Jake X (3) Coin-in-the-slot Spaceship Captain

Jake X

Coin-In-The-Slot

Spaceship Captain

By

Peter Magycon

Smashwords Edition

COPYRIGHT © 2015 by Peter Magycon

All rights reserved.

Chapter 17

McBlaney

JAKE woke to find himself on a platform seat in McBlaney station. The sun was well up and it appeared to be late morning.At first, Jake felt totally befuddled. There was some vague memory of walking to McBlaney with Elf Prince Jake. The intention was to travel in time and go trainspotting. What had happened?

Jake was now stretched out on a platform seat. It appeared to be morning with bright sunlight shining over the surrounding moors. The ground glittered with dew. He took stock. His head was on his knapsack and he had the time machine clasped in one hand. Several hours seemed to have passed. Judging by the sun, it was now well into the morning. Sitting up on the wooden seat Jake now looked around for Prince Jake. There was no sign of his fellow spotter. Jake immediately had a nasty unworthy thought. Had Prince Jake arrived early -- and immediately moved on to grab the glory for himself?

On the other hand, unless Prince Jake had secret funds he did not now have any British money. Jake felt for his wallet. It was still bulging with bank notes and coins.

Still hoping Prince Jake might turn up, Jake decided to check his assets. He stood up and laid out the contents of his backpack. He had his laptop computer with its various gadgets. He had various clothes. He checked his pockets and founr his wallet, bulging with bank notes and coins. He also found three cigarette cards. They were a picture of a unknown blonde in a bikini (cut from a magazine), a picture of the Mars Lander (also cut from a magazine) and a cigarette card showing Mallard winning the steam speed record. There were two ABC’s with list of LMS and LNER locomotives.There was a card with his name and address, his email number and a picture of his parents at the base of K2. A note said Wish us luck darling!

He continued hise inventory check. He had his rucksack,canned provisions, three bottles of Twisty Water,a sleeping bag and his spare clothes. He checked his own dress. He was wearing jeans,underclothes, a kapok jacket ,socks, heavy boots and his beany.

Eventually he decided to ask a railwayman in the ticket office if there had been any sign of his erstwhile traveling companion, Elf Prince Jake. Jake stood up from his platform seat and moved to the ticket office. He spoke to a booking clerk whose face was adorned with a huge moustache, waxed at both ends.Jake enquired: Had a young person wearing a beanie caught a train this morning?

What direction did the young person travel? North or south?

Whatever the answer, Jake planned to go the opposite way. This would keep a contest fair and even. If he went north he would get the rare Scottish namers. If he went south he would get the bulk of all LNER namers when covering the East Coast Main Line.

When the booking clerk replied his huge moustache waggled. He also tugged his forelock! He replied that he was very, very sorry! He was abjectly remorseful! He could not help His Lordship. He had not seen anyone at all. The station had been extremely quiet all morning as usual. It was always quiet! It was so quiet that all the staff were concerned! The station had only been open for five years, since 1900 and the railway might close it! His Lordship would then be unable to visit his Scottish estate for shooting! He trusted that His Lordship would not allow such a closure to occur. Things would look up next year in 1906 when the new high speed floaters started coming up from London...

Did His Lordship wish to travel back to London and his Circus today?

Jake attempted to understand these replies.

The date was supposed to be 1952.

But the booking clerk said next year,1906.

He also said that the station had been opened for five years, since 1900.

Jake had a shocking thought.

The time machine had misfired!

But why was he being called His Lordship?

What did the clerk mean aboutt his Circus?

Jake decided to ask a direct question.

Why would I want to visit a Circus?

"Why to see everything is alright at your Circus! Boswell’s Circus. To check on your lions and tigers and your elephants and your horses, artistes and your clowns. To check on your roustaboutts. And to be there for the Royalty Visit! Your sister, the Lady Loki Boswell has been on the teleaudio several times today! A great honor! She has enquired after you and asked that you tele her immediately once you reappear from your shooting trip. She has exciting news! Should I tele her now?"

Jake now had several real problems. The time machine had misfired bigtime. Had he now become Lord Jake Boswell? Could that happen? A change of personality? Or did he simply look like the missing Lord Jake Boswell? And where was Prince Jake?

