Finch immediately stood with crossed arms and walked to the kitchen window.
“Guys.” Tucker stood. “Do you mind if I catch up to Conrad? I really wanna take a look around at this place. Boy, does it bring back memories.”
Finch nodded his go ahead.
Nate looked at the door when Tucker walked out. “What the hell is going on here?” he asked. “I mean anyone else find it strange we have futuristic robots seventy-five years after we left, fifty after Sam and Tucker left.”
“It’s strange, yes,” Sam said. “But you have to think, at one time, computers were dinosaurs, then in the span of fifty years, every household had one, plus tablets and phones. It’s possible.”
“It is,” Finch said. “But that is not the case here. We are in a different world.”
“What?” Rey asked. “You mean like an alternate universe.”
“No. No.” Finch shook his head. “A different one than we knew. It’s different because things had changed. You heard Conrad. Come on, Sam, there were no farm bots or medical bots when we left. Yet he was a boy, which meant before you left. And the common knowledge that the wormhole was to another time? Was it common knowledge when you left?”
“No.” Sam shook his head. “Unless Quinn spread that knowledge around.”
“So no,” Finch said. “You have the robots, the wormhole information, you have ARCs lifting off ten years earlier when they didn’t even think they’d be done in time for the Androski. But that’s right, bots were building them. And what about the safe states? I didn’t know it, you didn’t know it.”
“But…” Rey interjected. “Quinn did say when they went to Virginia they found information that they discovered three states were safe, so that’s possible.”
Again, Finch shook his head. “No, I’m telling you, what we are seeing is not a natural progression.”
“What do you think it is?” Rey asked.
“Someone went through the Androski. Someone went through and ended up far enough in the past where they thought they could change things or save people by getting a jumpstart on technology.”
“We would know,” Sam said. “I mean if someone went through and went back before any of us were born, then none of this would be a surprise.”
“Not if,” Nate said, “they went through the Androski in Earth-175.”
“The same one we went through?” Sam asked.
Nate nodded. “They could have gone through a couple of days before us or after us, we wouldn’t know the time change or date they went back to.”
“How?” Rey asked. “You heard Quinn. The other party from the Genesis took the ship fifteen years ago.”
“For what purpose?” Finch said. “I’ll tell you. To go through again. By the time they found out anything the Androski had closed, and they knew they had to wait another twenty-five years to go back. We arrived, they left. Whether it was Quinn lying about his ship, the other part of Genesis, the Lola,” Finch said. “Hell, one of the ARCs could have gone through.”
“That would explain the jump in technology,” Sam said. “It would give them an edge. A big edge if the ARC went back to the past.”
“Exactly. But it doesn’t matter, who, what or how. Bottom line is,” Finch said, “someone changed time.”
<><><><>
It was a good day. A long one, but informative and fun. Finch couldn’t recall the last time his belly felt so full after a good home-cooked meal.
They met a lot of the farm settlers, enjoyed their company. The food was unbelievable and the stories were equally amazing.
Nate recorded some of them because not everyone on the crew got to hear them. Their tales of survival.
One man in particular, Stavon, told them about how his family was forced to take in a stranger and the stranger was sick.
It wasn’t the virus, but the Risers weren’t programmed to care or know.
That was when Stavon first realized it was the beginning of the end. Risers stormed to the house, electrocuting the sick house guest.
It wasn’t long after that Stavon became an active participant in the revolt. Tattoo slash marks on his arms indicated how many Risers he’d taken out.
Nate counted forty-two.
The farm was nice and peaceful, but Finch and his crew were in solidarity that they would not stay.
After they’d found the ARC, they would try to go back again while the Androski was still open.
Another jump, perhaps to a better time. One where they could stay and be as peaceful as Conrad.
The option to stay was there, and they discussed it, but too much destruction and change was on the way.
Maybe it was the wrong decision to keep chancing it, but the way Finch looked at it, what did they have to lose?
The evening was winding down. Finch finished securing everything on the ship. He sipped on some bourbon while making his rounds with his crew.
Hating to admit it, he did find it amusing the way Tucker was with the medical bot. Finch was relieved to find out from Conrad that the medical bots were not harmful.
Outside the ship, Tucker stood with Rey while Buster moved back and forth with his shiny red legs that didn’t match the rest of his body.
Tucker had bravely retrieved them from the robot grave at the farm.
“I am healed. I am healed,” Buster said. “You are a fine physician of machinery.”
“Not me,” Tucker replied. “It’s all Sam. He’s the mechanical genius.”
“Ah, Commander Finch,” said Buster. “I am very pleased that you are welcoming me aboard as Medical Officer.”
“Don’t thank me,” Finch replied.
“Oh, be nice,” said Rey. “Buster’s a vat. He absorbs all kinds of knowledge. He’ll be fine.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Finch replied.
“Hey, Finch,” Tucker said. “Can you let him take
