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  I know, I know, this was supposed to go on the Fanfic ML. Well,
for some reason or another, I keep getting errors. It looks like the
ML denies to acknowledge this address, even while I subscribed on
Thursday...
  Well, while I see what can I do about coollist, I'll send this one
using the ML. I apologize for doing so and I promise that this
won't happen again (unless the ML daemon at collist keeps denying my
existence).
  Some words about this fic... The "time" in the title does not mean
"Time Travel". You see, I didn't like "The Edge of Yesterday", not 
only because of the way Second Seasoners messed with Rage, but also 
because I didn't like the way they treated time travel.
  First of all, I don't think time travel is possible. Second of all,
I hated the idea of the Rachel program. And the list goes on and on..
So, for this fic, I'll pretend BQ didn'd discover time travel, OK?
HOwever, time travel is not the only way you can play with time.
Keep reading and you'll see what I mean...
  Oh, yeah, no HR. That's right, no WAFFy, mushy scenes in this fic,
and no "Gee, how I love her" lines, OK? No, I'm not becoming a 
AGALAIHRAn!!! I'm just saving my HRism for "On The Land of the
Marimba", coming to a mailbox near you... sometime this month.
  Well, here is the fic!

	Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except Mary
		    Walker and the staff of the Chronos Complex! Oh,
		    yeah, I am not making any money with this!

	Synopsis: A trip to a laboratory that does research on time?
		  Why does that sounds like trouble?

	Classification: E

	Archivers: Go ahead!

			-----------------------
			 The Time of Your Life
			  by Carlos Rodriguez
			-----------------------

			      Chapter One
		               (of Five)
			    "Introductions"

	The roar of the engines of the Dragonfly came to a total halt.
Not two seconds had elapsed before the back ramp of the Quest
Enterprises jet had opened and a blonde-haired boy appeared. He was
riding what looked like a skateboard, but it didn't have any wheels. 
In fact, it was floating a foot above the ground.
	"New York, here I come!" he shouted, as he rode his machine
down the ramp.
	"Not so fast, hotshot!" a read haired girl yelled. "I'm not
going to carry your bags!"
	He rode back to the cargo hold of the jet.
	"Sorry, Jess, I guess I got carried away a little." he said
as he reached her.
	"Actually, we are not going to have time to visit the city." a
dark skinned boy said to them both. "We must be at the Chronos Complex
tonight."
	The blond-haired boy sighed, a little disappointment showing
in his blue eyes. It was not easy being the son of Dr. Benton Quest,
renowned scientist and and owner of Quest Enterprises, one of the most
important research industries that ever existed. Sure, he had the
chance to travel all over the world and do things that most kids
could only dream of, but sometimes he had curb his adventurous spirit
and play the dutiful son
	"Don't worry, Jonny." the read haired-girl told him. Jessica
Bannon, daughter of Roger "Race" Bannon, Benton Quest's Chief of
Operations, shared Jonny's love for adventure. "I'm sure we will find
a way to escape later. Won't we, Hadji?"
	Hadji Singh cleared his throat. He was not as impulsive as his
adoptive brother, but somehow he and Jessie always managed to drag him
into situations that he did not want to be in! He had learned that it
didn't matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep those two out of
trouble. And if you can't defeat them... So he simply nodded. "I think
Dr. Quest won't mind if we spend a day or two in the city... after
we're finished at the Chronos Complex."
	A voice interrupted them as an athletic, white-haired man
appeared through the door to the cockpit. "OK, kids, enough chi chat
Grab your bags." ordered Roger "Race" Bannon. "We are leaving now for
the Complex."
	"Sure, dad." replied Jessie with a smile.
	A red-haired man appeared behind Race. His temples were covered
with white, and silvery threads were starting to appear on his beard,
but these were the only things that hinted at his true age. "Don't
worry Jonny. Right now I have to meet Dr. Dhatu to discuss the research
that has ben going on at the Chronos Complex. But I promise you'll
have a chance to explore the city before we leave."
	Jonathan Quest grinned. "Slammin'!"

