Gaining Lost Time- Chapter Seven

Story by Furry Sith Lord on SoFurry

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#8 of Gaining Lost Time


Chapter Seven

"Revelations Now"

By

Furry Sith Lord

Lou had called my dorm room and franticalled shouted about how everything had better be perfect. His father had arrived on the campus and he was terrified that things would not go well. I was a bit worried myself because I only had a month left in the semester and I had still not started making a working model of the energy conductor that would somehow send me back in time.

From what I remembered of the machine you feed a small bit of energy into it and it magnifies that energy then sends it through time. Some of the energy is used to power the machine and some is used as a source to start the cycle.

After learning about string theory from Justin, I could see that the energy is pulled into a series of strings that can transcend time and space. Since energy cannot be created or destroyed it would have to be teleported or sent in a way that it could move through time. I figured that when I was hit by a blast of energy from the machine then I became pure energy and was sent back in time.

The question was: If I can go backwards in time then can I go forwards? Technically I should not be able to go backwards in time so who was to say I could not go forward? It should be possible to return to where I was if I could figure this damn machine out.

"Ehem," Lou said as he politely cleared his throat. I jerked my head up to see him standing in one of his fine suits and not the usual school uniform he wore.

"My father has arrived and is gracing you with a visit." Lou dictated and Oziah looked in and sneered at the tight cramped nature of my room. Overall my room was immaculate but the rooms the school gave us were a little cramped. I sat on my bed in a t-shirt and jeans but felt as if I was only in my fur as I saw the expensive suits they wore.

"Slave, is that how you treat your master?" Oziah said with a smirk and I jumped off my bed and bowed slightly feeling my face blush. Oziah, on the other paw, seemed pleased by my reaction as if I had given him what he wanted. I looked at Lou and he kept looking at the floor but his face expressed outrage. He was going to punish me later for not being better dressed and acting accordingly.

"You may leave us, son." he said and a startled look passed on Lou's face and he bowed slightly then left my room and closed the door behind him.

"He loves you; you know." I said as Oziah sat on the edge of my bed and a surprised look crossed his face.

"I am well aware of this, however, he will never become the man he will be if I baby him."

"Oh, he'll be a great man, better than you realize... only it wouldn't hurt to let him know that you love him too." I said. I don't know what came over me but I felt he should know. My father spends all his time trying to win his approval and affection but my grandfather dismissed his efforts. It was infuriating!

"How do you know that? Is there something you're not telling me?" I lowered my ears and looked at my feet. I still was not sure if I should tell him about where I come from.

"I've been searching for your family and I can find no trace of them anywhere. No record of a deer and a wolf doing a blood transfusion into a tiger. I've checked with every vet on the planet. My son tells me that your memory has returned so I think it's time you tell me the truth about yourself before I give you to slavers and you'll never bee seen again." Oziah said as calmly as if he wanted a glass of water. His eyes watched me trying to pierce through me.

I realized my grandfather was the same as my father and I could not hide the truth anymore. I needed him to build the machine and if he sold me to someone else I'd never get home. His eyes continued to pierce into me as I tried searching for the words to explain everything to him.

"I'm not sure how to explain everything to you. My story is unbelievable and may be dangerous for you to know the truth...I..." I said and began stammering as my heart felt like it leaped up to my throat.

"Try me." Oziah said sternly.

"You won't find any records of me or my brother," I started.

"My brother and I." He corrected and I tried to not get annoyed by that but then he told me to continue so I did.

"Because I haven't been born yet..."

"What?!" He interrupted again.

"There was an accident and I think I was sent back in time." Oziah began to laugh and my face became redder. I fell silent to let him finish and tried to remain calm as each laugh felt like a punch to my ego.

"Go on," he said as he wiped his eyes from the laughter.

"I'm your grandson," I said and he sobered up very quickly and glared at me.

"My birth adults sold me as a slave when they saw that I was a rare white fur species. The slaver that had me also had a white lion cub and he became my brother. One day your son... my father and his husband," I explained.

"Did you say husband?!" Oziah interrupted but his face was calm and in a way not really surprised. I nodded quietly but I was not able to look him in the eyes because I doubted he believed me. It felt humiliating to be pouring out my heart to him and he laughed and thought it a joke.

