Page 40 of Reversal of Fate

“They moved farther inland.”

Julie sighed. “I don’t even know what else to ask. I mean, do you have cars that fly?”

“No, we don’t, though the technology is there. But there are plenty of other modes of transportation, self-driving cars, high-speed trains, and hypersonic commercial planes. Everything is timed perfectly so that there are no traffic jams.”

“What about the food? Are you still eating meat?”

“Yes, and fish, but most of it is created in large labs.”

“How?”

“With stem cells. We built on research that originated in the 1980s. But I don’t know too much about it. As I said, I’m not quite as smart as you.”

She laughed and slapped his shoulder playfully. “It sounds amazing. Not just like a new era, but a new world,” Julie mused.

“In a way it is. It will be for you, though there will be things you’ll recognize. The Grand Canyon is still there and remains a protected site. So are Yellowstone and Yosemite. The people in your time did many good things. They preserved nature for the generations that followed.”

“I have to think about all this. It’s a lot to take in…”

Carter swallowed hard. He knew what he had to say next would be difficult. “There’s something else you need to know… about traveling back to 2085.”

She looked at him, her eyes appearing larger than before. “Yes?”

“I don’t have a lot of time left here. I should have had six months, but as I said before, something went wrong. If I don’t initiate the time jump myself, the failsafe will kick in.”

“A failsafe? Doing what?”

“The failsafe in my time travel watch will initiate the time jump automatically in case I’m incapacitated or… or dead. To bring me or my body back home.”

“When?”

He looked at the clock on the bedside table. “In 30 hours.”

Julie gasped.

“I know. It’s a big decision you have to make, and we don’t have much time. I wish I didn’t have to rush you, but if I don’t put my time travel watch on my wrist by Monday morning at two a.m., I’ll be stuck here forever. I won’t have a way of returning home. And when the virus sweeps through California in a few days, you’ll die, and so will I, because I’m not going to leave your side.”

“Are you saying you would stay? Here?”

“If I have to. Either we both leave in the next thirty hours, or we both stay. There’s no other option. Not for me.”

She looked at him, an expression of surprise and confusion on her face. “But then your mission will fail.”

“There are others like me, time travelers with the same mission.”

“But if you’re right about the virus, you’ll risk dying here.”

He took her hands in his. “At least I will have experienced true love, even if it’s only for a short time.”

“Love?” She swallowed. “Are you saying you love me?”

“Yes, Julie, I love you. I didn’t think it was possible to fall in love with someone in such a short time, but I don’t know how else to describe this feeling. If you stay here, I’ll stay here, because returning home without you would break my heart.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Carter…”

“Please don’t cry. Forgive me if I’ve said something wrong. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

She shook her head. “You’re not hurting me.”

“Then why are you crying?”

“Because you love me.”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“No. It’s just something that I didn’t expect.” She withdrew her hands from his and cupped his face. “When I thought you’d deceived me, it broke my heart… because I…I love you too.”

His heart swelled with emotion. Before he could lean in to kiss her, she added, “I want to have a life with you.”

“Are you saying you’re coming back to the future with me?”

She nodded. “Yes.”