Recurrence

Although the story is set in a science fiction scenario in the year 2086, it takes place predominantly in the past. It's about a boy who is chosen as the first person to travel through time. But things don't go as anyone expected…

Elements such as action, suspense, (homoerotic) feelings and scenes are part of the story. Those looking for a coming-out story or a pure love story will likely be disappointed.

This story isn't called Book 1 for nothing. If you read to the end, you'll find there's no dramatic cliffhanger. The story is a self-contained unit, but definitely designed for sequels.
If you've read it and would like a sequel, feel free to send me positive or critical feedback. That motivates me to keep writing.

And now I wish you much enjoyment while reading!

Chapter 1

The security guard gave a brief but friendly greeting as I entered the security gate.

“Good luck,” he added, after the biometric scanner signaled with its green light that I was indeed Phillip Marten and possessed access authorization one.

"I hope I won't have to rely on that," I replied with a smile, continuing my way through the labyrinth of corridors. But the calm and carefree tone I tried to give my voice didn't reflect my inner conviction at all. In reality, I was extremely nervous and anxiously anticipating what was to come with mixed feelings.

„Good morning, Phil!“
Lisa, or more precisely Dr. Lisa Bolzano, head of the ATR project and my best friend, approached me smiling.

“Good morning to you too,” I replied promptly, and of course in English, since that was the official language here at CERN. Unfortunately, I spoke as little of Lisa’s native Italian as she did of German. While the language fascinated me, my occasional bursts of interest were stifled by a lack of time.
Lack of time – for the past few months, I've always had a strange feeling whenever I a word with the prefix " time" . used

Lisa looked at me thoughtfully and asked: "Nervous?"

"A little, yes. After all, it's not every day you're test subject number one for a bunch of crazy scientists," I countered jokingly.

Lisa laughed, then became serious again. "Everything will work perfectly, you'll see! After all, for the last six months we've done nothing but calibrate, simulate, and calibrate again..."

"Which is not to say that there isn't a mistake somewhere in the equations, or that our theories are simply wrong."

Lisa stopped and gave me a slightly worried look. "You're not going to change your mind, Phil?"

“No,” I replied reassuringly with a mischievous grin on my face, “I would never miss this trip, no matter how dangerous it might be!”

"This is my Phil, the way I know and love him."

The latter was, of course, not meant literally. After all, Lisa, at 43, could have been my mother, since I was only 24. And, in particular, I wasn't interested in women – something neither Lisa nor anyone else knew.

Yes, it might seem strange to some, 24 and not yet out. But when I thought about it, it was mainly because I hadn't exactly spent the last four years the way you'd expect a boy my age to.

I completed my physics studies at the age of 20. my doctorate at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, two years later. I finished
My grandmother was always a little suspicious of that. I had to explain to her every time that the transmission of knowledge in the year 2086 simply happened a bit faster than in her time.

After completing my PhD, I stayed at CERN and continued working on the ATR project, which stands for Advanced Time Research . Two years ago, I also got to know Lisa better, and we eventually became close friends.

She quickly realized that I perfectly fit the profile of Subject Zero, the aforementioned test subject number one.
I was neither particularly stunning nor ugly – at least I hoped the latter. My hair was brown and relatively short. At 1.84m tall, I was slim, but not without muscle.
A few years ago, things looked very different, as I had previously neglected this aspect of physical culture. However, this changed when I was selected as Subject Zero, which entailed an extensive training program in many areas, including physical fitness.

In short – assuming I wear the right clothes, I wouldn't stand out in any place, and especially not at any time.

A glance at the clock interrupted my train of thought. It was 9:55 a.m., or in other words, T minus 35 minutes.

"Okay, Lisa. I have to go to the changing room now, see you in a bit."

The changing room , as we jokingly called it, was much more than that. It was the costume laboratory, where, in addition to reconstructions of clothing from many eras, my other equipment was also kept.
The room was large and almost square, divided into different areas separated by waist-high partition walls.

My gaze swept over the glass cabinets in the first section. They contained robes, cloaks, T-shirts, suits, even underwear, all arranged by year and in male and female versions. Would even a fraction of it ever be used?

Suddenly I noticed that the space reserved for underwear, starting with the label "17th century" and below, was empty. Was there nothing about this minimal clothing in the history books? Or did people simply not wear it back then?

Before I could even think through this idea, however, the head of the laboratory, Dr. Carrol, approached me and looked me over with a critical eye.

"Good morning, I hope you slept well, Phillip!"

Well, did I have any sleep? Hardly, really, apart from the occasional doze. Too many questions were swirling around in my head. Basically the same ones that had been plaguing me for months.
What would I find? Okay, there were history books and records, but to what extent did these reflect the actual lives of people in bygone eras?

“I think it should be enough,” I replied with a disarming smile.

He immediately launched into another question. Anticipating its content, I spoke first:
"And yes, I'm a little excited."

“Then let’s not waste any time,” he replied in his impeccable Oxford English. “I’ve already prepared everything.”

The dressing process was meticulously planned down to the smallest detail and closely monitored by Dr. Carrol and his assistant. And that was a good thing, because with my nervousness increasing by the minute, I would have surely forgotten something.

Step one is disinfection. After undressing, I took a shower and was sprayed with a special liquid. This was to kill any germs, bacteria, etc., that might be on my skin. I'd also been taking special antibiotics for several days. These precautions were simply to prevent me from carrying any microorganisms from the present into the past.

The fact that I was naturally naked during this cleansing process didn't bother me. Everyone present was either female or over 40. Or both, like Dr. Carrol's assistant, for example.
The guys my age mostly worked as engineers or assistants. They either didn't have access to the high-security area or worked in the technical departments, which I rarely entered.
This is all the more understandable when you consider that the complex stretched over several square kilometers on multiple above- and below-ground levels. We were currently on level U5 , five stories below the surface, which corresponded to approximately 50 meters.

Step two is getting dressed. Fortunately, underpants already existed in 1886, the time I would be traveling to.
Ultimately, it didn't matter, since I didn't intend to lower my trousers during the trip and therefore received perfectly normal, white boxer shorts.
Then it was time for my new clothes. A white undershirt was the first item.

Although it wasn't actually worn back then, as Dr. Carrol explained to me, you wouldn't see it under the rest of the clothing anyway. Besides, it served an interesting additional function. Special nanoparticles were incorporated into the fabric, which, under strong physical stress, briefly coalesced into an ultra-hard, crystalline structure.
Or, to put it another way, the bulletproof vest of the late 21st century, meant to protect me from potential knife or gun attacks. Which, however, was unlikely to happen.

Ultimately, my mission was simple: arrive safely, synchronize the time and location with the target coordinates, explore the area a bit, and return safely. Not so difficult, really – apart from the 1000 things that could go wrong.

Fully dressed, I looked at myself in the mirror. In the meantime, I had put on a dark grey suit over my underwear, along with a white shirt and black tie. I also wore black shoes.
So, perfectly normal street clothes for 19th-century men, even though it felt to me as if I were on my way to a business meeting, but in the dreams of my great-grandfather. Or several great-grandfathers before that.

"You look great!" commented Dr. Carrol, and moved on to the next, by far the largest, area of the laboratory.
The room was bustling with activity. Scientists chatted, debated, or worked intently at their computer terminals. In the center of the room was a large table, equipped with various calibration and measuring instruments. On top of it lay what was probably my most important piece of equipment: my return ticket.

It was the Time Travellers Essentials Kit , or TTEK for short.
The kit, jokingly called a time travel kit, consisted of three components.

The full name of the TTEK somehow reminded me of a self-assembly furniture item from a furniture store. With the slight difference that it was a custom-made piece that cost more than the entire furniture store, including the land it owned.
I remember when I was furnishing my first apartment, I tried to assemble a self-assembly wardrobe using the included instructions, transforming it into the shape shown in the picture. The result did indeed bear some resemblance to the version on the glossy paper, but unfortunately, it collapsed after a few days.

Perhaps the most striking component of the device was a pair of metal bangles, each 1 cm thick and 10 cm long. While this was somewhat unusual and corresponded neither to today's fashion nor to that of the 19th century, it was the best possible compromise at the time between inconspicuousness and functionality. The latter was essential for my return journey.

While in the early days the electronics required for the return to Earth were the size of a small car, in recent years it has been possible to miniaturize them further and further. The significant advances in nanotechnology, in particular, have been very helpful in this regard.

Despite my understandable nervousness, statistically speaking, my chances of being reunited with my friends and family were good. Since the start of the project's critical phase, 23 spacetime tunneling missions had been carried out. While every third test subject (albeit non-human) had gone missing during the first ten missions, the last six tests had all been successful.

The second component, the visor lenses, was considerably less conspicuous. These were electronic contact lenses that could display environmental information, warnings, and other useful data directly in my field of vision.
So I didn't need a separate monitor for that, which would make it easier for me to go unnoticed. Because only then would I be able to study the people and life of 1886 undisturbed.

The arm section of the TTEK was checked one last time this morning, as can be seen from the control displays on the instrument table.

First, however, I put on the contact lenses, which I didn't manage immediately and not without some tears, since I didn't usually need them because of my good eyesight.
Meanwhile, Carrol took the arm braces from the tray, which the desk electronics acknowledged with an annoyed beep. I took them and slipped them over my arms. The locking mechanism clicked shut.
Under your shirt sleeves you would be hidden from all eyes.

“Connection established,” whispered a computer-modulated female voice over the microphone speaker, the third component, which was attached to my right ear.
That was Elisa , an integral part of the TTEK. Elisa was a VI , which stands for Virtual Intelligence . She lived her silicon existence in the arm components and coordinated all functions.

Essentially, it was a better computer that could adapt, within certain limits, to changing external parameters. This was particularly important for calculating the highly complex four-dimensional equations that depended on the spacetime surrounding me… but I digress. In any case, it would ensure that I could return here in one piece, and at all.

"Look, Dr. Bolzano is giving his last press conference right now."
One of the employees had switched the television program to one of the large monitor walls, and now everyone listened intently and with rapt attention to Lisa's words.

The question and answer session was probably about to begin.

“…however, the return journey will be considerably more difficult. For the outward journey, it is sufficient to fix the spatial coordinates as precisely as possible. This is also necessary, since we don't want Dr. Marten to suddenly materialize 100m above the Earth's surface, or even somewhere in space.”
It is perfectly sufficient to define a rough interval for the target time. Deviations of up to several weeks or even months are completely normal at this stage of the project.

On the return journey, however, we need to determine not only his exact location, but also his exact time position, down to a few milliseconds.
Imagine we have to search the entire Earth for him with a searchlight whose beam measures one meter. We have no chance if we don't know exactly where to look.
Dr. Marten will therefore light a kind of temporal beacon to guide us to him. Then we can bring him back.

Do you have any other questions?

Of course, there were always more questions.

"Why do you need to determine Dr. Marten's position? Can't he take the equipment with him and jump back himself?"

"No, it's not that simple. For one thing, spacetime tunneling, or time travel for laypeople, requires large equipment and amounts of energy. The further and more precise it needs to be, the more energy is required. Several floors of this building are reserved solely for the necessary electronics."
Furthermore, it is completely impossible to travel into the future using this method. And that's exactly what our present would be from the perspective of 1886.
So we basically have to pick him up.”

"Why is your test subject still so young?" was the next question.

I stopped listening because I already knew all of that. After all, I'd been preparing for this for two years.
The last question had been my first when Lisa first made the suggestion. The answer was that no one knew how much strain the project would put on the human nervous system. However, experiments with mice had shown that young animals fared better when crossing the spacetime rift.

" T minus 10 minutes ," Elisa informed me. High time, then, to head to the transfer room. I said a quick goodbye to Dr. Carrol and set off.

I had already said goodbye to my family the evening before. Although I would have preferred to skip this part of the departure preparations, there was no way around it.
Of course there were tears; my mother cried. My father took it all a bit more calmly and even advised me not to accidentally kill any of my ancestors.

The concern was, of course, completely unfounded. Changes in the past would have no impact on our present, since, strictly speaking, it wasn't our past at all, but a parallel universe shifted in time.
Sure, these are scientific subtleties, but it's reassuring to know.

Lisa had apparently finished the press conference. She was just coming down the corridor when I turned into the central laboratory.

"Ah, Phil! You're already dressed up. And you look great too."

Why did everyone think I looked good in this pseudo-business retro look? I honestly couldn't think so.

By now we were both standing on the circular field in the middle of a spherical chamber with a diameter of about six meters.
This was the transfer chamber, which was located in the center of the central laboratory. If the transfer was successful, the entire contents of the chamber would be transported to their destination through the created rift in the spacetime continuum.
Likewise, an equal volume would be transported back into this chamber at the destination. That was also the route I would take for my return.

After receiving numerous encouraging comments and handshakes in the central laboratory, it was now time for Lisa to say goodbye to me.

"I truly wish you all the best and much success! And remember that..."
She stopped here.
It was probably just too much for her to remind me of one last time. But at the same time, everything had already been said. I was prepared for every eventuality. At least for those our team could imagine.

"Just take care of yourself, Phillip," she concluded, giving me one last big hug.

"Of course," I reassured her, "don't worry too much about me. I can take care of myself and I'll be back in a few hours at the latest. See you then!"

"T minus five minutes," came simultaneously from my microphone and the lab's loudspeaker system. The latter added, "Please clear the transfer area."

Lisa turned around briefly before leaving the room and waved.
Then the door closed.

The room was now completely empty, except for a small white capsule made of a foam-like material. This capsule could be opened in the middle and offered space for one person inside, which I now occupied.
The capsule's primary purpose was to cushion a fall from several meters. Since the local target coordinates were only accurate to within a couple of meters, the target was chosen slightly above the ground. This reduced the likelihood of me materializing several meters underground.
However, just in case, a small breathing mask and appropriate tools for an excavation operation were located in the capsule wall.

Time dragged on stubbornly as I listened, my heart pounding, for sounds from outside. I had by now closed the capsule and given the green light to headquarters.

“ T minus 30 seconds. Target coordinates 53° 52′ 37″ north latitude, 10° 42′ 00″ east longitude fixed ,” Elisa reported.

These cryptic geographical details also had a place name: Lübeck, or more precisely, a wooded area in front of it.
The location was chosen partly because fairly accurate descriptions and maps from the period in question were available. Partly because I was simply interested in it, as I had read a good novel set in that place during my preparations.

"T minus 10 seconds."

The countdown has started.

9… 8…“

Now it really began. My heart was pounding in my chest. Doomed to do nothing and hope, I endured.

„5… 4…“

It got loud around me.

„2… 1…“

Suddenly I felt incredibly nauseous. A split second later, it felt like my body was being ripped in all directions at once. And torn into a thousand pieces…

Chapter 2

I slowly came back to myself.

My first sensation was heat. It felt like I was being roasted in a blast furnace.

Then I could feel my arms and legs again.
It felt as if there were a thousand tiny needles stuck in my skin.

I tried to move, panting. It was more difficult than successful, since I was still inside the capsule.

I couldn't see anything yet. Or maybe there simply wasn't any light.
Yes, of course, the power will have gone out.

I ignored the burning sensation in my arms and tried to feel along the wall for the main switch.
Finally, I found the right indentation and laboriously flipped the lever. Earlier in the lab, I'd managed it with two fingers. Now I had to use the strength of my entire arm.

Light came on. The interior of the sphere illuminated, and a small diagnostic screen embedded in the wall flickered to life. But somehow the display was blurry.
No, I corrected myself, my vision was just blurry. Even the outline of the sphere was only vaguely discernible.

Okay, you have time. So take it nice and slow.

I closed my eyes again and tried to relax as much as possible in my hunched-up position.

A few minutes must have passed before I jolted awake from my trance. I must have almost fallen asleep.
The pain had subsided to a tolerable background noise in my nerve cells, and when I opened my eyes, my vision cleared. Only the heat still bothered me.

The first thing I did was look at the control display.

The first line was an error message: TTEK energy drained. Self-recharge finished in about 2 hours.

Okay, that wasn't a big deal. The energy in the TTEK's high-performance battery had run out, but it would be fully charged again in two hours.
So there's no cause for concern.

The second piece of information was a warning message indicating that the emergency parachute had opened because the fall height was approximately 160 meters.
Wow, that was way too much. It was only supposed to drop a maximum of fifteen meters, but apparently the calibration was somewhat inaccurate.
Perhaps it was due to the high proportion of living material. Regardless, now was not the time for clever speculation.

The display also indicated that the time jump had occurred approximately 50 minutes prior. So I had been unconscious for quite some time.

Now get out of here. Why is it so damn hot in here?
I was sweating miserably in my retro suit. Maybe I should have packed deodorant, I thought jokingly.

I quickly glanced through the environmental data on the display.
Breathable air, normal composition.
Temperature 46° Celsius.

How on earth was that supposed to work?! We had targeted the middle of the year as the timeframe, but it certainly wasn't that hot back then.
The sensor must have been damaged on impact. Or maybe not? After all, it felt strangely hot in here too.

Nothing else worked; I had to figure it out myself. With a squelching sound, the airtight seal of the ball broke free when I pressed the locking bolt.

The upper half swung open automatically and I looked up at the sunlit sky.

So far, so good. What worried me considerably more, however, was what was at my feet and stretched around me as far as the eye could see: sand!

Sand everywhere and all around. This couldn't be happening! This was simply impossible. Where the hell was I?

This was not Lübeck. This was certainly not Germany. This was not even Europe.

But it was clearly a desert. My knowledge of geography didn't help me pinpoint the location either, because deserts existed on pretty much every continent except Europe.

With such a large discrepancy in the spatial coordinates, it was almost a miracle that I hadn't materialized deep inside the Earth or somewhere in space.
And of course, the legitimate question then arises as to what extent there were also deviations in the time coordinate.

But this question would only be answered for me when Elisa could turn her silicon brain back on.
For that long, it was a matter of enduring and surviving. Which wouldn't be easy at all in this heat.

It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't brought anything to drink. Normally, there wouldn't have been any need for it, as my stay in this foreign time was scheduled to last a maximum of four hours.

It's often said, and not without reason: things rarely turn out as expected. But it didn't have to be quite so different.

I couldn't just sit around waiting for the battery to recharge. Even if the TTEK were working again, with this deviation from the target parameters, it could take hours to determine my exact location in space and time. And returning home before then was impossible.

So if I didn't want to die of dehydration beforehand, I had to do something.
Find the nearest city. Or an oasis. Anything with water.

First, I took off all the unnecessary clothing.
If my life weren't at stake, the sight would have been almost comical. A young man in a suit standing in the middle of the desert.

I threw said item of clothing into the sphere, along with the shirt, tie, and trousers.

I breathed a sigh of relief, because the dark fabric had heated up many times over under the sunlight.
So there I stood, wearing only my boxer shorts and undershirt. Although the black dress shoes looked extremely out of place, I kept them on. The sand was simply too hot to venture onto barefoot.

What now? Which direction should I turn in?

I turned around once more, taking in my surroundings. In the distance, I recognized something that looked like rocks. I would head in that direction for now.

The capsule had safely brought me to the ground and thus fulfilled its purpose. There was nothing else inside that could be of use to me.
To prevent anyone from accidentally tripping over it, I activated the self-destruct mechanism and left.

—

After what felt like an hour, but was in reality only a quarter of an hour, I began to suspect that this would be my certain death.
It felt as if I hadn't moved at all. Furthermore, I was considerably weakened and my strength was already beginning to wane.

This wasn't how I had imagined this trip. Trapped, in the middle of a desert, dying from the wretched heat. That's how my fate presented itself to me.

Already half delirious, I remembered my words to Lisa: "I would never miss this trip, no matter how dangerous it might be!"
That's what I said. If only I had changed my mind.
Sitting at home, in the comfortably warm living room of my Geneva apartment. A cold beer trickling down my throat. These were enticing fantasies I indulged in mentally. A long walk across the North Pole was among them, as was a bath in a tub full of ice cubes. I would…

Suddenly I lost my balance and fell flat on my face. I tried to brace myself, but slipped in the fine sand and rolled down the dune.

I struggled to get back on my feet. I couldn't stay lying down, because then I would be completely lost. It was with great difficulty that I got back to my feet.

I tried to get my bearings, as far as that was possible in a landscape that always looked the same.
The rocks I had initially headed towards were no longer visible. Instead, I found myself in a kind of clearing between two dune ridges, which seemed to stretch on for quite some time.

So I decided to follow this natural path that the landscape had created.

Time passed again, though I couldn't possibly say how much. It seemed like hours, yet the sun had barely left its zenith.

My legs grew heavier and heavier, making progress increasingly difficult. Since I could barely stand, I made very little headway. The time jump had already weakened me considerably, and the desert sapped my last remaining strength.

My vision blurred as I saw something dark lying in the sand. It could be animal droppings, I thought to myself.

The thing came closer. No, wrong. I had fallen over and gotten closer to the thing.

Perhaps it was just a pile of stones, I didn't know.

I didn't remember anything anymore.

Chapter 3

I unlocked the door to my office on the third floor of the ATR building.

But after the first door there was another one, which I also unlocked. A third door blocked my way, directly after the previous one.
I also wanted to unlock it, but the key was stuck. It remained jammed and wouldn't move forward or backward.

