Time Horizon – a Tempus Rock short (MidWeekFlash)

This is written in response to #MidWeekFlash challenge 289. It is also a direct continuation of Moving Hallways so do go and read that one first 🙂

While nudged the door a little wider and froze. ‘Toby?’

‘What? What it is?’ He pushed his way in front of While and stared into the room. ‘Oh.’ It couldn’t really be called a room. Framed by the doorframe was a whole landscape, a rocky foreground that led to what Tobias could only imagine was a tunnel through time. Colours danced and warred with each other clashing and spiralling into dizzying clouds. Tendrils ran through the length seeming to wire it all together. At the centre, everything met in darkness. A chill ran through Tobias’ entire core. Something lingered there, he was sure of it.

‘Well, I don’t have all day. Well, I suppose we do but this is growing tiresome.’ The Minister’s voice carried on the unnatural breeze. He finally noticed her, standing in front of the event horizon of whatever it was.

‘Come on.’ While’s voice was unusually serious. That didn’t help make Tobias feel any easier about the situation. The rocks felt real underfoot as they stepped through. Tobias couldn’t help but look back, just to check the door didn’t disappear straight away.

The two time agents moved cautiously towards their boss. She was stood beside a camping table covered in paperwork. While’s eyebrow’s quirked up in amusement. ‘Field work doesn’t mean this.’

‘Thank you While, I am quite aware of field work. As I shall demonstrate if you don’t move your hand further from your weapon.’ She sounded like a strict schoolteacher but Tobias knew better. His boss was a clone of Queen Victoria herself, only one that had full army training and could strip and reassemble an energy weapon with a blindfold. She was as awesome as she was terrifying.

‘Sorry boss, strange wormholey things in rooms do that to me.’ While moved his hand away and tried to relax his shoulders but Tobias could see the tension was still there as he eyed the swirling monstrosity.

‘Oh that,’ she shrugged. ‘I would explain but it would take far too long and only Sheridan would understand.’ Tobias snorted in delight. ‘I have an assignment for you.’

‘Another?’ Tobias hadn’t meant to say it out loud.

‘Is that an issue?’ She folded her arms over her chest, her long military coat flapping behind her only added to the intimidation factor.

‘I think what Toby means is, we thought it would be harder to find agents. And yet you seem to be locating them faster than we can get to them.’ While spoke carefully, diverting the Minister’s attention away from Tobias. The Minister locked eyes with While. Tobias frowned, something unsaid seemed to pass between them in that look.

‘I need you two to be the ones to recruit this one.’ She was still staring at While who sighed but gave a short nod. ‘Good. Knew I could rely on you both. Good news is that I’m fairly sure it will be an easy recruit.’

‘Bad news is?’ While folded his arms this time, mirroring the Minister which, by her smirk, didn’t go unnoticed.

‘No chronometers for this one.’ She turned to the horizon. ‘You’re going through that.’