Photo by: Barbara W. Beacham
Breast Stroke
When the team heard the dam explode, they knew they had limited time to make it to safety. In moments, they stood on shore.
“Folks,” said Tour Captain Monticello. “On behalf of Temporal Adventure Tours, I apologize. Seems the Three Gorges Dam did not explode in the afternoon of April 4, 2044. It was the morning as you can see.” He pointed to the pall of black smoke upstream.
“Our rafting tour to 207 years ago has been cut short.”
He looked sternly at their three rafting guests. “Now all of you have your temporal transponders, right? You can’t beam to safety without them.”
Two nodded. Benny Henreddy shook his head. “I lost it!”
Monticello winced sympathetically. “That’s a damn shame, son.”
“Hold on. I’m a billionaire. Give me one of yours! I’ll pay you!”
Everyone else beamed away without responding. Monticello shook his head. “Sorry, son.”
“But what should I do?” screamed Benny.
Monticello looked up at the murderous wall of water fast approaching. “Breast stroke, I’d say.”
____________________________
Author’s Notes:
Three Gorges Dam: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Gorges_Dam
Every Monday it’s time to finish the story based upon a photo by the talented Barbara W. Beacham. This week, the beginning sentence is, “When the team heard the dam explode, they knew they had limited time to make it to safety.” It’s up to us to run with it from there. Look here for more stories answering the challenge: https://mondaysfinishthestory.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/mondays-finish-the-story-march-23rd-2015/
EagleAye
Momus News 
Another story where the last line had both me and my husband laughing! Well done again Eric! Thanks again for participating and I hope to see you next week… Be well… ^..^
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Hehe. Oh, that’s a two-fer-one. I love it! Glad to hear you both got a laugh. That’s what I’m aiming for. See you next week! 🙂
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I look forward to what you come up with oh Wordmaster!
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You hit the bullseye every single time! Poor guy, he’s going to be breast stroking his way back to 1837! I loved it (as always).
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Hehe. The good news is he won’t have to dodge rocks as he swims. The bad news? He’ll have to dodge tree tops as he swims! 😉 Somethings money will never buy you out of. Thanks so much as always! 🙂
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LOL! That’s true!
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Really unexpected plot twist that had me laughing. Poor boy, I can only imagine how he looked at Monticello lol
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Most cool. I love catching people off guard, and especially if they get a laugh out of it. That look he gave Monticello? Betrayal/Terror perhaps? It didn’t last long. Thanks so much for the comments! 🙂
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Lol it definitely didn’t last long lol
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Excellent twist! Curiously, there’s a dam in NZ, one of the big hydro installations, that turns out to have been built on a fault line. The engineers are confident it’s safe, which makes me more confident. But…uh…there’s just that chance that, you know, it might not exactly pan out as calculated…
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Uh yeah, I think I wouldn’t live downstream from it no matter how confident the engineers are. Fault lines have this habit of, you know, shifting suddenly. Eek! 😀
Glad you enjoyed the twist. Thanks kindly! 🙂
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Nice to know money can’t buy you two things: happiness and a temporal transponder. Almost midnight, so I had to laugh quietly.
Thoroughly enjoyable!
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Hehe. That’s right! Never forget your towel and never forget your transponder. 🙂 Glad you had a laugh, even if it was a quiet one. Thanks much! 🙂
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Next time, I might laugh louder, lol.
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Let it all out, I say. 😉
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Oh well, there goes the insurance premium Monticello! That was a clever twist on the prompt, good one!
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Oh yeah, but I expect he had to sign a release form absolving them of all liability. I expect the news will cover the event extensively. Glad you know you enjoyed this. Thanks very much! 🙂
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LOL exactly what we’ve come to expect from you, Eric 🙂 Perhaps Benny could wrap his arms around Monticello a whisker before he winks out.
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Wouldn’t work. The transponder is coded to specific DNA. Thus, things like dangerous bacteria are removed during transport. So yeah, Benny is on his own and trying to learn the breast stroke very very quickly! 😉 Thanks so much, Lyn. Cheers! 🙂
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The Star Trek writers didn’t think of that when they wrote The Voyage Home did they 🙂
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Aha! You watch your movies very carefully don’t you. Yeah, when the doc grabs Kirk while he’s beaming up, I wonder should that be possible. If that would happen, wouldn’t diseases, poisonous atmosphere, microbes, radiation, and other nasties come up every time they beamed up? I don’t think the buffers in the transporter would allow it. Oh well, it was fun for the movie plot anyway.
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Love the time-travel angle 😀
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Hehe. Thank you kindly! 🙂
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Funny as usual and a nice take on the prompt. I like the idea that they discover a historical inaccuracy. Great last line 🙂
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Yup. They won’t make that same mistake twice. I’m glad that zinger in the end amused. I like saving the best for last. Thanks so much, Sonya! 🙂
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Love this! Time travel stories are always my favourites. 🙂 I wonder whether Benny will ever find his transponder and make his way home. Being a billionaire in the future won’t help him much if he’s stuck in 2044!
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Exactly! Money is no help in such situations. Knowledge of swimming would be really helpful as this moment. 😉 If he survives, he might look for his transponder, but that’s a really big ‘if!’ Thanks so much. I’m glad you had fun. 🙂
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As usual, it is a laugh and a smile from me! Monticello’s answer is very witty.
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Awesome. That’s what I was hoping for. Monticello was witty, but it was the only answer from his viewpoint. He wanted to say, “Die nobly, sir,” but decided against it. Glad you got a laugh. Thanks kindly! 🙂
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Breast stroke and lot of deep breaths….great take this week….
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Oh yes. Holding his breath will be critical if he expects to survive. Unfortunately, there’s all those logs swirling around like baseball bats for giants. Yikers! Glad you liked this. Thanks so much! 🙂
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Ooh … what a mean man that Monticello is. So I suppose Benny’s survival depends on how good he is at Breaststroke – and dodging all the obstacles with murderous intent Great idea, too, to set the story in the future. Excellent story. 🙂
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He’s not really that mean, there simply isn’t any other option. Benny needs to swim for his life. There’s no other way around it. I’m happy you enjoyed the story. Thanks bunches! 🙂
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I love your take on things!
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Hehe. Then you must like tings slightly outside the norm. 😉 Thanks so much! 🙂
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Yes, I guess I do! I can’t wait to go read more of your stories!
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Me too. 🙂
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Full Belly Laugh. Thanks!
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Awesome. That’s what I wanted to see and hear. Thanks so much! 🙂
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Looks like carelessness did him in. Even if he survives the water, who knows what else he’ll experience 200 years from now. Amusing, creative, and well done, Eric. 😀 — Suzanne
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Yep. I certainly did, and his money won’t rescue him from it. Thanks so much, Suzanne. I appreciate it. 🙂
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Now he will learn ‘ money cannot buy everything.’ Very nice.
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Exactamundo! Some lessons are hard ones. Thanks Indira! 🙂
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