I turned around, trying to find another way to my destination. But to my horror, I discovered that the second door had closed again.

I shook it, but nothing happened. Suddenly I noticed a window that hadn't been there before. It seemed logical to me to open the window and jump out.

I fell and fell. The fall seemed endless. Everything around me went dark.

—

“Gentlemen, I beg you…” I sat in my red robe on the judge’s bench, trying to calm the agitated courtroom. “Control yourselves, or I will have the court cleared.”

The prosecutor rose and pointed to a naked boy who was tied to a stake in the middle of the courtroom, his back to me. "The defendant is accused of indecent contact between two male individuals. He is to be fined €10,000, or alternatively, sentenced to 20 days of community service as a male prostitute."

The boy's defender, who bore Lisa's facial features, protested vigorously.

"Love, gentlemen. Is it not the driving force of human creation, indeed of life itself?"

Isn't it an expression and satisfaction of the human striving for perfection?

When two people come together and unite in the endeavor to form a more complete whole, this is an expression of human creativity. It is the engine of progress; it is humanity itself manifested.

Isn't love the decision to affirm the whole of a person, whatever the details may be?

Who are those who wish to intervene in these forces of nature with judgment? They are insignificant, and their opinions carry no weight before a pure soul.

The high court will have to recognize this and acquit my client.”

I was moved to tears by this moving speech.
The courtroom fell completely silent, and all eyes were now on me, the one who had to make the final decision, deliver the binding verdict. For there was no higher court; the outcome of the proceedings rested solely in my hands.
I felt really sick to my stomach.

"The evidence is insufficient for this court to reach a final verdict," I addressed those present. "Mr. Prosecutor, I request that you reconstruct the sequence of events together with the defendant."

“With pleasure,” replied the civil servant, stepping into the middle of the courtroom behind the defendant. “The penetration was from behind, exactly like that,” he continued, lowering his trousers and taking the boy from behind.

I nodded in agreement. "Please include that in the minutes," I instructed the minute-taker.

The defense attorney warned me: “Your Honor, it’s time for the verdict. Otherwise I’ll miss tea with my mother-in-law.”

The people looked at me expectantly again. Now I could no longer avoid them.

I was sweating and my mind was blank. I looked into thousands of faces, some demanding the worst punishment, others acquittal. I had a feeling I'd forgotten something important, overlooked some detail or piece of evidence.
I felt dizzy. Everything was spinning.

—

Nausea washed over me as I regained consciousness. Wild dreams had plagued me, but I barely remembered them.

What had happened? Oh yes, I had materialized in an unknown desert, far from my planned destination, and had fainted during my march through the inferno.

The strongest sensation besides nausea, however, was thirst. My mouth felt like a dusty dune; I even thought I could taste the sand.

I opened my eyes with difficulty and took in the scene around me.

I was terribly frightened!
My heart was beating faster and I was now fully awake.

Not only had the surroundings changed drastically, but I was also no longer on hot desert sand, but strapped to the back of a camel!

This vehicle rocked alarmingly back and forth and was probably the cause of my nausea.

Ahead of me, I could see more camels, all tied together with a rope. They seemed to form some kind of caravan. Desert sand was still the dominant element around us, but in the distance, I thought I could already make out some buildings.

Some camels had riders on them, but most were loaded with all sorts of luggage.
The riders were strangely dressed, or rather, barely dressed. They wore only white loincloths that reached almost to their knees. They also wore some jewelry around their necks or arms, the kind I usually only see on women.

On the other hand, apart from my white undershirt and boxer shorts, I didn't look much better. And of course, the shoes, I thought, and immediately stopped short.
I couldn't turn over because I was lying on my stomach and the tight lacing gave my body no room to move, but I couldn't feel my shoes on my feet anymore. They had obviously been taken off.

At least the TTEK's arm devices appeared undamaged. Admittedly, they were made of a very resistant composite alloy and not easily removable from my arms, but you never knew.

"You are awake, Dr. Marten."
I flinched, having almost forgotten that I had an electronic companion.

Da Elisa wieder aktiv war, musste ich wiederrum eine ganze Weile bewusstlos gewesen sein.

"Status report to follow."

Dr. Marten, you are in critical condition. You are suffering from acute dehydration, severe sunburn, and heatstroke.

I injected them with fever-reducing, shock-relieving and circulatory-boosting medications, as well as a weak painkiller.

Further treatment is not possible due to the limited resources of the emergency medical system.

"You absolutely must drink fluids."

So, I was still feeling somewhat bearable; I was pumped full of all sorts of medication. While I was glad about that, it didn't exactly make it easier for me to keep a clear head.

I wanted to ask Elisa about the spacetime bearing, but nothing but a croak came out of my cracked lips.
However, this did not hinder communication between us, as she recognized what was said anyway using a vocal cord sensor.

"Guiding impossible. The deviation of the current spacetime position from the targeted position exceeds the manageable limit."

Once a rough estimate of the current position on Earth and the time period is available, I can try to correct the equations.”

I felt miserable. I had hoped Elisa would have finished the tracking and could send the return signal immediately. I would simply disappear, away from this horrible place and return to my own bed. Or at least to the infirmary of the ATR building.

I tried to calm myself down a little. I would simply have to wait until we reached a more populated area. Perhaps then we could deduce my whereabouts. And this caravan probably wouldn't wander through the desert forever.

My croaking from just now had not gone unnoticed by the rider in front of me. He turned around and looked me over.

I cleared my throat and, with some effort, finally produced the desired sounds: "Water," I tried in German. "L'eau... Water," I added, repeating the same in French and English. All these countries had still possessed colonies in the 19th century, and it was entirely possible that I was in one of them.

The man had sun-tanned skin and was probably around 25 years old. However, he did not give the impression that he understood what was being said.
He looked at me almost pityingly from top to bottom – or rather from front to back, because I was still lying horizontally on the camel saddle.

Even without understanding my words, he seemed to grasp my problem. He took a kind of bag with a tube-like extension out of his camel's luggage.
Although the brown, leathery outer skin of the container was not transparent, I suspected it contained a drinkable liquid.

The rider loosened the clamp at the end of the hose and took a few sips. Then he held the container out to me.

Although it didn't exactly look hygienic, I would have emptied its contents immediately. But my hands were still tied together under the camel's belly.

The man laughed and seemed to find the situation amusing. What worried me even more was that he seemed less laughed at his own clumsiness than at me.

He actually laughed at me.
Slowly, the suspicion arose in my parched brain that I was not so thoroughly tied to the mount out of concern and fear that I might fall off, but rather to bind myself.

Was I a prisoner of these ominous desert people?

Meanwhile, the man in front of me also seemed to have come to the realization that I – prisoner or not – would not survive the journey without a dose from his water hose.

Finally, he held the opening to my mouth. I greedily swallowed the lukewarm liquid.

After far too short a time, however, he yanked the container back and closed it again. Then he addressed me a few words in a language I didn't understand and turned away again.

So that was my first contact with a person from a bygone era. I hoped that the following encounters would go somewhat better and be more communicative.
But to do that, I would first have to understand the people here.

"What kind of language is that, Elisa?" I asked silently.

"No sufficient match was found with any known language or any of its dialects."

Further samples are needed for analysis.

It was getting more and more mysterious. The language of these desert people wasn't even in the database.
Are they indigenous people, some previously undiscovered tribe?

But that was probably far-fetched, because the outlines of a larger city were becoming increasingly clear on the horizon. Undoubtedly, it was the destination of this caravan. But it would be several more hours before we reached it.

I wonder what Lisa was thinking right now? It must be around the time I should have sent the signal at the latest.
She was surely dying of worry. But they couldn't do anything to help me.

The tiredness took over again. Despite the constant rocking and the rather uncomfortable lying position, I soon fell asleep.

Chapter 4

My sleep had been restless and shallow. I kept waking up with a start, plagued by dark thoughts, vague fears, and the rocking of the ship of the desert.

The sun was already near the horizon and the heat was no longer as oppressive as at midday. Most importantly, the city now lay directly in front of us.

The size of the town was impressive. It was surrounded by a medium-high city wall, which was pierced by numerous gates.
Even before we passed one of those, we had already come across several buildings. They were all small, single-story huts that didn't seem very sturdy or built to last.

We encountered men, women, and children. Some were walking on the road we had been driving on for several minutes, while others were sitting in front of or inside houses.
They were dressed even more minimally than my companions and wore hardly any jewelry. I suspected they were from a poorer segment of the population. Many of them appeared to be farmers cultivating the fields along the nearby river.

Apart from a few children running around, people were rather taciturn and thus did little to advance Elisa's language studies.

But by now something else had completely captured my attention. A shiver ran down my spine.
The city gate was now only about a hundred meters away. An inscription above it caught my eye. But I wasn't sure if it was what I thought it was.

"Zoom," I commanded silently. Immediately, the gate was greatly enlarged and displayed in a window of my field of vision. Thank goodness for the visor lenses.
Indeed! Although I had no idea what the inscription meant, I recognized the symbols very well.
They were hieroglyphs!

I didn't even need to wait for Elisa's analysis to determine Egypt as our location.

"The inscription consists of ancient Egyptian characters, hieroglyphs. It contains the name of the city: Waset."
This is the ancient Egyptian name for Thebes.

"I conclude from this that we are in Thebes, Egypt."
Oh, that's a really sharp conclusion.

"Furthermore, the following conclusion can be drawn from the state of preservation of the object and the surrounding buildings, as well as all other information already collected:

The local time is 98% likely to be between 1600 and 1200 BC. This corresponds to the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt.

My God, that was a tight fit! If I hadn't been tied down, I would certainly have fallen off the camel.
Vor Christus?! Das war völlig unmöglich. Der Fusionsreaktor des CERN lieferte nicht mal genug Energie für einen genauen Transfer über 500 Jahre, geschweige denn 3500!

„Wie ist das möglich?“ fragte ich und sprach es in meiner Verwirrung sogar laut aus.

"There is no reliable information on this."

"And what about the unconfirmed ones, any assumptions?" I asked again silently.

"Making assumptions is not within my area of expertise."
If I didn't know better, I would call this answer bitchy.

"However, one possible cause is the following. Assuming the intended amount of energy was used for the transfer, then this time span could only have been achieved through an extremely inaccurate location coordinate."

However, this theory is only correct with a probability of 1.6%, as this corresponds to the chance of materializing near the Earth's surface under such parameters.

I felt completely different. If this theory was correct, it was a real miracle that I was lying here now and not drifting around in empty space as a frozen corpse.
So it was true. This was ancient Egypt, somewhere the pharaoh sat on his throne and down here on the camel lay I, a lost time traveler from the 21st century.

I felt utterly lost. Would I ever be able to return?
Damn! It didn't seem so. The base simply didn't have enough power for such a transfer.

On the other hand, I was the one who ended up here. Very strange…
But I wouldn't rely on a 1.6% survival chance again.

I just hoped that Elisa could now carry out the spacetime direction finding. Then she would also be able to establish radio contact with the base. Electromagnetic signals could be transmitted much more easily between different time periods or worlds.
And if anyone could help me, it was Lisa and her team.

We had now passed the city walls and were staggering along wide streets towards an unknown destination.

The buildings increased in size and splendor the further we penetrated into the city. While the huts outside the city had rather brownish walls and appeared to be made of clay, white was the predominant wall color inside.
It was unmistakable that the wealthier segment of the population preferred a life in the city center.

We crossed a series of intersections in all sorts of directions. I couldn't remember the route, but it was enough that Elisa registered everything I saw. She would know the way back if necessary.

We were now approaching a large square. Many stalls were set up there, where merchants seemed to be hawking all sorts of wares. Not only was there constant discussion, negotiation, and haggling, but it also appeared to be the destination of my caravan.

"I also have some good news for you, Dr. Marten."
Oh, well, at least something.

"The information about the ancient Egyptian language in the database was very incomplete, but with the help of the collected language samples, it was possible to correct and complete it. Simultaneous translation is now possible."

That was really good news. At least now I would understand what people were saying to me – or saying about me. Even if I couldn't give them a good answer.
Of course, Elisa could translate what I wanted to say, and I would then read it aloud. But I would save that cumbersome option for emergencies.

The caravan had stopped, and some workers hurried over to unload the goods. The man in front of me had dismounted and turned to face the older man who was hurrying towards him.

"Greetings, Father! I hope you were well during my absence."
And how are the businesses doing?

"Good, my son, both are fine. I see you've brought quite a bit with you." He looked at me and wrinkled his nose. "What kind of person is that? So white and strangely dressed. I hope he's not some foreign nobleman; they're always so squeamish."

"I have no idea what kind of person he is. He was just lying on the desert road when I found him. He had nothing to drink and was already half dead."

„Egal“, antwortete der herbeigeeilte, „er wird zwar keinen hohen Preis machen, aber gib ihn zu den anderen in einen Käfig. Und gib ihm noch etwas Wasser. Wenn er tot daliegt, will ihn erst recht keiner mehr.“

Oops! So that was it. The gentlemen traded in slaves, among other things, and I was to be sold as one.
That was a little scary, but also kind of funny. Maybe the latter was just due to the medication or the heatstroke. Or maybe my synapses were already mostly dried out.
At least there was still something to drink waiting for me.

I barely registered the moment my bonds were removed and I was carried into the cage. Exhaustion overcame me, and after emptying the provided bowl, I finally fell asleep.

Chapter 5

It was already light early when I woke up.

The first thing I felt was the pain of sunburn on almost every part of my body. Only now did I realize what the painkiller had saved me from yesterday.

Elisa greeted me with a nice message.

August 12, 1443 AD
Time 06:12
Temperature 27°C, humidity 49%

If time travel were to be discontinued, it would make a good weather station.

It was definitely much more pleasant than yesterday. I also felt much fresher, although my thirst hadn't lessened and I was quite hungry.
Besides, I had to go.

Wait, hold on!
The date was August 12, 1443. This means Elisa had been able to perform the spacetime survey!
That was a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

"What's the status, Elisa?" I asked silently.

"I completed the spacetime bearing half an hour ago. I then sent a short report to base, but haven't received a reply yet. I'm repeating the transmission every ten minutes."

I wonder what it looked like there right now? After all, I was already more than 12 hours late.
Hopefully they received the message; Lisa would surely be sick with worry.
And with good reason. My return was more than questionable, and my survival during that time was hardly certain. After all, I was a slave, and a rather unsellable one at that.

The marketplace was still almost empty, although some vendors were already beginning to fill their stalls. There was all sorts of fruit and vegetables, some familiar to me, some not. But there were also live animals for slaughter, such as pigs and pigeons.
Even cats were sold. Hopefully as pets and not for consumption.

Besides my cage, there were several others. In half of them, other prisoners were sitting or lying. They were all more or less different from the people beyond the bars.
They probably kept mostly slaves from foreign peoples – as was usually the case with slavery.

The older man, seemingly the father of my riding companion from yesterday, was just approaching the cages. The term "older" was only appropriate in comparison to the average local citizen, as he was no older than 35.

"It's time to freshen you up. Today is the main market day and I want to make a good deal." Anyone who didn't know that the euro hadn't been invented yet might have thought he had euro signs in his eyes.

Although my preparatory history studies had focused on the 18th to 20th centuries for obvious reasons, I also possessed some basic knowledge of antiquity.
For example, I knew that there was no currency in ancient Egypt and therefore business was conducted through barter.

There was a unit of account called the deben, which was actually a unit of weight. It served to determine the value of all goods in relation to their weight in gold, silver, or copper.

Would my price also depend on the weight?
I grinned to myself. Very funny, Phil.
Well, at least you still have your gallows humor.

If I have time, I would supplement my knowledge about the country and its people with some reading from the TTEK database.

But first came the cleaning. We were taken out of the cages by several strong men. Although we weren't restrained in any way, the armed guards made their position clear nonetheless.

The others seemed to already know the procedure, so I simply copied them. There were several clay pots filled with water, which we were presumably supposed to pour over ourselves for cleansing.
Of course, we had to undress for that, which I didn't particularly like in a marketplace with several dozen people.

The others, however, seemed unfazed and were already busily engaged in washing their clay pots, completely naked. I didn't dare do more than glance at this scene, though. An erection would be the last thing I needed while I was washing.
So I took off my underwear and shirt, keeping a close eye on the latter. After all, it was reassuring to know that it offered some protection against most of the weapons of that era.

I enjoyed letting the cool water slowly flow over my body. This refreshment was truly necessary. I also drank quite a bit of it, as I was still thirsty.
There was also a linen towel for drying off. But only one, for all four wet bodies. Luckily, I was standing on the left and got the towel first. Good thing it wasn't the one on the right…

I saw one of the other slaves urinate into his jug after emptying it over himself. Another even sat on it to do a number two.
So that's how it was done.

I simply tried not to think about the other people who were still on the field. Besides, they didn't seem to care about us either.
After I successfully relieved myself, I was returned to my barred enclosure.

The merchant, whose son had rescued me from the desert sand yesterday, now went to each person individually and exchanged a few words.

Finally, he came to my cage. "Can you understand me?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"This action was illogical," Elisa reprimanded me.
Oh Phillip… Of course she was absolutely right. If I had tried to pretend I didn't understand him, I had failed miserably.

The man laughed.
"In any case, you understand enough for a slave. So listen carefully."

You can live a good life. You receive bread and beer from your master and live on his property. You have to do everything your master commands. And when you are old, he might even set you free.

But if you cause him grief, he will punish you. If necessary, even with death.

Did you understand?"

This time I nodded.

"Okay, there's something else. I can't sell you like this, you need different clothes. Take off your old ones and put on these."
He held out a white linen cloth to me, just like the others had wrapped around their loins.

Damn! I absolutely had to avoid having my undershirt taken off.

The trader must have seen my terrified expression, because he said that slaves were allowed to own property and that I could keep my old clothes – just not wear them.

Reassured, I immediately put on the new linen apron. However, I must have been so clumsy about it that the merchant burst out laughing. "You're a strange slave indeed. You understand our language, but you don't know how to dress yourself."

“Look how it’s done.” He took off his own loincloth, exposing himself. The Egyptians, unlike our culture of dressing up, seemed to have no problem with nudity.
With quick and fluid movements, he tied the linen cloth around his hips again.

This time I paid attention and did the same as him, although not as elegantly.

The merchant nodded in satisfaction. "Good, one last thing you need is a local name. Since you can't speak, I'll choose one for you. I'll call you... Ameniu."

Ameniu, that sounded nice. I signaled my agreement with a nod.
Satisfied, he turned away again.

The market slowly filled with customers. The Egyptians seemed to be early risers.

The visitors could easily be divided into groups based on their clothing: poor farmers, simple to middle-class craftsmen and scholars, and the wealthy.
Those who could afford it wore elaborate silk tunics around their hips and a variety of jewelry. The men did too.
I even saw bracelets similar to mine, only these were much more elaborately crafted and often made of gold. That's why my dealer wasn't bothered by the TTEK bracelets; in his eyes, they were just cheap jewelry.

Very few people were interested in slavery, and those who were belonged to the upper classes. Of course, poor farmers or simple craftsmen couldn't afford slaves. Instead, they bought plenty of bread and other basic foodstuffs.

As interesting as it was to observe the market activity, I decided to do something more meaningful. I deepened my knowledge of the country and its people using the historical database Elisas.

—

After a few hours, I finished reading, exhausted. The last page was almost blurring before my eyes, which had begun to hurt.
The visor lenses weren't really suitable for extended reading sessions. That should be improved for next time.

Well, maybe next time. Would there even be a next time after this failure? And if so, who would go? As a space-time stranded individual, I was out of the running.

At least my reading had made me considerably wiser. For example, I now knew that the Egyptian family ideal was to have as many children as possible. Families without children were completely unheard of, and infertility was the worst thing that could happen to an Egyptian.
Apart from that, mortality during childbirth was very high for both infants and mothers. Whatever use all this information is supposed to be to me.

The marketplace had finally come to life. Bustling activity at almost every stall was the norm. More people were also coming to our stall and looking at the goods .
The stares of the people on the other side of the fence made me uncomfortable, even though they weren't particularly curious or intrusive. But I didn't like being put on display.
Did the animals in the zoo feel the same way?

"Is he any good for gardening?" a prospective buyer asked about my fellow prisoner. Gardens were important status symbols, as I had learned from my brief research.

The merchant was quick to assure everyone of the prospective slave's suitability. He was clearly in his element and heading straight for a sale.

“But does he get along with children? I have two sons and a daughter,” the customer continued, expressing his doubts.

“Oh, that’s excellent. Nameph here was a father himself in his homeland and knows a great deal about children,” the merchant cooed.
I didn't know why, but I had my doubts about his words.

"And what do you want for him?"

"I'll make you a special offer. Only 2000 Deben copper."

"Pah, that's worth more than fifteen cattle. And at least they have more meat on their bones."

"But they can't do any gardening work. At least not the kind you'd recognize after your garden."

"All right," the rich customer conceded, "I'll take him for 1000 Deben."

"Absolutely not. Just look how muscular he is. I'll give him to you for 1500."