Boys liking other boys is very common in the species culture we live in. Only a few traditional families that had to keep their reputation made a big deal about it. Also a few small minded bigot hypocrites.

"So my son has his hoof tied to a wolf, you said?" His calm seemed to be a better sign but I was still so confused on how he really felt and if he even believed me.

"Yes sir. It was my dad's idea to buy a slave but when they met us I told them I wouldn't go with them if they didn't take my brother too. Your son took advantage of the slaver and got a great deal on the two of us. They took us home to your mansion and after a while we became a family. I remember how scared I was the day they took us to the vet to get the blood transfusion.

We were freed and became their children and Lou, your son, became our father and Leggo..."

"Wait, is that fur dating my son now?" Oziah interrupted.

"No, they know each other but they are bitter enemies right now." I replied and Oziah chuckled again.

"Sounds like true love to me. You know some of the best relationships come about in unusual ways. I've been expecting to learn about... my son's tastes. He should have been dating for quite a while by now, but he has never shown any interest. I had a few suspicions, but now you have convinced me." Oziah said.

"Then you believe me," I said after letting out a huge sigh of relief.

"Hold on, I believe you know about my son. I never said I believe this time traveling story." he sneered.

"How could I prove it to you?" I asked.

"Tell me a secret that only my son and I would know."

"You adopted him as a fawn almost the same way he adopted my brother and me." I said.

"Public information... well guarded, but still public information. Try again."

"My father made me swear to never tell that secret to anyone. He said that by knowing that secret he could never sell me. He was afraid I might tell his secret to some fur seeking to ruin him.

"He said that?" Oziah asked as he raised an eyebrow at me. I nodded and his expression changed. He had a poker face and I could not tell what he was thinking.

"And how, exactly, did you get sent back in time?" he asked cooly.

"Father was killed on a mission. While we were grieving my dad received a letter from you telling us that you created a machine of unlimited energy. You told him that you were proud of me and wanted me to look at it. You mentioned that someone named Eastwood created the thing. Then a bolt of lightning hit me.

I woke up on your lawn not sure what happened and you guys started to call me Eastwood. I guessed that if I could build the machine I might be able to go back home again." I explained.

"My son died and I sent you guys a letter?" he asked.

"You are no longer living either. That's what made the whole thing strange. I can't ever remember meeting you but you knew about me."

"Of course, had you been sent back in time then I'd have met you. Before you were born that is. It seems I'm supposed to write a letter to start you on this journey. Did your brother get sent back with you?"

"No sir, he wasn't with us when the accident happened." I replied.

"Pity, it seems I'll never meet him. You also said that both my son and myself died."

"Yes sir, I don't know what happened to you or if I was told I don't remember. Father... your son died because he was trying to save an extinct species. He ran to help them and they... were too savage to understand what he was doing and they killed him. At least that's how Will explained it to me."

"Who is Will?" he asked

"Will Panthera-T is a body guard father hired to help him but he was unable to save my father."

"I see. So I build a machine that sends species through time?"

"Not exactly. You build a machine that amplifies energy but an accident happened when I got too close and it sent me back to this time period. The only other thing I know is that Eastwood created it. Do you know of a Eastwood?" I asked.

"We thought that was your name." he replied.

"My name is Tyger Panthera-T. The "i" is spelled with a "y" instead. Dad was the one that told me that was how it was spelled."

"You said Eastwood so we thought it was your name. You were pretty out of it but then I guess being struck by lightning would do that." he said.

"Could Eastwood be someone you're going to meet in the future?" I asked.

"Possibly... Or it could be you, the you that time traveled, all along."

"I'm really beginning to hate this time travel crap! It could be this or it could be that, it's so annoying." I whined. Oziah chuckled and I saw a small smile on his face.

"Could my son's life be saved if you told him who you are?"

"I dunno. You barely believe me so why should he? I know the date when it happens but you expect him to remember that when the time comes? Will he even believe me when I tell him he's gonna marry a male who he hates?

That's assuming the future can be changed. If it's preordained that I travel back in ti me them even if I try and change the future it will be for naught."