Jake computed rapidly. Standing around at McBlaney station was not likely to yield much. He must find Prince Jake, get the time machine repaired and get on with the mission. And he must get to London to explain things to Lady Loki Boswell.

No! Don’t contact Lady Boswell! said Jake. Do not contact Lady Boswell.I am feeling unwell! I will speak to her later when I recover."

He felt in his pocket and found his wad of notes.

He produced the money and asked: How much for a ticket to London?

The clerk eyed the wad with his eyes almost popping out.

Six pence for first class to London, my Lord, he stammered.

Jake recalled that one pence was something under one pound in old English money.

Twelve pence one shilling...twenty shillings one pound... Jake shuffled through the wad and offered a ten shilling note.

He received a ticket and a pile of coins.Jake then waited on the platform, his rucksack on his back and the time machine under his arm.

Eventually, a train came into view from the north. Remarkably, the engine looked very much like an A4. It carried the name Lloyd George, a name Jake had not seen in any of his ABC’s.He climbed aboard a carriage marked First Class. He threw his rucksack onto a luggage rack. He sat down with the time machine next to him on the seat.

The compartntunuedment was empty apart from Jake. A whistle shrilled.

The train left McBlaney after a short stop. A waiter knocked on Jake’s compartment door and asked Jake if he required refreshment. Would his Lordship care for a snifter? Whisky or gin? Jake declined. The waiter then produced an ornate menu. He told Jake that the dining car was nearby. The food prices were incredibly low. Jake found he was hungry after what must have been a time traveling ordeal. He ordered a rump steak with trimmings followed by an apple pie and pudding. Total cost: two pence!

After a few minutes the same waiter knocked on the door again and Jake followed him to the dining car.The meal was served after a few minutes. Jake tucked in ravenously. His last meal had been constructed from tinned goods in the Underground Prison. And that was in 2012 which was apparently one hundred and five years in the future. In some way, his time trip had made him even more hungry than usual. This was not really new. Jake was normally hungry.

The train ran on smoothly and rapidly. On each side of the track,slim tetrahedrons poked upwards and Jake asked the waiter: Tell me, what do the triangular things do? I had a knock on the head and my memory is shaky. I will seek medical help in London.

I thought your Lordship looked a little under the weather, if you will pardon me. They are, of course, the new teleaudio carriers, Your Lordship. Tele audio tetras. Called by the common folk Tets." Messages flow in both directions throughout the Empire. Everyone of note has a receiver.. Even as we speak, a message that you are safe and well has been sent to your sister,the Lady Loki in London.

Would your Lordship like a brandy snifter to restore your well being?"

Jake declined the offer once more. He gazed out at the passing countryside and noticed a number of what appeared to be wierd airships moving across the sky. They varied in size, from quite small platforms to very large vehicles. Some appeared to be really gigantic. He was tempted to ask the waiter for more information aboutt the air traffic. Then he decided that a claimed knock on the head would hardly account for a total loss of memory. Shortly the train pulled into Edinburgh station.

A milling crowd of reporters jostled around the carriage shouting through the window.

Is your Lordship safe and well? Does the Lady Loki know you are OK? Did you get the Warmblood Talky Tadpole for your Circus? Were you injured in a shooting accident? Will you be appearing in the Royal Performance?

Bulbs flashed and grainy pictures of Jake staring out of the carriage window would be rapidly transmitted north,south, east and west and around the earth.. Jake stayed mute until his train left the station, once again heading south towards Newcastle.

As the train moved, Jake stared through the window at a remarkable vista. The grimy streets of Edinburgh were full of steam vehicles jostling with horse drawn carriages and carts. Kilted pedestrians darted among the jostle. And aboutt 50ft above the roads,vehicles were sailing along at high speed! Jake could not see any wires or supports of any kind. The floating cars simply whizzed along under some kind of invisible drive. Jake stared out through the train window until at length the train was back in open country.

Now only a row of lineside tetrahedrons flashing bycrren.

Jake’s waiter was still hovering near his seat so Jake decided to ask another question. There seem to be many floating vehicles above the streets? he said.