"1300 and I'll take it."

"Agreed," the dealer agreed. They then spent some time negotiating the details.

Haggling is therefore not a modern invention. How much would someone pay for me?
I just hoped I'd get a decent husband and wouldn't have to do the dirty work.
I could already picture myself lugging sacks around in the midday heat. But let's wait and see; maybe I really was unsellable. What would happen then? Certainly nothing good.

Whatever might happen, I didn't plan on enduring a life of slavery any longer than absolutely necessary. If only Lisa would finally receive my message. Or maybe she had, but couldn't reply?

A boy, maybe 13 years old, came over with some bowls and set one in front of each of us. Breakfast was served. If you could call a muddy grey gruel a breakfast.

"What the hell is that?"

The boy obviously didn't understand me, but he read my concerns in my furrowed brow.
He laughed. "That's good, my mother prepares it herself. I eat it for breakfast too."

If the latter was true, then I could rest easy. After all, the boy seemed very lively to me.
But the idea of a 35-year average life expectancy had to come from somewhere…

"The main ingredients of the mixture are beer and bread," Elisa explained to me.

"The spectral analysis also detects some other low-dose components, but listing them might diminish your appetite."
They should eat the food.

How thoughtful of her to want to preserve my appetite. Perhaps it was for the best.
So I reached in, hesitantly at first, then more firmly. Okay, it wasn't exactly a culinary delight, but it was certainly edible. And it filled me up.

Having felt somewhat refreshed, I turned my attention back to my surroundings. There was only one customer nearby, a man – or should I say boy – of perhaps 20 years old.
Unlike in our society, Egyptians at this age were already married and owned their own households.

The young man was a few centimeters shorter than me and had short, black hair, like most people here. His upper body was also bare and muscular. Not like those of people who had to do heavy physical labor, but all Egyptians seemed to take pride in their physique.
Around his waist he wore the usual pleated scarf, woven from fine fabric. He also wore a few understated pieces of jewelry, which suited him well.
I have to say that we should introduce jewelry for men here as well.

He walked along the row of cages, scrutinizing each inhabitant. The dealer tried to maintain a discreet distance while still being close enough to read the expressions in his potential customer's eyes.

When he reached me, he stopped and looked at me closely. His face brightened noticeably and he turned to the merchant.

“I’ll take him,” he said, pointing at me. “He may not look very strong, but he has such beautifully fair skin. That’s very distinguished, just right for my personal servant.”

The trader, closely observing the reactions of his counterpart, replied:
"I'm glad you like it. But it's also the best in my range and therefore has its price. 3000 Deben copper."

Although I tried to suppress it, I had to laugh. In reality, the dealer was overjoyed to have found a buyer for me – the worst slave in his inventory. Therefore, he was sure there was still some room for negotiation on the price.

He also gave me a nasty look, but then shifted his focus to lulling his client with a blissful smile.

"Okay, I'll take it."

That was a real surprise. After all, my much more potent-looking neighbor had only managed to earn 1300 Deben.

Inner values counted too.
Although, if my buyer knew about my inner qualities… And by that I don't just mean the little time-travel dilemma, but also my homosexuality. In ancient Egypt, it had a very bad reputation, since it didn't produce children. And that was still the main goal of Egyptian family life.

The merchant, initially quite perplexed, now seemed to be experiencing something akin to pangs of conscience. "He's a good slave and hasn't caused me any grief. But you should know that the gods have punished him with the disease of muteness. He understands our language, but cannot speak."

"All the better, then he can't spill any secrets."

The dealer hadn't considered this aspect at all and surely noted it down in his mind for similar cases in the future.

The two had reached an agreement, and the dealer approached me with a clearly pleased expression to open the gate. "Remember what I told you," he whispered as a final warning.

Then he handed me over to my new master . "The name of your new slave is Ameniu. He comes from the north, across the sea."

The latter was actually true. Whether the dealer truly believed it, however, I didn't know. He simply didn't want to admit that he actually knew nothing about me.

Chapter 6

“Come with me, Ameniu. We will go to my house and I will tell you about your duties on the way.”

My new employer was actually named Imanuthep, as he revealed to me right at the beginning, but was simply called Manu by his family.

So we walked side by side down the street. Only my neighbor's extensive jewelry hinted at the difference in our social standing.
He looked even more handsome up close than before. In another time, under different circumstances, we could have been friends. One of them or another.

“My father is a judge in the Great House of Thebes.”
This large building was roughly comparable to a regional court, as Elisa briefly noted.

"I also work at the court. There is a lot to do, but it is an honorable job."

"As my personal servant, you are actually responsible for everything that has to do with my physical and mental well-being."

He must have noticed my skeptical look, because he added with a smile: "So you don't have to cook or do laundry. You'll just always be near me, in case I need you."

"You accompany me almost everywhere. That way you can keep a watchful eye on the people and the surroundings when I'm engaged in conversation."

It's a shame that you're mute, on the one hand. But at least that way no one can distract you with a conversation.

Despite Manu's explanations, I wasn't entirely clear on what my actual task was. It almost seemed as if he himself wasn't quite sure. I would have liked to ask him why he had willingly paid such a high price. But that simply wasn't possible.

As we walked towards his home, I looked at the area we were passing through.

The streets weren't paved, but were flattened by the heavy traffic. They certainly weren't clean, so I was reluctant to walk on them barefoot. But I didn't have my shoes anymore, and it was quite common to go barefoot here anyway. Locals only wore sandals indoors or on hot sand.

We approached an imposing structure situated in the heart of the city. It was clearly a temple, and the closer we got, the larger the houses became and the more spacious the properties. The wealthier residents apparently liked to live close to their gods.

Meanwhile, we had arrived in front of a two-story house, roughly the size of a modern terraced house. However, it wasn't quite as tall and, like all the dwellings here, had a flat roof that you could even walk on.

“We’re here,” said Manu. And I thought I detected a hint of pride in his voice.

The property was surrounded by a shoulder-high wall to protect the residents from prying eyes.
As we stepped through the gate, the first thing that greeted us was a lovely front garden. The Egyptians clearly took pride in their gardens. I was visibly delighted by the sight of this green oasis, which, compared to the desert outside the city walls, seemed positively comforting.

Manu seemed pleased by my admiration and stated that the garden behind the house was even more beautiful.

"It's not as big as my father's villa. But that's also located further out, and there's simply more space there. I really wanted to live in the city center, though. You're just so much closer to what's going on."

I could understand that. My parents had also lived with me in a suburb until I moved out at the beginning of my studies. I, too, was drawn to the big city.

We walked through the front door and entered the first room. Outside it was slowly getting hotter again, but in here it was still pleasantly cool.
The room was relatively small and, apart from a wall shelf and a small side table, contained no other furnishings. It probably only served as a buffer to a larger room, into which the homeowner quickly proceeded.

"This is the reception room. Here I receive my guests and dine with them. When I'm alone, though, I prefer to eat on the roof terrace. It's simply more refreshing there in the summer."
I know it's still cool, but it heats up quickly.

This room was not only larger, but also very comfortably furnished. Besides several relatively low chairs arranged in pairs at small tables, there were some colorful wall decorations. I also found fresh flowers in small terracotta vases on the tables.

I barely had time to process what I had seen before the tour continued.

"The kitchen is further back; you'll surely meet my cook soon."
The workshops and storage rooms are in the basement, but we don't need to go there."

My guide now climbed the stairs to the second floor, which were located just behind the reception room and in front of the kitchen. We walked down a long corridor.

"My study is on the left."

We entered the room and I stopped in surprise.
The room was longer than it was wide and had five small windows on the long side opposite the door. On the three other walls, papyrus scrolls covered long shelves.
This was more of a library than a study.

There was also a larger table, presumably intended for working. Several papyri were spread out on it.
Mats and cushions lay on the floor in the corner of the room. It seemed like it would be a comfortable place to relax.

Manu had noticed my surprise and seemed pleased by it – or perhaps amused, I wasn't so sure.

"The scrolls on the left contain records of my father's old cases; he gave them to me to study. Those on the right wall contain my cases, both closed and current. As you can see, it's still a bit empty, but then again, I've only been working at the court for a few years."
Finally, along the long side, opposite the windows, are the general texts. These include texts on law, medicine, history, but also novels and poetry.
As a writer, it is advantageous to have your own collection of writings.”

Being able to read and write was a privilege back then and by no means a given. Only those who were trained in these skills could pursue high-ranking professions.
Children of wealthy people were all sent to school, boys and girls alike. Among middle-class craftsmen, at least some of the boys learned to write.

Suddenly a voice reached us from the hallway.
"Manu, who are you talking to? Do we have visitors?"

A young woman – no, I correct myself – a girl, perhaps around seventeen, entered the room.

"I almost forgot," Manu said. "May I introduce you to my new personal servant, Ameniu? I told you this morning that I wanted to get someone. Ameniu, this is Naha, my wife."

Of course Manu had a wife, maybe he even had children. Still, I was surprised how young she was. On the other hand, I had read that girls here were married off as young as thirteen or fourteen.

Naha looked a little confused at first, so I quickly gave her a small bow. I didn't know if that was customary here, but it seemed better than doing nothing, since a friendly hello was out of the question.

“Welcome to our house. May Amun strengthen you so that you may serve my husband well,” she greeted me. Was it just Elisa’s translation, or did she really choose more formal words than Manu?
It was a disadvantage not to speak the language directly. I had to trust that Elisa would correctly interpret the subtle nuances of human expression.
At least I could still make out the tone of voice. And it sounded friendly, but reserved. Just as one would typically speak to someone of significantly lower status.

"You don't look like you were born in this country. Where are you from?" she asked me in the same tone.
As much as I would have liked to answer her question – not truthfully, of course – it simply wasn't possible. I had already maneuvered myself into the position of the mute.

The alternative would have been to pretend that I only had a poor command of the language, which, given my inevitably poor pronunciation, would have been true. But it was too late for that now. So I remained silent and looked to Manu for help.

“He comes from the north, across the sea,” he answered in my place.

"And he can't even speak for himself? Tell me, servant, are you shy in the presence of women?" she added, slightly amused.

"He cannot answer you because he is mute, Naha. The gods have denied him the gift of speech."

"I don't understand, Manu. What use is he supposed to be to you then? And as your personal servant, no less."
You told me this morning that you were thinking about hiring someone like that. And then you come home with this guy in the afternoon.
Did you make a hasty decision again? And where did you even find someone so quickly?

"Slow down, Naha. I just bought him as a slave at the market."

"What?! You're even making a slave your personal servant. There are so many honorable Egyptians of lower social standing who would fight for that position."

"Please understand, I don't want anyone from here; they're all too familiar and well-connected. Ameniu seems like the perfect fit."
And besides, it's a professional decision that's none of your business. You always speak negatively about everything anyway."

Naha left the room with an angry look at her husband.

I must have just overheard an Egyptian marital dispute. Although it took place over 3000 years before our time, it wasn't much different from its modern-day counterpart.

I would have loved to apologize to Manu for the trouble I had caused him with his wife. Instead of words, I tried to put on the most contrite facial expression possible, combined with the appropriate gestures.

Manu sighed as his wife left the room. "You don't need to apologize, she can be a bit difficult sometimes. We've been married for a good year now and she's still not pregnant. That bothers her, because if nothing happens in the next few months, people will start gossiping about her."

"Never mind, no more of that. Come on, I'll show you the second floor. We'd rather avoid the room on the other side of the hall. It belongs to my wife."

"Warning! The load-bearing capacity of this staircase is below the permissible limit according to EU Regulation 1-274-B."

"Well, I guess I'll have to live with that, Elisa. After all, we're not in the EU here. As long as it's not in imminent danger of collapse, you don't need to tell me," I hissed back silently.

So we went up the stairs and arrived safely at the top. They certainly didn't look crumbling.

Instead of a long hallway like on the first floor, we were greeted by a spacious room. There were three passageways to further rooms on the other three walls.

"This is the private living area," Manu explained to me. There were even more of the comfortable cushions and mats on the floor here. The Egyptians seemed to love it.
In addition, the walls were decorated with paintings.

"The bathroom is straight ahead. I even had a toilet installed."
Toilets in ancient Egypt had nothing in common with their modern counterparts. The seat was a box made of limestone or wood with a hole in the middle. Inside, beneath the hole, stood a clay vessel. After use, it was sprinkled with sand.
There was no sewage system yet.

"To the left is the entrance to the roof terrace and to the right is my bedroom."
He turned to his right and walked through the passage.

We entered a small room, perhaps three by four meters.
"This is the anteroom to my bedroom. This is where I get dressed."

Indeed, the shelves along the walls were filled with all sorts of clothing. The beautifully decorated chest in front contained the jewelry.

"This is where you will sleep," he told me.
I was surprised. Here, in front of his bedroom? Weren't there servants' quarters somewhere?

He must have noticed my surprise, because he added justifiably: "I always want you near me in case I need something. Besides, you help me put on my jewelry in the mornings and such. And last but not least, the servants' bedroom is already so full."

That suited me just fine. Lying in a stuffy basement room with who knows how many other bodies was not an appealing prospect.

We turned back and Manu showed me the bathroom and the roof terrace. The former was more of a washroom, as there was obviously no running water. However, there was a drain in the floor that carried any spilled liquid outside.
There wasn't a proper mirror either, just a metal plate on which you could barely see yourself.

The roof terrace, on the other hand, was beautiful. It also had some plants and additional seating. A linen sheet was stretched over some wooden poles, creating a large shaded area. The edges were bordered by a very low wooden railing that didn't look very sturdy.
Before Elisa dug up some regulation about parapet heights, I decided to stay in the middle.

"It's time for lunch, come on, let's go back downstairs. I'm eating in the garden today, it's still refreshingly cool there."

So we went back down the three flights of stairs to the ground floor. Another servant was already waiting for her master downstairs. "Dinner is ready, sir. In the garden pavilion, as you commanded."

"Good, Jahna. This is my new personal servant, Ameniu. Show him the kitchen and give him something to eat. And introduce him to the others as well."

This time, Manu preempted any potential linguistic confusion: "He understands everything you say, but cannot reply because he is mute."

Jahna seemed slightly taken aback, but quickly bowed, and I hurried to do the same. I wanted to make a good impression somehow. Whether on Jahna, Manu, or both, I wasn't quite sure.
Actually, I was embarrassed that everyone thought I was mute, even though I wasn't. But it still offered the simplest solution.

As the master of the house strode off towards the garden, I followed the maid into the kitchen. Two other Egyptian women were there, making the final preparations for lunch. It looked like they were having beef with leeks and a salad.

My mouth was already watering, because I had gotten hungry again after the meager porridge I had eaten this morning.
Jahna introduced me to the other two girls. They seemed very curious and would surely have asked a thousand questions if Jahna hadn't quickly mentioned my little peculiarity. She also instructed a cook in a commanding tone to prepare some food for me.

I almost had the feeling that things were usually a bit more relaxed here. But now Jahna seemed to want to emphasize her position, to immediately signal to me what was her responsibility, and hers alone: the kitchen.

"Here, this is for you," said one of the cooks, handing me a bowl. It contained some bread, leftover salad, and a few rather fatty chunks of meat. She also gave me a jug of beer.

Well, bon appétit then. I should have known better than to share my master's good and expensive food as a servant. Still better than grey Nile mud slop.
Since I didn't know where to go, I simply squatted down in a corner of the kitchen. I ate my meager meal with my fingers. There was simply no cutlery here; even the pharaoh ate with his hands.
The beer tasted excellent, although significantly different from modern brews.

Meanwhile, Jahna carried the bowls of Manu's food outside. I wondered why he wasn't eating with his wife. Was she still angry with him because of their argument?

Ich beobachtete während dem Essen das geschäftige Treiben in der Küche. Es schien bereits der nächste Gang vorbereitet zu werden. Ein Nachtisch in Form eines Obsttellers mit Feigen, Datteln und Trauben.

After emptying the bowl a few minutes later, my hands were understandably dirty. I returned the bowl to the cook and held out my open hands to her, looking puzzled. She pointed to a clay pot filled with water in a corner.

So I left the kitchen with clean hands. But as soon as I was through the door, I stopped. I didn't know where to go.
Going outside to see the landlord might not be the wisest idea. He would surely have someone call me if he wanted to see me.

The small hallway connecting the kitchen and reception room had a branch to the right, which immediately led to a small staircase. It descended to the cellar. Although Manu had said earlier that we didn't need to go there, I was curious to see this part of the house as well.

So I descended the stairs and found myself in a low vaulted chamber. I could barely stand upright, but I was also taller than many Egyptians. The cellar seemed to be arranged linearly, one room following another.
The room I was standing in was a kind of workshop. Tools of various kinds were apparently used to carry out minor repairs around the house. There was also a loom on which new linen could be woven from thread when needed.
At the moment, all these pieces of equipment were unoccupied, and I was therefore the only one down here.

I stepped into the next room. It appeared to be a storeroom. Besides grain, there were barrels of beer and wine down here. Further on, fruit, vegetables, and dried meat were stacked high.
Furthermore, it was pleasantly cool down here, while it slowly began to heat up on the upper floors.

The third and final room was the servants' sleeping quarters. Unlike the master's bedroom, there were no beds. Only mats were laid out on the floor.
From this, I concluded above all that I would also be sleeping on a mat. What an irony that my own bed was certainly three times as comfortable as the host's.
Hopefully I would be able to fall asleep. If not, Elisa should give me a mild sleeping pill, if such a thing was even available.

There was nothing else to see in the small room, which could perhaps accommodate six sleeping people. So I turned around and made my way back to the stairs.

Halfway there, I almost collided with Jahna.

"So here you are! What are you even doing down here?" she grumbled in the intonation of a monarch whose territory had been violated by an intruder.
"The Lord is sending for you. He is still in the garden, make sure you get there."

I didn't need to be told twice and slipped past the scrawny person, up the stairs. I quickly turned towards the garden and stepped through the patio door.

An impressive green space surrounded me. The high walls, overgrown with grapevines, protected me from the prying eyes of the neighbors. Numerous trees, of which I only really recognized the palm tree, provided shade. In the center was even a small pond, three meters in diameter, bordered by white and red lotus flowers. It was idyllic, almost romantic, I would say.
Only now could I understand the Egyptians' fascination with gardens. They were an oasis in the middle of the desert, a haven of peace in the heart of the city, and a place of privacy and relaxation.

A small pavilion stood on four pillars with a vine-covered roof next to the pond. Manu was sitting at a table there. The main course had already been cleared and replaced with a plate of fruit.

"Sit with me, Ameniu."
I accepted that; after all, Manu was much friendlier than Jahna. And much prettier, by the way. So I sat down in the chair opposite him.

"How do you like my garden?"

I nodded and put on an appreciative expression.

"That makes me happy, he has pleased everyone so far."
Feel free to help yourself to some of the fruit, it's good."

I nodded again, this time thankfully, and helped myself to some dates and grapes. They tasted really good.
"The grapes are from our own cultivation."

Manu seemed lost in thought. I watched him and caught a whiff of the scent he exuded. Perfume didn't seem to be unknown to the Egyptians.

"Sometimes I wish I could travel. To explore new countries and see something of the world. Yes, of course, I have a good position here and there's no reason to leave my hometown. On the contrary, I have to take care of my family when my father is too old to work."
But that's precisely what causes me grief, Naha causes me grief."

I listened to him attentively. After all, the mute were necessarily the best listeners.

"She's always talking about sons and daughters and how many she wants to have. I'd prefer to have none at all. But that's impossible, it's simply unacceptable for a family and a disgrace to my wife."
He sighed.

"You can't please everyone in life. Maybe I just need a change of pace."
If there's nothing scheduled in court tomorrow, then we'll go hunting in the desert."

Chapter 7

It was already evening when Manu returned from an afternoon session at the court.
"I will introduce you there soon, as soon as you have settled in here," he had assured me.

So I stayed indoors and observed the surroundings from the roof terrace, where I eventually ventured onto the railing. Surprisingly, without any warning from my supervisor. The heat was reasonably bearable up here as long as you stayed within the shade provided by the linen sheet. Especially since it became more pleasant towards evening anyway.
Unfortunately, the cloth did not extend all the way to the parapet, and so I was just about to escape the sun again when I saw the master of the house turn into the street.

I had an idea for a little experiment and quickly went down the three flights of stairs to the ground floor. I looked for Jahna and found her, as expected, in the kitchen. She was sitting there on a mat in the corner, not doing anything at the moment.
However, when she saw me coming, she stood up and looked at me questioningly.

Now came the most difficult part of the experiment. I tried to explain to her with my hands that she should prepare the food for the master, up on the roof terrace.
She watched me with narrowed eyes as I tried to explain.

Finally, she seemed not only to have understood my instructions, but also to have set about following them. Although her curled lips didn't exactly express satisfaction.

The experiment had succeeded. As the master of the house's personal servant, I seemed to outrank her. That's probably why she feared for her dominance in the kitchen. Well, I certainly had no intention of challenging her position.
The test result was interesting, but ultimately useless to me. I wouldn't have been able to explain more complex issues to her, nor would it have made any sense to me.

