One More Night at the Pig and Blanket (Time 2024)

One More Night at the Pig and Blanket (or maybe Johatsu?? That could work also for the title)

Until the afternoon the stranger walked into the local, nobody had ever before seen him. Anywhere. Me, I didn’t even notice him at first, until he sat at the end of the bar and took a wee card from the inside of his jacket. He slid it across the bar to Cuddy, who squinted and turned the card into the light and grunted.
“Whas it say, then Cuddy?” I asked, thinking this is something new.
“It says ‘I would like a draft and a dram of whatever whisky you drink,” Cuddy said.
“Well mate, anything onna top shelf there would surely be ta yer likin’” said Cuddy,
pointing to the fine aged whiskys on the top of the glass shelf in front of the mirrors.

The stranger tapped the “you drink” part of the card twice with one firm finger,
and arched his eyebrows, leaning forward slightly on his stool.

“Suit yerself, mate,” Cuddy said, drawing a pint of Tennets and pouring a shot of Talisker 10-year, pushing the dram across the bar with his forefinger. The stranger pulled a red £50 note from a fold of them and laid it upon the bar. Cuddy looked at me and arched his right eye. “Don’t see much a’ them” he muttered. Cuddy rang up the register and put the change on the bartop in front of the stranger.

The stranger drank his pint slowly, and then swallowed the dram, his eyes closing with pleasure as it slid down his throat. He nodded once at Cuddy and rose to leave.
“Don’t forget your change,” Cuddy said, but the stranger gave two small shakes of his head. His eyes briefly locked on mine as he passed behind me and left.

“Wha’ the ‘ell was that about, then?” I said.
“I don’t know, but I hope he comes again,” Cuddy said, “he left a huge tip.”

As it turned out, we would see the stranger quite a bit in the years to come.


“So, professor,” Chyence asked, “if a person went back in time,
but only used one axis, one coordinate?”

“Well, that would be suicidal. If, for example you
went back in time and only used the temporal axis,
You might land in a spacetime that wasn’t even on
the Earth, since the Earth had moved far away from
That point. If you used the tri-geo axes, or coordination
variables, but set the temporal to random, the same
Thing might well happen. If a person or object were
to be successfully sent to a specific location and time,
All four axes or CVs would have to be precisely dialed in.

It is part of why the government has declared
Time travel to be illegal, punishable by permanent
lifeblock, and only allows distant viewings, and at that
only carefully controlled viewings. It is why our
government has chosen to not share the Institute’s data
with other countries of the world. It is just too dangerous.
Send an object or organic compound or animal
Back in time, and the forward flowing consequences
would be unmeasurable. Perhaps as humanity evolves,
IF we evolve, we might gain an understanding that
allows us to affect small quanta of time, and make a positive
Difference, but that is so far in the future I cannot imagine
what we will be if it occurs. We would be Gods. “

“Professor Bjorn, what about the future?
Can we go to the future and come back?” Thenda asked.

“There is no future; there are infinite futures,”
Professor Bjorn answered. “We don’t really know. We know
that an entity which travels forward has not thus far
been successful, or able, or willing to return. Seven
volunteers have taken this course, and none have ever
returned to this time, or one in the past that we’ve
been able to record. The future is not thought to be
preordained, so therefore an entity is rolling the dice
to a place for which there is no roadmap home,
because home no longer exists for them; they have changed
Their past by choosing a future. We can measure that the
past, present and future are different vibrational
frequencies of the same linear variance, but having
the ability to affect those vibrational variances.. well,
that would be some trick. To plants – if they are aware –
we would be invisible, and if we could perceive
Their world in their vibrational frequency, it
would be a violent and incredibly dangerous world.”

“Professor, as the inventor of time travel, do you….” Jamal began..

“Stop right there, Jamal,” Professor Bjorn said,
“I did not invent time travel. Tremanjora invented it. I merely
Used his applied pathematic constants and formula to solid,
printed machinery. However, ask your question.”
“Professor, do you think you are in any danger? Physical danger? “
“I don’t know, Jamal,” he said, “but I do know that those
four gentlemen are my constant companions to ensure
I am not killed or otherwise compromised.” He pointed at
the sides of the arena where four uniformed men stood.

