IC-Prologue-Time Will Crawl(Bill/Yeager/Rawlings/Harry)

Post by **Mr. Handy** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:35 am

"How did you know about the accident?" asked Rawlings, opening the back door of the Mustang and ushering the brown-haired young man inside.

"That wasn't my fault," said Yeager. "That other car made an illegal left turn. The driver was drunk too." He unlocked the passenger door for Bill, who climbed into the shotgun seat.

"You'd had a few yourself, boss." Rawlings took Brian by the scruff of the neck and pushed him into the rear of the car after the other man, bumping his head against the ceiling. "Watch your head," he smirked as Brian scowled at him.

"I had two drinks." Yeager closed the door and went around to the driver's side, unlocking the door and getting in. "And I damn well know how to drive, unlike that idiot who clipped my baby."

Rawlings got into the back seat last of all, closing the door behind him. "It's the Lou's car, anyway, not mine. He won't let anyone else drive it."

"And don't you forget it!" Yeager emphasized this by slamming his door. He put the key in the ignition and turned it, and the engine roared into life. He grinned at Bill. "No, I didn't fix it myself. I know a guy who takes real good care of it. You can't even see the dents or scratches any more. You're right, it is a real sweet ride." With that, he pulled out of his parking spot and headed east down South Street with a screech of tires.

Post by **Philulhu** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:23 am

"Umm, accident?" replied Bill uncertainly, "What I meant was that these things are 40 years old, so to find one in such good condition is pretty remarkable."

Post by **Mr. Handy** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 6:10 pm

"What are you talking about?" said Yeager as he steered aggressively through traffic. "They only started making Mustangs five years ago, and this particular one is just a couple years old. If you mean Fords in general, they've been making 'em a lot more than 40 years, and this sure as hell ain't your daddy's Model T." He pressed down the accelerator as he said this, and the powerful V-8 engine roared louder.

Glancing back, Bill noticed that the man in the suit and tie he had seen standing outside the bar was watching the Mustang drive off intently. He then hailed a taxicab, one in the style of the 1960's that had been traveling east on South Street a short distance behind them, which stopped and picked him up before continuing in the same direction. He could see many odd things while looking out the windows. Everyone's clothing and hairstyles was far more appropriate to the late 1960's or early 1970's than to the modern day, and all of the cars on the street were as well. And when the Mustang reached Broad Street and made a sharp left turn as the traffic light was turning yellow, he got a good look at the Center City landscape to the north. City Hall stood tall and proud as always, with the statue of William Penn atop it - but nothing stood higher. Where was Liberty Place? Where was the Comcast Center?

His thoughts were distracted when he saw the taxicab follow the Mustang around the corner onto Broad, even though the light was turning red. Yeager noticed it too. "That yellow cab's been tailing us ever since we left Lenny's Bar," he said. "Hang on, I'm gonna lose the bastard!" As Pine Street loomed ahead, he made a sudden high speed right turn from the left lane, but a brown pickup truck on his right was in his way, and he was unable to make the turn. The Mustang continued straight through the intersection. "Dammit!" He flipped the bird to the pickup's driver.

Behind the Mustang, the taxi continued its pursuit, only swerving to the right after it was too late. The driver had been faked out by the maneuver, and it would have worked had Yeager been able to make it onto Pine Street.

Post by **Philulhu** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 6:36 pm

Before he could reply, Bill had been thrust back into the seat by the car's sudden acceleration. Hanging on grimly while the car pitched about, his mind whirled with the possibilities of what was happening to him. It couldn't just be some sort of parade - everyone was dressed like they were from the 70's - and he'd have heard about it from the students.

Something was very wrong but he wasn't going to leap to conclusions so he hung on and kept quiet.

Post by **Mr. Handy** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:21 pm

Rawlings glanced through the rear windshield as he was thrown back into his seat by the lurch. "He's still on us, boss," he said. "I like a good car chase as much as the next guy, but this is just wrong. We should be the ones doing the chasing!"