I went back into the reception room and greeted the master of the house as one would expect of a good servant.
His face wore a disgruntled expression as he came out of the anteroom.

"The trip tomorrow will probably not happen. I will have to study some files instead."

Perhaps that was for the best. I could imagine more pleasant things than another visit to the desert.
Manu certainly seemed to have been looking forward to it and looked accordingly disappointed. But perhaps there was another reason for it.

I signaled to him that I had served him the food up on the roof, whereupon his expression brightened again.
"Ah, good. Then let's go upstairs, it's always most beautiful there in the evenings."

Once he reached the top, he sat down on the cushions. Jahna was just placing a plate of small, buttered slices of bread on the low table in front of him. Then she moved away again.

I was about to withdraw as well when Manu stopped me.

“Please sit with me, Ameniu. I don’t like eating alone. And you must be hungry too.”

Well, I didn't need to be told twice, because he was right about the hunger.

—

I was lying on a mat padded with pillows in the room outside Manu's bedroom. He had taken this mat from one of the shelves on the wall and handed it to me. It had taken me quite a while to put together a bed on which I could lie in some halfway comfortable position.
Of course, in that respect I was a spoiled European. But how could it be otherwise when you've spent your whole life resting in comfortable, soft beds with cozy blankets?

Speaking of blankets, there weren't any here at all. Which, given the temperatures – it was still 26°C in here – seemed perfectly fine.
It was just a little quirk, or simply an old habit, that I couldn't fall asleep without a blanket. I felt somehow naked and incomplete.

Kept awake in this way, I calmly considered my situation.
I was stranded in ancient Egypt; even a scanning electron microscope could have searched in vain for a chance to return, and I had to work as a servant.

This wasn't my dream job, not even in ancient Egypt. But I would accept it until a way out of my situation presented itself. Much more likely, however, that there wasn't one... If only I could finally get in touch with Lisa.

Besides, when you think about it, I wasn't in the worst position. I came to the city as a slave and have already risen to the position of servant to a very nice Egyptian, which was also rather strange.
I doubted whether Manu had made the right choice with me. How could I possibly support him as his personal servant, or assistant as people call it these days?

In any case, it could have been worse. Hauling stones across the desert, for example.
With this comforting thought, I eventually fell into a light, restless sleep.

—

“… Wake up, Dr. Marten. Wake up, Dr. Marten. Wake up…”

I sat bolt upright, still half asleep. "I'm awake! What's wrong, Elisa?"

"I have received a response from base. Ready to establish real-time video link."

Suddenly I was wide awake . Finally! Even if I had to stay here forever, I would still be able to stay connected to home.
I got up quickly and as quietly as possible and left the room. I hurried up the stairs to the roof terrace. Out of breath from the sudden exertion in the night, I collapsed onto the pillows.

"Establish a connection!"

Nothing happened for a few seconds. I was about to ask Elisa what was going on when a viewing window opened in front of me. Of course, it wasn't really there, but was projected onto the visor lenses.

It felt as if I were standing in front of an analog television, due to the white noise that covered the entire screen. The silhouette of a person could only barely be discerned.

Had I not known better, I would have thought Elisa wanted to increase the suspense.

Suddenly, the image gained in contrast and sharpness. The static of the snow gave way to rich colors. Dr. Lisa Bolzano looked into the camera with a tense and worried expression.

"Phillip! Are you okay? What happened? Is the information you sent us correct? My God, I was sick with worry about you!"

She bombarded me with questions, giving me no time to answer at all. But it felt incredibly good to hear her voice. It was the only thing that connected me to home now.

"Calm down, Lisa. I'm fine. I'm unharmed and healthy."

Lisa sighed, her relief clearly visible. Almost the entire project team was gathered in the background, listening intently to Lisa's and my words. They couldn't see me, since my only camera was integrated into the visor lenses.

"And yes, the data is correct. I did indeed land in ancient Egypt instead of the 19th century. I was hoping you might have an explanation for that."

"Not yet, Phil, but we're working on it. Since we received Elisa's message, we've been working non-stop to establish contact with you."

Lisa actually looked worse than me. She probably hadn't slept since I left.

"Thank you so much for doing that for me. But now you should all get some rest. You too, Lisa. I'm doing well here and I'm not in any immediate danger."

Lisa seemed about to protest, but I didn't let her get a word in edgewise. "When you're overtired, you overlook things and make mistakes, Lisa. If you go looking for the mistake tomorrow, you'll surely find it more easily. No arguments."

"Okay, Phil. You're right. Is there anything else we can do for you?"

“I am not afraid, I am 3500 years away and on my own.”
I felt a little lost and lonely after that sentence.

"Don't worry. We will do everything we can to bring you back. We have the best scientists on Earth here, there will be a way!"

I didn't know if Lisa was speaking out of conviction or hope. In any case, it sounded good.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps on the stairs reached my ear.

"I'm going to stop now, Lisa. Okay? Get back to me if you find anything out. Elisa should send you a short report of my experiences so far, along with some photos. The historians will certainly be pleased."

"All right, Phil. Please take care of yourself!"

I nodded and ended the connection.
The footsteps had grown closer, and someone had stepped onto the roof. In the moonlight, I could see Manu. I was slightly startled, unsure if he might punish me for leaving without permission.

"Ah, so here you are," he said, coming towards me. "I just woke up because I had to go to the bathroom. And that's when I saw you weren't there anymore."

I decided to give an apologetic bow.

He laughed. "That wasn't a criticism, I was just curious."
"I always come up here when I can't sleep."

"Do you miss your homeland?"

I nodded several times.

"Ah, that's what I thought. I couldn't imagine moving away from here either. Even though I would love to travel sometime. But that's simply not necessary in my profession."

Only now did I realize how chilly it was up here under the clear sky. I even felt a little chilly, which Manu seemed to notice.

"You're already cold. Let's go back inside."
We also need the sleep, because tomorrow will be a long day. Family and relatives will be visiting in the evening.”

I nodded in agreement. There was nothing more to do up here, and I was tired too.

Once downstairs, I settled back into my camp and tried to find a tolerable position by twisting and turning.
Manu, who was sitting on his bed, watched me grinning through the wide door.

"You don't seem to be used to this kind of sleeping arrangement. I'm just wondering where you slept in your home country."

Even without speaking, I could answer his question. I decided to do so myself, pointing to his bed.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise and replied with genuine regret that he unfortunately only owned one.
That was obvious, since for a servant, the floor was the only usual place to sleep. In fact, only the wealthy could afford beds back then. So I shouldn't be so sensitive. After all, I'd have plenty of time to get used to it, because I didn't expect a quick return.

"Hmm, I actually know next to nothing about you," said Manu thoughtfully, resting his chin on his knee.

Perhaps, I thought to myself, but that wasn't necessary for a servant, was it? In that respect, I was glad to be considered mute. That way, I never had to answer uncomfortable questions about my origins or my life up to that point.

Suddenly, Manu stretched out on her stomach, rested her chin in her hands, and said: "I have an idea! I'll ask you a bunch of questions that you can all answer with yes or no. That way, I only have to find the right questions to learn more about you."

I wasn't entirely convinced, but it was a good idea. It reminded me of a childhood game from home, the name of which escaped me at the moment. One person in the group chose a famous person to portray. The others then had to figure out which person it was by asking questions that could only be answered truthfully with yes or no.
My situation was similar. Except that I didn't yet know if I would always be able to stick to the truth.

"So... this merchant said you came from the north, across the sea. Is that true?"
I nodded.

"Then you probably arrived here by ship?"
Another nod.

"Okay, but why did you become a slave? Were you a warrior?"
This time I shook my head.

"Or were you shipwrecked?"
That sounded good. I acknowledged with a nod.

"All right. But we're in the northern part of the country, the sea is over 500 kilometers away. So you must have gotten up here somehow... Did you perhaps travel up the Nile by ship, to get this close?"

I confirmed that.
Overall, the Q&A session went better than I expected. Manu unwittingly created a fitting backstory for me with his questions. How convenient.

“Did you have a family?” Manu changed the subject.
I wasn't sure what he meant. Of course, I had a family in the sense of having parents. But I had the feeling he was referring more to a wife and children. So I shook my head.

"How old are you? I'm twenty."

I showed both my hands twice and then four fingers of my right hand.

"Twenty-four! And you're still not married?"
But in hindsight, it's probably a good thing, otherwise you would have had to leave her behind."

"Would you want to return to your country?"
Of course I wanted that, so I agreed. It certainly wasn't wrong to stick to the truth as much as possible.

He seemed to sit there very thoughtfully for a while, and a sad expression came into his eyes.

“I don’t want you to be unhappy about being here,” he said finally. “You could travel to the coast and take a ship back home.”

That was an astonishing suggestion. Apart from the fact that it was completely useless to me, I hadn't expected such generosity, indeed such compassion. After all, he had bought me so that I could be of service to him.

Sadly but resolutely, I shook my head. Here I had a roof over my head, something to eat, and a certain degree of protection. At the moment, there was no reason for me to give that up.

Manu seemed visibly pleased that I decided to stay, but quickly became thoughtful again.
"Are you not allowed to return? Perhaps because you failed in your mission?"

That seemed like a plausible explanation to me. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for my refusal. So I nodded.

"I'm sorry for that."

“But it’s really not bad here,” he continued smiling, “it’s a beautiful city and the people are nice – at least most of them.”

The excitement about contacting home had subsided by now, and I was simply tired. Manu noticed this from my yawn, whereupon he ended the Q&A session and wished me a good night.

I lay there for a while longer, pondering this and that. Finally, I too drifted back to sleep.

Chapter 8

When I woke up the next morning, the sun was already shining through the small window into Manu's bedroom. The owner of the room, however, was no longer there.

Well, a good servant should probably get up earlier, or at least not later, than his master. But I had already noticed that Manu wasn't too strict about my servitude and was, all in all, a very pleasant employer.

So I stood up and adjusted my scanty clothing. The only problem was that there was no mirror. So I had to rely on my instincts to fix my hair.
At home, I always wore a little gel in my hair. But for the trip, it was left in its natural state, since gel didn't exist in the 19th century. And of course, it didn't exist here either.

Then I remembered that there was something like a mirror in the bathroom. It was hardly customary for a servant to use it, but Manu certainly wouldn't have objected. He seemed to be a very liberal Egyptian in general. On the other hand, he was also the only Egyptian I had gotten to know well so far.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, where I hastily fixed my hair, I set out to find Manu. My first attempt, the roof terrace, failed, so I tried the garden.
There he was, indeed, sitting in the same seat as yesterday at noon.

I caught myself checking my breath before stepping outside. Too bad I couldn't brush my teeth here. Perhaps the TTEK's nickname, "Time Travel Kit," should be taken more literally in the future.

“Ameniu, there you are, you late sleeper,” he greeted me.
I actually thought of myself as an early riser. And it was only eight o'clock, after all.

"I've been sitting down here for half an hour already and have just finished breakfast. Naha has already left, gone into town."
I usually get up around 7:30. But I didn't want to wake you yet, you haven't been getting enough sleep. And that was partly my fault.

I waved it off. Getting little sleep had been more the norm for me in recent months.

"First, eat something in the kitchen. You'll find me in the study."
He sighed. "I have a lot of files to review."

So I went into the kitchen. Jahna wasn't there, which was a good thing. Instead, the two cooks from the previous day were back at work.
Since they paid me no further attention, I gathered something myself. In a bowl was a freshly prepared porridge, which Elisa identified as barley porridge when I asked. I put some into a bowl and garnished it with a few berries.

It wasn't exactly a delicacy, but it filled me up and didn't taste half bad. Eating that mush with my fingers, though, took some getting used to.
After emptying the bowl and cleaning my fingers, I made my way to Manu's study.

When I got to the top, I found him sitting at his work table, leaning over a scroll.
I examined the writing with interest. They weren't hieroglyphs, but a kind of cursive script, hieratic. The Egyptians used the elaborate hieroglyphic script only for religious decorations.

"Ah, there you are. I'll probably be busy here for a while."
For my father's current case, I have to review a lot of old court files.
The case concerns a claim for alimony following a divorce. However, there is strong suspicion that the wife has been unfaithful to her husband.
And now I have to go through all the previous trial transcripts to see if there was perhaps a similar precedent.
My father assumes so, but he can't remember the judge's name. And the papyri are arranged according to that. So I have to look through almost 300 scrolls.

A stack of them was already on the table. "When I'm finished with those, you can put them away and get the next batch."

I pulled up a chair and sat down. It felt good to have a real piece of furniture under me again. Even though the cushioned floor mats were quite comfortable, they were significantly lower than what we were used to sitting or lying on for extended periods.

Curious, I took a papyrus scroll from the stack and unrolled the beginning. Even without telling her, Elisa knew I wanted to read this text, and she displayed the translation over the original characters.
I skimmed the title and the first few lines. It was about a criminal who had broken into the house of a certain Pathotep.
Certainly not what Manu needed.

As I put the scroll away again, I noticed him looking at me in astonishment.
"Can you read, Ameniu?"

Oh, I hadn't thought of that. But why hide the truth from him? There was no shame in being able to read. So I nodded.

“But that’s wonderful!” Manu was visibly delighted by this discovery. “Ameniu, I really couldn’t have imagined a better servant than you.”
I was genuinely flattered by this praise.

"This will obviously be much faster. We'll go through the roles together. And if you find one that fits the theme, then you put it in front of me."

I nodded with pleasure, for there was finally something I could do for my rescuer. And that's exactly what Manu was to me, because without him I would still be in the clutches of the slave traders – or worse.

Piece by piece, stack by stack, we worked our way through the official paperwork. A veritable war of paper. Or perhaps more accurately, a war of papyrus.

Theoretically, I could have sped up the process even more. Instead of reading the introductions to the court transcripts myself, Elisa could have decided within fractions of a second of unrolling the papyrus whether it dealt with the topic she was looking for.
The prohibition is self-evident, of course. Otherwise, Manu might get the impression that I don't read the documents at all.
It was also interesting to learn about the problems the Egyptian judiciary faced. The legal system must have been quite well-developed.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, after more than five hours of work, all the papyri had been examined. We had only taken a short break for lunch.
In total, three documents were produced, which Manu planned to bring to his father tomorrow.

"Phew, that's done. And it's only two o'clock. The guests won't arrive until six at the earliest."
So there's still plenty of time to resume the originally planned hunting trip."

Although I wasn't really enthusiastic about the idea, Manu seemed excited about it. And that somehow rubbed off on me.

—

To our right stretched a rock massif, in whose shadow we had been driving for a quarter of an hour.
My fears of having to rock through the heat on another camel's back – only this time in a sitting position – did not come true.
Instead, we sat on a small cart pulled by two horses, its occupants protected from the sun by a stretched linen sheet. The antiquated equivalent of an air-conditioned tour bus.

The only difference was that there were no walls, as the vehicle was open on all sides. This allowed the hunter to constantly scan the area for potential prey.
So far, however, nothing had been seen, and therefore the considerable hunting equipment they had brought along had not yet been used. This included mainly spears, boomerang-like throwing weapons, and bows and arrows.

The latter was provided in duplicate. Presumably, the second copy served as a replacement in case the first was damaged.

Besides Manu and me, another servant as charioteer and one of the kitchen maids were also part of the group.
The maid would probably be responsible for processing the hunted animals. I could easily imagine them being served freshly roasted to the guests expected that evening.

According to Elisa's database, hunting was an extremely popular pastime among the Egyptians. I still didn't quite understand what was so great about it, but Manu seemed completely in his element.
He scurried from one side of the vehicle to the other, peering out into the desert, but also towards the rock face. He had explained to me that there was natural shelter there for some animals.

But they seemed to have either hidden away or to be on an extended excursion, because Manu hadn't spotted anything yet.

"You're just sitting around, Ameniu. If you hunted like that at home, you probably haven't caught anything."

Well, firstly, I hadn't been hunting at home at all, and secondly, this was his hunt, not mine.
But if he absolutely wanted me to participate, then I would do so.

"I'd say we make a bet. Whoever finds something first."

"But rodents and vultures don't count," he added with a laugh.

Okay, so that's what he wanted. Now I would try my best and see if I could win the bet.
So I, too, began to scan the surroundings with strained eyes.

Then I had an even better idea. Silently, I instructed Elisa to detect all signs of life in our vicinity and mark their location. Except for birds and small animals.

Seconds later, my field of vision was enriched with several markings.

“2x Lynx – 214m” was emblazoned at a point ahead on the chain of rocks along which we were moving.

"1 bull – 1.34km" was written somewhere in the direction of the desert. Okay, that was too far.

Without paying attention to any other markers, I decided to go for the lynxes. We were getting closer and closer to their position, and there was a risk that Manu would spot them sooner or later.

I tapped him on the shoulder and pointed in the right direction. He stared intently in that direction.

"I don't see anything there, are you sure?"

Of course I was certain, which I also expressed with an absolutely confident nod. Incidentally, I didn't see anything either.

We were less than fifty meters away when the two animals appeared from behind a rocky outcrop. Manu immediately stopped the car, which had been driving at a quiet pace up to that point.
The animals hadn't noticed us yet.

Manu assessed the situation. "There are two of them. I'll take the left one, you take the right one. We have to shoot at the same time, otherwise one will get away."

What?! I'm supposed to shoot? With a bow and arrow?
So the second one was probably not just intended as a replacement.

Okay, now it was time to concentrate. Our physics teacher had brought a bow and arrow to class in the last lesson before the holidays. And I had had the pleasure of doing similar archery exercises again at a campus festival.
But unlike these, those were some kind of aluminum products. And although the target was stationary, my aim was rather poor.

Manu grabbed his bow and quiver and got out of the vehicle. He slowly crept towards his target in a crouching position.
I hurried to do the same.

Finally, it seemed close enough to him, and he stopped. I, on the other hand, found the distance much too far.

Manu slowly drew his bow, drawing an arrow from his quiver. "Where are you?"

I quickly grabbed an arrow and placed it on the bow, just as he had done before. I even tried to copy his posture.
It was probably terribly wrong nonetheless. It's a good thing he wasn't even looking. He was busy aiming at the target, which is what I was now doing too.

"Hit probability 28%," was Elisa's sobering comment. "Suggestions for improvement: Aim five centimeters higher. Draw the bow ten centimeters tighter."

I hurried to put these helpful suggestions into practice. However, drawing the bow was quite strenuous and made my aim less precise.

"Okay Ameniu, we'll shoot on three."

" 43% probability of success." Well, at least that's something. I've improved.

"One... Two... Three!" I released the arrow, and so did Manu.

A split second later, one of the lynxes flew through the air, the other scattered.

"They missed the target by 1.6 meters," Elisa remarked, sounding like a navigation device.
But it's good that she pointed that out to me. I wouldn't have been able to say who had met which animal.

Manu seemed to have the more practiced eye. "Don't worry about it," he said when we approached the lynx. "You just missed it; that happens to even the best marksmen."

That almost sounded like a compliment. But on the marksman scale, I wasn't even close to good .

The cook had arrived by then, and I was pleased with the harvest.
"The gentleman shot well. That will be enough for the appetizer."

I also thought that the gentleman had a good shot. Better than me, anyway.

As we walked back to the car, the maid began to gut the animal. I didn't follow her practiced movements any further, as the process was rather unappetizing.

Meanwhile, Manu poured two beer mugs from a clay pot.
"A successful hunt must also be celebrated."

The beer wasn't exactly cold anymore, but it still tasted good. It just went to my head a bit, which wasn't surprising in this heat.

Finally, the cook finished her work and jumped back up. We then continued our journey. The breeze was a little cooling.

"Next we come to a small oasis. Many animals go there to drink," said Manu.
That's fine with me, "oasis" always sounded good.

Less than ten minutes later, the green patch in the middle of the desert came into view. It was a cluster of palm trees grouped around a small pond. Grass covered the ground.
Long before we reached the spot, I knew of a group of bulls enjoying the cool water.

Since we were now back out in the sun, I silently thanked the designer for the sunshade on the car. I really didn't want to get sunburned again.

Manu stopped just before reaching the first palm trees. From there, he planned to approach on foot so as not to scare away any potential prey. Of course, he knew nothing yet about the bulls, as the palm trees blocked the view of the pool within.
Conversely, the animals hadn't seen us coming either.

Manu cheerfully grabbed a spear and strapped a bow and quiver to his back. He jumped down from the wagon and looked at me expectantly.
Of course, I was expected to come along again. I wondered if hunting alongside his master was really one of the duties of a personal servant?
But I didn't want to upset him, so I equipped myself as well.

Secretly, I hoped the animals would notice us and flee. Firstly, I found the group of four bulls somewhat alarming, and secondly, I had never even held a hunting spear, let alone used one.

We crept through the bushes, crouching low. Manu went ahead, I followed. There was definitely a certain tension and a touch of adventure in the air.

Suddenly he signaled for me to stop. I crawled up to him on all fours.
"There are four bulls up ahead, do you see!", he whispered in my ear.

His breath tickled pleasantly against my ear. As he continued speaking, the tingling sensation began to spread to other parts of my body.
I quickly refocused on the situation to avoid unpleasant reactions from my body.

