One Day Ago
Priest wasn’t exactly sure what to think. He eyed the room around him as he simply waited, sitting on a cold cot in Dr Quantos’ personal lab. Wires and machinery were strapped all over the large meta’s body, which had been bruised and battered during his run in with an Annunaki in Anctartica. Priest brushed his right hand over his bald head and then simply looked at his hand as it shook. He clenched his chest in pain, and as if on cue, the machines beeped and lit in unison.
Priest wondered just how he was still alive, of course that thanks would go to Phil Smith and one Leslie Kline. They jump started his heart and kept his mind hanging on. But they only delayed the inevitable. Since Priest made the jump to this time period, in an attempt to save his future, he has been without necessary medication and machinery that he had used to keep his powers in check and heart beating.
His original plan was to kill the one who would be responsible for his future’s death, Danny Hearn, and then to find a way home. Plans tend to change. And Priest was able to con the ultimate con man with information about the future in exchange for his membership into the organization. Football game winners, political race outcomes... Things that Priest had extensively studied over his many years of schooling. And with over 80 years of knowledge, Priest could keep Mr. Kit Piper supplied with enough info to keep the greedy man happy for a long time.
Knowing very well that he would have less than two years before his body couldn’t take anymore damage, Priest knew that he had to either kill Danny or find another way to stop what was to happen. But Danny had to go and save Priest, make his question what he had, needed to do. Conflicted, Priest decided to wait it out, little did he know that every action began to tilt the future and change it. Now, who knows what the future holds. An empty slate. I guess one could tell those that think they know what will happen to, leave the past buried.
Finally, Dr. Quantos entered with Anna, one of his usual assistants and Grissom Montag. The two men were arguing on the topic at hand. Dr. Quantos than stopped and proclaimed, “That could work!”
This brought a smirk to Priest’s face, who was completely dumbfounded on what was happening. The few days since the fight in the artic had been a blur filled with a lot of resting in the medical center. Now he woke up in the lab with two of the smartest minds of this time arguing about something.
Grissom approached Priest with a smile, “Rise and shine sleeping beauty” The tech wizard jumped onto the cot besides Priest, “Care for some food?” Grissom pulled a sandwich out of thin air (somewhere Luchadore would be very confused and look high and low in the kitchen but never find his lunch). Priest shook his head, so Grissom took a large bite out of the sandwich.
In between chews, “I know it’s a bit early, but the guys and I got you an early Christmas gift.”
Priest eyed Grissom, who had always been accepting of the future lost soldier. Priest knew that he could trust the man next to him.
“We didn’t wrap it, but…” Grissom waved to Anna to retrieve the “blue prints” from the other room. Slapping them on a stand, Grissom introduced Priest to pictures of his new heart and matching chest plate. Priest was speechless. He had gone over every variation to save his own life with his knowledge of the future but keep reaching dead ends because materials he needed hadn’t been invented yet. But ironically, older more basic technology would be the perfect thing to save his life. Some of the World’s greatest minds have trouble thinking backwards.
Grissom continued, “I put it together while you were out cold, I hope you don’t mind my looking through your personal notes. Dr. Quantos has been here every step along the way to ensure that it wouldn’t do more harm than help and the association known as Vanguard International has been kind enough to foot the very expensive bill.” With a wink he added, “Gotta love our medical plan, eh?”
Priest was truly choked up, “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say a word mate,” Grissom patted Priest on the back, “Just live long enough to make a difference, its all any of us can really do, Priest.”
“Jon.” Priest smiled at Grissom, “You can call me Jon.”
With a laugh, Grissom replied, “Well, Jon, I can’t promise that this will be painless, but you will be asleep though the worse of it, for a few hours. This time tomorrow you should be better than new, well, better than recently at least.”
They shared a laugh, “Thank you. Thank you all.”