"Tell me everything I said in the letter again. Maybe there is some clue we're missing." Oziah said.

"I don't remember it exactly but from what I remember you sent it to my dad and said it was a backup in case anything ever happened to my father. You mentioned how proud you were of me and thought I was very smart. You then said that my dad was to show me the machine because you thought I was smart enough to help turn it off.

The letter said that the machine magnifies energy however it would be dangerous if it was ever turned off. You had been trying but after Eastwood died..... Was that me? Did I die???" I suddenly remembered that part. No one could figure out how to turn it off. Then you thought I was as smart as Eastwood... Which would make sense IF I was Eastwood then I would be able to find a way to turn it off."

"You saw the machine that you promised to build me.... Eastwood. Per your slavery arrangement. How does this device work?" Oziah said sternly. I felt nervousness returning as events seemed to be falling into place.

"Energy amplifiers are interconnected into a ring and a certain amount of energy is passed into the ring. As it passes through each amplifies the amount of energy grows. Once it has gone full circle it gets transferred to another ring that is the same design as the first ring. The new larger charge then passes through the second ring and its size also grows and it moves on to another and another group of those rings. As the energy is transferred between the rings some of it becomes siphoned off to power the device and some is transported somewhere for storage." I explained.

"How is it stored?"

"That's the part I'm not sure of. I found a note scratched into the machinery that said String Theory would make sense later. That's why I was desperate to get here because I wanted to learn what String Theory was." I replied.

"So how does it fit into the machine?" Oziah asked.

"I'm still not sure exactly. String Theory is the scientific theory that in particle physics there are objects that look like strings that are smaller than a proton or electron of an atom.

A student here was tutoring me on the theory and he mentioned a TV show that used String Theory in time travel. It converted a person into energy and was able to send that energy through time by traveling through strings. Because the string particles are all interconnected then in theory you should be able to send energy through them. Because energy cannot be created or destroyed, it becomes condensed and can travel at any given point in time.

The trouble is that if a fur is converted into energy, there is no way to convert them back. This is where I'm at a dead end. I was somehow turned back but had no idea how it was done."

"This is unbelievable. To think that a fur could be turned into pure energy and somehow travel through time is unbelievable. The application of what could be achieved is mind blowing!" Oziah exclaimed.

"Which does me no good because I don't know if I can ever get home again."

"Well, logically whatever the process is that turns you into pure energy must be reversed to give you your body back." Oziah explained.

"Can energy be converted?" I asked.

"I think you need to ask your tutor that question. I can search out some scientists in the fields of energy conversion. Arrange an interview so you can ask them any relevant questions. Once you're ready we can begin to develop this machine to set everything in motion." Oziah stated.

"Including my death?!" I asked nervously.

"IF you died. The truth is that maybe you went back home but we needed to say you died in order to hide that time travel was the cause." Oziah said and I was again feeling that annoyance over time travel. I really hated the uncertainty of it.

"Here," Oziah said as he tossed a key to me. I caught it and looked at it absently. "The key to your collar. I can't have my grandson as one of my sl;aves now can I?" He said with a slight smile.

"Then you believe me?" I asked as I removed my collar.

"I can't really describe it but you seem so much like my son that it makes sense that he raised you... or will raise you. You just seem like the type of son that my son would raise. Maybe I'm being foolish but it just feels right knowing that you will one day be my grandson." Oziah explained.

"I AM your grandson... I just hate this time travel crap. It makes everything so difficult." I was whining again but my grandfather just smiled.

"I agree." he replied as he leaned in and whispered.

"Oh, before I forget. Lou is really upset about his grades that I scored higher than he did. In fairness he hired the best tutor on the planet to teach me because we were slaves and we needed to catch up in order to go..... Um here. So I do have an unfair advantage over him..." I tried explaining.

"I believe that ;that is his one flaw. He tends to think linearly while you have a better adaptability. I'm not saying that you are better but I can see that you have an advantage over him."

"Maybe... but he sees things in a way that when we combine our forces no one can stop the two of us. I just don't see everything he does but he can't exactly adapt to situations like I can. I guess what I'm saying is that we need each other." I said.