But I admitted that there was something exciting about crouching so close to Manu in the bushes. Almost erotic.
Oh man, I would have had to suffer brain damage from the heat to find anything erotic about a hunt in the middle of the desert.

While I was daydreaming, my brain almost forgot to process Manu's words.
“We’ll take the one in front. First we’ll shoot with the bow, then follow up with the spear,” he had said.

I briefly wondered if I had heard correctly. Surely he wasn't planning to attack this herd of dangerous-looking beasts?
I put on a questioning face and counted the number four on my right hand to him.

He just laughed.
"Don't worry, as soon as the arrows hit their target, the others will run away. We only have to deal with this one."

That seemed dangerous enough to me. But in this respect, I simply trusted his previous hunting experience.
I just hoped he wouldn't rely too heavily on my help. Because I doubted whether I would really be able to help him.

"Back to three," he declared, drawing his bow. I quickly followed suit, trying to follow Elisa's earlier instructions directly this time.
I also noticed that my arrow fell a little short when shooting at the lynxes, so I set the target a bit higher.

"74% probability of success"
That sounded good. Whether the increased chances were due to better handling of the bow, or simply to the increased size of the target, remained unclear.

"One two three!"
I released the arrow again. It zipped off in the direction of the animals.
The bowstring snapped back, grazing my forearm.
Ouch! That must have caused a bruise.

I didn't have much time to mourn my mishap. Manu had already jumped out of cover. He ran towards the animals.
Both arrows had hit their target, and when the wounded bull reared up, the others scattered wildly.

The injured bull had also started to bolt, but stopped at the sight of the Egyptian charging towards it. The animal bellowed. It pawed the ground and charged directly at Manu.
Damn! Manu was undeterred and continued towards the raging beast, his spear raised high. In a few seconds they would collide. The bull would pierce him with its horns!

I was only a few meters away from him, but I couldn't reach him because he was running at least as fast.
Suddenly, Manu tripped over a stone. He cried out and fell flat on his face. The bull was undeterred and continued charging towards him.

He would reach him any second and simply trample him.

Without thinking, I ran diagonally towards the raging animal from the side and rammed my spear into its neck with all my might.
The bull gurgled and veered off course. It narrowly missed the body lying on the ground and collapsed itself a few meters later.

I quickly sat down next to Manu and looked at him with concern. I hoped he hadn't broken anything in his fall. I didn't know to what extent medicine at that time was able to treat such injuries.

“I think I’m okay,” he managed, his voice slightly trembling. “Just a couple of scrapes. But if the bull… You saved me at the last moment, Ameniu.”

He slowly got back to his feet. He was still a little unsteady on his feet, but it seemed he hadn't broken anything.

He came up to me completely unexpectedly and hugged me.

"Thank you so much. You probably saved my life."
I was touched and gladly returned the hug. His tender touch felt simply wonderful.

I wasn't sure how long we'd been standing there like that when I realized it and quickly broke the hug. I even blushed a little.

Phillip, control yourself! You're dealing with a married man from a completely different era.
Manu, however, didn't seem embarrassed by the long hug. Clearly more relaxed again, he suggested returning to the car so the animal could be gutted.

Upon reaching the wagon, he sent the maid off and instructed the coachman to assist her with the big game.
Meanwhile, I made myself useful and poured us some beer. It was anything but cold by then, but I couldn't have cared less.

Still somewhat stressed from the excitement and adrenaline rush, we leaned against the low side of the car and sipped our beer.
"We really had to work hard for this," Manu remarked. I nodded heavily.

Chapter 9

"Will you come here, Ameniu?"
I was just decorating the small tables in the reception room with some flowers when Manu called me from upstairs.

I would have liked to reply "just a moment!", but since that wasn't possible, I left the bouquet and went straight up the stairs.
Since Manu was nowhere to be seen on the first floor, he must be somewhere higher up. And indeed, he was still standing on the landing when I arrived at the top.

"I'd like to take a shower before the guests arrive in an hour. Could you please get two jugs of warm water from the kitchen downstairs?"

This was of course a prerequisite for a shower, because faucets and the necessary pipes had not yet been invented. All water therefore came from wells.

So I started making my way back down.
Jahna and the two cooks were busy preparing the meat. The bull would be served as the main course.

But I was also able to find my own way around.
Several clay jugs filled with water stood against a wall. It appeared to be fresh water, which someone must have hauled in from a nearby well.
How fortunate that this work was not part of my job description.

Manu had said it was warm, so I placed two of the jugs on the fireplace at the far end of the kitchen. It was open to the outside, so the smoke could escape. Besides, it always seemed to be lit, albeit on a low flame.

What felt like an eternity and numerous finger-dip tests later, a pleasant temperature was reached. Since I couldn't carry both jugs at once, I transported them to the bathroom one after the other.

After I had set down the second jug, Manu checked the temperature and seemed satisfied. He had already added some kind of cleaning agent to the first one, because the water was cloudy.
My work here was therefore done. I would now take care of the flower arrangements again.

I was just about to leave the bathroom when he stopped me.

"Where do you think you're going? Do you expect me to pour water over my own head?" he laughed.
"How am I supposed to rub myself at the same time?"

I needed a moment to process the meaning of his words. So I was supposed to stay here and pour water over him?
That would never have occurred to me, since one was usually alone in the domestic shower of our time. But then again, the water came from the showerhead, so Manu's objection was justified.

A pleasant tingling sensation ran down my back. I could imagine worse things than pouring water over a cutie like Manu and watching him soap himself up.

What a mess! Instead of getting turned on by such fantasies, I'd have to be careful to hide my erection. Because it definitely wouldn't stay away.

"Let's go!" Manu declared cheerfully. "Start with the soapy water."
He then let the linen cloth slide down his loins. He now stood completely naked before me.

Oh God, help me! I quickly turned around to grab the water jug.
I also used the bending over to quickly maneuver my penis into a somewhat safer position.

I stepped behind him with the jug, my eyes fixed on the container in my hands.
With trembling limbs and a pounding heart, I lifted the jug above my head. I was a little afraid it would slip from my hand.
I slowly began to pour the cool water over Manu's head.

I couldn't take my eyes off him, though. If only to make sure the water was getting to the right place.
He ran his hands through his hair and down his back. His muscular arms brushed over his neck, his face, and his legs.
As he bent over, I admired his shapely bottom. At that moment, my own member was definitely erect and, despite my earlier adjustment, clearly visible beneath the white fabric. Good thing Manu wasn't looking.

Oops, he did it after all! Turning his head back, he cautiously examined me. There seemed to be something uncertain in his gaze.
Now he'd seen my erection. I turned bright red. He'd think I was a sick pervert, or worse.

He then turned completely around to face me.
To my astonishment, I saw that he also had an erection.

Suddenly he began to soap my breasts with his hands. The touch practically electrified me and elicited a moan from me.
I couldn't believe what was happening. Manu smiled gently. I looked into his eyes and felt deep affection.

I was still holding the jug over him, or rather over us. Because Manu had come so close by now that I could feel his breath. His mouth was approaching mine.

We kissed. I could feel his tongue on my lips and allowed it entry.

He soaped me up, on my back, on my arms. His hands and kisses wandered lower. They grasped my throbbing cock.
I moaned as Manu gently caressed my glans with his tongue, looking up into my eyes.
The water was gone by now, and I set the pitcher down on the floor. Instead of getting up again, I gently pushed Manu backward. He was already soaped up, but I couldn't resist giving him a little extra help myself.
He seemed to enjoy the way I stroked his strong chest, playing around his hard nipples.

I massaged his penis with my right hand as I slowly leaned over him. Our lips met again, beginning the lustful dance of two tongues.
I was now lying on top of him, our penises touching each other. It was wonderful.

After a while, he said in a hoarse voice: "Let's get the jug of clean water, then we can rub each other down."

No sooner said than done. While he poured water from the jug over himself, I carefully cleaned and examined every part of his body. He did the same for me.
When the water was gone and we were free of the foam, Manu pulled me to him with a deep kiss. His tongue traveled down my body, caressing my nipples and my navel.
Finally, she reached her destination and indulged in a pleasurable blowjob on my cock.

I was incredibly horny, and it didn't take a minute before I came with a loud groan into Manu's mouth. He swallowed every precious drop.
After his mouth had completely erased all traces of lust, he returned upwards and merged with mine in a passionate kiss.

But I really wanted to return the favor…

—

I carefully wound my way between the small tables in the reception hall, refilling the wine glasses of the ever-thirsty guests here and there.
The appetizer had already been served and had been very popular with the invited Egyptians. Everyone was well-dressed and adorned with plenty of jewelry, as would have been customary at a society event of our time.

However, not everything was comparable. The guests did not dine at one large and, above all, long table, but were spread out in pairs at many smaller tables for two.
While the two cooks performed their duties in the kitchen and Jahna insisted on personally serving the finished meals, I had to make sure the glasses were filled.

I did fulfill this task, but my thoughts were elsewhere entirely. Namely, on what had happened in the bathroom a little over fifteen minutes earlier.

So Manu was gay? No, that certainly wasn't a question. Manu was gay. Period. There could hardly have been clearer proof.
And he liked me. Just the thought of it made my heart swell with warmth.
I've actually never had a boyfriend. Well, boyfriend in the sense of... what's the proper term for that?
English had a clear distinction there: there was the friend and the boyfriend . Apart from a brief adventure at a summer camp, I had never met anyone of the latter type.

But what I found most peculiar was the fact that Manu was married – to a woman. Or perhaps it wasn't so strange after all, considering the circumstances of the time?
It wasn't yet the 21st century, and homosexuality had a very bad reputation. After all, it didn't produce children, which seemed to be the main thing in family life here.

Should I therefore condemn him?
No, I didn't want that. And I didn't have the right to, since I still had my own coming out to do.

A guest glared at me, annoyed. I almost knocked over his wine glass. With an apologetic bow, I turned away.
I really should concentrate a bit better.

Manu was also sitting at one of the tables, but occasionally walked around the room to say a few words here and there.
Whenever I came to his table to fill his glass – and I did this even when it was almost full – he gave me a sweet look from below.

I was just on my way to the kitchen to replenish my supply of beer and wine.
Suddenly I stopped dead in my tracks.

I had completely forgotten that Elisa was recording everything I saw and heard. For research purposes and to analyze the mission.
I'd rather keep my little adventure with Manu to myself. I didn't want to risk my older colleagues choking on their coffee while reviewing the material.
Aside from that, it would be extremely embarrassing for me if the video wall in the lab suddenly turned into a porn cinema.

So I had to delete the material. Hopefully Elisa would allow that.

"Elisa, please delete the audiovisual recordings from my last entry to my exit from the bathroom on the second floor."

"Recordings deleted."
Phew, it's a good thing I had administrator rights.

"I gather from their instructions that they wish to withhold the content of the records from the third-party review. To this end, it would be helpful to include a technical malfunction as the reason for the missing information in the protocol."

A tip born of absolute logical insight. What would I do without you?
Elisa was a real treasure, even if she was sometimes a bit eccentric.

"Then do that. And if similar scenes should occur in the future, please proceed in the same way."
That's how I had secured myself for all upcoming comedy films – and I really hoped they would come out.

Jahna had just returned from the kitchen with the main course. The slain bull had been transformed into a fragrant roast and now rested in her arms, along with the side dishes, on silver platters.
"Get out of the way! Why are you standing around here doing nothing? Are the guests supposed to die of thirst?"

Well, given the amount of liquid already consumed, this risk was probably rather low.
But I still hurried to fulfill my obligation. After all, Manu was out there in the hall.

As I entered the large room, I was immediately beckoned over by an impatiently waiting guest. I was just about to refill his beer mug when Elisa contacted me again.
Did she have a sex tip for me too? Or had I perhaps violated an EU directive on contraception?

"Dr. Marten, the following message has arrived from the base: Dr. Bolzano requests a video conference."

I almost spilled the unsuspecting man's beer in his lap, but managed to catch it at the last moment.
"Pay attention!" he complained.

I ignored him. Had she discovered anything new?
I headed back towards the kitchen, but then turned down into the basement. Down here I would have some peace and quiet for a while and could concentrate on the conversation.

I instructed Elisa to establish the connection.

The video window opened and Lisa's face appeared. This time the connection was established much faster.

"Hi Lisa, how are you all doing?"

"Hi Phillip, I should probably ask you that."

"Everything is fine with me. I'm still employed as a servant and have no complaints. Although, if you keep me too long, I might miss my share of dinner."

Lisa laughed. "Well, as long as you still have your sense of humor, everything must be alright."

"Have you made any progress?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes, we do indeed. That's also the reason for my call."

A phone call – that sounded so ordinary and not at all like I was trapped beyond space and time.

But I was curious about Lisa's results.
"What did you find out?"

Lisa exchanged a brief glance with someone outside the camera's range.

"Normally, you wouldn't have survived such a large deviation from the target time. The probability of that is less than two percent. You would have ended up somewhere in space."
But thank God you're still alive! And that was the point at which we started our investigations."

I already knew that much.

"We also found something. Specifically, the sensors detected a strange carrier wave in the spacetime rift at the moment of your departure."
We initially overlooked it because the energy signature was very weak and was masked by the emissions from our generators.

And now comes the strangest part. This carrier wave is remarkably similar to the TTEK's return signal, which allows us to pinpoint your exact position.
We believe that the interference with the signal deflected the spacetime tunnel to the origin of the signal, both temporally and spatially.

So it's no coincidence that you ended up there. Something, or someone, led you there – whether intentionally or not, we can't say.

We were able to pinpoint the signal's origin quite accurately. It was sent from the area around present-day Cairo.
"There was no settlement there at the time. The nearest city in your time is Memphis, which is only 20 kilometers away."

So it wasn't a coincidence after all!
Was I deliberately transported here by an alien intelligence?

"Lisa, that's unbelievable. Whatever triggered this signal, it certainly wasn't the people of that time."
Perhaps there's some truth to the rumors that the pyramids were built by aliens?
I absolutely must travel to Memphis to see this for myself. Maybe I can shed some light on the matter there.”

"Aliens... which is what you always think of, Phillip. But whatever it was, you're most likely to find something in or around Memphis."

I knew where it was because I had already been there. Cairo, the capital of modern Egypt, was a must-see for every tourist. After all, it was home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Pyramids of Giza.

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"No, that's all we've found out. But..."

"But what?" I asked.

"As you surely know, the power of our system is not sufficient to bring you back from such a distant past."
We could of course expand the plant. And we will, as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, it could take many years.”

I swallowed. Of course, there was no going back for me so quickly. I had known that even before Lisa's explanation.
Nevertheless, as long as no one had spoken out, a glimmer of hope remained. That was now over.

“I know, Lisa. I’ll manage just fine. The people here are really nice. And look at it this way, we’re learning a lot about ancient Egypt. Our knowledge of that period is so limited that historians will be thrilled.”
"First, I'll take a look at the situation in Memphis."

"Okay, Phillip. But take care, you never know."
The whole team sends you their warmest greetings. And Dr. Carrol asks me to please bring him a few ancient Egyptian garments for his collection.

I laughed heartily. Everything would be fine if I could just have regular contact with home.
"Okay Lisa, I'll stop then. Please say hello to my family for me and tell them I'm doing well."

"I'll do that. See you later!" Lisa said goodbye, whereupon the connection was terminated.

That was truly exciting news. And above all, unexpected.
But I would have to think about that later, because duty called first. I had been away for too long, and too many guests would already be able to see the bottom of their glasses.

—

It was half an hour before midnight when the last visitors had said their goodbyes. Judging by their unsteadiness as they left, they were already in a worrying state.

I even got a share of the meal last time. I managed to grab a good-sized piece of beef from the kitchen before the cook devoured it herself.

Otherwise, I was simply tired. Manu seemed to feel the same way; he'd already retreated to his bedroom. I followed him there now, after finishing in the bathroom. Because, of course, I could use it, given my status as the master of the house's secret lover—as long as his wife didn't notice.

I was just about to stretch out on my lounger in the anteroom when Manu called for me.

“Ameniu, what do you want down there?” he asked mockingly. “It’s much more comfortable in bed. And there’s enough room for both of us, as long as we snuggle close together.”

I didn't need to be told twice. I jumped up from my bed again and lay down next to Manu. I snuggled close to him, which felt truly wonderful.

He kissed me on the mouth. "Sleep well, Ameniu. I love you."
Damn, how I wish I could tell him now that I loved him just as much. Instead, I had to content myself with passionately returning his kiss.

Things couldn't go on like this. How was I supposed to explain to him, for example, that I absolutely had to travel to Memphis?
That would have been difficult for me even if I could have talked to him about it. Without language, however, it was simply impossible.

Never mind, I was too tired to deal with this problem.
After a while, during which I only felt the warm body next to me, I finally fell asleep.

Chapter 10

I woke up quite early, so it was still dark in the room. To be precise, it was 4:37 a.m., as I gathered from Elisa's morning report.

Although going back to sleep was out of the question, I stayed in bed, otherwise Manu might have woken up. At least he should get the sleep he deserved.
Apart from that, I was quite pleased to be able to think in peace for a while.

I still had an urgent problem to solve. I had to go to Memphis.
The real difficulty was that we were living in pre-motorized times and Cairo was over 500 kilometers away as the crow flies.

But there had to be a way! And surely Manu would know one. Besides, he himself had said that he would like to go on a trip sometime.
Perhaps I could convince him to join me on this journey.

Okay, I see it now. It wasn't just one problem, it was a whole complex of problems.
And the core and key to the whole thing was being able to talk to Manu about it.

I had no choice; I had to shed my image as a mute.
The lesser problem would be communication. I would only have to dictate the sentence to Elisa silently, and she would show me the translation. I would only need to practice a little to achieve a halfway decent pronunciation.

The bigger problem was explaining to Manu why I had kept my language skills a secret from him all this time. And that he might be angry.

I finally got up. Carefully, I slid away from Manu bit by bit and finally stood up.
I was lucky, he continued sleeping peacefully. How sweet he looked.

I slipped out of the room and climbed onto the roof terrace.
"Translate all the words I form without speaking them into Ancient Egyptian, unless they are addressed directly to you. Then show me the translation in phonetic script so that I can pronounce it," I instructed Elisa.

Okay, so the training could begin.
“I have to travel to Memphis,” I tried first. The translation appeared promptly. The only problem was that I didn't understand most of the characters at all. I hadn't considered that I was completely unfamiliar with phonetic transcription.

So I had to try something else. Of course, I could also learn phonetic spelling, but that would simply take too long.

"Instead of phonetic transcription, please display the texts using German letters, according to the most appropriate assignment."

Okay, let's try again. I repeated my test sentence from before. This time I knew all the symbols and could even pronounce the sentence.
When I asked Elisa about the accuracy of my pronunciation, she gave me a "67% agreement" . I guess I still have some work to do on that. result of

—

82 percent. That was the result of the last two hours I had spent doing concentrated language exercises. And I thought that would be something to see, or rather hear.

I was just trying my hand at some difficult sentences to beat my previous high score when Elisa interrupted me with a warning.
"Attention, a person is approaching your position."

She had barely finished her remark when Manu came up the stairs.

"Ah, there you are, Ameniu. I thought I had heard a voice."
He smiled at me disarmingly.

"I had breakfast made for us. My wife usually eats breakfast at her friend's house, so she can exchange the latest gossip with her."

"Come on, let's sit here and enjoy it together."

I shrugged somewhat sheepishly and sat down next to him. I couldn't bring myself to do it now. No, first I needed to have a proper meal.

Manu had already come up with some plans for today and presented them to me during the meal.
Besides the usual porridge, there were also grapes and dates.

"I have to go to court at noon today, so I'll take you with me and show you around. In the afternoon we can take a walk in the city or along the river. What do you think?"

I just nodded nervously.
"Is something wrong, Ameniu? You look so thoughtful this morning. Oh, if only you could talk to me..."

That was my cue. Now or never.
I cleared my throat and blushed slightly.

Normally, when one intended to broach a delicate subject, one would prepare the other person with some introductory words such as "I have something important to tell you, please don't be alarmed..."
But in this case, the very first word that would pass my lips would be the revelation itself – whatever it might be.

"Manu, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I can speak. I'm not mute," I blurted out the prepared words, disregarding all the results of my pronunciation training.

At the very first sound, the person addressed gasped and his eyes widened. After my confession, I swallowed and remained silent. Now it was Manu's turn.

The initial astonishment in his facial features gave way to an expression of annoyance.

"And you're only telling me this now. Why not on the first day? It would have made everything so much easier," he said angrily, shaking his head in incomprehension.

Yes, why didn't I tell him right away? In hindsight, that would have been best. But back then it was simply easier to play dumb. After all, it saved me from having to give overly detailed personal information.

I decided to stay as close to the truth as possible.

"We didn't know each other back then, Manu."
"I didn't know how you would treat me."
"Not to mention what happened last night."

It would probably take some time until I developed a certain routine in the unfamiliar way of speaking.

"And since I didn't have to speak, I couldn't say anything wrong."
"Later I also wished I could talk to you. But by then it was too late to open up. But now that we..."

Embarrassed, I stopped and looked down. Then I thought of something better.