	Jonny had to admit it: the new Quest Stream was quite
coMfortable. He leaned back in his seat, enjoying the cool ventilation
and the soft music...
	Perhaps a little too soft.
	"Hey, Race, how about something with a little more tempo?"
	"Well, I could play the Macarena."
	"Dad!"
	"Just a joke, Ponchita. But I'm afraid Jonny will have to stick
with this music. That's all I've got!"
	Jonny groaned. He had forgotten his discman and his CDs back at
home. Perhaps... "Hey, Jess, don't you have some music in your bag?"
	"Forget it, Quest. I enjoy quiet, soft music once in a while,
you know?"
	'Oh, great,' he thought as he leaned back once again in his
seat and closed his eyes. Hadji was meditating in the back, so he
couldn't ask him. Besides, knowing Hadji, all he would have would be
those jazz CDs he liked to listen to.
	"Dr. Quest, what exactly are you going to do at the Chronos
Complex?" Jessie asked. Then she quickly added "That is, if it's
public knowledge."
	"Of course, Jessie. You see, the project the Complex is
currently working on is not producing results as quickly as the
government had hoped, so it is withdrawing the research grant. Dr.
Dhatu thinks he may be onto something, but without money he will not
get very far. So he has asked for grant from Quest Enterprises."
	"I see... What is Dr. Dhatu working on?"
	"Time manipulation."
	Jonny opened his eyes. "Slammin'!"
	"But I thought time travel was impossible!" Jessie exclamed.
	"Actually, it is. At least as far as we know. But 'travel'
is not the same thing as 'manipulation'."
	Jonny was getting interested. "What does that mean, Dad?"
	"Dr. Dhatu thinks that while time can't be reversed, it can be
stretched. We can force it to go faster or to go slower. He call this
process 'time dilation'."
	"Well, I don't think he has anything new. Time *always* goes
slow whenever Race is trying to teach me the wonders of trigonometry!"
	Race protested. "Jonny!"
	"Sorry, it's true!" he replied with a grin.
	Benton chuckled. "Actually, you may have a good point there.
Does your brain make you think that time is going more slowly, or have
you really managed to slow time?"
	"You're starting to sound like Hadji, Dad."
	He ignored the remark. "Anyway, if Dr. Dhatu is right, then
he has stumbled upon the discovery of the century. For example, we
could use time dilation to explore the galaxy. A trip that would take
a thousand years could be shortened to just a couple of months, at
least as far as the crew is concerned."
	"Einstein predicted that." Jessie pointed out. "If you travel
near the speed of light, time goes slower for you. So if you travel
to Alpha Centauri and back, you will age only four years, but
back on Earth, a thousand years would have gone by."
	Dr. Quest nodded. "You are right Jessie. But you the key words
are 'near the speed of light'. Dr. Dhatu has gone around that barrier.
Or so he claims."
	"But the time manipulation would only have an effect on a small
group of people. The rest of the world would experience 'normal' time."
	Benton Quest was about to reply to Jessie's remarks when Race
interrupted their conversation. "Ladies and Gentleman, we have arrived
at the Chronos Complex."


	During his travels with his father, Jonny had met many
important scientists from all over the world, and he knew that most
just didn't fit the stereotypes that were attributed to them. 
Scientists rarely have white beards or wear scruffy clothes.  They
don't go everywhere in a lab coat nor wear glasses held together by
tape.
	Except Dr. Dhatu.
	He was the stereotypical geeky scientist... and then some.
	"Hello, Benton!" he said with a surprisingly deep baritone
voice. "I'm pleased to see you again!"
	"Zacek! It's good to see you, too. Let me introduce you to
my family..."
	After all the formalities have been meet, Dr. Dathu guided the
small party  deeper into the Complex.
	"We have been working on this for almost a decade. And now
we almost have it. I can feel it in my bones, Benton. Ironically, all
I need is a little more time."
	He stopped near a door marked "MAIN COMPUTER ROOM - AUTHORIZED
PERSONNEL ONLY".
	"Let me show you the heart of the Chronos Complex."
	He opened the door and stepped aside to let the visitors take
a peek.
	The door lead onto a small platform several feet above
the ground. Behind it, there was a huge room filled with computers.
Several people dressed in lab coats could be seen working on the
huge machines. And in the center of the room there was an holographic
projector, showing a blue sphere surrounded by big blue numbers.
	"SIMULATION READY" a computerized female voice announced.
"RUNNING STAGE ONE."
	The numbers surrounding the blue sphere started to change.
A green number ratio appeared on one corner, which read "1:1".
	"Dr. Dhatu, what does that green number stand for?" Jonny
asked in a low voice.
	"It shows the relationship between 'real' time and the time
dilated inside the sphere." he answered distractedly.
	"APPLYING ENERGY" the voice announced again, as the sphere
started to rotate on its axis. The blue numbers changed much faster
now.
	"STAGE ONE COMPLETED. ENTERING STAGE TWO."
	The blue numbers were changing so fast now they were only
a blur. A red counter appeared above the rotating sphere that said
"Real Time: 00:01.10". Jonny didn't need to be a genius to know it
was a chronometer. He glanced at the green numbers, which now read
1:0.98.
	Then suddenly the sphere changed its color to red. "ENERGY
HAS REACHED ALLOWED LEVELS. EXITING STAGE TWO. STOPPING SIMULATION."
	Slowly, the sphere stopped its rotation as the blue numbers
froze. The green and red numbers disappeared.
	"Slammin'!" Jessie whispered, in a voice so low that only Jonny
could heard her.
	"That was quite impressive." Hadji said. "Was that a simulation
of time dilation?"
	"Yes, it was." replied a cheerful Dr. Dhatu. "It lasted two
seconds, until the energy levels forced Noys to stop the simulation.
That's one of our best times so far. C'mon, I'll introduce you to the
research team."
	He walked down the stairs. Jonny looked at Jessie. 'Two
seconds? That was an advance?' Jessie must have guessed Jonny's
thoughts because she shrugged, then followed Dr. Dhatu.

