James could scarcely believe his luck. By the time they had James propped up on a couch in Dr. Benjamin's’ office James was back in control of his mind. The professor explained that not only did James win £1000, handing him the normal sized cheque for the amount, but he also automatically qualified for a £10,000 bursary for the college of his choice. Dr. Benjamin suggested his own institution; Cambridge University. There were more congratulations, interviews and paperwork but when it eventually all came to an end James packed up his project and made his way back to the hotel. He deposited his cheque in the bank machine located in the lobby of his hotel.His bank balance had more than doubled! He spent the evening phoning his father and mother back in Scotland and talking about the events of the day. As for his friends, he texted them messages about the results of the competition. None believed that he had won, except his closest friend and gaming companion Silas. Finally, Silas found a news release from the Academy which included listing him, James Blair, as the winner of the National Science Fair. The news went viral, on all of the social media sites that James made any use of whatsoever.
Eventually James had had enough and turned off his computer. He knew that he had to pack up his project the next day, but he also knew that he would have several hours to himself in London before he had to board his train to return to Scotland. It didn’t take long for him to think of what he wanted to do for those hours. James was aware that the largest gaming and miniatures shop in the entire country was located just a few minutes walk from his hotel room. And he had just won £1000. Visions of miniature armies danced about his mind while he dozed off to a well deserved sleep.
In the morning James woke excited and certain that buying some games and models at Blackmoor Games was a good idea. The responsible part of the prize was more than adequately covered by the scholarship. Games and models unavailable on the Orkney’s, could be the fun part of the prize. James asked another young man staying in the hotel for the exhibition if he knew the directions to Blackmoor’s.
“I just love that place!” exclaimed the boy. James noticed that the young fellow then went immediately to his father and asked to go to the same shop.
Using the provided directions James walked to Brunswick Street, whereupon he turned the corner and his gaze was met by a large Blackmoor Games sign. Inside, groups of young men were clustered about the tables, painting, playing the games or just intensely discussing this or that nuance of the hobby. A pleasant fellow in a red shirt and a name tag, Paul, offered to help. Within an hour James had made his decision to buy into a new game system which provided models and rulebooks for battles in an alternate timeline Earth. The idea of the game was that our Earth’s history had split apart from the timeline of the alternate history Earth some 3,500 years ago. At that point a strange second moon had entered orbit around the alternate Earth. This moon had unusual properties and had greatly strengthened the effect that magic had on the workings of that Earth. As a result, unusual creatures and alternative races of intelligent beings populated that Earth along with the races of men. Dwarfs, Elves, Orcs, Goblins, Vampires, Giants, trolls and many others.
This was James’s kind of game, and the models were outstanding! It didn’t take long for James to run up a tab of more than £800, with the game, models, paints and brushes.
The boxes and books were wrapped up in large bags and James was amazed that he was the one experiencing this. It always seemed to him that only other boys would ever be so fortunate. James left the shop and Paul said that he hoped to see him again soon. James checked his cell phone and realised that it was time to make his way to the train station.
James checked his luggage and project at the baggage check. However, he made sure to bring his entire collection of goodies from the games shop with him on the train. A sixteen hour train trip was just the place for him to sink his teeth into the new rulebooks, and to take closer looks at his new models. His coach was only half full as the train left the station and his coachmate didn’t seem to mind too much that James had a rather large accumulation of books and boxes. As he had hoped, the rules for his new game were well written and included a large section describing the Alternate Earth. The gist of the differences between the Earth that James lived in and the Alternate Earth was the emphasis the inhabitants of Alternate Earth placed on magic. Science and technology inevitably took second place to magical solutions for the world’s problems and so Alternate Earth remained locked into a culture and technological setting reminiscent of the Middle Ages, or perhaps the beginning of the Renaissance. Heroes rode dragons into battle and fought with swords and battle axes. Magicians enhanced the abilities of the fighters or sometimes cast offensive spells like lightning bolts or fireballs directly into the fray. Kings and even Queens rode directly into battle to lead their troops from the front of their legions of fighters. Gunpowder weapons like cannons and handguns existed, but had limited range and were unreliable. The demon and Orc armies used bizarre forms of artillery, consisting of conscripted creatures being flung into battle by giant catapults. Chariots, cavalry, war machines of all kinds, summoned monsters, and on and on it went. What a game! There were more than 100 pages of rules to read through but James had plenty of time to get through them, while mile after mile of the British countryside passed by him.
