The Immortal

The Immortal

Jaks saw the silvery palace in the distance. Shining silvery in the two bright suns of this planet. 
I have travelled through space for a millennia for this! Through space and through time.
He gritted his teeth and set forth for the final part of his journey. 
Only a couple of miles.
He looked at the two bright suns shining down on him harshly and incessantly.
I feel like I’m in an oven!
He trudged forward for several hours.
Nearer, I’m getting nearer! She will be there my one and only true love!
The thought spurred him onwards, gave him new found strength.
A noise! What the hell was that?
Just then two giant spiders about 2 meters tall exploded out of the nearby sand.
They heading straight for me!
He pulled out his laser pistol and opened fire.
The one to the right went down in an explosion of greenish blood.
The other is too fast!
The second spider leaped for him. Instantly he held out his right hand and a silvery glass-like shield flashed out blocking the spiders attack but sending him flying backwards with the blow.
The spider leaped at him again. He managed to get to his knees and he let rip with the laser pistol, again and again. The second spider exploded into a greenish mush.
He dragged himself to his feet.
It’s not how we fall down that counts but how we get up.
He looked at the two dead spiders, one of whose leg was writhing mechanically. He took a closer look. 
Mechanoids! Who could build such a thing and why? Whoever it is their skill in robotics is far in advance of mine.
He started on his journey again to the silvery palace. This time an uneasy feeling of fear and apprehension in his gut.
Wish I could have landed my spaceship nearer, but that was the best spot, the only hard ground in this God forsaken sandy wilderness!
Eventually when the sun was lowering he made it to the palace.
At last, I am nearly there; I will see my true love once more!
He entered the palace and saw a clockwork spiral staircase which went up and up. He wiped a bead of sweat of his brow and felt stultified in his body suit that was dripping with sweat on the inside.
I’m nearly there! My love, my one and only true love awaits. I didn’t cross millions of miles through space and time for nothing.
Eventually totally exhausted and on the verge of collapsing he made it to the top of the spiral staircase.
I’m there! I’m there!
He saw a large silver door in front of him.
He pushed it open.
“My love! My true love you are here!”
He saw his bride that had been snatched away from him on his wedding day now sitting on a golden throne.
It has been worth it, it has all been worth it.
Tears of joy came to his eyes but he held them back not wanting his love to see his weak side.
I never learnt who snatched her, all I saw was a portal open up and an old man with a white beard and a long red cloak drag her into the portal with him.
He looked at his beloved.
“I have travelled through space and time to rescue you, my love!”
He saw her face wet with tears.
“I know.” she said. She looked up wiping away the tears and continued.
“They all say that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wished you hadn’t come but somehow I knew you would.”
“My love! My one and only true love, we are destined to be together forever and ever.”
She looked away. He saw a trail of tears streaming down her beautiful face.
“My love why do you cry? I am here at last to save you!”
“Do it!” she said.
Just then he heard a noise behind him.
There’s someone standing behind the door!
He saw an old man in a dark red cloak who had a long white beard. He was holding a laser pistol.
“You! You the thief that stole my wife on my wedding day!” His blood suddenly turned cold as he saw the gun gleam in the fading sunlight.
“Why? Why would you do such a thing?”
“Tell him.” The man said with finality in his voice.
He looked towards his wife.
“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry.” She said.
“What do you mean?” He asked, “Don’t you love me?” he countered.
“I do love you, I love all of the ‘you’s’, that’s what makes this so hard.” She wiped her tears away. “I have lived here with the love of my life, my husband for millennia and not a week has gone by when you or one of you has not come to save me.”
“I don’t understand?”
“I love you and always will.”
“Then why trap me and try to kill me?”
The man behind cleared his throat.
“Because I am you!”
“What?”
“I am the future you.”
His love suddenly spoke.
“I tried to spend time with you, but you are too immature and impulsive, believe me I have tried and finally I have found true love in you, but the old wiser you.”
“When? Where?”
“Not in this time dimension but in another. You have not realized yet that when you time jump you create an alternate dimension with another you. There are thousands of ‘you’s’ as you have time jumped thousands of times.”
“I thought who could make those mechanoid spiders, and now I know.”  He took a deep breath readying himself.
“He’s going to do it.” She said.
“Me! Only someone as ingenious as I could make mechanoids like that and this silvery palace!”
Suddenly Jaks dived sideways and pulled out his pistol, in a millisecond he took aim and fired. The laser went straight through the old man as if he wasn’t there.
“They all try that.” She said.
A hologram!
Suddenly the old man appeared next to his true love.
He opened fire.
Jaks saw the laser flash towards him and blackness assailed him.  Jak’s body crumbled to the floor and did not move again.
“I am sorry my love.” Said the old man.
“It is not your fault.” Tears streamed down her face.
Just then a beeping noise sounded from the old man’s watch.
“Another interstellar space ship has just entered our solar system, there will be another one here by the end of the week.”  His face was pained, “If only I’d known that every time I time jumped I created a new version of myself.”
His bride and only true love got up from the golden throne. She held his hand and they walked towards the door on the right to their living quarters.
 

The End