"I like you very much, Manu."
I looked into his eyes with a pleading gaze.

His mouth suddenly formed a sweet grin.
"With your awful accent, it's no wonder you were ashamed. I think I can forgive you."

“Now we can finally talk about so many things! I don’t even know where to begin,” he continued enthusiastically.

Phew… best not to at all. But it's good that he forgave me.

“What do you actually think of the Jahna?” Manu asked. “My wife brought it from her parents’ house.”

"I find her somewhat bossy."

He agreed, laughing.
"Yes, that's her. But deep down, she's a kind-hearted person."

This somehow reminded me of the assurances of some fighting dog owners that their dog was actually very, very sweet and just wanted to play.

"And yesterday during the hunt, you did save me, and for that I am very grateful to you."
He gave me a kiss.
"But you weren't exactly skillful with the bow and arrow. Do you hunt differently back home?"

These were exactly the kind of questions I had tried to avoid.

"Um, yes. We do."

Er schaute mich eine Zeit lang erwartungsvoll an.
„Ja, und wie?“

Well, I had no idea. So, let's quickly backtrack a bit.

"Well, we hunt just like you do. It's just not a national sport like it is here. There are some professional hunters from whom the others then buy their meat."

That sounded plausible.

"Oh, I see, that's interesting."
I actually felt bad about having to tell him these fairy tales. But I had no other choice. The truth would have seemed far too unbelievable to him, and he might have dismissed me as a crackpot.
Furthermore, according to the ATR code, I was actually forbidden from having closer contact with the locals in order to minimize their influence by me.

This rule was obviously impossible to follow due to my precarious situation. And after our shared shower experience, it was more than broken anyway.

Manu's list of questions, however, seemed far from exhausted, so I felt compelled to give in.

"All this talking is very tiring for me, Manu. Please don't ask so many questions at once."
I smiled at him disarmingly.

"Besides, I need to discuss something serious with you."
Manu then looked at me expectantly.

"I have to travel to Memphis."
The cat was out of the bag.

For a moment he seemed somewhat irritated, then came the obligatory question: "Why is that?"

It would have been foolish to make this revelation to him without having an answer to that crucial question ready. Fortunately, I had been able to rack my brains over it for the last two hours.

"I already told you how my ship got stranded here."
"One of our men went ashore in Memphis; he was supposed to take care of some trade matters there."
"We should take him with us again on the way back. I need to go there to find him and inform him about the fate of our ship."

Hopefully he would swallow that.

"Hmm... wouldn't it be enough to send a messenger?"

Manu, you tough nut, come on. Take the bait.

"That wouldn't work. The messenger doesn't know what the man looks like."
"And even if he finds him, the sailor wouldn't simply believe the messenger."

Manu pondered this for a while. Then he nodded briefly, more to himself than to me.

"Then I would say, start packing!"
He beamed from ear to ear, and so did I.

"Ameniu, I'm really looking forward to the trip. I've never been more than a few kilometers away from my hometown."
It will be great and just the two of us alone…“

I dared to doubt whether it would really be that great. But for someone who had never been away from home before, it was certainly an experience.

In any case, I was pleased that he finally agreed. I had hoped to awaken his wanderlust, which he had already confessed to me earlier.
Arguments against a mandatory personal appearance could have been found. For example, a corresponding document could have been prepared for the messenger.

But what pleased me most was that he not only gave me the opportunity to take the trip, but wanted to come along himself.

"I still have to go to court this afternoon to conclude my current case. After that, I'll take a few weeks off."
And we simply tell my wife that I have to travel for business.”

Memphis was, alongside Thebes, the most important city of ancient Egypt and was located not far from present-day Cairo and its suburb Giza.
A business trip there seemed plausible.

"I'll set off now, Ameniu. That way I can take care of everything necessary beforehand."
I think we'll travel by ship. That's the fastest way. My father surely knows some shipowners; I'll ask him right away.

Manu was really enthusiastic about the idea. I wouldn't have thought he'd want to leave so soon.
Although that was exactly what I wanted. Because the longer it took us to get there, the lower the chances became of finding any trace – of anything or anyone.

—

Since Manu left, I've been pacing restlessly around the house. He had told me to start packing, but due to my limited knowledge of the customs of that time, I couldn't think of much to do.

At least on the small pile were already my undershirt, a pack of the standard white loincloth for Manu and me, and a map from the study.
I didn't actually need the latter, but it seemed logical to pack it.

After that, I ran out of ideas. But Elisa still had a few things to add to the packing list.
She warned me, above all, to bring plenty of water. The water from the Nile, she explained, did not meet any of the criteria for drinking water. Even bathing in it was not advisable, and not just because of the crocodiles.

She had several more such suggestions ready, but their implementation was entirely outside my remit. I would have had to instruct Jahna, which wouldn't be possible without revealing my eloquence to her – and thus indirectly to everyone in the house.
But I felt it would be better if Manu and I kept this to ourselves. His wife, Naha, in particular, didn't need to know anything about it.

So I would leave the further preparations to him.
Also because I didn't know how quickly he could arrange a trip for us on a ship. It might not work out for a few days.

It was already late afternoon and I expected his return any minute.
When I heard someone coming up the stairs, I turned around full of anticipation.

But the person who now entered the small living room on the second floor, where the stairs ended, was not Manu at all, but Naha.
She was probably back from town and on her way to the bathroom to freshen up.

She eyed me critically. I hurried to greet her with a proper bow and cleared the way.
But instead of moving on, she cast a doubtful glance at my modest pile.

"What's this all about, are you rearranging Manu's shelves?" she asked in a slightly mocking tone.

"And what is this papyrus... Ah, the map. A valuable heirloom from his grandfather."

Suddenly she stopped and looked sharply at me.
"You're not planning to steal them and sell them secretly, are you?"

I shook my head in horror.

"Well, that's good then. I'm going to freshen up in the bathroom now and don't want to be disturbed," she continued in a light, chatty tone.
She probably hadn't seriously expected that I actually had thievish intentions.

And don't worry, I would be careful not to enter the bathroom while she was present.
Instead, I moved the pile of travel documents into Manu's bedroom so that Naha wouldn't find out about our plans prematurely.

Then I heard footsteps on the stairs again.
This time it was Manu.

He came towards me beaming with joy.
"Here I am again and I have some news."

He wanted to hug me, but I didn't let him. After all, Naha could come out of the bathroom at any time.
Manu initially looked at me in confusion until I had finished saying the sentence: "Your wife is in the bathroom right now."

"Oh, okay, well then we'll go up to the roof terrace. I've already asked Jahna to bring us some food."

No sooner said than done. As we settled down on the comfortable seating under the shady sunshade, Manu began to tell her story.

"I went to my father and asked him for advice regarding the sea voyage. He then asked his brother, who is a clerk in the royal commerce office."
We're really lucky, because a merchant fleet is leaving for Memphis tomorrow morning. We get to go on it.
They already have provisions and other supplies on board. So we don't need to bring anything other than our own belongings.”

That was really good news. I hadn't thought it would happen so quickly. On the other hand, busy shipping traffic between the country's two main cities was only natural.

"Didn't your father ask what you wanted there?"

"Yes, of course he did."

"And?" I pressed. "What did you tell him?"

Manu smiled somewhat shyly.
"I told him that I wanted to pick up some special medicine for my wife there."

"Aha, and he just swallowed that?"

“Yes, I told him it was a fertility ointment. You know my wife isn’t pregnant yet…”

What my father doesn't know – and neither does anyone else – is that all the ointments in the world couldn't change this condition.

I thought about it for a moment.
"Does that mean you are infertile?"

Manu became even more embarrassed and even blushed slightly.
"No, that's not it. I just can't get an erection with her in bed. It totally turns me off when I see her naked."

Now I had to laugh heartily. Not because of the erection problems Manu described, but thanks to Elisa's translation.
It sounded really strange to hear an Egyptian use the trendy term "turn off". Perhaps my electronic assistant had translated it a bit too metaphorically.

"I don't find that funny at all," Manu reprimanded me for that.

I quickly became serious again and assured him that I didn't find the whole thing funny at all. Rather, I found it sad.

Chapter 11

“Ameniu, wake up. We have to leave soon. The ship departs at ten o’clock.”

Sleepily, I turned over. I recognized Manu, who was standing at the head of our shared bed.

What time was it... just before nine!
Man, I slept in really late. Which was no wonder, since I'd only fallen asleep quite late. Before that, Manu and I had cuddled a lot and made out a bit.
The pleasant memory was already threatening to make itself felt in my lower back, so I decided to get up quickly.

“Good morning!”, I greeted Manu with a cheerful grin and a kiss on the mouth.

"As I see, you already packed yesterday, Ameniu. Or at least tried to..."
He pointed to the small pile I had left here yesterday.

"I couldn't think of much. I'm sorry."

"That's alright. I'll add a little more, but we really don't need much more."
Let's have breakfast first. And enjoy it, who knows what we might get during the trip.

As long as we didn't have to drink the Nile water, I was happy with pretty much anything.

"Have you already told your wife?"

"Yes, this morning. Even before she went to her friend's house."

—

Immediately after breakfast on the rooftop terrace, which had become our favorite place for all meals due to its seclusion, Manu finished packing the luggage.

He added, among other things, some items from the bathroom, noting that one never knows what the hygiene situation is like on ships.
Meanwhile, I sat on the bed and waited. Several expectant thoughts ran through my head.

What kind of sleeping arrangements were there on the ship?
Would I get seasick?

Finally, Manu was satisfied and everything seemed ready for the trip. He came to me and gave me a long, intense kiss.

Suddenly I realized that something was wrong. I thought I heard something.

"Attention, Dr. Marten! Third person approaching!"

I abruptly broke the kiss and stumbled a step backward. Manu and I looked towards the door.

Naha stood there, her eyes wide with horror. She gasped.

I blushed and Manu turned ashen white.

"So that's how it is!" she exclaimed. "That's why you could never sleep with me!"

She covered her face with her hands. "That's horrible."

"Well, I... I'm sorry," Manu blurted out desperately. "I just couldn't tell you. And everything can still turn out alright."

I couldn't have said whether she had heard his words. In any case, she stormed out of the room and down the stairs.

Throughout the entire scene, I had stood frozen. Now I let myself sink down onto the bed.

“Manu,” I began haltingly, “I’m sorry that this happened. Ultimately, it’s my fault. If I weren’t here…” – at this point, Manu interrupted me.

"No, Ameniu, you are the last person who needs to apologize. It is entirely my fault. On the contrary, I should apologize to you for dragging you into this."

He hugged and squeezed me tightly. "I'm also very glad you're here."
That warmed my heart.

"What will she do now?" I asked.

"I suspect she'll spend the whole day in her room mourning how unlucky she is in life. And I can't even blame her, because she's right."
And then she'll pretend nothing happened. Because the last thing she wants is for others to find out about it.
He swallowed.

"I suspect our trip comes at just the right time. That way she can have some distance from me for a while, and vice versa," Manu remarked sadly.

I felt sorry for Naha somehow. It's a good thing that things like that don't happen anymore in our time. At least, I hoped so.

Manu got to her feet. "Come on, let's go to the ship, my love. It's time, otherwise it will leave without us."

—

The ship, measuring 20 meters long and approximately five meters wide, was surprisingly spacious. A man I didn't know warmly welcomed us on board.

"Judge Imanuthep, it's good that you've come. The other passengers are already on board, so we will depart shortly."
How is your father doing, by the way? I used to work with him for a while.

"Oh, he's doing splendidly, Captain Senmut. I just sometimes wish he'd start slowing down a bit. After all, he's slowly approaching fifty."

The man addressed as Senmut laughed.
"And who else did you bring with you? From what your old man said, I thought you were traveling alone."

"Not quite. May I introduce you to Ameniu? He is a diplomat from the north and is currently staying at my house. Since he has to leave again in a week, I asked him to come with me."

Manu could be really resourceful when it came to excuses and pretexts.

"Then I warmly welcome you aboard my ship, Ambassador Ameniu. May Amun bless your journey."

I nodded gratefully to the captain and followed him and Manu across a small gangplank onto the ship. There were no barriers on the planks, and I carefully avoided looking down.
Of course, I wouldn't have fallen far; the deck was less than two meters above the water's surface. But I wanted to avoid that embarrassment and the unnecessary contact with the water.

Having safely arrived on deck, the planks were pulled in behind us and several commands announced the ship's departure.

The captain didn't seem to be needed, as he began with a short tour. As I quickly realized, this was directed less at Manu than at me, to whom he wanted to demonstrate the excellent equipment and general magnificence of his ship.

"This is the flagship of the fleet and also the only one on which traveling passengers are transported."
The other four ships, which are now departing behind us, are transporting only goods. Primarily mining products and imported goods from the south.

The ships are powered by sails, and of course the current works in our favor. But there are also oars if we should be making too slow progress.”

That was all very interesting, but what interested me most was the duration of our trip. So I formulated a corresponding question.

"The Nile is almost at its peak, we will make good progress. I estimate that we will reach Memphis in just under two weeks."

Oh dear! I was expecting a few days, not weeks.

The captain had noticed my surprise, but misinterpreted it.
"Yes, that's pretty fast, isn't it? At low water levels, it can easily take two months."

Well, I guess I was lucky in a way. In two months, my chances of finding anything at my destination would certainly be close to zero.

While the captain was still extolling all sorts of nautical details about his fleet, I looked around the ship.
The crew members, with the exception of the captain, were easily distinguishable from the passengers, as they were dressed much more simply or without ornamentation.

I was able to spot two other passengers, apparently a couple, who were clearly not part of the crew. The man looked exactly as one would imagine an Egyptian to look based on the drawings on temple walls and tombs, as he was wearing a black wig.
Did they travel all the way to Memphis?

By now, the captain had run out of enumerable equipment features.
"Just make yourselves at home on my ship," he concluded.

"But let me introduce you to the other two fellow travelers."

Fortunately, Manu took over the talking again and told the couple our names, whereupon they introduced themselves as Amendat, priest of Amun, and his wife Aneksi.

Amun was a name I was familiar with. He was the local deity of Thebes.
Magnificent temples were built in honor of numerous gods at that time, which of course required the care of just as many priestesses and priests.

The ship had meanwhile completely cast off and was now sailing some distance from the shore.
While Manu chatted with the couple, I stood at the railing and observed the surroundings. At 400 meters wide, the Nile was an astonishingly large body of water.

I could make out all sorts of figures on the riverbank. They seemed to be farmers working their fields. This land, more than any other, depended on river water. After all, just a few hundred meters further on there was nothing but hot desert sand.
The fertile soil in the Nile corridor was the only area suitable for agriculture. If the annual Nile flood was meager, famines could occur.

It is therefore no wonder that the Egyptians wanted to appease the gods supposedly responsible for this with monuments and offerings.

We slowly left the city behind. Only the farmers' fields stretched along the riverbank.
No matter which direction I looked in, I was always presented with an idyllic scene that stood in stark contrast to our densely built-up present.
I would have felt almost like I was on vacation, if I weren't practically always on duty as a professionally stranded person.

Manu had finished his chat with the priest and his wife and joined me at the railing.

"It's a desolate landscape, isn't it?"

I saw it differently.
Would he find the surroundings more beautiful in my presence? Hardly; rather, the architectural landscape would deeply shock him.

I countered with a question that had been on my mind for a while.
"Why did you introduce me earlier as a diplomat from the north and not simply as your servant?"

"Well, I didn't want them to see you as a servant. Because then you wouldn't get any attention and you wouldn't be able to partake in the meals. And I have noticed that you have a fondness for good food."

I had to laugh.
So, that's what he'd noticed. He was right, at least. I could imagine better things than the gruel from my captivity or dry bread.
I could have done without the attention.

"And that's when I came up with the idea of the ambassador. It's just a perfect fit for you."
You don't wear any jewelry, which would normally be considered a sign of inferiority. However, you have fair skin, which makes you appear to be of higher status. Furthermore, you speak with a strong accent.
But only as a foreign envoy does all of this fit together and become completely understandable.”

That was a clever idea Manu had. He seemed to be a bright guy and would certainly have made something of himself in my day.
I smiled at him gratefully. I would have much preferred to kiss him, but of course that wasn't possible in public.

—

The sun was already on the horizon and the day was drawing to a close. So far, I had to admit, the journey had been very pleasant.
They were just preparing dinner for the guests, that is, us. We were all sitting together on the famous cushions on deck, where we had already spent most of the day. Standing at the railing and admiring the scenery was lovely, but too hot in the long run, as we were directly exposed to the sun.
Here, under a large, stretched-out linen sheet, the midday hour could have been spent pleasantly.

It wasn't boring at all. The couple and Manu insisted on introducing me to a board game called Senet. It was played by two people and was vaguely similar to our modern-day Ludo.
At least insofar as dice were rolled and game pieces were moved.

The principle wasn't very difficult. I understood it quickly, and so we spent the day and afternoon playing.
In this system, everyone competed against everyone else in turn.

But then something strange happened. The captain ordered the ships to stop, and the other ships followed suit.
The anchor was thrown overboard. The ship was essentially in a parked position.

Why this interruption?
I was just about to ask Manu about it when the idea came to me that it might have something to do with the approaching dusk.

On our journey we had passed several sandbanks that would be difficult to spot at night without a bow light.
Perhaps that's why it wasn't possible to sail at night, as the risk of running aground was too great.

While asking the question would have provided certainty, it was too risky. According to my backstory, I had already traveled the opposite route by ship and should therefore be familiar with such circumstances.

Now dinner has arrived.
Although we were right at the source, the menu didn't include any fish. Instead, there was some kind of meat, the origin of which I didn't inquire about. In any case, it tasted good.

We were served wine, which the captain, who was dining with us, declared to be "homemade." As is usually the case with such excellent wines, the kind innkeeper poured more than anyone could possibly thirst for.
So, even after the meal, we sat together for a long time, our glasses always full. We listened to the temple anecdotes about lost visitors and drunken priestesses that Amendat recounted, anecdotes that became increasingly risqué as the evening wore on.

Finally, the social gathering came to an end and everyone wished each other a good night.
The sleeping arrangements were roughly the same as the ones I had in Manu's anteroom. They were just a bit better padded.
They slept on deck, as the ship's hold was filled with goods. Besides, there was a pleasant breeze up there, a welcome respite from the day's heat.

Despite being quite tipsy, it only took a short time, despite the not very comfortable position, before I fell asleep next to Manu.

—

Some noise woke me up.
It was Elisa's haunting voice.

"Warning! Several people have approached the ships in boats. The probability that this is a robbery is over 98%."

The content of this matter-of-fact message hit me like an electric shock. I jumped up and yelled: "Robbery!"

In my haste, I had spoken in German, but the sheer volume of my shout woke everyone on board. I quickly repeated the warning call in Egyptian.

Suddenly, the crew sprang to life. The captain was instantly wide awake and shouted his orders. The men began to arm themselves.
But the attackers were one step ahead. The first ones were already climbing over the railings from their boats onto the deck.

And they were armed. They carried spears on their backs and sabers at their belts.

Manu had also woken up and now pulled me along with her.
"Come on Ameniu, we have to go below deck immediately! We'll wait there until it's all over."

"Go on ahead!" I shouted, looking around for my luggage.
As soon as I spotted the pile, I dove towards it, ducking low. I ripped out my undershirt and slipped it on.

Manu, meanwhile, hadn't moved an inch. Now I pulled him along: "Let's go!"

The attackers had drawn their weapons and were already fighting the crew. The priest and his wife had already fled below deck.
Amendat stood in the hatch on the floor and held it open for us. We had almost reached the safety of the entrance.

While running, I heard a loud shout behind us and turned around. One of the intruders had noticed us.
He swung his spear and hurled it in our direction.

I wanted to duck down and pull Manu down with me, but he must have had a similar idea. He threw himself on top of me to protect me.
But it was too late. As he fell, the spear struck him from behind and pierced him.

"Nooo!" I screamed. This couldn't be happening! The damned spear should have hit me; it would have simply bounced off the nanostructure of the shirt.

Manu screamed and pinned me underneath him. Carefully, I pushed him aside and freed myself from the weight of his unconscious body.
He needed medical attention as quickly as possible. We had to win the fight!

I looked around. The captain was fighting with fierce determination to defend his fleet.
Two crew members were lying on the floor. At least four of the strangers were still on board and fighting with the crew.
I had no idea how things would turn out.

Now one of the robbers approached me. It was the one who had thrown the spear at Manu.
I looked around, but found nothing with which I could defend myself.

I didn't have time for that. The attacker was already upon me and thrust his sword into my ribs with full force.
But the effect was different than he had expected. There was a horrible screech, and the air was forced from my lungs. As if someone had rammed me, I was thrown backwards.

The saber fared less well. The blade broke into two pieces.
The man stared at me with wide eyes. He didn't understand what had just happened.

These terrifying moments proved fatal for him, because the captain had meanwhile arrived to protect his guest.
Without hesitation, he stabbed the intruder from behind. It was a truly disgusting affair. I would remember the horror in the dying man's eyes for several nights afterward.

"Are you alright?" my rescuer asked.
I nodded and got back up.