"Yes, indeed Sir! Many, many floaters! Increasing by the day.. Still some old fashioned steam vehicles and horse drawns , of course, but floaters are definitely on the up and up.

Ha,ha! He laughed at his own pun. Floaters on the up and up! All powered by Horry everlasting batteries and running with Palmer antigrav drives. Of course, many nobles like yourself have space going floaters. With local planetary capables. Mars and Venus are, of course being terraformed. There was news aboutt your circus applying for a warmblood talky. The main Warmblood Talky station is on Mars under a dome. Talkies have been a great blessing for all of us. Equine nagivators mean that Starships now have regular schedules to planets in other star systems. That is making us all rich! The share market is booming! I have ten shares in Farstar Line and they paid 2045% interest last year! Progress on every side! The two sunbursts have brought manifold progress, manifold progress! We expect this railway line to be re engineered for floating express trains in the very near future.The word is that the journey time from Edinburgh to London will then be reduced to 25 minutes! Including the usual short halts at Newcastle, York, Doncaster and Grantham! That is a remarkable contraction of journey time! Hardly enough time to serve a meal!"

The oddly shaped slim tetrahedron poles continued to flash past.

At length, a uniformed guard came through the carriage connecting door.

He saluted Jake and offered a telegram.

Jake was obliged to sign a thick pad of forms. As he was being addressed as Lord Jake he scribbled an illegible name onto the pad.

The guard gave him the telegram, saluted and then left the carriage..

The telegram read: Jake! Very relieved you are OK. Great news! Warmblood Talky Association willing rent Tadpole 6 months, two hundred and fifty pounds, all feed and lodgings provided! Meet your train Kings Cross, love,Loki.

The train roared on south as Jake attempted to grapple with his situation.

Was he now a member of the nobility and a Circus owner?

Had he recently rented a Warmblood Talky, whatever that meant.

Both were matters of conjecture. What was real was that he had lost his traveling companion and he was now in a really peculiar time/space. A 1900 time space which had experienced two sunbursts, had antigravity,regular star travel with equine pilots, teleaudio communications and incredibly low prices. It was definitely not the 1900’s in the time/space he had left. In Jake’s own epoch, 1900 definitely did not feature space travel and floating cars. It did not feature railway journeys which took 60 minutes from London to Edinburgh. In Jake’s 2012 humans were still using ground vehicles. Space travel involved massive rockets. The Moon had been reached but Mars was still only a vague plan. Travel to distant stars was still regard as impossible. Einstein said it was impossible so it must be. In that case, how had people in 1910 managed it?

Jake wrenched his mind to more immediate problems. He had lost his traveling companion, had no idea of his purpose in traveling and he was aboutt to meet a sister he had never met before!

Jake then remembered his laptop. Incredibly, Google fired up. He was looking at news from 2012! Completely irrelevant to someone marooned in some kind of wierd 1905! But ...maybe anti gravity and star travel and Horry batteries had been kept secret in his own time?

Were the Major Powers actually zapping around the stars, trading whatsits for beads and stuff? Had they got a battery that would last forever? He must ask the know all Google.

He typed: list: anti gravity machines, star travel, teleaudios,everlasting Horry batteries,etc.

The screen showed a little dog running around scratching. A list followed. Demo of potential anti grav machine by British engineer. Test rig lifted 10 cm under electronic power.. Teleaudio unknown phrase. Everlasting battery – Ever Ready rechargeable?

Jake closed the lid and put the laptop back into his rucksack. He gazed out of the window. Outside he could see floaters flying in all directions. Clearly anti gravity had been discovered here. On the other hand there would be no anti gravity floaters in 2012. So what had happened in the intervening century? Was he in some peculiar time warp? And if so, lacking the time machine how could he ever get back home.

His obsession with train spotting had got him into deep, deep trouble.

Jake dozed as the train roared on towards London.

Chapter 18

Jake meets Loki

It was late evening when Jake’s train arrived at Kings Cross. The train was met by a massive jostling crowd. Jake picked up his rucksack and moved to the carriage door. A railway guard blew his whistle. A double line of police then formed,holding back the crowds, and forming a passage from Jakes carriage door to a small glass door marked 1st Class Waiting Room.

"Her ladyship is waiting for