final part, there was nothing you could do other than fight the guard. Good job on that. I didn’t have to shoot him,” Liam admired. “And that’s it!” Liam clapped his hands.

“Now, let’s go out and look for a gym for you two.”

 

***

 

As they walked out, Jake couldn’t help but look around. It turned out that the entrance of the Time Mansion was in the middle of an alley.
Jake looked at Liam questioningly.
“No one suspects a mansion hidden inside an alley,” Liam said.

As they stepped out of the alley, Jake started to understand that they really were living in 2007. He couldn’t feel everything change while he was living it, but suddenly stepping into the past, the changes couldn’t be more obvious. Some of the women were wearing kick flare jeans, the kind that is halfway between the knee and the ankle, along with boots and crop tops. Others were wearing shrunken leather jackets over their dresses. But all of them had huge earrings.  The men’s fashion was not that different from what Jake remembered. There were still men wearing suits and blazers. Some were wearing shorts and T-shirts. The shoes were the same too.

One thing Jake noticed was, that none of them had the advanced smartphones he was used to seeing. Most of them had only flip phones or the ones with large buttons. There were no iPhones at this time.

“Wow!” Zoe uttered in awe, as she looked around in wonder. Jake sometimes forgot that she was from 2001 and for her all this was futuristic.

“We’re looking for a gym then?” Zoe asked Liam.

He nodded.

“There’s one just around the corner. And now that we’re out, I can show you all the stores around the place in case you need something.” Liam said.

They quickly saw the gym and decided it looked fine for their purpose and quickly moved to the grocery store next.

“Remember, every three days the cycle will repeat. That means every item you picked for the grocery will be at the same place every single time.” Liam said. “That also means that your credit card is virtually limitless and you should be able to get whatever you need without any issues.” Liam’s eyes twinkled

Jake was pretty sure he had never seen Zoe with a wider smile.

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