Three Go Back
By Tom Johnson
5-Stars
2323 – Seventy-five years ago an asteroid
unexpectedly hit Earth destroying most animal life and leaving vast areas
barren of vegetation. People who can afford to do so lived in bubbles floating
high in the air. Less fortunate survived in shelters on the ground. Professor
Morrison still enjoyed his old-fashioned air sled. Its sleek silver design
allowed for easy maneuver in between the gigantic buildings of the city. He
increased his speed over the desert sands to the observatory. A new danger to
Earth had been discovered. A huge magnetic storm is building on the Sun and its
unpredictable effects would soon strike the planet. Professor Morrison sighed.
There is nothing that can be done to avoid the disaster.
The favored mode of transportation now is the
Teleportation Vehicle or TV. Gail’s older model TV is shaped like an egg with
seating around the edge. Her best friends are Nancy and Barbara. They are
inseparable since their parents are working on Mars following the discovery of
water. That morning seemed like so many others. The three teens enter the TV
and program the coordinates for their school; however, as Gail engages the
controls, bright lights explode and their world begins t spin. The magnetic
storm hits, turning the Teleportation Vehicle into a time machine.
The girls travel back in time thousands of years.
When the TV stops turning, the girls are relieved that the TV is still in one
piece, but they are unsure where they are. The cold temperature and the strange
terrain is puzzling, particularly the white powdery substance. After giving the
TV’s solar batteries time to recharge, the girls once again engage the controls
hoping to return home. Sadly, they only travel farther back in time. Gail
intends to be a science teacher and has focused her studies in paleontology.
She puts her knowledge to work as they try to survive in hostile environments.
They are faced with the challenges of finding food and water while avoiding
dangerous animals. The girls learn their best weapons are their brains. After
several additional jumps back in time, they meet a fellow traveler, Lamont,
who’s TV also suffered from the magnetic storm disruptions. The teenagers
wonder if they will ever be able to return to their own time period.
Tom Johnson has always been interested in
paleontology. He is a native of Seymour, TX, growing up near the Craddock
Redbeds where Permian Period fossils have been discovered. Following time in
the Army and a career in law enforcement, Tom and his wife have returned to
Seymour and pursue his love of writing. He has more than fifty books in print
both fiction and nonfiction. Most of Tom’s writings are science fiction and
action adventure, but he also delves into western and mystery genres. THREE GO
BACK is designed for Middle School readers and includes a detailed listing of
various species thought to have existed in the various epochs described.
Suspend reality, engage the imagination and jump “back to the future.”
Martha Jarred
The Haskell Star (newspaper)
April 5th, 2013
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