“What will we do with time travel, Professor?”
Eidie asked, “What is it good for?”

“It is a curse, son. I wish we’d never have discovered
it, because now we have to keep its secrets,
And the human race isn’t very good at that. This has
the power to completely change the universe
As we know it. It is immesureable power and
shouldn’t be in the hands of mere mortals. Yet, I fear
Someday it will be in the hands of people with stars
in their eyes. It is possible that every so-called
Intelligent civilization eventually discovers these
works, and then subsequently vanishes themselves.
We see evidence of at least 50 civilizations in the
Cosmos that no longer exist, or at least no longer
exist on our plane of awareness. We don’t know
what it means. Perhaps they evolved to Godhood.
Perhaps They died wishing they’d never have pushed
the button. We just don’t know, and that scares me
How much the rest of the world wants possession of
this data. Okay, everyone, I want you to dig
Deep, because we’re not having a midterm next week.
I want everyone ---- no, stop groaning, you
Haven’t even yet heard what I have in mind ---
I want you all to write me a paper of 10,000 KYM – and you
Can burn up 10% of that with graphics – about your
view of temporal travel and quantum entanglement.
Okay, be careful out there! See you after the holiday!”

To be continued

“How much money are you making on this Bjorn? I feel cut out of the loop. After all, in was my
Influence that lead you to your ‘great’ discovery, O master.” Martin said.
“I have been completely candid with you Marty, “Bjorn said, “we are splitting this down the middle,
However I don’t think the money is as important as keeping this great gift from most of the people;
Maybe all of the people. Imagine if everyone could access it. We would cease to exist in moments,
And God only knows where humanity would be or even if we would survive.”

“ yeah, sure. And meanwhile, all the students and new sources and politicians are calling for you, but
Nobody knows my name.” Martin cursed.
“I told you before, “ Bjorn said, “I will bring you to the forefront any time you wish. So far you have
Chosen to remain hidden and just share in the state funding. Make up your mind. I am more than willing
To bring you into the limelight. In fact, I would like to put you in front, and allow me to take a rest. What
Do you think about that?”
“So, since we can’t send anything organic back, and can only send recorders, what if we were to select
A pivotal time, such as the beginning and discovery of time travel?”
“I am interested in that time myself. It appears to be around 1995 in Scotland, in or near a small pub.
Shall we set a recorder and start the transfer field? Bjorn asked?
“Yes. Set it up, only lets put the recorder out to sea, just in case we err. We can
Easily bring the recorder forward right?”
“certainly, “ Bjorn said. “You can begin the initialization, while I prepare the recorder.”

As Bjorn brought the small cubical triturium box toward the transfer wave, suddenly Martin shoved him
Into the field, box and all. Bjorn screamed as he flew into infinitely smaller and smaller particles and
Exploded into the energy field which threw him and the box into the past. Over the Atlantic ocean in
1995 outside of Scotland.

“there you bastard. Enjoy your short life. I hope you scream all the way to the bottom.” Martin cursed.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The stranger walked in to the local carrying a battered old guitar, and sat at his usual stool and gestured toward Cuddy, placing a red 50 pound note on the bar, and nodded. Cuddy, having been through this routine dozens of times, set up the pint and dram, but looked at the guitar and said,
“you going to play us a tune then, Mister?”

The stranger took another card out of his pocket and passed it to Cuddy. It read ‘my name is Treman Jora.
I will sing for my supper, if you will allow. If I am good enough, will you afford me two of your Bridies?”

