The day started like most others and James rolled into work about eight, a lot earlier than if he was just dealing with the store, but he had promised Tommy that he would get the information for the potential deal to buy countrywide. Today was the day that he was going to present what he had to him. It was a pain in the ass, but since it had already happened he knew what was coming and how to avoid it.

He wasn’t a legal expert, but he had all of the court records, names, times etc so that he could consult with more lawyers to figure out what they could do. The fact was he had talked to several already, but more information was always good. As he unlocked the door to enter though he smelled something weird. The lights were already on as well.

James followed the aroma to the diner in the middle. It was ablaze with the logos and lights that it normally did when it was in full use, usually at night during gaming events. He entered through one of the doors and saw Tommy sitting there having an omelet.

“Morning sunshine,” Tommy said between bites. “Tell the chef what you want and he will make it.”

James looked back into the kitchen and saw a man working the grill. “What the hell is going on? I don’t remember telling you I was presenting what I found to you today.”

Tommy stopped a moment and looked at him, “I didn’t know. I thought you said you needed a couple of weeks?”

“I got done ahead of time.”

“Well then, that makes today a double event. I am meeting with Todd’s lawyer today in New York. I got a call from him yesterday.”

“So now it’s all coming together?”

“Of course, a private will reading. I assume you want to tag along, while we travel you can pitch what you got to me.”

“That works. When are we leaving?”

“As soon as you eat and grab what you need to.”

Soon, after the best breakfast he ever had, James and Tommy were off to a regional airport that wasn’t far from their store. The Sparta regional airport was just one strip and a few hangers. James had never been there before and had no idea that his friend had a plane there, or even knew anyone with a plane. But given the story he had been told and what he had witnessed he was bound to believe almost anything at this point.

They arrived at the airport and didn’t stop at the small terminal there, instead the driver kept going to the edge of the field and then towards the hangers through an open gate. When they reached the farthest hanger a small just was sitting on the tarmac with its engines running. The door was open with the stairs down and a very attractive flight attendant.

The car stopped and the driver opened the door. They both got out and walked to and into the plane. The attendant followed them on. She pulled the stairs up and closed the door. Then went to the cockpit. Soon the plane was taxing on the runway and prepared for take-off. The usual spiel came over the speakers and they buckled in. Soon they were in the air and flying along at cruising altitude.

The legging blonde attendant came over to them. “Is there anything I can get you gentlemen?”

“I will just have a beer,” Tommy said. He then looked at James, “It is a full-service flight there bud, you can have anything.” He winked as he finished the sentence.

James thought a minute. “Just a pop.” The attendant smiled and turned, winking at Tommy as she went to the front to get their drinks. “What the hell did you do as Todd?”

“Well its not like I could have a wife and kids, is it? Besides it is consensual. They are paid to do the job they do, everything else is just a bonus.”

“What do you mean they?” As James finished the sentence, A redhead and Burnette attendants came from the back of the plane.

“I mean officially they work for the estate of Mr. Matherson. They are just that, attendants, but select persons can partake in extra benefits. Well just me. But I have only flown on here twice before when I had too.”

“Anyway, back to the business at hand.”

“Yeah. Once we get to New York and meet with the lawyer, then we will discuss your thing and take action from there.”

Their drinks arrived and James settled down a little. “I do have a question though, I am sure you knew it was coming eventually.”

“The future?”

“Of course.”

“Remember how one can’t go back farther than they have existed, but they retain their age?”

“Yeah.”

“Well the one time I jumped to the future, it was ten years. As soon as I arrived I felt pain all throughout my body. I saw a doctor. Nothing was wrong with me per say, I just had the body of a regular fifty-year-old.”

“You aged when you jumped?”

“Exactly. I figure if I had stayed I would have stayed at that age, but it makes it awkward. I have no idea what the shock would do to me if I jumped farther. I think it is the universes way of keeping a check on time travel.”

“By the way, aren’t you worried about what the ladies might hear?”

“No, they are in the back. After take off they go back there unless called. We don’t have to worry.”

James looked around and realized they weren’t there. The cockpit was closed as well. It was just the two of them in a nice leather interior jet traveling from Michigan to New York. “I guess I can’t knock the travel arrangements.”

“You better not. As I was saying though. I mean it might be because traveling back is easier since everything is already set. If you go to the future so many unknowns are there, that settling on one makes the process hit the traveler the way it did me.”

“That goes against everything science fiction has told us. I mean time travel to the future is real according the relatively.”

“That isn’t time travel that is moving at different speeds through space time. Relative to those moving slower, time passes faster. Just jumping around is different.”

“So you do know what is going on?”

“Hell no. I just made the machine, I have no idea how temporal mechanics work. Its like the first boats. Man figured out wood floats and made a raft, but he couldn’t explain the physics around it. He just knew it works. Maybe someday someone will figure all this stuff out and make a time machine that counteracts all the things mine can’t. Like how later ships could be made of steal and all that jazz.”

“So, you are just a humble boat builder with no idea how it really works?”

“Nope. I just did some basic quantum math, applied it with engineering and poof, time travel. The finer details are someone else’s problem.”

“You will have to tell me more about it someday.”

“Not how to. That is going to die with me. Besides you are a finance guy, once I get past intermediate physics I would lose you.”

“Good point.”