Yeager grunted. "Let's see him beat this!" he said. Upon reaching Spruce Street, he jerked the wheel hard to the left while braking, attempting a U-Turn. Unfortunately, the Mustang went into a skid and across the flat central divider, nearly crashing into the taxicab. Only the cabbie's expert driving averted a collision, and then it tried the same move. It successfully performed the U-Turn and was now following the car southbound on Broad Street. The cab was on the right side of the road, but the Mustang was now heading down the left side of the road into oncoming traffic.

The young man in the back seat with long brown hair laughed. "That was wild!" he said. Beside him, Brian sat petrified.

"DId you mean to do that, Lou?" asked Rawlings.

"Course I did," said Yeager, completely unflappable.

Post by **Philulhu** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 6:41 pm

"Err, Lieutenant," said Bill, trying to keep his voice level, "On the whole, I'd like to get there in one piece."

Post by **Mr. Handy** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:38 pm

"Keep your shirt on," said Yeager, utterly calm. "I know what I'm doing." He easily jumped the central divider and the trolley tracks that ran over it. When he reached Pine Street again, he turned hard to the left, darting between the cars going the other way and rounding the corner. The taxicab behind him was unable to make the turn, as there was too much traffic, and then the light turned red and it was forced to stop at the intersection.

Rawlings guffawed. "Nice one, Lou," he said. He clapped Brian on the shoulder hard, but the young man was sitting stock still next to him, staring straight ahead. A wet stain had formed in his pants. "Oh, for crying out loud!" He shuffled to the edge of the car.

Yeager looked back and glared at Brian. "You better not get anything on the upholstery, or there'll be hell to pay!" He faced front again and turned left on 13th Street, driving past Spruce and then turning right on Locust. "Well, we lost 'em. We'll be at the Roundhouse soon enough."

Post by **Philulhu** » Sat May 02, 2009 3:18 pm

"You don't seem too concerned that the cab was following us, Lieutenant," said Bill absentmindedly as he glanced out of the window. The more he saw, the more concerned he was becoming.

Post by **Mr. Handy** » Sat May 02, 2009 5:43 pm

"That's the Lou, all right," said Rawlings. "Never flinched once, not in all the years I've known him."

"Of course I'm concerned," said Yeager as he drove eastward, "but I got a good look at the guy who hailed the cab. Man in his mid-thirties, suit, tie." He glanced back at Brian again. "Friend of yours? Or maybe of your big shot father?"

"N-n-no," stuttered Brian, still in shock.

"Why don't I believe you?" said Yeager, watching the road once more. "So who is this father of yours anyway? Whoever he is, he did a piss-poor job of raising you. Maybe he'll have some answers."

"I'm not saying another word. I want a lawyer."

"That's nice. I want Raquel Welch." He turned to Bill. "If the guy who was tailing us isn't a minder sent by his daddy, he's probably a federal agent trying to muscle in on our investigation. That's all we need." He turned left on 7th Street, heading north.

Post by **Philulhu** » Mon May 04, 2009 1:25 pm

"Will we be much longer getting to the station?" asked Bill, "My wife will be wondering where I am." He glanced out of the window as he spoke, reminding himself that he didn't appear to be in 2009 any more. "If I've still got a wife, that is..." he murmured.

Post by **Mr. Handy** » Tue May 05, 2009 4:05 am

"Hang on, we're almost there," said Yeager. "If you want to get there faster, you're in the right car." He grinned as he pressed down the accelerator further, and everyone was pressed back into the seats as the Mustang roared northward. "I know what you mean about your wife. Mine thinks I'm married to the job sometimes."

"Women!" said Rawlings. "You'll never catch me getting hitched to some chick, that's for sure. Better dead than wed, that's what I say."

Before long the Mustang sped past Market Street, and then Arch. Finally Race Street was visible ahead, and Bill got his first sight of Police Headquarters.