Cuddy nodded and gestured toward the small stage at the back between the booths and the bar. The stranger drained his pint and knocked back the shot as he always did gently set the glass upon the bar and slid it slowly away. Treman turned and walked slowly toward the small stage,
Slightly dragging his left foot behind. He sat on the stage, and did a short arpeggio, and then launched into a rendition of Shi Baeg Shi Mohr with lots of accents. All nine customers in the bar and Cuddy stopped what they were doing and watched the performance. You could have heard a bee fart. When the stranger concluded, Cuddy stepped out from behind the bar and declared, “this man tells me his name is Treman Jora. He has been comin’ in here for a few years, and hasn’t yet said nottin’. Unless I miss my guess, that tune is of Irish origin, but I doan think we should hold it again’ him. Thank ye Treman. Please feel free to play all ye want.”

Treman surprised us all then, I’ll tell you, especially me, when he did a little tremolo intro and then began SINGING and playing the beloved tune Caledonia. At least four of us who had seen Treman before were shocked to see him singing, this man who had ne’er ever uttered a single word in all the time we’d known him. Well, I want to tell you, there was more than a few tears in eyes after he concluded and nodded his head with his little smile. We all clapped with gusto, and he looked toward Cuddy, who nodded and soon brought out a complimentary pint and dram plus the agreed upon two Bridies. Treman ate the two meat pies, sipping his pint and as usual, drained the shot glass with obvious pleasure, before nodding to the bar denizens, and leaving. He always seemed to lock eyes with me with a curt smile as he left.


“We don’t know what has happened to Professor Bjorn,” Martin said to the cadre of reporters. “He was under
Close guard in our common room, but when I entered, he was not there. I was not initially too alarmed until
The Guard rapped on the door wanting to know if everything was all right. I opened the door to discover that
He had been seen entering our laboratory, but not leaving. Professor Bjorn did not allow the Guard to join
Him in the Lab. I entered sixteen tats later, and he was nowhere to be seen. We have conducted a thorough
Search of the Lab. He is nowhere and has appeared to have vanished. Professor Bjorn and I had a pact to
Not work with nor even adjust the machine without the other being present. That was for the purpose of
Recording data, no matter what happened. I don’t want to think it, but I fear the Professor might have
Undergone a procedure without me. I truly hope to be wrong, and that Bjorn will show up someplace, rested
And laughing about our concerns. I’m sorry. That is all I know right now. Please pray for Professor Bjorn, if
That is within your belief system.”

Martin self-congratulated himself for his performance for the press. Nobody would even find Bjorn, that idiot. He obviously landed in the ocean and drowned. If his body would have been discovered, it would have shown up in the ancient documents. Martin now controlled everything. The SECRET was his if he wanted to sell it. He was already wealthy. He could be rich beyond all measure. He could own anything he wanted. Or Anyone. He thought about Bjorn’s wife, Astrid. When all three of them had been in university together, he had secretly loved her, knowing even then that she and Bjorn were together. They made a merry trio, and Astrid tried to include some of her friends as potential partners for Martin. None of them had ever taken to him. The bitches. Martin didn’t think he was ugly, nor badly shaped, nor dull, and yet none of Astrid’s fancy friends had ever come back for a second date. Screw them all. Shallow girls who don’t understand the sacrifices of scientists. Even the women who were also scientists …… they didn’t understand his suffering, his selflessness, his desire to give to the sciences and make the planet better. Maybe now, Martin mused to himself, he might be more worthy in Astrid’s eyes. He would be supportive to her, and sympathetic, and make her eventually want him. He should’ve been the one in the first place. Just because Bjorn was taller. Well, he was gone now. Martin smiled to himself and decided to go quietly celebrate his good fortune.

Treman Jora #. How to tie this together?

Extro ……. Somehow Bjorn survives and aligns himself with the timeline of the person who creates time travel, even though he knows nothing about the basic math or priciples

Somehow that rat bastard martin has to get the ultimate assing, something slow and pai

Somehow that rat bastard martin has to get the ultimate assing, something slow and painful, maybe temporally eternal?

Needs some sort of hook at the end. Maybe that time is a loop that once closed, doesn’t require a beginning?

a reply to: argentus

Fantastic, as always.

a reply to: argentus

Thanks for posting your story, Argentus!

