TIME: IMMEMORIAL

22.1 The Crazy Stuff (1943)

*** Weekend Write-In for 04 Jan 2019 ***

"travel": In 500 words, tell what happens when it travels

NOTE - Slight cheat with the song. Although it was a Rudy Vallee number from 1931, As Time Goes by was most famous for it's rendition in Cassablanca. The movie was scheduled for an early 1943 release date but that got pushed up to late November 1942. Still, it was one of the big songs of 1943 and if you listen to the start, before the famous chorus, it really fits this story.

JOIN THE ARMY, TRAVEL TO NEW PLACES AND MEET NEW PEOPLE.

In the Fall of 43' I was still a regular grunt in ol Uncle Sam's army ... albeit a masked ex costumed vigilante, still a year away from my enhancements. Fact a the matter is, what I'm about ta relate to ya, was the start. It was the real start of the crazy stuff and I know fer a damn fact, that because I got mixed up in this shit, some brass hat got me in his sights an thought 'Ya know what, let's go crazy scientist on this schmoe, pump him fulla, whatyacallit, DNA from dead superhumans an see if he dies or we get another Captain Ameri ... Sorry, gettin' carried away thinkin' back. Chances are, if not fer Project: Renew, ol FT woulda just mustered out in 45' an been able to live a proper life insteada ...'

*Tape records a prolonged sigh*

'Ok, ok ... probably gettin myself made functionally immortal ain't a bad thing, apart from the whole seein' yer loved ones age n die while you just keep on ... Anyway, it weren't for a drunken escapade that saw me go accidentally AWOL when the SUES (Special Unit Enhanced Soldiers) were back stateside, I'da never been a part of it.

Sure, back in 41' I became a costumed vigilante and fer almost two years I'd palled around with the guys in my unit - ex costumed fighters like me, an then there were the powered guys. We'd even fought costumed ratzis an even before I enlisted after Pearl, one time I went up against this guy who could throw explosive balls of energy he conjured up out of thin air. Had this damn stupid helmet an cape, called himself Mr Grenade.

But I didn't know crazy until Sgt Byrd told me he wuz gonna give my chicken ass a second chance an I could avoid the guardhouse by performing a simple n boring task for 6 straight hours.

He gave me a rifle, stuck me in front of a door in a slate grey corridor in this brand spanking new government building, that we were quartered in fer training - a place that had only been in operation since January. Ya might of heard of it - The Pentagon.

An that was it - because me n the boys had gotten blotto at some bars out in Arlington, and Flash Foster thought it'd be hilarious ta leave me snorin' away at a table, enda the night, while they headed back ta quarters, I'd ended up overstaying my one day furlough and my sorry ass ended up on guard duty.

Course, neither the Sarge nor the Cap'n bothered ta tell ol FT about the device inside, an truth be told if the damn door hadn't blown outwards off it's hinges, causin me ta sprawl against the far wall, I wouldn'ta known jack ... an if I hadn't already been clued in, on what ol Steve Ro ... the Cap'n that is, called 'Classified Invaders business,' I wouldn't have got drafted into what followed.

But they didn't an I did an seein' as how I was now in a small circle that knew about ... freakin' parallel earths!! Well, when the Cap'n and the firebug and the Atlantean Prince ended up short an Invader team-mate or two, guess which schmuck got drafted ta accompany em on a little trip?

*Tape Clicks*

Next time on the Thrilling Adventures of Father Time (brought to you on CBS, sponsored by Ovaltine. Tune in straight after Meet Corliss Archer) - Who Are The MYSTERYMEN of AMERICA!!??