Police Headquarters, Franklin Square - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7:30 PM

The Mustang screeched to a halt in the parking lot oustide the Roundhouse, and Bill could see where it got its name. The walls were all curved, with round towers on the east and west sides connected to a central oval. Yeager pulled into a spot and shut down the mighty engine, pocketing the keys and getting out while Bill emerged from the passenger side. Rawlings opened the back door and hauled Brian Anderson out, making sure nothing dripped onto the seat. The other young man got out on the other side and went around to the front of the car, walking alongside Rawlings.

The group of five walked through the main entrance into a vestibule area with glass doors on the west and east sides. A window was in the north wall near the west door, and behind it sat a uniformed sergeant. Yeager flashed his badge and nodded to the man. "Got another guest, Sergeant," he said. "Afraid he's not housebroken."

The sergeant frowned when he saw Brian's stained pants and pressed a button. A buzzing sound followed, and Yeager opened the west door before it stopped. The others followed him inside.

The lobby of police headquarters was huge, with brown wood paneling. To the right was the security desk, behind which the sergeant who had buzzed them in and a couple of police officers sat. On the left was a memorial with many photos of officers who had fallen in the line of duty. Most of them were black and white, but the later ones were in color. Straight ahead and at the back were a pair of elevators with rounded walls, one on either side. Yeager led the way there, pressing the up and down call buttons with two fingers. Between the elevators was a window that looked out on Race Street, and in front of it was a large board with a portrait of a man who was familiar to Bill, though far younger than he remembered him. He wore a finely tailored dress uniform with four stars on each shoulder, and a nameplate at the bottom said "Commissioner Frank Rizzo."

One of the officers behind the desk came over, and Rawlings handed Brian off to him.

"Get him processed and clean him up," said Yeager. "Once he's presentable, I'll want to question him."

"Yes, sir," said the cop. The west elevator dinged and the door slid open, an indicator above it showing that it was heading down. The officer took Brian inside and pressed a button, and the doors slid shut. That elevator descended to the basement.

The young man with long brown hair reached up and removed it, showing short black hair underneath. "About time I got to take that off," he said. "Damn thing itches like crazy."

Post by **Philulhu** » Wed May 06, 2009 10:20 pm

Bill looked around him at the decor. "Tasteful," he said, "Have you had it done this way for a while?" He shook his head and looked at the younger man, "Long hair really suited you. Didn't you have time to grow your own?"

Post by **Mr. Handy** » Thu May 07, 2009 2:34 am

Anyone who had lived in Philadelphia as long as Bill had couldn't help knowing about Frank Rizzo, and as a student and teacher of modern history, as well as someone who had lived through much of it, he knew more than most. Rizzo had joined the Police Department back in the 1940s and risen through the ranks all the way up to Commissioner, in which capacity he served from 1967 to 1971. If Bill really was in the past, that narrowed down the timeframe. In 1971 Rizzo resigned to run for mayor, winning a four-way race in the Democratic primary and then the general election to replace Mayor James Tate, who was finishing his second term and was ineligible to run again. He served as mayor from 1972 to 1980. He had tried to get the law changed to run for a third consecutive term in 1979, but overwhelming opposition prevented his plan. William Green, one of his primary opponents in 1971, replaced him. He did run again in 1983, as a loophole in the law allowed a third term if it was non-consecutive, but he lost to Wilson Goode. In the mid-1980s he switched parties and became a Republican, and he continued his attempts to run for mayor in 1987 and 1991. He died of a heart attack in 1991, just after he had won the Republican primary. In fact, today was the anniversary of his death, or at least it had been before Bill's strange journey had begun.

Frank Rizzo was known for his tough policing methods, and for raids on the Black Panther Party in 1970 during which the arrestees were strip searched in front of news cameras. While he had not ordered the raids personally, he did support the officers who carried them out - he often stood up for the officers under his command. He also recalled from his time with radical groups that they feared and reviled Rizzo. Sometimes they would scrawl grafitti of his name with swastikas replacing the Zs. Rizzo's personality and style of policing did remind Bill of John Yeager in some ways, so what he said next was not very surprising.

