The thunderous noise abated as Johnny stared through the cold glassy window of his time capsule. He had arrived at Earth some two billion years into the past. The planet looked quite different. There was just one mega continent, and one huge ocean. The sky was red and there was a moon so close to the Earth that it occupied half the night sky. How excited Johnny was for now he could witness the birth of life on the planet   first hand, or so he thought.

 As the time capsule made its way into the atmosphere he could see what seemed to be cities, huge cities with tall buildings five miles high. There were multitudes of interconnecting roads and people walking about. How could this be he pondered, for there should be no people around until another billion or so years!

The little silver capsule landed on the surface of the planet on the outskirts of the city and Johnny made his way to the city. What he saw next was even more amazing. There were people who had cell phones, cars on the roads, even teleportation devices and trains that flew like eels gliding across the water. Not only was there human life but also there were technology that was far superior to our very own.

The young time traveler decided to approach one of the people to ask for the main library. Surely there must be some sort of explanation for this. But as he was about to approach an elderly woman, two men pulled him aside. ‘ You are coming with us Johnny” they blurted. Well Johnny
Was taken aback, how did they know his name? The mystery kept folding more and more into a further enigma.

“ I will come with you Sirs but how do you know my name?” the young explorer questioned. The men looked at him and laughed, “ You will soon find out” and they dragged him into a car and shuffled him to a skyscraper. The elevator of the huge building went up to the two thousandth and first floor. The doors opened and there in the midst of a long black table stood a grey headed young woman with a stick in her hand. “ Leave us,” she shouted, and the men left.

She looked at Johnny with beaming eyes of coal and started explaining why things were the way they were.  “ My boy you have many questions but they will soon be answered first have a seat and I will begin after a cup of tea.” As she poured the tea a familiar smell of Earl Gray filled Johnny’s olfactory glands and calmness settled upon him. Then the woman began to tell a story that was so incredible that Johnny knew his life would forever be changed.

“It all began in the year 2010 when we were a people on the brink of finally understanding the true nature of the Universe, You may recall from your history books what happened a couple of years after?”
“ Wasn’t that the time of the great meteor event that almost destroyed all humanity?” answered Johnny.
“ You know your history well, “ continued the lady, “ It was at this time that a decision was made to send people through an experimental time portal to save the human race. It was hoped that we would have the time required to save humans from total destruction. You however are from the future Johnny, when the meteor did not cause the annihilation of mankind but actually was a catalyst for peace. You see there is a reason for your coming to us and we know that the future of all sentient beings in the Galaxy is at stake.”

“Why yes that is correct!” shouted Johnny in amazement. “ How do you know this?”

“ How we know will be revealed eventually but what is more important is what you need to do. You must carry these information discs back to the year 2010 and find Ed give it to him and he will know what needs to be done.” The young woman then opened a small ruby red box and gave 3 compact discs to a bewildered Johnny. “ You are the only one who can save us all may your journey be one of good fortune.”

The woman then called her attendants and Johnny was escorted back to his time machine. He was given the co ordinates of space and time and left. A flash of energy brightened the red sky and the sound of thunder echoed through time and space as Johnny vanished from the past and headed to the future and destiny or so he thought.

When he opened the doors of his time ship he was in a dark underground cavern with bats flying and rats scurrying in all directions. A loud echo was heard in the back distance, “Allo there are you Johnny?”

In astonishment Johnny bellowed , “Y-yeah it is me.”

“I am Ed and you have something for me , some information, give it here.”  Ed was not even visible except for a pale old hand that extended in Johnny’s direction.  He took the discs and then the ground began to violently shake as the Meteor struck the Earth and pummeled the Earth into darkness and a war that threatened the survival of the entire human race. 

“I thought I was to save mankind not cause war and destroy my peaceful future,” cried Johnny. Then there was silence as the cave collapsed and Johnny was no more. Ed smiled as he pulled out his Tran dimensional communicator and called the grey-headed young woman from the past.

“Another parallel universe is ours my Lady,” said Ed