Johnny O'Brien - Day of the Assassins

The professor smiled at the look of wonder on Jack’s face. “Beautiful, don’t you think?”

“… bit scary.”

The professor grinned broadly and slapped him on the back, “Well, let’s see if we can’t find something to make you feel better.”

He moved over to his bags. He seemed very well equipped and soon had Jack wrapped up in a thick woollen blanket in one corner of the basket. Next, he produced a large flask of steaming coffee and then some hard, bitter chocolate, which crumbled dryly in Jack’s mouth.

“Main course later… we might need to ration ourselves a little…” The professor’s English was perfect, but he had quite a strong accent. Jack began to warm up… and he felt a little more confident.

“Are you from England?” he asked.

The professor looked back at him from his own corner of the basket as he cupped a tin mug brimming with coffee. He pretended to be offended, “Certainly not. I’m German. Well, by nationality anyway. I’m a scientist. Or more an inventor, really.”

“How does a German get to be aboard a British battleship? Particularly when war is about to break out.”

The professor looked puzzled. “War? I don’t think so.” He frowned. “The European powers certainly have their differences, but war — I doubt it… Our diplomacy is too good. Many crises have been averted over the last few years — Agadir, the Balkans. Surely nobody wants war — certainly not between Germany and England.”

“Even so, how does a German get to be aboard a British battleship?”

The professor shrugged. “As I said, I’m a scientist.” Jack was none the wiser. “This,” he gestured proudly to the huge balloon above their heads, “is my invention. The navy are interested in using it for spotting at sea. We were about to conduct a test, but then something went wrong with the winding gear.”

“You can say that again.”

“It’s very exciting.”

“What is?”

“Well… obviously the navy is paying me for my new design, but I had planned that, once perfected, I might use the balloon to set a world record. Your navy and I are helping each other, if you like.”

This was getting better and better, Jack thought. “A world record for what?”

“Distance travelled by air — of course.”

Jack’s heart sank. “Oh no. And now you think you might have a chance?”

“I admit not quite in the circumstances I expected…” the professor peered out over the basket, “but, I must say, the conditions look most favourable.”

“Why would the British employ a German scientist on one of their most important battleships?”

“Well, of course Dreadnought is not as state of the art as she once was… and I have helped the navy out on various bits and pieces. Anyway, they know my politics.”

“Politics?”

“I have none. Well… I’m a pacifist. Don’t approve of politics.” He shrugged. “But if you need your research funded or your balloon tested, there are limited options.” He gave another apologetic shrug and there was a pause before he looked across at Jack curiously, “Well I have given you my story,” he said, “perhaps you should tell me how you come to be here…” Jack started to feel nervous as the professor’s blue eyes drilled into him. “You seem maybe a bit young to be a regular sailor in the king’s navy. And the escapade back down there might suggest that you are maybe, shall we say… in trouble?”

Jack weighed up his options. Should he tell the truth? He said the first thing that came into his head.

“Oh that’s easy. I’m Jack Christie. I’m a time traveller from the future — and I’m being chased by time police who want to kill me.”

For a moment, there was silence as the balloon cut through the sky. Then the professor shook as he let out a second wheezy, high-pitched laugh, “Excellent, excellent!” he cried. “Jack Christie — you and I are going to get along very well. Very well indeed…” He then scrabbled inside his bags again, chortling to himself, long after Jack’s remark ceased to be remotely funny.

“More chocolate?”

Professor August Pinckard-Schnell might be as mad as a March hare — but at least he was making Jack feel better.

“Thanks professor.”

Soon, the professor became distracted. He rose once more from his position, sniffed the air, looked about and then moved around the basket from one corner to the next. “Now, we need to make sure we prepare ourselves properly… it is all about optimising our chances.” He checked the burner, which had not yet been used, and ensured that all the gas cylinders were properly secured. He looked up towards the gas bag above, which completely overshadowed them, inspecting it carefully. He glanced several times at the afternoon sun, narrowing his eyes, and then scribbled in a scruffy notebook. This went on for a full ten minutes while Jack hunkered down in his corner of the basket.

When the professor finished he announced, “We seem to be maintaining our height. Still going east, or more south east, really. Fast, we are travelling fast. Maybe eighty kilometres an hour. Although it does not feel that fast.” He pondered what all this might mean, “If we keep going at this rate, well…” he grinned, “a world record! Easily. A world record for manned flight!”

“I’m very happy for you.”

“We should maybe try to increase our height a little… what do you say, Jack? Would you like to try the burner?”

Jack was not quite sure what he meant, but then the professor pointed at the large metal burner in the middle of the basket.

“It’s easy, quite safe,” the professor said. “You just do this.” He pulled a lever and there was an ear-splitting whoosh as a large flame licked up towards the aperture underneath the balloon, way above their heads. The professor smiled reassuringly and gestured for Jack to have a go. Jack put his hand on the lever and repeated the procedure. Again, there was a roar as the flame from the burner shot skywards. He jumped back and watched as the flame receded, soon replaced by the silent sky as they sailed on. Reassured that the procedure had not resulted in the balloon going up in a ball of flames, Jack gained a little more confidence, and took a second opportunity to inspect the breathtaking view from their vantage point. Soon his remaining fear melted away — replaced by a surging exhilaration. The air was like crystal and you could see a hundred and sixty kilometres in every direction.

“Funny,” Jack remarked. “No vapour trails.”

The professor looked at him oddly, “No what?”

“You know, vapour trails. I was just thinking, professor, it’s funny that you can’t see any vapour trails from all the jets… there’s usually loads…” Jack suddenly realised what he had said and his voice trailed off self-consciously, “even where I live…”

The professor looked puzzled. “‘Jet’, ‘vapour trail’ — these are English expressions I have not heard before…”

Jack grimaced, “Sorry professor, doesn’t matter, it’s just where I come from… we have some funny words for stuff — there’s a bunch more I probably need to teach you as well, like ‘Google’, ‘iPod’, and ‘Global Warming’. That kind of thing.” He shrugged, “But you won’t need to worry about any of them.”

The professor frowned, “I see… oh well… you must, er, tell me what they mean… sometime.” He put his notebook back in his bag and began to busy himself with retrieving some more provisions. Soon he had laid out quite a feast. Sausages were produced, bread and some cheese.

“I hope this is OK…” the professor said airily.

They ate and the professor probed again.

“So, come Jack — the truth now… what were you really doing aboard the ship… Had you stowed away? Maybe trouble with your family — at home? Maybe I can help?”