The tactical officer aboard the Imperial transport did not look happy.
"My readings show this to be the Earth year 2000, but I'm not worried about that! All power readings are dangerously low! We're going to have to crash-land!"
"Where are we?" Thrawn shouted above the noise.
"The nation-state known as Great Britain. Surrey to be precise."
"The Anglo-Force mansion was in Surrey," said Thrawn. "Any sign of it on the sensors?"
"The sensors aren't working! I can't tell!"
Then, it hit them. The pilot could do no more with the damaged transport. Using all of his piloting skills, he put down in a deserted field, in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere.
Anglo-Force mansion, Surrey, 2000
"There," said MacCleod, pointing to a point on the screen. "The sensors show the craft crash landed in a field two miles from here."
"The reading looks familiar," said Amarus. "Much like the craft I came to Earth in."
"Are you saying it's alien?" asked Pendragon.
"It could be," said Katrina. "The computer came up with one other possibility, that it came from the future."
"What do you mean?" asked Pendragon.
"The only thing similar to it is listed as an Imperial craft, from the 24th century," Katrina replied. "You remember the incidents throughout London, don't you?"
"The chance of two Imperial ships coming back in time in one year must be long," said Pendragon. "The first time was an accident."
"Maybe this one isn't," said Jet.
"We should take a look," said Katrina. "If it is Imperial we could be in trouble."
Then, MacCleod looked at the screen.
"Uh-oh!" he said. "Heads up, guys! We've got trouble, coming in fast!"
Before they knew it, the whole building shook as some sort of rocket ripped into the side of the building. The explosion could be heard for miles around.
When the smoke cleared, MacCleod was the first to emerge into the open. The first thing he saw was the huge hole in the side of the building that the projectile had caused. The second thing he saw was a fist coming towards him at high speed.
The next thing he knew he was lying on the ground with some sort of reptilian life-form standing over him. MacCleod had no idea what was going on.
The stranger reached down and grabbed MacCleod around the neck. Choking him, he lifted him off the ground and held him high in the air.
"Where is he? Where is Daniel Reid?"
He wasn't going to get an answer, because MacCleod couldn't answer anyway. Then, the stranger released his grip when a nova blast hit him in the back. This sent both the stranger and MacCleod falling to the ground.
When the stranger looked up he saw a human woman garbed in a red and yellow costume standing over him.
"You are the Red Sun. We were warned about you."
Red Sun was about to attack again when a phaser blast hit her square in the middle of the shoulders. Unconscious, she slumped to the ground.
Through hazy eyes MacCleod saw another of the reptile men approaching. This one had a sort of weapon in his hand, and it was smoking.
"No! I want them alive."
MacCleod turned to see another approaching. This man however looked more like a human, except that he had blue skin and glowing red eyes. He was also wearing a pristine white uniform.
"Do not kill them," he said. "If you kill them we won't find out where Reid is."
MacCleod watched as several more of the reptile men arrived on the scene. As they ran into the mansion the blue-skinned man walked over to MacCleod.
"I know you. You are Duncan MacCleod. I now hold your position!"
MacCleod had no idea what he was talking about. The stranger then kneeled down next to him.
"Tell me where Daniel Reid is, and I will let you live, although if I killed you now it would make our job all the more harder in years to come."
MacCleod began to think that Katrina had been right, that these strangers had come from the future.
The blue-skinned stranger turned his attention away from MacCleod as one of the reptile men left what was left of the mansion.
"Did you find anything?" he asked the reptile man.
"We managed to gain access to their computer, but could find no trace of the plans for the device."
"What of Reid?"
"He is not here. He has gone with Captain Watt to a place known as New Mexico, to a place known as Project Quantum Leap."
"The project created by Dr. Sam Beckett with Reid's help. Why has he gone there?"
"I don't know. The Traxxon I got the information from lost consciousness."
"Then we will go there, if our ship has been repaired."
"There are several craft which can take us there, Admiral."
"I would rather use our transport."
He then gave a strange sort of signal, and moments later, he left with the reptile men. They moved away as fast as they had appeared on the scene.
The next thing MacCleod saw was the familiar face of Phineas Magus, looking down at him. He could still smell the smoke in the air, and he began to wonder what had happened to the others.
"Do not worry," said Magus. "They are all right."
MacCleod suddenly sprang to his feet.
"We've got to contact Jim and Daniel. They're in trouble."
"I know, Duncan. You must relax. You took the brunt of the explosion. Even though you are immortal you still must rest."
Magus led MacCleod into the mansion and soon seated himself in an armchair.
"Who were they?" he asked. "Where did they come from?"
"All I can say is that Katrina was right. They are from the future. I can tell you no more. To do so would be breaking the First Law of Time."
"To hell with your law, Phineas! Jim and Daniel are in danger! We must get to them!"
"I will handle this, my friend. You must stay here."
As Magus went to leave it suddenly dawned on MacCleod.
"The reason you know all about them is because you have faced them, in the future! You're the future Magus, aren't you?"
Magus turned to face his old friend.
"You are correct. But if I do not leave now, there will be no future to speak of!"
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