The Time Harvester by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

A letter from Aurora Texas

I am the daughter of Judge J.S. Proctor. Father owned a ranch in Aurora Texas. I was fifteen when, at 6AM April 19, 1897, we heard a weird sound then felt the ground shake. We went out to see our windmill totally demolished. Just tangled up in a twisted pile of extra metal. Father went to see what it was. He cautioned us to stay away but this was too tempting to stay back. All of us went with him but our mother was yelling at us to come back.

We saw as he moved some of the shiny metal, there was a little being. It was injured and barely living. You could tell that it was not going to live much longer.

By this time half of our village came. They started moving the metal and it was strange. The twisted metal that was thrown out of the way, untwisted in the air before it hit the ground. They finally got the being out and father tried talking to it.

Most of the men were calling it a Martian. It could not understand father.

As they were trying to talk, I saw this box and snatched is up. I wanted something to remember this by. My siblings did the same along with everyone there. The being died and it was buried in our cemetery with only a rock to mark where it was buried.

The men threw the wreckage down the well. We never used it because it went dry.

In my room, I looked at my prize. I lifted the hinged lid and found a few buttons. Nothing happened when I pushed them. I just left it open on my desk . I had the desk in front of my window because I loved the afternoon sun streaming through.

Even in April, it can be cold, so that sun warms me to my bones. I loved it.

After supper, I went to my room and was greeted by lights on this device. I discovered that the lid charges this when it is disconnected from that ships power.

I looked at it and started to talk to myself out loud. After a while of me talking, this started to speak. The first thing it said was “New language acquired. Press the flashing button for the operating instructions.”

Doing just that, it told me that this is a history item salvager. Any point of past or future history, you can read about things that happened and this device will salvage any item you tell it. I remembered a tale of a lesser known bandit from this area and told it I wanted to see the location of his demise.

It seems that he broke his leg and died in a ravine. I was shown his body. I noticed his gun belt and revolvers. I remarked that I would love to have them and in a flash the holsters and revolvers were on the desk.

If you are reading this, you must be Steve and Shela. I asked it who was going to find my horde and it showed me the both of you. The only advice I can give you is only take what is lost to history. You have better access to knowledge of lost ships and other things. If something is traceable, as in a car with serial numbers, if you take it, it will disappear from those who own it. When you try to sell it, you will be accused of stealing.

Coins and jewelry are the safest. Cars lost in fires, raw ore. After a few tries you will get the hang of this. Both of you will enjoy this and thank you for fixing up my house. Just a final note. You made powerful friends in your coin dealer and the accountant. Both will make a fortune for you and off of you. Their trust in you has been cemented by your giving the accountant my home furnishings. The next load of coins, give the dealer the four coins in this box.

Best wishes,

Emmily Proctor.

I am very interested. I opened the lid and put it on our table in the sunlight. I went to help Shela. I told her what I found and that I was going to try something after it recharges.