"Thanks," said Yeager gruffly. "Yup, the lobby has been decorated like this for a long time." He noticed Bill's interest in the portrait of Frank Rizzo. "God bless Commissioner Rizzo. Man after my own heart." He then looked at the young man who had just taken off his wig. "No, Harry here didn't have time to grow his own. This undercover operation was time sensitive, and he needed to look like a drugged out, slightly effeminate freak in a hurry."

"Slightly effeminate?" asked Rawlings with a chuckle.

"Oh, lay off, Charlie," said Harry. "I needed to look the part, like the Lou said. " He nodded to Bill. "And he's right, you know. Chicks dig long hair, yeah?"

"I guess some introductions are in order," said Yeager. "This is Detective Harry Sawyer. He's a bit young, but I'll make a real cop out of him yet."

"Hello." Harry extended his hand.

Yeager tapped his foot. "I swear it seems like these elevators are slower than you, Harry." Finally the west elevator arrived with a ding, the upward-pointing arrow above the door indicating its direction. The doors slid open and the same officer who had escorted Brian downstairs was inside, alone. He emerged and returned to the security desk. "Finally!" said Yeager. "Right, let's head up."

"Ladies first," said Rawlings to Harry Sawyer, standing aside and gesturing dramatically with his arm.

Post by **Philulhu** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:53 pm

"Hi Harry," said Bill, shaking the young man's hand. He looked at Rizzo's photograph on the wall, "I remember the flak he caught for some of those stunts he pulled with the Panthers, who'd have thought he'd run for... ..." Bill paused - he really had no idea what day, what year it was. "Umm... has anyone got today's newspaper?" he asked.

Post by **Mr. Handy** » Fri May 08, 2009 4:46 am

"When did we move on the Panthers, and why the hell wasn't I invited to the party?" asked Yeager.

"Somebody ought to tear them a new one, that's for sure," said Rawlings.

Yeager nodded. "It's only a matter of time before they ignite a powder keg. Better to stomp out that fuse and nip it in the bud before it blows up in everyone's face." He turned to Bill. "I'm sure there's a copy of today's Inquirer upstairs. Let's go."

The four men got into the elevator, and Yeager pressed the 1 button. The doors closed, and the elevator slowly rose a short distance before it stopped. The doors opened and let them out into a hallway. A row of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked Race Street on the north side of a hallway that stretched the length of the building. Yeager led the way to the right and around the curve of the eastern elevator shaft. A small hall curved back that way with the door to a bathroom at the end of it. On the left was a straight hall going deeper inside. Bill followed them down the hall until they reached a door labeled "Detective Headquarters." Inside were several desks, most of which were occupied, as well as some doors leading off to smaller rooms. A pretty woman with black curly hair who was seated at the desk nearest the entrance stood up. She wore a knee-length navy blue skirt and a lighter blue uniform blouse, and a police cap was on her head. "Welcome back, sir," she said to Yeager.

"This is Officer Amy Cooper," Yeager told Bill. He nodded to the policewoman. "We had a good day today. Caught a scumbag red-handed and had an exciting ride back here. This fellow's a witness I'll be interviewing soon. Make him comfortable, get him some coffee...oh, and a copy of today's paper. I'll be in my office."

"Right away, sir," she said. She smiled at Bill. "This way, sir." She led him to an empty desk, with only a old-fashioned rotary telephone and a typewriter on its clean surface. A wooden chair was behind it. "We're expecting a new man to be transferred in soon, but he hasn't arrived yet, so you can use his desk. How do you like your coffee?"

Yeager walked into one of the smaller offices and closed the door behind him. The nameplate on it read "Lieutenant John Yeager." Meanwhile, Charlie Rawlings and Harry Sawyer went over to a pair of desks that were back to back. Rawlings took off the backpack he had confiscated from Brian Anderson and placed it on the desktop. Then the two men sat facing each other. "Let's see what he had," said Rawlings, unzipping the pack.

