Out of Time 01 - Out of Time

are, but when. Judging from the cars and style of dress, we appear to be in the late twenties.”
    “Twenties? As in Nineteen Twenties? You can’t be serious.”
    “Perhaps early thirties, I’ll need to check.” Research—the haven for a logical mind. Simon always sought refuge in detail, in the search for answers. His entire career had been built on the foundation that anything could be proven, no matter how incredible it sounded, if the right research was performed.
    “Check what?” Elizabeth asked. “I think you’d better tell me what the hell’s going on.”
    Simon held out the watch and stared down at the complicated dials. “If I’m reading this properly, I’d say it’s 1929. July Seventeenth, to be exact.”
    Elizabeth let go of his arm and stepped back. The color drained from her face, and her voice trembled. “That’s impossible.”
    A fresh wave of guilt washed over Simon. He couldn’t afford to give in to it. “It seems that my grandfather was more than merely eccentric.”
    Elizabeth stared at him, her expression blank. “Are you saying that thing’s some sort of time machine?”
    “Apparently.”
    “That’s impossible.”
    “Apparently not.”
    She put her fists on her hips and looked at him accusingly. “You’re awfully calm about this.”
    He was anything but calm. Still, he knew they had to keep a clear head if they were going to find a way out of this mess. “Would you prefer I panic?”
    “A little, yeah. I mean—Hello! Time travel. Not an everyday thing,” she said, a frown coming to her face. “Unless, you’ve done this before.”
    “Don’t be absurd.”
    “Yeah, wouldn’t want to be absurd standing in an alley in Nineteen Twenty-Nine.”
    Simon took a deep calming breath. “I assure you, if I had any idea what this watch was capable of...”
    “I know. I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said, wringing her hands. “It’s like some bizarre episode of Star Trek. Where’s Spock when you need him?”
    “I don’t see what Dr. Spock had to do with—”
    “Mister Spock. Oh, never mind.” She took a deep breath. “Okay. The watch got us here, right? So, it can take us back.”
    “Logical.”
    She giggled, but quickly subdued it under the heat of his glare. “Sorry. Must be time travel jitters. So, undo it. Put it in reverse or whatever.”
    “I don’t think we should stumble ahead blindly.”
    “Worked getting us here.”
    Simon blanched at the remark. Whatever had happened to them was his fault. He could bear that, if there were a way to undo it.
    “I didn’t mean that the way it came out.”
    “No, you’re quite right, Miss West,” Simon said. The weight of their situation truly dawning on him. If he’d been alone he could have faced it without pause. But now, for the first time in his life, he was responsible for someone else. “The situation is entirely my fault.”
    Elizabeth tentatively put a hand on his arm. “Who knew your granddad was a time traveler? And I can’t believe I actually said that.”
    Simon felt the unaccustomed need to comfort welling inside him again. Compassion had never been a strong suit of his. If anything, the opposite was true. “You do know that I would never knowingly endanger you.”
    “I know that. I... You think I’m in... I mean, we’re in danger?”
    “We’re in an unknown situation. I’d prefer to err on the side of caution.”
    “Agreed. Let’s err there.”
    Simon couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was going to happen. It was more than the lingering memories of his dream. More than the situation they’d been thrust into. He’d never given much credence to hunches, but he had a sense he’d started something in motion bringing them here. Something he wouldn’t be able to control. Something inevitable.
    “Not that it isn’t unique, being here, wherever it is,” Elizabeth said. “But maybe we should try to get back home?”
    “Agreed.”
    “We’ll just re-create everything,” she continued. “You were holding the watch. Did you do anything to it? Push any buttons?”
    “The stem did extend, but...”
    “Okay. Just do exactly what you did before.”
    “I’m not sure that’s wise. I’d much rather be sure of what I’m doing before I make another mistake.”
    “It’s worth—”
    A thick metal door swung open with a loud clang. Elizabeth jumped at the sound and grabbed Simon’s arm. A large, burly, unshaven man stepped into the alley. His white undershirt was stained a