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James was entirely immersed in the new game, but paused from time to time to consider just how well his trip had gone. He had done it. James resolved then to apply to Cambridge, and study astronomy with Dr. Benjamin. If nothing else James could count on an excellent board game club at the university, and astronomy was a field that was working out well so far for James. If he was not accepted at Cambridge then one of the colleges close to the university would surely take him.
James didn’t sleep much, even though his return journey took place during the overnight hours. There was simply too much to read and learn and plan. He would surely have some great games with Silas this coming summer. Maybe he could convince Silas to apply to a college in Cambridge. As the sun rose James realized that he had slept just a few hours, but anyways felt quite refreshed. His dad had called to say that he would meet James at the Thurso train station! There was a surprise! James’s dad rarely left the Orkneys, and he would have to see James’s mum. That rarely went well.
With just 30 minutes left in his journey James began to reluctantly pack up his belongings and return them to their bags and boxes. It would not do, to leave anything on the train. This stuff was expensive! Once everything was ready for departure he had a look out the windows at the increasingly familiar landscape of northern Scotland. He remembered setting out on his bicycle trip, the previous summer. July 6, it had been. If only he had known where that bicycle tour would have ultimately led him to. It all still seemed hard for James to believe.
And then, James again felt the unsteadiness he had experienced in London. It had not happened since the competition, and James had just about forgotten about it. Was this vertigo? Wave after wave flooded over James. This was much worse than before. What was happening to him? The scene of the interior of the train car swirled about James until he lost his balance but still the spinning continued. James lost sight of the Scottish countryside. He didn’t seem to be in Scotland anymore.
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James' father, Lawrence Blair, stood on the train platform waiting for his son. Next to him stood Dolores, his ex wife and mother of his son, James. It was awkward. It was always awkward. Lawrence and Dolores had separated when James was just two years of age. There were many reasons: Religion, differences in their approach to parenting James. Differences in the way they wished to live their lives. Even talking to Dolores was difficult now, but when Lawrence found out that James had actually won the National Fair he was stunned, and very proud. Impulsively he had called Dolores and asked if he might accompany her to welcome James home, at the train station. She agreed, reluctantly. He had traveled over on the first ferry and arrived just in time to meet the train. Dolores was already on the platform and they exchanged pleasantries. It was awkward.
The train appeared over the last rise and pulled into the station. Many debarked, and most travelers were met by loved ones. Dolores and Lawrence waited and waited watching each traveler, wondering when James would step down from the train. As the platform cleared they watched the conductor lift the step back into place in the car and realized that the train was empty, with still no sign of James.
“Are you waiting for someone?” asked the conductor. “The train is empty. Everyone is off.”
A moment of panic flowed through Lawrence. “But, my son James is supposed to be on this train,” he stammered, incredibly nervous. Had something gone wrong?
“Your son. Is he a young man, 18 or so? Yes, I remember him. He was in coach number 6. Are you sure that he didn’t get past you somehow?”
“Of course we are sure!” asserted Dolores. “We were here well before the train arrived!”
“Well, come up on board and we will go retrieve him from number 6.” said the conductor, while he replaced his wooden stairwell onto the platform below the stairs of the train car. “He’s probably just asleep. He was up most of the night that boy. Reading those crazy books.”
The three of them walked the length of the train car until they reached the sixth enclosure. Inside there was a rucksack, four boxes and two bags of models and board games. Clearly, this was James’s coach and seat, but of James, there was no sign.
“I knew this would happen,” stated Lawrence. “I knew it.”
James was gone.