Post by **Philulhu** » Sat May 09, 2009 2:47 pm

Bill glanced around the room but there was no sign of the ubiquitous Starbucks cups that littered his own office. "Can I have a coffee, milk no sugar?" he said to Officer Cooper. As the young officer left to fetch his drink he looked around, trying to spot a calendar or a desk diary which would tell him the date.

Post by **Mr. Handy** » Mon May 11, 2009 5:03 am

"Sure thing, sir," said Amy Cooper with a smile. She went over to the coffee machine to pour Bill a cup. While she was busy, he looked around. The desk he sat at was bare, and while he was sure that the other desks had calendars, he couldn't read them from where he sat. While he waited, he heard a distant-sounding beeping at regular intervals, about once per second, but he couldn't tell where the sound originated. After about five seconds, it stopped. He was about to get up to get a closer look at a desk calendar when the policewoman returned, a steaming ceramic mug of coffee in one hand and a folded up newspaper in the other. "Here you go, sir. If you need anything else, just let me know." She put both down on his desk and returned to her own.

Harry Sawyer removed a tinfoil packet from the backpack and placed it on the desk. "Here's the LSD he tried to sell me," he said.

Charlie Rawlings rummaged through the pack as well, pulling out several clear plastic baggies containing marijuana. "There must be a few pounds of this in here," he said. "It's not all for his personal use, that's for sure."

The top of the front page of the newspaper was visible. It was the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the date at the top said July 16, 1969. Forty years ago, to the day. The banner headline at the top was about the morning's launch of Apollo 11, the first manned moon mission. He remembered that it would land in four days, on July 20. His memory was fuzzy due to all the bizarre things going on, but he recalled that it was around this time when he first met Mary. The words of the song that he had heard earlier came back to him:

Tell my wife I love her very much
She knows

What was happening here? Had he truly gone back in time? Bill felt more lost and bewildered than ever, but at the same time, he couldn't shake the feeling that he belonged here, now. How was any of this possible? Could this be real? What was real?

Post by **Philulhu** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:02 pm

Bill looked at the headline, struggling to take it in. He looked around the office and everything looked real. It wasn't a practical joke - changing a room was one thing, but a whole city?

He tried to think it through rationally. Last thing he could remember was being in the gents when Brian turned up. He'd been threatened with a gun, then Brian had said something about Mary knowing what was going on. Brian had left, dropping the grenade - he was sure of that now - as he went. There was the explosion, then... ... ... Bill looked around again, it certainly looked like 1969.

The beeping noise that was in the background seemed to be getting more insistent. Bill looked around the office but couldn't see the digital clock that he assumed was making the noise. "Sergeant Rawlings," he said, "Can you do something about that clock? It's driving me nuts."

Post by **Mr. Handy** » Thu May 14, 2009 3:19 am

"What, that clock?" asked Charlie Rawlings, looking up at the good old analog clock high on the wall near the door. "What's wrong with it?" He checked his wristwatch. "The time looks right. 7:40."

"It is a little crooked," said Harry. "Maybe he's - what's it called? Obsequious? No, that's not it. Obsolete?"

"Obsessive-compulsive?" said Amy Cooper.

"Yeah, that's it!" He returned to pawing through the pack's contents. "Let's see what else is in here."

Charlie pulled another plastic bag out of the backpack, this one containing mushrooms. "Shrooms, too," he said. "This guy's a walking drug store!"

Harry took a thermos out of the pack and set it down on his desk. "Now this looks like it doesn't belong."

"Probably just booze."

Harry unscrewed the top and looked inside. "It's chocolate milk. I love chocolate milk!"

The phone on Bill's desk began to ring.

Post by **Philulhu** » Thu May 14, 2009 2:41 pm

"No, it wasn't that," frowned Bill, irritated that they were talking about him as if he wasn't there, "There was a beeping noise. Didn't you hear it?"

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IC-Prologue-Time Will Crawl(Bill/Yeager/Rawlings/Harry)

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