The Foster Children of Time by Robert Schell

The Foster Children of Time
by
Robert Schell

Tony Marco is a normal south Texas teenager, bright but rather reserved. One day while on a family outing at the beach, Tony happens upon a group of time tourists from the year 2088. Unsure of what to do, Tony reconnects with his more adventurous, estranged childhood friend Caroline Montano. Caroline impulsively crashes the tour, dragging Tony along with her. Tony and Caroline soon find themselves on the Khronos-Solarin Station, a black hole-powered portal to various exotic eras in Earth’s past. There, Tony and Caroline encounter Stephen Gaudet, an independent time scout who promises to take them home, free from the oversight of the time travel governing authority, Temporal Affairs. Instead, Gaudet kidnaps Tony and Caroline and transports them to a twisted fantasy kingdom in the 11th Century A.D. created by a young and cruel time traveler known as the Wolf King. Tony and Caroline encounter a quirky cast of characters including a genetically engineered Elf girl, a surly Croatian veteran of the First World War, a mysterious “Witch” from a distant future, a survivor of a 15th Century pogrom in Spain, and a tribe of very tall Dwarves. Relying only upon their own wits and with help from their newfound friends, Tony and Caroline discover that one does not have to be a legendary monster slayer or great warrior to face off against Giants and Dragons.




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About Robert Schell

Robert Schell grew up in poverty-stricken, unincorporated neighborhoods in south Texas known as colonias. Science fiction and fantasy became the preferred avenue of escape from the limiting realities of his existence, and a lifetime love affair began with the works of authors such as Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Kurt Vonnegut, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, not to mention television shows such as Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. Robert Schell currently resides, writes, and practices law in his native south Texas.

The Foster Children of Time
"An Excerpt"
“Caro…!”
Another jolting sensation.
“Jump completed successfully. Now docking with TS Khronos-Solarin, Gate 15B.”
“…line,” finished Tony, becoming aware of his surroundings and Caroline sitting next to him. Caroline’s eyes were open but she seemed unaware of his presence. He patted her shoulder.
“Caroline! Snap out of it!”
She jerked into awareness. For the first time Tony saw something like concern cross her features, but then a look of determination quickly took hold.
“I’m alright,” she said.
The other passengers were already stirring, standing and stretching, some walking down the aisle towards the bus door.
“Let’s go.”
“Welcome to Time Station Khronos-Solarin,” recited the disembodied female voice. “Station time is 13:44, October 6, 2088. Enjoy your stay at the station. Don’t forget to visit the gift shop. If you enjoy authentic Asian cuisine from all eras, stop at the Huang-Karamov Diner. Need to whet your whistle? The Alexandrian has a seat reserved just for you.”
Tony had some difficulty in getting up, as his legs seemed to temporarily refuse to support his weight, but soon found himself stumbling after Caroline out of the bus door and into a narrow corridor illuminated by a faint bluish light. The corridor opened into a wide, busy lobby, bustling with activity. People hurried back and forth down what seemed to be the main passageway in the station, some sat in rows of chairs, others stood in line in front of desks manned by personnel sporting identical navy-blue and white uniforms. A wall on the far side of the main passageway was entirely covered in a swarm of images; talking heads, schedules, news reports, and advertisements.
Caroline and Tony timidly stepped forward, drawn to the main passageway. The station appeared to be in the form of a large wheel or semi-circle, with the main passageway curving around a central hub. Small oval windows lined the length of the outer wall. It was dark outside.
A tween Asian girl approached, leading a terrier on a glowing leash. Abruptly she stopped, spoke a command, and the terrier dissolved in a haze of static and the leash shrunk into a tiny device in her palm. A man in an oddly dated looking suit and fedora stalked past, apparently carrying on a conversation with someone although he appeared to be alone. A group of formally dressed men and women glided past, apparently having skate wheels on the bottom on their otherwise normal looking business shoes.
“Did you see that?” asked Caroline excitedly, gesturing at a girl who skipped across their path. “She has hair like my cat! Like a …what do you call them? Orange tabby!”
They noticed a group of people gathered at one of the outer windows, staring out into the darkness. Tony and Caroline found an opening along the window and peered out.
“Where are we?” asked Caroline.
“I think we’re in space.”
“I’m getting really freaked out right now, Tony. This really is the future, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. I think so.”