The captain immediately raced back into the fray. The tide had clearly turned in our favor. One of the attackers had just been thrown overboard.
The last one then fled, but didn't get far.

"Status report!"

"The attackers were repelled on all ships. The remaining survivors fled. As a result of the fighting, there were five injured and three dead on our side."

I hurried back to Manu, who was still lying on the ground and was one of the injured. He had woken up by then, but the spear was still lodged below his shoulder.

I knelt down beside him.
"Medical analysis!" I instructed Elisa.

A three-dimensional, transparent image of his body immediately appeared, showing the injured area magnified. Fortunately, the spearhead seemed to be simply made and not equipped with barbs or similar nasty features.

"The projectile penetrated 78 percent of the body. Significant tissue damage occurred. One rib was broken. No vital organs were injured."

Recommended emergency treatment: Administer a dose of nanobots to the injured person, which will release pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory medication. Then remove the foreign body and apply a pressure bandage. The nanobots will support tissue regeneration.
The TTEK's medical emergency program is designed for self-treatment only; you must attach the right arm section to the injured person.

That wasn't much, but at least I could do something.

I took his hand.
"Everything will be alright, Manu. You will get well again," I promised him.

I then detached the device from my right arm and slipped it over his. Luckily, it fit reasonably well, as his arms weren't any thicker than mine.
A soft hissing sound told me the injection had been administered. Manu didn't notice anything.

The other two passengers had by then climbed out of the cargo hold. The priest immediately approached us and knelt opposite me, next to Manu.

"I studied medicine at the temple, among other things. Let's see if I can help him."
He then began to examine the entry wound of the spear.

“We have to pull him out,” was his astute conclusion, which I would have come to even without studying medicine.
Amendat went to his luggage and rummaged around for something. It was a leather pouch, from which he now took out a linen bandage.

"I always have it with me, in case of emergency."

"Have you ever done anything like this before?" I asked critically as he was about to put his hand on the spear.

"Not directly, but my teacher demonstrated it to me once during my training."
That sounded really trustworthy.

Nevertheless, I let him have his way, because my experience in these matters was even worse.
My last serious injury was over a year ago. I slipped on the ladder of a maintenance hatch in the ATR building while performing a check measurement.
This had never happened to anyone before, but Lisa then insisted on the introduction of a mandatory rope requirement for maintenance hatches.
In any case, I spent three days in the hospital ward due to the fall, resulting in a broken leg and bruised ribs. Afterwards, thanks to a combination of modern nanotechnology and stem cell technology, the fracture had largely healed.

When I think of the stories my parents and grandparents told about their legs in plaster casts and using crutches… I almost think society is becoming softer because of these advances.

The medicine priest was just pulling out his spear.

“Oh, that doesn’t even hurt,” Manu commented on the action.
Perhaps Elisa had been a little too generous with the painkiller.

The bandage has now been applied. My God, so much blood. Wasn't that worrying?

I asked Elisa about it, but received the reassuring answer that the blood loss was still far below the critical level.

The doctor looked with satisfaction at the work that had been done and uttered a kind of magic formula. Well, everyone did what they could.
Then he moved on to look at the other wounded.
I did the same, or rather, I had Elisa do it. Two were already dead. The captain and another crew member had only suffered minor injuries.

So I went back to Manu's.
"How do you feel?"

"It's definitely been better," he joked. "But at least it doesn't hurt anymore."

"Okay, then just stay lying down. I'll get you some pillows to put under you."

After I had adjusted Manu to a more comfortable reclining position, I stepped next to the captain. He was standing attentively at the railing.

"These scum! They are desert nomads who earn their living by robbing cargo ships."
Thank you so much, Ambassador Ameniu. If you had been a more sound sleeper, we would probably all be dead by now.”

I should have passed the thanks on to Elisa. Because without her, I definitely wouldn't have woken up.

I suggested posting guards every night.
"Of course. I've already arranged that. It will be another three hours until the sun rises and we can continue on our way. You should get some more sleep in the meantime, Ambassador."

I nodded and returned to my camp, which I quickly moved next to Manu's sleeping place.

I didn't smoke, but if the opportunity had existed at that time, I might have been tempted.
So I lay awake until dawn, because sleep was out of the question.

—

The journey continued as soon as the first rays of sunlight reflected on the water. It was time for breakfast, and I helped Manu adjust herself to a more upright sitting position.

As Elisa told me, the wound was making good progress.
"Tissue regeneration will be completed in three days. In addition, the top five millimeters of the tissue will be left untouched, so that the appearance of the wound is preserved."

It was good that she thought of that. Otherwise, I would have had to slow her down a bit, because wound healing shouldn't turn into a miracle cure.

"How are you this morning?" I asked Manu.

"Much better, I feel almost like new. It only hurts when I move my left arm, so I just keep it still. I'm right-handed anyway."

But last night it really hit me hard. I even had hallucinations. I saw a man going at you with a sword. But instead of piercing you, the blade broke in two.

It seems he woke up from his unconsciousness earlier than I had thought.

"Yes, really strange," was all I could think of to say.

"Oh, so why did you put your bracelet on me?"

"He has always brought me luck. I hoped he would bring you luck in your recovery too."
That was at least part of the truth.

"Then you can have him back now."

That wouldn't work. Manu absolutely couldn't take it off, because without the induction energy from the arm unit, the nanobots would stop working. Then the pleasant healing process would be over.

"No, keep it on for a few more days. Just to be on the safe side."

"As you wish. Come a little closer, Ameniu. I want to whisper something in your ear."

I moved closer to him and eagerly held my ear out.

"Thank you so much for taking care of me. I love you."

My face turned red. Nobody had ever said that to me before.
But did I reciprocate this love? Could I? Was I allowed to?

Chapter 12

Finally! We had reached our destination. Memphis was just a few kilometers ahead.

Now, twelve days after our departure, the sequence of landscapes was repeated in reverse order.
First we passed the fields where farmers were once again busily working to produce grain. Then the number of huts along the roadside increased, and finally the first buildings rose up before us behind the city wall.

As we entered the port, I was surprised by its size and the scale of the city.
Manu stood to my right and the priest and his wife to my left. Like me, they all admired the metropolis of Egypt.

I had last contact with the base on the third day of my departure. But apart from sending a summary report – in which Elisa hopefully omitted certain delicate details – there was no news to report.

Manu's injury had healed so well that he no longer needed a bandage. Despite Elisa's caution, the priest and amateur doctor Amendat had attributed to Manu an "extraordinary, indeed enormous" power of self-healing. The man thus praised had no choice but to shrug his shoulders sheepishly and rejoice in his recovery.
I had also taken back the borrowed arm part.

"Dr. Marten, I am receiving a very weak energy signature."
In our time of origin, it would have been impossible to detect. But in this time, in the absence of any artificially generated energy, the signal is noticeable.

Electromagnetic radiation, 1400 years BC! I'd eat my hat if this wasn't also the source of the interference described by Lisa.

"Where is the origin of the signal?" I asked eagerly.

"Location is not possible at this time; the signal is still too weak. Perhaps the intensity will increase as you get closer to the source."

She certainly would. The real problem, however, was figuring out in which direction to look for this source. Perhaps I'd get lucky and the signal would be stronger downtown.

"Here we are. Welcome to Memphis!" boomed the captain behind us. "It has been a pleasure traveling with you. Don't forget your luggage, and may the gods be with you."

That was probably the precursor to "Thank you for your journey with Deutsche Bahn".

Manu and I disembarked in good spirits. The captain held us back briefly and handed us two sabers, remarking, "You never know."
What I especially didn't know was how to handle the device in an emergency.

We said a warm goodbye to Amendat and Aneksi, who sent us off with the request that we visit them sometime.

I stood somewhat perplexed in front of our ship's dock.
"Where to now?" I asked Manu.

"I thought you were going to tell me that? After all, you're the one looking for someone, not me."

“Sure. I wasn’t thinking so much about the search, which, by the way, I don’t even know where to start with yet. I was more concerned with the question of where we should stay tonight?”

Was there something like a hotel or at least an inn back then?

“Oh, I know someone. Part of my wife’s family lives here. They’ll surely take us in for a few nights.”

"Do you really think so? After all, you didn't exactly leave in peace. Maybe she said something to her family?"

Manu just laughed.
"Firstly, she would never do that because of her pride. Secondly, how could she have managed it? No letter from her could have reached us."

Ah, of course. I was shaped by the age of global communication networks. Always and everywhere reachable.

In my case, above all, there was always a particular truth.

"Okay, then let's go there first. We can start the search tomorrow. Besides, it's already getting dark."

"You'll see, my mother-in-law will be delighted with the visit. Since her husband died, she hasn't had many visitors."

So we walked through the bustling streets of Memphis. It looked pretty much the same as Thebes, only bigger and with more people.
Every now and then we passed a well or a larger cistern. There was always activity there, and you could watch the women and children drawing water. Some just stood there chatting.
Everything seemed harmonious, almost idyllic. But perhaps that was deceptive.

The next street was already less busy. The houses here also looked somewhat run-down.
Manu turned into a side street, and this impression was further reinforced here.

"Tell me, are you sure about this route?"

"Well, it's been three years since my last visit. And the city has grown since then. I think we should turn left again up ahead."

In other words, we were lost. Well, we'd find our way eventually. Even without a map.

Just as we were about to turn the corner, someone jumped out of the shadows of the building in front of us. He was holding a knife.

This couldn't be happening! Did we have a "please rob" sign on our backs?
On the other hand, it was our own fault. We shouldn't have entered that shady street in the first place. And certainly not at dusk.

Manu immediately drew his saber. I did the same.
We retreated slowly, with the robber following us.

"Attention! There is another attacker behind you."

I turned around and saw that Elisa was right. They had surrounded us from both sides.

"Give me your jewelry and nothing will happen to you!"

Since I didn't own any jewelry, the thief probably meant Manu.

“Never!” he replied, to my surprise.
I was clearly of the opinion that giving in on this matter would be wiser.

"We should do what they ask, Manu. I don't want you to get hurt again."
Furthermore, I wasn't wearing my undershirt. I had tucked it under my arm from the pile of laundry.

But Manu had his pride. He remained stubborn.
"Ameniu, you take care of the one behind us. I'll take the one in front."

He couldn't be serious. I hadn't the faintest idea about sword fighting. I wanted to object, but it was too late. Manu and the thief were already crossing swords.

My opponent seemed to take that as an invitation to begin as well. He charged forward.

Since I would have stood no chance against him in a fight, I resorted to a diversionary tactic. I grabbed the bundle of laundry and hurled it at him.

There was a clang as my projectile collided with his saber. He must have hit my undershirt.
The collision had not damaged his blade, but it distracted him for a moment.

A few steps away from me, a fist-sized stone lay at the side of the path. I darted over to pick it up.
Manu didn't fare particularly well either. The robber seemed to be a master of his craft. Surely years of professional experience.

As soon as I had it in my hand, I hurled the stone at my opponent with all my might. He turned towards me, about to resume the chase. But that didn't happen.
The stone hit him hard in the face. He lost his balance and fell over.

Once he hit the ground, he didn't move. So far, so good.

The situation was somewhat different with Manu's opponent. He had managed to disarm my friend in the meantime.
He held the blade to Manu's throat. Manu gasped.

Damn! I had to do something.

“Hey!” I shouted. “You can have my jewelry. Here it is.”
I then detached the right arm section of the TTEK from my arm and held it out to him. Not randomly, however, but in a specific position. With just a little luck, he would touch the injection module on the inside when he grasped it.

"Anesthetize him as soon as there is skin contact!" I silently instructed Elisa.

The thief laughed.
"They're all the same, the rich ones. They move confidently. They fight confidently. But when it comes to their lives, they come running."

He reached for the armrest.
"That other one too," he snapped at me. "And you too," he pointed at Manu.

"I was able to inject 23 nanobots. They were programmed to penetrate to the nearest vein and deliver the anesthetic there."

That wasn't exactly a considerable amount. I just hope the medication was strong enough.

Manu had meanwhile begun to remove his jewelry.
I looked around. The pile of laundry, which had fallen apart, lay only a meter away. If we needed to escape quickly, I could take it with me. That was good, because I definitely didn't want to be without that undershirt.

I looked very closely at the remaining thief. Now he threw the arm piece into a bag to take Manu's jewelry.
I fervently hoped the nanobots had already reached a vein. If not, it would be too late. Without the TTEK's power source, they were nothing more than a pile of micro-junk.

Suddenly the man began to blink rapidly. He stumbled backward.

"Come on!" I shouted to Manu. I ran to the pile of laundry and grabbed whatever I could get my hands on.
Then I snatched the bag from the astonished criminal's hand. I ran towards the city center, the bewildered Manu beside me.

We ran down the street.
Our pursuer had recovered from the small dose. He followed us with quick steps.

"Faster! He's behind us."

We ran as fast as we could. There was no time to look back.
Half a minute later, the surroundings had changed. The paths were wider again, and a main road seemed to be very close by. We even encountered a few people.

Panting and puffing, we stopped and looked around. There was no sign of the thief. He obviously didn't dare to follow us in a busy area.

Manu looked relieved.
"Phew... we were really lucky there. He'd probably had a bit too much wine. He wanted to drink to give himself courage, or something."

It was interesting how well Manu understood how to find explanations for such things. Although the wine explanation didn't seem very plausible to me. After all, the robber had fought very vigilantly.
But I would be careful not to share these doubts about his theory with him.

“How do we get to your wife’s family now?” I asked instead.

"This area looks familiar. I think I'll find my way now."

And sure enough, a few minutes later we were standing in front of a house that Manu recognized as the right one. He pressed the knocker on the door.

Shortly afterwards, a young servant appeared. "What can I do for you?" she asked us.

"I am Imanuthep, the man of Naha. And this is Ambassador Ameniu. Is the lady of the house available to speak?"

"Come in. I'll report you to Shani."

We entered the reception room. I was immediately reminded of Manu's house, as the architectural style was exactly the same. Only the room was furnished somewhat differently and the walls were decorated differently.

A woman, probably in her late 30s, approached us. I assumed it was Shani, Naha's mother and the lady of the house.

"Manu! It's great to see you again. And as I can see, you've brought me a guest. Welcome to my house, Ambassador Ameniu."

I bowed slightly.

"But what brings you here, Manu? I hope there's nothing to complain about. I mean, because of my daughter."

“But no!” Manu hastened to assure everyone. The question had made him a little embarrassed. He probably thought that if anyone had anything to complain about, it would be him.

"I'm here on business, together with my friend, the ambassador. Since I don't really know anyone here except you, I was wondering if we could stay with you for the duration of our visit. It's only for a few days at most."

The widow's face lit up. The prospect of company, even if only for a while, seemed to please her.

"Nothing I'd like more, you can stay as long as you want. You know your way around, Manu. The guest rooms are on the first floor. We've had plenty of those since my husband died – may Re watch over him."
"When you're ready, I'll be waiting for you in the garden. I'm sure you're hungry. I'll have something served right away."

We went upstairs with thanks. Shani reminded me a lot of my grandmother. Always worried about her charges, who in her eyes must always be starving.

We didn't keep them waiting long. After unloading our light luggage in the two – naturally separate – rooms, we made our way to the garden.

"By correlating the signal intensity curve with your position as you moved through the city, I was able to narrow down the origin of the signal. This is always provided that the signal itself did not move during this time."

Elisa displayed a map showing the likely origin of the signal. I stumbled and almost fell down the stairs because I couldn't see the steps properly anymore.
Manu caught me just in time.

"Ameniu, what are you doing? I even have to watch you when you're climbing stairs."

Elisa immediately hid the map again.
"Excuse me, Dr. Marten. I hadn't considered that parameter."

No wonder. The parameter of human stupidity was simply foreign to computers.

I'll take care of the signal tomorrow. Although I would have preferred to look for it now, it wasn't possible.
As we had experienced firsthand, one should avoid the streets at night.

"Please sit down. There isn't much left, I hope it's enough for you."

Was the woman joking? The table was laden with all sorts of fruit, cooked vegetables, and various meats. It was doubtful we'd be able to eat it all.
I had more the feeling that Shani's pantry was just waiting for a visit like ours.

“But tell me something. I’m an old woman and I don’t get around much anymore. How was the trip?”

She certainly wasn't old. But I was thinking in terms of the 21st century, with an average life expectancy of 80 years. Here it was only 35.

I let Manu do the talking. He then told his mother-in-law about the trip, mainly focusing on the exciting part: the robbery.

"By the gods!", "No, is that possible?", "You, hurt?!"
Her comments were along those lines. She clearly enjoyed being told such a captivating story. Meanwhile, I enjoyed the food that was served.

Even greater than her joy was her worry for her son-in-law.
"And now you're healthy again?"

"Yes, perfectly healthy. Fortunately, the priest who traveled with us was knowledgeable about medicine."

Manu didn't mention the renewed attack. It was probably for the best, as Shani shouldn't be unnecessarily worried.

The conversation between the two had died down, and the lady of the house turned to me.

“Dear Ambassador, now you must tell me something about yourself. I don’t think you’ve said a single word since you’ve been here.”

Well, it was bound to happen eventually. I could no longer feign silence, as that simply didn't fit with my role as a supposed ambassador.

I still found it somewhat confusing that the Egyptians didn't have a formal form of address. Formality arose through the use of titles.

"I'm sorry, Shani, that I've been silent so far. My language skills aren't very good."

"Oh, they seem to be excellent, my dear Ameniu. Only the pronunciation is a bit of a problem. But let me give you a few tips."
Or even better, let me recommend some sights to see in our beautiful city.”

Although I wasn't here on a sightseeing tour, I was forced to let myself be informed.

"First and foremost, there are the three great pyramids of the pharaohs Cheops, Chephren, and Mykerinos. They are very impressive up close."
Apparently, it's been haunted there lately, according to people's gossip. But I don't believe it."

Manu chuckled to himself. He surely wished Naha would think the same.

Chapter 13

The next morning came and I woke up sleepily in my bed.
It was quite late by the time the lady had dismissed us from her company.

Manu and I slept in separate rooms, of course. A goodnight kiss was the height of affection we could show. Anything more would have been too risky.

The last thing Manu wanted was for his mother-in-law to find out about his little secret.
But I wondered how things could continue. I couldn't always be his secret lover, disguised as a servant. Or could I?
And I certainly couldn't face his wife anymore.

Never mind, those questions would have to wait. First, I would take care of the signal.

"Show me the map again, Elisa."

The virtual map that almost proved fatal for me yesterday reappeared. The city of Memphis was marked with a rough outline.

The likely origin of the signal was marked a few kilometers away.

It was the area surrounding the pyramids of Giza.
Very interesting. Perhaps there was some truth to the rumor about the alleged haunting after all.

"Did the signal change its position overnight?"

"This cannot be determined with certainty. However, there has been no significant change in signal strength, which suggests that the signal has remained stationary."

So I would definitely start my search in this area.

I yawned and slipped on the clothes that had become familiar to me.
The pyramids were several kilometers away. I would need a car to get there.

Although I didn't want to involve Manu in this, I had no choice. I could hardly have convinced him that I would prefer to visit the pyramids without him.

First, I went to the bathroom to freshen up a bit. The hygiene standards weren't exactly modern, but it was better than nothing. Manu had even brought a sort of toothbrush. Instead of toothpaste, she used a baking soda solution.

I was almost finished when Manu came in.

He beamed at me. "Hello Re!"

I returned this Egyptian morning greeting and added a quick kiss.

"Better be careful, or my mother-in-law will come through the door."
But that didn't stop him from giving me a much more passionate kiss in return. Our tongues circled each other. If I hadn't already brushed my teeth, it wouldn't have been necessary afterwards.

We parted far too quickly. Personally, I could have stayed like that for days, safe in his arms and blocking out the rest of the world.
My little friend was also making his presence known. There hadn't been much time for affection during the nights on the ship. It was time to make up for that.

But not now, I thought. I had to track down this signal before it was too late. Who knows if it wouldn't be gone by tomorrow?

"We need to go downstairs, Manu. Shani is probably already waiting with breakfast."

And it was about time I introduced my destination for today's trip.

"I'd like to see the pyramids today, Manu."

“But didn’t you really want to find your sailor?”

"Yes, sure. But we can do that in the afternoon, relax a bit first."

Phew, I hoped I would get out of this colleague-searching ordeal unscathed.

—

"Have a good trip! But be back in time for dinner," Shani called after the car that rolled away with us.
Manu rolled her eyes. "It's a good thing I don't live here."

I had to laugh. "Be glad you have such a caring mother-in-law. There are much worse..."

We drove through the streets at a leisurely pace. I was relieved to be sitting on top of the car now. Protected from the sun, and hopefully from thieves.

It wasn't long before we passed through the city walls. At first, we were surrounded by huts and fields, then only dusty desert. The air was very dry today.

Manu looked towards the horizon.
"Hopefully there won't be a sandstorm."

I joined in the hope. How could I find something I didn't even know what it looked like when a sandstorm obscured my view?

"It's not much further now," I heard the driver call from the front.

