Kelly Rittenaugh stared blankly at Earth, âCody, where are the artificial lights?â Traveling 30 minutes into the past was the goal, not 500 years. She captains the experimental research ship Kronos and her crew of sixteen on what was to be their final flight. The minor glitch on the computer screen could have been the cause of the error, but Kelly may never know. The Kronos was designed to travel one way in time, not two. Kelly and the crew realize that they are now trapped as castaways in the 16th century, with no going back. Now, she must consider a complex conundrum. Will she make a mark on history, perhaps changing it forever, or try to correct what her team has already affected?
Kelly Rittenaugh stared blankly at Earth, âCody, where are the artificial lights?â Traveling 30 minutes into the past was the goal, not 500 years. She captains the experimental research ship Kronos and her crew of sixteen on what was to be their final flight. The minor glitch on the computer screen could have been the cause of the error, but Kelly may never know. The Kronos was designed to travel one way in time, not two. Kelly and the crew realize that they are now trapped as castaways in the 16th century, with no going back. Now, she must consider a complex conundrum. Will she make a mark on history, perhaps changing it forever, or try to correct what her team has already affected?
âWhat I wouldnât do for a fresh shirt and a real cup of coffee.â Wilson said as he took a deep breath of the pre-dawn air. The smell of jasmine and fresh vegetables sprouting in his gardenâs well-tended soil overwhelmed everything. For a moment, his thoughts slipped back to his parentsâ place in upstate New York. His heart yearned to spend time there again. But that was long agoâor long ahead, he mused.
âHey man, we gotta scoot,â his friend Cody interjected reluctantly. The need to leave for this mission wore poorly on both men. Wilson heaved a sigh and headed back inside to get his bags.
The two men walked out of Wilsonâs modest cottage, beginning the long trek to the main road. Once on the busier path, a passing farmerâs wagon splattered muck on their boots and pants. The foul smells of mud and horse manure inundated them as they met with the rest of their team. The fragrances of jasmine and youth slipped from Wilsonâs mind completely. The two inspected the damage, and Wilson frowned. Dirt like this was not easy to clean in this era, at least not quickly.
Wilson was still scowling as Gretta and Alex drew near. As he unsuccessfully tried to brush the debris from his trousers, he felt his shoulders tense with the burdens he carried, slumping under the weight as if it were physical.
âYou look angry,â Gretta muttered without smiling.
Wilson realized he was sending the wrong message. The stains would have to wait. He straightened up and stretched his neck side to side. âIâm not. I just have a lot to think about.â
Alex agreed. âYou canât blame Wilson. Itâs such a terrible thing being stuck here. Nobody cares, and even if they did, they could do nutân âbout it. While Iâm at it, Iâm having a tough time grasping the stupid etiquette of this era. When do I bow? When do I step aside? When is it okay to laugh? The rules make no sense.â
Gretta let out a hearty laugh, and Alex grinned.
Cody lifted his hand momentarily to interject. âThe important thing to know is how to order stout!â His smile couldnât be contained as Gretta just rolled her eyes. Cody thoroughly enjoyed this regionâs ales, stouts, and meads, even if served warm.
Looking straight into his eyes, Alexâs grin faded as he said, âWilson, you ready for this?â
Wilson considered his response as he took a deep breath. Alex and Gretta had committed to his plan. They both had determined expressions on their face. They look set to get this done, he thought as he began to speak. âReady as Iâll ever be. It needs doing. Where is the rest of the team?â The question was directed to Alex.
âWe have them scouting ahead already. I hate to tell you this, but Kelly and her gang are already onto us. I donât know how sheâs doing it, but sheâs getting intel from somewhere. We think theyâre already planning their reaction to our next move.â
Wilson didnât respond, so Alex continued. âIâve prepared papers should you encounter German or Roman soldiers. I canât believe how easy all of this is compared to back in Kazakhstan.â
Wilson nodded in understanding. âItâs amazing how trouble-free things are without Big Brother tracking your every move.â
âYou arenât kidding! Put some fictional information on an official-looking parchment, and youâre good to go. You just need to back up your lying papers with your lying responses⌠oh, and speak the language,â Alex said while handing out their papers. His eyes narrowed on Cody, who avoided making visual contact because his German was the worst of the group. They separated the documents and put them in the proper locations in their satchels.
Once Wilson put his papers away, he burst out, âAs far as Kelly goes, she better be careful, or sheâs going to get herself killed. We wonât be the ones doing it, nor will we be able to do anything about it.â
âSheâs pretty fearless, thatâs for sure.â Cody smiled as he spoke about her. Wilson caught the smile, and Cody quickly looked away.
Wilson stared down at the muddy road while expressing his feelings on the matter. âThereâs a fragile line between bravery and stupidity. I donât think her tenacity will let her see the difference.â He wanted to change the subject, so he spun around to address Alex. âYou know where weâre going, right?â
Alex spoke slowly through his gritted teeth. âIâve made three different maps and at least four different routes to get us there.â
Wilson knew he had overstepped a quiet boundary, because Alex was always prepared. âEver on top of things, my friend,â he said, patting Alex on the back. Then he led them to the stable. Wilson turned to face the group. âLetâs go remake some history!â
Kelly Rittenaugh captains the experimental research ship Kronos, designed to travel one way backward through time. She and her crew of sixteen have set out on a flight aiming for a thirty minute time shift when there is a computer glitch, and once in orbit they see no lights visible on earth below, even though it is night time. They soon learn that they are in the mid-sixteenth century and are trapped, as the Kronos was designed to travel in one time direction only. Meanwhile, in the modern day, the scientists at TxC, the company responsible for the Kronos, meet with archaeologists who have discovered some strange artefacts dating from the sixteenth century.
The mind-bending dual timeline works well, with the archaeologists and scientists gradually uncovering what happened to the missing time-travelers. The various characters are clearly delineated: Kelly is a strongly drawn personality, short-tempered and volatile but a good leader; Wilson, her second in command, is determined to alleviate peopleâs suffering even though they should not change history; and Colton, the archaeologist, is shy and unassuming. The possible romance between Colton and the scientist Erin keeps our interest, as does the crewâs forging of a papal document to help the locals.
But this is time travel with a difference. As the travelers have no means of return we see them forced to consider the total loss of their twenty-first century lifestyle and adapt to a harsh medieval reality. There are also difficulties raised by their desire to have no impact on history with twenty-first century knowledge and technology. In fact, they manage well and invent some ingenious ways of getting round their self-imposed rules. However, I felt they adopted a bit too easily to medieval life and would have suffered much more of the real hardships and dangers endured by sixteenth century peasants. Surely they missed central heating, warm showers and proper health care? A missed opportunity for more plausibility and raising the tension, I thought.
The little colony eventually splits with those wishing to use modern methods to help those suffering pitted against those who feel the non-interference rule must be kept. This is an intriguing premise and while it leaves the ending in this book, apart from the romance, rather inconclusive, we can look forward to it being pursued in future books. As a different take on time-travel and with more to come in the series, this is certainly well-worth a read.