Just like many unfinished literary masterpieces, symphonies, painting, etc., I think it is fabulous as it is. I won’t hazard to add an ending; I think there is more to add. So, I’ll limit myself to my humble opinion on how the story could unfold.

Firstly, I love the teaser with a mysterious person entering a bar. I think these types of openings are one of your specializations. I’ve been to Scotland on a few occasions, and I think you place the reader in an authentic scenario with the ambiance and accents; and I’m partial to a few drams of whisky and a Bridie.

As for the plot, I’m intrigued by the two timelines. For a time-travel story – which I never relish attempting – I don’t feel confused with the past, present and parallel epochs. That makes it easier to understand and appreciate the characters and their arcs.

As I mentioned, I can’t think of an adequate conclusion, as I feel the story is still at a midpoint. You’ve left it at a turning point with Bjorn’s fate to be revealed and Marty’s dark secret at risk of exposure. Also, as we (and possibly, Bjorn) have just learnt that the mute stranger is not only a talented entertainer, but he is the soon-to-be-famous Treman Jora; there starts the adventure/mission of the story.

As for a hook, I feel Astrid holds the key. As Bjorn’s wife, not just a pretty face, but intelligent, she may have been privy to secret research Bjorn was doing, unbeknownst to Marty. The time machine’s limitations or failings may have been resolved, but kept hidden… we know Bjorn was afraid of it being abused, with the disastrous consequences that would have ensued. All the while, we still have the maverick Marty as the bitter, jealous and ambitious antagonist, who cannot be underestimated. In the end, there are many other characters, who may seem ordinary, but could also become pivotal and instrumental to the whole plot.

I don’t know how I would bring those elements together… there’s a lot of head scratching still to do. I understand your frustration with such a complex tale, especially with different timelines. I look forward to seeing your solution to the conundrum.

a reply to: argentus



This is a segment before and after time travel. To add to story.

They all went to the bar and decided to drink to the future and to Mad Max. They started doing snail snot shots mixed with Ouzo and a Greek wine. Everyone had been renamed.

Two snail shots later, Willie Pig Wilson Went West, Weaving, Waiving and Wobbling in tune, Mrs Pig Wilson called off the the new Band. She asked them to play Ohio by Neil Young.

In their time travels, music from other worlds filtered pure love of soul.

As time stood still the new bar tender Cuddly went for a swim in the burning lava luster ocean, As the dead arose from past lives of time travel Cuddly started singing his own tunes.

As they time traveled back from a broken timeline the x-ray of time stopped them once again at the bar. This time they did shots of pickle juice and Tequila, farmer Fred covered the moon with purple and yellow shades of grass. They all hailed to the snails that left shots for us.

As Victor Newburg made his way from the past of the future, George from Georgia gave grapes to Jessika to make time wine. One sips the wine of time and they start to rhyme. Joel Pigeon caught that one as more travelers started piling up. Like trains stuck in Ashburg running wild in time!

We all loved being in the past of your future so much we started messing with your brain. We make you laugh, cry and wheeze at the same time in time.

Each one of us have stories to tell about our time travel. Mrs Wilber from the Web wrote the above. We are hoping others add to this wild story….

a reply to: JJproductions

Awesome! I am posting this using my [expletive] phone, or I would ramble on ad naseum

Well done!

a reply to: Encia22

I think you are right in the zone. Maybe next contest -- should that hsppen -- we might consider a collaborative effort wirh a few of us

a reply to: argentus

Thank you, your story is so good that it was hard to add anything.

a reply to: argentus

Thanks Argentus, this story, like so many others you have written, draws the reader in… so adding some insight felt natural.

As for collaborative writing exercises, they sound interesting. I’ve only participated in one and it was a lot of hard work. Not my idea, I only hosted it; originally conceived as a Guess The Writer challenge, and it turned out to be a lot of fun. It was a four-way collaboration between Blend, JJ, pthena (FullHeathen) and myself. It was based on JJ's intro that the rest of us tacked onto.

a reply to: Encia22

That was so much fun! Thank you for hosting it!