	A black-haired woman was copying some numbers from her
terminal display to an old paper notebook.
	"Noys, please run once again the last five miliseconds before
the energy burst."
	"WORKING." the computerized voice answered. "READY TO START
ON YOUR COMMAND."
	"Hey, Mary, could you stop working for a minute so I can
introduce you our visitors?"
	She glanced up from the terminal at the sound of Dr. Dhatu's
voice. "Zacek! Of course..." She raised from her chair and Jonny
noticed that she was quite tall, only a couple of inches shorter than
Race. She looked like she was in her late twenties. Her long raven
hair fell halfway down her back and her gray eyes were deep and
penetrating. She extended a well manicured hand to Benton Quest. "Dr.
Quest, I suppose."
	Benton smiled. "And you must Mary Walker. Zacek has mentioned
you several times during our phone conversations."
	She blushed a little. "Well, yes, I think..."
	Dhatu chuckled. "You must forgive her. She is very modest.
The truth is, since she walked into the project a little over a year
ago, our research has advanced through leaps and bounds."
	"Well, Dr. Walker..."
	"Oh, please, call me Mary, Dr. Quest."
	"In that case, I must insist you to call me Benton."
	She smiled. "Benton, then."
	"As I was saying, this is my son..."
	"Jonny. And you must be Jessie and Hadji." She turned to Race.
"And you must be Mr. Bannon."
	Race was stunned. "How did you...?"
	"Well, when I heard the world-famous Benton Quest was coming
I couldn't help but read the articles about him. I found it quite
interesting to know that all your family traveled with you around the
world, Benton, and..."
	"AWAITING FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. SHOULD I CONTINUE?"
	Mary looked to the ceiling. "Place hold the simulation for
now, Noys." she ordered.
	Jessie had a puzzled look in her face. "Dr. Dhatu, was that
what I think it was?"
	"Oh, yeah. I forgot to introduce you to Noys. Noys! Basic ID
Info!"
	"NOYS. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPUTER, VERSION 2.50. RUNNING
IRIS OPERATING SYSTEM. MANUFACTURED AT QUEST ENTERPRISES."
	Jonny grinned. "Dad, you didn't mention one of IRIS' sisters
was working here."
	"In fact, this was the first thing we purchased with our grant
money." Dhatu explained. "The IRIS interface is so intelligent that it
has increased our research capabilities 10-fold." He grinned. "It is
worth every penny we sacrificed to your father!"
	"What does 'Noys' mean?" Jessie asked.
	"It isn't an acronym, if that's what you mean. 'Noys' was a
character in a time-travelling novel I read many, many years ago.
In fact, it was that book that got me interested in time
experimentation. And speaking of time..." He glanced at his watch.
"It is dinner time!" He turned to the researcher. "Mary, would you care 
to 
join us?"
	"I would be glad to. Noys! Cancel simulation."
	"SIMULATION CANCELLED."
	"Close all files of the Time Dilation Project, please."
	"CLOSING PROJECT... DONE."
	The globe in the center of the room flickered a few times
and disapeared.
	"That'll be all for today, guys." she announced in a loud voice
so everyone could hear. "I'll see you tomorrow!" Then, she turned to
the small group before her. "I'll be right back. I'll just need to go
to the ladies' room to freshen up."
	"You'll like her." Dhatu said as soon as Mary was out of
listening range. "She is the soul of the project. You should have
seen how excited she was when I mentioned you were coming here, Benton.
She really admires your work."

	Mary stepped into the bathroom. After a quick inspection
confirmed that she was completely alone, she raised a hand to her hair
and produced a small metallic device. She brought it near her mouth and
said, almost in a whisper "This is Agent Eilonwy. They are here.
I repeat, _they_ _are_ _here_.
	"Everything is going according to plan..."

	Yeah, this will continue!

 _________________________________________________________
|                              |                          |
|  Carlos Rodriguez            |  Cannot find REALITY.SYS |
|  carlosrgz@hotmail.com       |  Universe halted         |
|______________________________|__________________________|


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