Running down the clock
Chapter 24

Moonbyul's POV

I had got of work at 9 PM and promptly set out towards London. Riding hard and fast I arrived in London just after 10:30 PM. It took me a bit more to reach the factory where the wormhole was. I can only access the wormhole when the factory is closed. During the day, the room is crowded with people working. Having a wormhole show up then, would cause all kinds of problems.

I arrived at the factory at about 11:00 PM and using my key, let myself in trough the back door. Once inside, I hit the recall button on the watch.

A few moments later, a whirling circle of light appeared on the ceiling. The basket was lowered shortly after.

I hopped in and rode back up. As I reached the top, I said promptly to Southwark. "Don't shut down the wormhole, I need to go back."

He nodded and again reduced the wormhole to microscopic size.

"Ahh... so how was 1869? Did you succeed?" He said after looking me over to see how I looked.

"No, I didn't succeed. I pretty much screwed things up. I need to destroy this Eric person once and for all." I then filled him in on what had happened to this point.

Southwark nodded, "Okay, so what's your plan?" 

"That lady who did research for me, said that Eric was accused of embezzlement from his family's firm. How he used the money to support his gambling habits and womenizing. But all this didn't come out until several years after Solar's death. I need to destroy him utterly and I'm going to move up the clock a bit. I'm going to the library and research the newspapers from the 1870's and 1880's so I can find out all the details. How it was discovered, who accused him if anyone, and what happened. I also want to get some details of his 2nd wife which was his mistress when he was married to Solar. I know he later divorces her. I need to dig up every bit of dirt I can on him. Only the internet and the computers at the library can give me that information."

After thinking for a moment, he said; "Sounds like a plan. But you need to remember that I have the wormhole still open, so the time is ticking away in both times. Just to keep you up to date. You left in June 3rd, 2018. It's now 9:38 AM of August 14th, 2018. You've spent 10 weeks and 2 days in 1869 so 10 weeks and 2 days have passed here.

Now when you came back here; it was 11:09 PM of July 9th, 1869 there. Which means you have exactly 12 hours and 51 minutes before the wedding as the clock keeps ticking. More importantly you need to finish your business here in less then 8 hours.

Remember the factory in 1869 will open at 7 AM, and unless you want to cause a major panic by having the wormhole open up in a busy factory, you need to be back there in time. So you also need to be back there no later than about 5:30 in the afternoon. I know it's confusing but do you understand?"

It was a bit hard to get my head around, but I got it. "Yeah, I understand. The clock is ticking. Every second I spend here gives me one less second there. I have 8 hours to finish my business here or I won't be able to make it back before the factory opens. I need to go."

It was when I had rushed out on the street did I realize that I was still wearing a 1869 dress in 2018. I was so used to wearing it, I didn't even think to change. Fortunately I had a change of clothes here, so I rushed back in and changed in the bathroom.

I'll tell you it was a thrill beyond belief to use a real toilet with real toilet paper for the first time in 10 weeks. It's pretty sad that I would find that thrilling, but you use rags and leaves for 10 weeks and see how you feel about it. Besides, most out houses smell terrible and this bathroom smelled not too bad.

Having changed into my modern clothes I took off and found myself once again in the present. I took a moment to take it all in; the cars, the planes, the noise, cell phones, all of it. Even me who was used to it, was a bit taken aback by how busy everything was.

Not being able to resist, I ran to a local coffee place and got myself a decent cup of coffee, then I immediately headed to the library. I made to the library around 10:30, sat down and got to work.

The first thing I did was to look up Solar. I need to know if  somehow I did manage to change her mind.

An obituary from August 20th, 1870 sank my spirits and made my stomach feel like it was filled with lead.

Yongsun Solarea Kim Ferrer-Nam, aged 20, died Thursday the 18th at her home near Herford. The young Mrs. Nam was expecting and very excited to have her first child. However, complications resulted in the death of both of Mrs. Solarea and her child. Eric Nam her husband who was...

Just those few lines made me utterly sick to my stomach and I could read no more. I had changed nothing. This plan was her last hope.

Closing my eyes, I sighed mournfully. "I tried to tell you Solar, I tried."

I then took a deep breath and threw myself into my task; finding out every bit of dirt I could throw about Eric Nam.

It took me several hours to dig through all the old newspapers, I did stop at one point and had some lunch at a local pub, I couldn't help but think of them all, now long death. I even began to wonder if I could change history at all. Perhaps it's fixed and it's meant to happen. Fixed or not, I'm going to try.

Having spent most of the afternoon at the library searching old newspapers, I finally managed to find the articles that detailed the embezzlement accusations. It all came to light in 1882 and from the accounts it had been going on since he had first started at the firm.

"I got you!" I said with a smirk as I wrote down the various details. 

Having finished, I left the library just after 4:30 in the afternoon. I had less than an hour to return to 1869 or I wouldn't be able to return. The factory would open and the room where the wormhole was would be filt with people. I ran to the tube station and made it back to Southwark's lab at 5:15. 

"You just made it. Here, you go change and I'll have the wormhole ready to open back up. Did you find out what you needed?"

"Yes, it was finally brought to light by a clerk at the firm named Byun Baek-hyun. According to his testimony that he gave the police, Eric began to steal from the firm the very day he started. Eric found out that Baek-hyun knew and threatened him with financial ruin if he said anything. Baek-hyun who had a wife and 4 children to feed, of course kept quiet. At least until he discovered that Eric was setting him up to be the fall guy. There was going to be a trial but Mr. Byun was mysteriously knifed to death 3 days before the trial. Police said it was a robbery gone bad, but his wife said that Eric Nam killed him. She had no proof however. In any case, Eric's father had already disinherited him for that, misappropriating other family funds and his other indiscretions. Eric's activities pretty much bankrupted his entire family. He sat sail for Australia a short while that to escape his creditors. But the ship sank with all hands."

"Sounds like you have the info you need."

I shook my head as I grabbed my 1869 dress, "I'm only half way done. I need the actual proof that he stole from the firm. Without that, it's just a accusation. I looked up his adress in one of the old books and know where Byun Baek-hyun lives. I'm starting with him."

I changed in a hurry and found the wormhole waiting for me.

"Good luck Moonbyul. You'll safe the day, I'm sure." Southwark encouraged with a thumbs up.

I hopped in the basket and felt it start to move down, "If I don't, she's death."

I made it back into the factory in 1896, 10 minutes before 7 am. After the basket was pulled back up and the wormhole vanished, I slipped out of the factory and once again back into the street. A moment later, I heard the far off chime of Big Ben striking 7am, meaning I had now 5 hours to complete my task and get to the wedding.

Mounting my horse, I headed towards the home of young Byun Baek-hyun and soon slightly over 7:30, I was pounding on his door. After that it was a dizzying morning racing from place to place, person to person.

Getting all I needed to destroy Eric. I had to get as much solid evidence as I could.

Unfortunately it was just over 1