Indeed, the pyramids had been visible in the background for some time and were steadily growing in size. In the foreground, perhaps 100 meters away, lay a small settlement. It was probably used by people who worked on the pyramids.
Perhaps they were performing a religious service, or perhaps just manual maintenance work.

We hadn't even reached the settlement when visibility deteriorated dramatically. The wind picked up and dust obscured our view.

"So, the sandstorm is here after all. Here, tie this cloth around your mouth and nose."

Gratefully, I took the linen and tied it behind my head.

Visibility had dropped to just a few meters. If a building hadn't suddenly appeared right next to us, I wouldn't have even noticed our entrance to the housing estate.
The pyramids were even less visible in the swirling sand.

Manu turned to me.
"The best thing to do is seek shelter in the cellar of one of the houses and wait until the storm has passed. That way we wouldn't be able to see the pyramids at all."

“It will be for the best,” I agreed.

My eyes were itching terribly. I rubbed them, but it only got worse. The dust obviously didn't agree with my contact lenses.
I tried to get them out, which wasn't easy at all for someone inexperienced. For a moment I thought I had them in my fingers, but that turned out to be a mistake.

“Ameniu, are you coming? We can find shelter in this house. The owner is kind enough to let us in.”

So we went into the house. The owner led us to the cellar, where his wife and children had already taken refuge. The upper floors offered little protection, as the windows had no panes.

"System error #134 – Connection to visor lenses interrupted."

Damn! This couldn't be happening. What an idiot I was.
I must have lost the lenses when I tried to put them down. There was no chance of finding them again after that storm.

Well, then I would just have to be even more concise in conversations. Because Elisa would now have to read the translation to me, which I would then have to repeat.

"Don't worry, Ameniu. This happens quite often here. It certainly won't take longer than an hour."

Manu must have seen my worried expression and attributed it to the sandstorm.
He sat next to me, leaning against the wall, and smiled at me. I smiled back.

I was incredibly lucky to meet Manu. Who knows where I would have ended up without him, or if I would even still be alive.
Besides, he was always so caring and really sweet. Just the way he smiled was magical.

Phillip, are you in love?
Well… I think that was the case.

"Dr. Marten, the alien energy signature is significantly stronger in this area. I can now pinpoint its location to within one meter."
It is moving directly towards you.

If I hadn't already been sitting on the ground, my knees would have definitely gone weak. It simply couldn't have been a coincidence. The signal was coming directly towards us.
Whoever or whatever it was, it must have sensed my presence. It could probably locate the TTEK's energy emission just as I could locate its.

My heart was pounding in my chest. What should I do? Was I about to make contact with an extraterrestrial life form?

Or, more importantly, would she be peacefully disposed towards me?
I absolutely had to prevent the encounter from taking place in here. The basement offered no escape routes. Besides, I didn't want to endanger Manu and the others under any circumstances.

"Manu, I need to go outside for a moment. No matter what happens, stay here."

Without waiting for a reply, I hurried upstairs and out into the sandstorm.

"How far away is the signal?"

"Less than ten meters. Ten degrees to the left from your current viewing direction."

Visibility was terrible. I stared intently in the indicated direction, but saw nothing.

"The energy value has just changed..."

Before Elisa could even finish her sentence, there was a loud bang. A blinding flash of light pierced the murky air and hit me in the chest.
I screamed.

It was as if I had been hit by an ICE train. I was thrown back several meters. All the air was forced out of my lungs.
I felt like I was burning up.

I hit the sand hard. My ribs hurt terribly.

"Medical diagnosis. No fractures or contusions. Minor burn. Injecting nanobots for skin regeneration."

Tactical diagnosis. Attack by a high-energy weapon. Severe kinetic and thermal effects.

I noticed that. Luckily, my protective shirt had absorbed most of the impact. The fabric had turned black and rock hard at the point of contact. Apparently, the nanoalloy had melted and was therefore unusable.
It was uncertain whether I would survive another hit.

I rolled around and surveyed my surroundings. A house stood only a few meters away. As quickly as possible, I crawled across the ground behind it.

"Where is the enemy now?"

"Directly behind this building. He is now approaching from the right."

Damn! I pulled myself together and started walking around the building to the left. My opponent would surely see through this tactic quickly, but I couldn't think of anything else on the spur of the moment.

"Ameniu, where are you? Are you alright? I heard a scream."

And to make matters worse! Manu had gotten out. Once the alien was done with me, he'd be next. I had to protect him.

I lunged towards the house opposite, in front of which Manu's silhouette was visible.

"Go back down! Too dangerous!"
That was all I could manage in that short time. Manu just looked at me, uncomprehending.

"Attention, behind you!"

I turned around abruptly, placing myself in front of Manu. The attacker's outline emerged from the clouds of dust.

"What do you want from us?!" I shouted at the shadow. But it was no longer a shadow, because the dust had settled somewhat.

My God! That wasn't an alien. It was a human.

The attacker stood rooted to the spot. He stared at me and blinked as if I were a ghost. I suppose I stared back just as loudly.

Suddenly he began to tremble and stammer. “I… that…”
He stammered in English! Some kind of undefinable accent, but it was definitely English.

He fell to the ground, onto his knees, and covered his face with his hands. The stranger sobbed.

Oh man, what have I gotten myself into?

Manu stood behind me, eyeing the man critically. I, too, now examined him more closely. Because he buried his face in his hands, I could only see his shoulder-length blond hair.
He must have been about my age.

His clothing consisted of a full-body suit that, to my untrained eye, resembled a wetsuit for swimmers. But surely it had a different purpose. Not least because water for swimming was rather scarce here.

He carried a flat, rectangular container strapped tightly to his back. Attached to his right wrist was some kind of firing device. Probably the weapon he almost killed me with.

I didn't get the impression that he still held that intention. So I approached him.

"Are you all right?"

That sounded truly absurd. I asked a guy who had been trying to bombard me with questions just seconds before if he was alright.

He looked up. His face was dirty.

"I'm sorry," he began, "I thought you were an alien... Damn, I almost killed a human. I've never killed anyone before."

And that's why he shot me immediately, because he thought I was an alien? Either the boy was simply xenophobic, or there was more to it. But there were more important questions now.

“Who are you?” was one of them.

My counterpart had recovered and even stood up.

"My name is Keith. I'm a scout for the Planetary Alliance. And who are you?"

"I am Ameni... Dr. Phillip Marten from the ATR project."

"Never heard of this ATR."
He expressed what I also thought about him.

"Wait a minute, where are you from?" I asked. "Because I strongly suspect you're not from around here."

"No, of course not," he laughed. "I'm from the year 2321, just like you."

"Um, no. I'm from 2086."

He inhaled sharply. Had I said something wrong?

"But that's unbelievable. Do you know how small the probability is that, amidst countless parallel worlds, we would end up in the same one? So small that it would take me a minute to pronounce all the zeros after the decimal point. Or to put it another way: It's impossible."
I actually thought you had followed me out of my world.

But it had happened nonetheless. "What do you think about that, Elisa?" I asked silently.

"The probability mentioned is indeed in such a low range. From this, I conclude that it is not a coincidence."
However, the spacetime theories we know offer no explanation for this. Therefore, it is a still unexplored aspect.

Lisa would certainly be very interested in that.

"And yet here I am. And so are you, Keith. But I still don't know what you're actually looking for here?"

"Like I said, I'm a Scout. But of course you don't know that."
In our world, aliens called Kerlocks have invaded Earth. We have been at war with them for years. Although we vastly outnumber the Kerlocks, we are fighting a losing battle. Their technology is centuries ahead of ours. It is only a matter of time before they win and wipe out all life on Earth.
As a scout, my job is to search alien parallel universes in the hope of finding a more advanced species that can help us in the fight against the Kerlocks.”

Wow, that sounded incredibly exciting and incredibly sad. The Earth facing imminent destruction? We really had it good. Except for the climate problem, which we still haven't completely gotten under control.

"I'm afraid I can't help you with that, Keith. We've only just developed the time travel technology. In fact, I'm the first test subject."
Unfortunately, something went wrong. I actually wanted to travel to a much later time, but I ended up here. I think it was your fault.

"Maybe so. But it's your fault that I can't leave here anymore."

"On me?"

"Yes. You're sending out a spacetime signal that's somehow interfering with my homing signal for the return. I thought it was intentional and that you were a Kerlock who had followed me from my time. Because it often happens that Kerlocks hunt us scouts."

Ah, that explains the shooting frenzy towards supposed aliens.

"He probably means the communication signal that I maintain to stay in contact with the base."

Technically speaking, the matter was complicated.
It's quite simple, really. I was here because of him, and he couldn't leave because of me.

"I'm sorry you're stuck here because of me," I said, and explained the reason to him.

"No, I'm sorry, Phillip... But tell me, why are you even still here? I don't have that kind of connection to the base. The risk of the Kerlocks tracking me down would be too great. I'm not going to block your return home, am I?"

"That's right, Keith, you're not blocking me. The problem is that our technology isn't sophisticated enough yet for a transfer over such a long period of time. I'm stuck here."

Once again, I became aware of the sad truth about my condition.

Keith looked down. He had a tear in his eye.
He was a truly sentimental person.

"I'm so sorry, Phillip. It's my fault if you have to spend the rest of your life in this desolate place."

"Oh, it's not so bad at all. I've even made friends here."
I pointed at Manu.

He had come closer by now. "So this is your teammate? He's dressed very strangely. And so thin."

That made me laugh, and so did Keith, who probably understood Manu too.
Nevertheless, I owed him an answer. And since he had once again provided a plausible opening, I responded.

"Yes, exactly. That's him. And that's the kind of clothing we usually wear."

Every word of it was a lie, and it pained me deeply to lie to Manu, my sweet darling, like that. But I had no choice. The truth would have been the greater evil in this case.

"So, the part about being emaciated is true," Keith said to me. "I had nothing to eat and just occasionally stole something from the houses here."

I was much luckier, even though it didn't look that way at first. Strapped to the back of a camel, facing a direct path to slavery, wasn't exactly the most promising start to a journey.

"But why are you traveling to such a distant time? I thought you were looking for highly advanced civilizations."

"I do that too. You wouldn't believe the eras I've encountered civilizations from. You can't base it on your own world, but always on the multitude of all possible parallel universes. I've been to one where a civilization flourished on Earth 8,000 years ago during the industrial age. And to one where there was never any life on Earth."

His eyes shone brightly as he told his story.

"Wow! That sounds incredibly exciting."

"It is. But it's just as dangerous."
Furthermore, it's good not to have to witness the chaos and destruction in my home world. Don't get me wrong. I never forget what I'm fighting for. But it's simply nice to see such mostly peaceful and safe worlds.

I could understand him. If my world were on the verge of destruction, I would certainly want to leave too.

"What are you going to do now?" I asked.

"I'm returning home. And then it's straight on to the next parallel world to explore. After all, I'm already behind schedule and might even be considered missing."

Keith came a little closer and hugged me.

"Good luck!" he wished me. "Here, I have something else for you."

"I am receiving a transmission. It is scientific data."

"That's all that's stored in my database about our spacetime technology. It's incomplete, as the danger would be too great if it fell into the hands of the Kerlocks. But perhaps there's something in there that will help you return home as well."

"Thank you very much, Keith."
I was genuinely touched. He barely knew me and yet he had such trust in me. Besides, he was really cute.
Despite his dirty face, you could just make out the soft skin underneath. I found myself imagining kissing it gently.

Hello, Phillip?! Please concentrate. Besides, I already had a boyfriend.
I glanced around for Manu, who was still eyeing Keith suspiciously. Was he already jealous?

I instructed Elisa to forward the received data to base, along with a brief report of the latest events. I would contact Lisa personally later.

"And after that, please deactivate the communication signal until Keith is gone," I added.

"Take care, Phillip. Maybe we'll see each other again sometime."

I didn't believe it, but I wished for it all the more.
Keith took a few steps back, seemingly waiting for something. Surely he didn't intend to disappear right here before our eyes. Even Manu couldn't have come up with an explanation for that.

"Um, Keith. Would you mind going behind the houses maybe? I'd hate to scare my friend here."

"Oh, of course. My mistake."
He smiled apologetically at me and disappeared behind a house.

"Where is he going?" asked Manu.

"He's going back home. Unlike me, he can do that."

The best thing about this answer was that it was absolutely true.

Manu came to me and put her hand on my shoulder.
"Hmm... You don't seem very happy about this, Ameniu. Are you homesick too?"

I nodded.
Yes, of course, I had that thought. But the situation was a bit more complicated. Because regardless of whether I could return or not, I would have to leave loved ones behind either way.

"The storm has subsided. Come on, let's visit the pyramids now."
Manu walked ahead happily, pulling me along by the hand.

I put my arm around his shoulder.

—

"This is fantastic, Phillip. Absolutely incredible. This material takes us decades further in one fell swoop."

Lisa had been showering me with praise for Keith's information for a minute already as I walked along the old pyramid wall. At least it was only an auditory experience now, since I'd lost my visual interface along with my contact lenses.

"I have already fed the new equations into the computer. It looks as if we can almost triple the accuracy of the system without any modifications."

I quickly calculated the tripling in my head. That would still result in a range of less than 1500 years. Barely half the time I'm away from home.

“But that’s not all. The people from Keith’s time can not only perform transfers between another time and the base station, but also jump directly from one parallel world to another.”

“Yes, he told me that. But how is that supposed to help us? I don’t want to end up in some parallel world where cannibalistic apes rule the earth. Or something like that.”

Elisa also interrupted her flow of words to laugh heartily. But only briefly.

"No, that's completely out of the question. We would have to make major renovations for that... But what I actually wanted to say is this."
I think I can optimize the system with Keith's data so that you can travel back in time in stages. As you know, our system isn't powerful enough to take you back 3,500 years all at once. But we could do it bit by bit!

„Wow!“

I was truly stunned by Lisa's explanation. Would I really be able to go home again? And did I even want to?

I looked around. Behind me walked Manu, intently studying the stone monument.
I looked at him sadly and sighed.

I loved him. Yes, I was sure of that now. But even so, I couldn't stay here. I simply didn't belong here, in this time. I was a stranger here, and I felt it.

Besides, I wasn't on a pleasure trip. I had an obligation to my employer.

"When will it be ready?"

"I can't say for sure yet. Configuring the new parameters is quick. But I'll definitely do a dummy test beforehand to make sure it actually works. So maybe in a day."

That was good. Then I had enough time to sort out my affairs here. And by that I mean saying goodbye to Manu.
Damn, how am I going to explain this to him?

First, I said goodbye to Lisa and asked her to send my best regards to my colleagues.

—

Lost in thought, I sat next to Manu in the car. I had barely noticed the splendor of the old buildings, which were much better preserved at that time. I was too preoccupied with myself.

Manu stroked my back.
"What's wrong, Ameniu? You've been so pensive the whole time."

It was pointless; I had to confess to him eventually.

“I… I will return home, Manu. My colleague made it possible for me.”
A tear rolled down my cheek.

Manu's facial expression was unreadable.

"Be happy, Ameniu. Why are you crying then?"

"Because I love you."

Manu looked at me with his hazel eyes and kissed me tenderly.

"You silly thing. I love you too."
And that's exactly why I want you to go home. You can be happier there than here."

That's precisely where I wasn't so sure.

"And you, Manu? What will become of you then?"

"I'm going back to my wife, whether I like it or not. We'll probably have children. At least there won't be any more problems with potency; I only have to think of you."

So flattered, I snuggled up to him.

—

The evening had been quite peaceful. At the table, Shani had told us about other sights in the city that visitors absolutely had to see.
When I confessed that I would be leaving the very next day, she was very sorry. Her regret seemed genuine and was simply explained by her relative loneliness. A visitor, and such an interesting one at that, because he came from so far away, brightened up her dreary everyday life.

Manu was behaving quite normally. Nevertheless, I sensed his sadness about my impending departure, even though he tried to hide it from me.

Out of fear of being discovered, there was no greater exchange of affection in the evening, even though we both would have welcomed it very much.

Now I lay in my bed and couldn't fall asleep. I didn't know how long I had been lying there like that, torn between anticipation and the sadness of parting.

Suddenly I heard a soft creaking sound. The door to my bedroom opened and Manu poked her head in.

"Are you already sleeping?"

"No," I breathed into the darkness.

"I can't fall asleep either, Ameniu. I keep thinking that this is our last night."
He slowly came closer, so that I could see him in the moonlight.

"Aren't you afraid because of your mother-in-law?"

"Oh, the old woman is fast asleep. And if you don't moan too loudly, she won't notice anything."

Manu grinned mischievously, which looked even sweeter than usual in the moonlight.

"I'll do my best," I reassured him. "But seeing you like this, I can't guarantee anything."

He came to me and snuggled up to me under my blanket. Kissing, he worked his way from my mouth to lower parts of my body.

—

Breakfast was eaten in silence.
No one really knew what to say, as the approaching departure hung over us like the sword of Damocles. Only Shani occasionally offered some advice on what absolutely needed to be considered during such a long journey.

Otherwise, everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Mine fluctuated between the imminent departure and last night.
I wasn't sure if it had been such a good idea for Manu to come and see me in my bed. Not because of Shani, who had indeed slept like a log and hadn't even heard our sometimes rather loud sounds of contentment.

No, it had been wonderful with Manu – too wonderful. Much more intense than back then in the bathroom of his house. After all, we had a cozy bed beneath us here.
But such a night of love should only be shared by couples who would still be considered as such the next day. Never by lovers who are parting ways, because it would only make the goodbye all the more difficult.

I had nothing to pack, so after breakfast I quickly stood in front of the door, Manu beside me. Shani had already said goodbye to me inside, which was lucky. Or perhaps unlucky, because it would only make the separation between Manu and me even more heartbreaking.

"Oh, Ameniu, my darling. I wish you could come home. But just as much, I wish you would stay here. With me."

Tears streamed down his cheek. I wiped them away.

"Don't cry, Manu. I know... and I'd love to stay here too. But it's not possible. Everyone has their place and their responsibilities. Yours is here, mine are there."

I hugged him tightly. Now tears were flowing from me too.

"Please... don't forget me... okay?", Manu sobbed into my shoulder.

"Never, my darling... Never."
My God, life was so unfair. Completely distraught and with trembling knees, I pulled away from him. There was no point in delaying any longer; it would only make things more difficult.

I kissed him one last time. He returned the kiss as if there were no tomorrow. And there wasn't one for our relationship.

Just before I felt like I was going to suffocate, I pulled away from him. I took a step back.

"Take care, my love, and take care of yourself."

"Wait, I'll come with you to the harbor!"

"No, you're staying here... That would only make saying goodbye more difficult."
And it would reveal that there was no ship waiting for me there at all…

"Then farewell, my first and probably only love. Farewell, my dear Ameniu."

I turned around and walked down the street. Because of the water in my eyes, I could hardly see anything. Every few meters I stopped and waved towards the house where Manu was still standing in the same spot.
He looked sad in return.

Had I not already lost my contact lenses, they would have floated away this morning at the latest.

—

My mind was blank. I had been wandering through the desert for a good fifteen minutes.

My journey had begun there, and it would end there as well. No, I corrected myself, it would continue there. After all, there were still two more stops before I got home.

I had actually gotten far enough away from the city to be able to make the transfer unnoticed. Nevertheless, I hesitated.

Wasn't there perhaps an alternative? I mean, wouldn't it be possible to stay here?

I knew I'd get used to everything in time, and I'd notice the lack of all those modern conveniences less and less. And besides, I had Manu, my first love, who even reciprocated his feelings.

But hadn't I already made my decision by saying goodbye to him? Wasn't the very fact that I was standing here in the hot sand and not next to him proof of my decision?

“Life is simple, but its components are complicated,” was one of my professor’s favorite sayings in quantum mechanics.

I never really understood the meaning of it. But it certainly applied to love; it seemed to me to be a damn complex thing.

Elisa pulled me out of my thoughts.

"I am receiving a strong foreign energy signature. Originating approximately at the pyramids."

What was that all about?

"Correction. The energy source has just changed its location dramatically. It is now 80 meters from its previous position."

Oh shit! The alert mind only needed to put two and two together to fathom the nature of this powerful energy value.
It could only have been one of those alien beasts on Keith's heels. Now Kerlock probably thought I was the blond fugitive.

That shortened the decision-making process. Staying was now impossible.

"Quickly, establish contact with the base!"

Barely two seconds later, Lisa got in touch.

"Lisa, is everything ready for the time jump?"

"The test last night went well, I think we can take the risk."

"Good. I have to get out of here. Immediately. One of those aliens from Keith's world is after me!"

"Oh God, Phillip. I'll hurry!"
Hectic shouts could be heard in the background.

Lisa sounded visibly shocked. I had to smile. She was always so worried about me.
On the other hand, she had every reason to be. I was completely powerless against Kerlock. I wasn't even armed, unlike Keith.

Suddenly I heard a hissing sound from some distance. I didn't even turn around, but started running in the opposite direction.

"Hostile object is still 26 meters away."

Phew, Lisa, please hurry up now.

"Countdown is on, Phillip. T minus five seconds."

Suddenly it occurred to me that I didn't know my destination at all.

"Where are we even going?"

Lisa laughed.

"Didn't you read the itinerary?"