"True. Did you tell him about his death yet?"

"No grandfather, I don't even know if the future can be changed."

"As much as I love hearing you say that... perhaps it's better if you don't call me grandfather." Oziah said. His eyes, for once, betrayed his emotion.

"Yes sir," I replied. I immediately cried as one of my paws began to hurt and twist into an unusual shape. I cried out but a second later it returned to normal. Oziah grabbed my paw and examined it.

"I'm fine now. Must have been a muscle spasm." I said.

"Has this happened before?"

"No sir. Why? Should I be worried?" I asked.

"Probably nothing. Just keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't happen again." He said as he rose from my bed and opened the door. Lou stood nearby with his head lowered as if waiting for his father to emerge.

"Are you ready to get something to eat?" Oziah asked Lou. Lou raised his head submissively and nodded.

"Would you like to join us, Eastwood? You are a free cub now." Oziah asked me and I saw Lou choke and his eyes bulge as he heard the news.

"I wouldn't want to intrude." I mumbled trying to ease my way out so that Lou and Oziah could spend some time together. I had hoped I planted a few seeds and that Oziah might treat my father better than he had.

"A free cub?!" Lou mumbled and looked embarrassed as Oziah turned to look at him.

"I have decided to release Eastwood as my slave. He has completed the deal we made and his grades," This made Lou blush as he looked at his feet. "Have made him worthy of my interest. I think the two of you working together would make you both into an unbeatable team."

"As you wish...father." Lou said and I detected the resentment in his voice.

"Good, where should we eat?"

"You two are Prey so you're probably looking for the best grass and salads. I don't think they'd have anything I could eat." I replied.

"Nonsense, I'm sure we can find a place that accommodates both our cultures." Oziah remarked. He reached over and hugged me and I blushed as I saw Lou glare at me.

"I know a small place that serves both meat and salads. It's usually quiet during the week and I find that I can go and study without being disturbed." Lou said.

"Depends, what kind of meat do they serve? I can't eat deer meat." I saw them look at me. "My best friends are deer and the thought of eating deer sickens me." I said.

"Never thought I'd hear that outta a Predator. You are full of surprises, Eastwood." Oziah remarked.

"Or a Predator trick! Get on our good side then sneak in for the kill!" Lou said angrily as he glared at me. I felt my ears lower and Oziah began to laugh hysterically. We both turned to look at him as he wiped tears from his eyes.

"Lou. my son, if you only knew what you just said." Oziah remarked and started chuckling again.

"He called me son." Lou muttered to himself softly. My feline hearing was the only way I could have heard him.

The group left the dorm as the sun was setting when Lou excused himself from them saying he forgot something. Oziah told him that they'd wait at the entrance but not to take too long. He promised then ran off to join Roni who was watching nearby.

"I know about your plans," Lou told him as the large lion just seemed to ignore him. He kept his gaze on the white tiger he hated so much. "What you don't know is that my father arrived today and freed him. He is now a free cub!" Lou smirked as he saw the displeasure on Roni's face.

"Why would he do something as stupid as that?"

"Look, I don't like you. I don't like bullies in general. I knew a bull at my old school that used to pick on me. However, we have a common enemy this time. I think that together we can get rid of Eastwood once and for all." Lou said.

"I'm listening."

"I'm gonna get close to him and learn his movements. He's involved with some business with my father and once I learn what that is I'll, with your help, bring him to ruin. My father does not tolerate failure and he will get rid of him once and for all." Lou explained.

"That sounds good for you but how does that help me?" Roni asked as he stared at Lou in annoyance.

"I can tell you his whereabouts and you can go in and beat the snot outta him. Sound good?"

"As an appetizer, but none of what you're saying is blowing up my skirt." Roni said dismissively.

"Give me time. I guarantee that your panties will be moist by the time I am done." Lou said as he smirked.

"Then you better because if I'm not satisfied you may find out how much of a bully I am. You may learn that I'm a lot worse than that bull you mentioned." Roni said and he turned and started walking away.

"We'll see, won't we." Lou thought to himself as he glared at the lion casually walking away.

To Be Continued...