Saving Time (The Time Police) by Jodi Taylor

Author:Jodi Taylor [Taylor, Jodi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2021-10-13T16:00:00+00:00

Team 236’s pod cracked into existence in the Pod Bay, hit the floor with a crash, slithered a few feet, tipped, righted itself and finally came to a halt against the wall.

Not a second later, the Pod Bay was full of flashing lights and screeching alarms. All non-essential personnel got out as fast as they could go. With a series of thuds that made the building shudder, the blast doors came down. Throughout TPHQ, personnel lined up for immediate evacuation. Shouting officers cleared the panicking public out of the atrium.

Major Ellis was lunching with Officer North as the alarms went off. Seized by a sudden premonition he could not have explained even if he’d had time to, he broke off in mid-sentence and ran from the room. North followed close behind him.

Back in the Pod Bay . . .

Having ascertained there was no danger of imminent explosion, the Senior Mech was issuing instructions to his team to get the crew out, shouting to make himself heard over the clamour of the alarms.

The door opened to reveal the inside of the pod thick with swirling dust.

The Senior Mech’s first thought was that given the amount of rubble littering the floor, it was a miracle the pod had jumped at all. The AI’s safety protocols had obviously overridden those of the pod. Red lights flashed everywhere. Wires hung from the ceiling, spitting sparks. Jane lay on the floor, her eyes not quite focused.

Someone shouted for a medtec. A medical team was already pushing through the doors from MedCen.

The Senior Mech took one swift look at the console, satisfied himself that nothing explosive was about to occur and began to shut things down.

Luke, his face white with dust and shock, was helped out of the door. He made it only so far and then his legs gave way and he collapsed to the floor. Jane followed.

The Senior Mech stuck his head out of the door. ‘Where’s the other one?’

Jane was crying. Great tears tracked through the dust and dirt on her face, mingling with the blood.

Luke stared blankly at the doctor, who shook him gently. ‘Answer him. Where’s your teammate. Where’s Farrell? Do we need to send someone back for him? What happened?’

Ellis and North arrived. Both took in the situation at a glance.

Ellis said something. No one ever remembered what it was. He turned away to stare at a wall.

The doctor put his hand on Luke’s shoulder, and gripped it gently, saying, ‘Look at me, lad. Where’s young Farrell?’

Luke found he couldn’t look at anyone. He shook his head.

It was Jane who somehow found the words.

‘Matthew didn’t make it.’

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