The time machine made a low hum as it was sparked to life. The Operator set the coordinates and gave a thumb up to the traveler. The man, who had been training for this mission for months, rubbed his hands together and prepared to travel forward ten years into the future. The eerie light that came from the shimmering surface didn't add to his lack of confidence, but he knew his mission and he was ready to go. Sighing deeply, he walked forward, stopping slight of the surface of the portal. He slowly stepped forward, feeling the tingling of the outline of his body in the portals opening. The world beyond the reflective orifice was a swirling whirlpool of bright green and white. Various tunnels of translucent form ran through the massive yet compact space. The one our traveler was entering stretched endlessly forward, and upon entering Hyperspace, he began to move forward. Surprisingly enough, there was air to breathe as he sped forward through the sixth dimension. After a moment he could see the other end of his traveling tunnel and he braced himself to be in unfamiliar territory. The reflective surface rushed at him at almost break-neck speed, and the traveler covered his eyes before he could realize that he was slowing in momentum.

In the darkest corner of the darkest alley in Dunbar City, the matter of a wall wavered slightly as the form of the shadow-clad man passed through it. The only witness to this event was a homeless woman who had been seeing strange things anyway and thought nothing of the stranger.

The mans name is Jack L. Pottinsburg, but to his friends he was Bear. The name fit him, as he was a man of six feet three inches in height and was quite solidly built. His bear-like appearance was helped by his always shoulder-length hair, and his curly but trimmed beard.

He wore an outfit inconspicuous of any fashion: black jeans and shirt, black Redwing boots, a black overcoat and bandana, and a tan and black shoulder-pack. Unless future fashions consisted of silver jumpsuits, there was no problem with him standing out.

His team had made a fortunate guess as Jack slipped out of the alley and into the walking crowd of people. To Jack, downtown Dunbar hadnt changed much, except for the large screens and posters that used to dominate the advertising were now replaced with the 3-D images of holo-grams. Images of soft drinks and restaurants filled the sky, beckoning travelers to come and fill their bellies with "sustenance."

Jack also noted the change in vehicles. Cars now hovered about a foot from the road, being lead along quarter-sized beads along the road that lit up when the car passed over them. Ill have to take a taxi or something just to see how these operate, he thought to himself.

He followed the moving crowds along the sidewalks and noticed that almost everyone had a tattoo on their forehead or right hand. It was a small pyramid that had a number at its peak. He managed a closer glance at one and noticed it was actually a sort of mathematical formula: three sets of six letters. This creeped him out because he only saw a few people who didnt have this strange mark, and they were obviously homeless or were on their way to destitution. He carried small gold pieces in his pocket because of the fact that none of the research team knew what the currency was going to be. Gold was liquid money, and it was safest to have in an unknown place. Howbeit, he pulled a few of the pieces from his pocket and gave them to one of the people: a small man with a bald head. The man chuckled and handed them back.

"Those are useless, friend," the man said.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, sitting on an upturned trashcan.

"Whaddya mean?" the man exclaimed. His eyes looked Jack over. "Take that glove off your right hand." Jack did so, revealing his pale skin. "You dunna have a Mark?" Jack shook his head, obviously puzzled.

"Why should I?" Jack asked as he replaced his glove.

"Because you cant buy nah trade without it. Where you been da last five years?"

"Well, Ive been busy, in distant lands." The homeless man chuckled.

"Youre funny, man. Actin like there aint no land the Christ aint got to."

"The Christ?  You mean Jesus Christ?" The man laughed quite loudly at that question and then stopped as if someone might hear him.

"Yeah, man, da Christ. You mussa been truly gone somewhere Missa, cause aint nobody no heard of da Christ. Man come around aftah the War. De world was in ruins cause China was attacking Russia, Russia was getting after Israel after she destroyed the Palatines. It wassa big mess."

"Big mess, how?"

"Well, America was no moe, collapsed from witin cause de people was tired of de govment takin away the Rights, ysee? Basicly tore up the Constitution."

"Where were you during this?"

"I was in prison. I had killed a feller for rapin my wife, and I was in for life. Anyways, America was no moe, and so the world decided to blow its self up. Aftah that, the Christ come. He was de Pope, and he come with marcles and stuff. He came to all the world, appeared bfore all men, and said he was the Messiah, come to save the world."

The man leaned back from where he was sitting. Jack pulled a couple of candy bars from his pack and offered one to the man, who accepted it graciously. Jack opened his up immediately, but as he was chewing his first bite, he noticed the man had closed his eyes and was mumbling. A confused look was answered with "Just prayin sir, just prayin."

"Anyway, about the Christ..."

"Yes, the Christ. Anyways, evrybody liked him so much, they made him leadah of the world. Thats when he started huntin the Saints."

"The saints? The Catholic Saints?"

The man chuckled. "No, son! Not those pagan idols, rather, the Elect of Yah, those who wernt fooled by that mans deception, who foller the True Messiah." At that, the man looked around. He gazed into the alley behind them and started to walk into it. He turned for a moment to face Jack and waved to him to follow. He did so, and upon entering the darkness the man continued.

"The Holy Ghost kept us from seein that false image. We knew he werent the real thing cause the Bible warned us so. Cause we know the truth, he hates us so, and evryone else does too. Thass why we here in da alley."

He stopped a moment to take a chunk from his meal. Jack threw the wrapper of his away and waited until the man was ready to continue.

"So, moess True Believers go underground, got people who know good places to hide. Othuhs like mself are left trot cause of da Mark. The Christ said that if the world trly loved m, theyd take da Mark as a sign of loyalty. Most did, but othuhs like mself didnt. I managed to run away, but there was othuhs who didnt. They was put in jail and murduhed."

Jack was amazed. He was stunned to silence, not knowing what to say. Only one thing came to mind. "How did you survive so long?"

"Well, I was in prison when dis stuff started. I didnt want the Mark cause while I was in there, I was saved and red my Bible, so they were gonna murduh me. They had me strapped to the ole guillotine, ready to lop my head clean off, but Yahuah was watchin ovah me. Bolt o lightnin struck the place an a earthquake broke the building up. The guillotine broke around me and I got free. I hid out wit some unna-ground people for while, but some traitah betrayed us and we was raided.

"Since then, I have been here, eatin outta dumpstahs and from the hands of nice people like you."

"So, why did you not take the Mark? Obviously you would be in better standing and have food and shelter right now."

"Cause, like I said, I was saved in prison and I read my Bible. Good Book says that this man come and say he God, stand in the Temple and say he was higher than Yah Himself."

"Saved? Saved from what?"

"Death and The Grave." Jack couldnt help but chuckle. He had grown up in church, but he found it all hogwash. He had seen all the "stuff" that happened.

"Sir, you laugh, but you dunna realize what you laffin at. I ustah be like you, laffin at Yah and stuff, but in that prison, a Chaplin pointed out to me that Yah is so holy, that our righteousness was like filthy rags. I asked him how could that be so? He said For da wages o sin is Death, but the gift o Elohim is eternal life, though Yasha, hes Son. I was confsd cause I thought I was a good guy. Then he showed me the Ten Commandments and asked me how Id broke them. I was barassed cause I had broken evry one. I evn committed adultery cause I lusted aftah a women wit my heart."

Jack thought back at all the things he had done and shuttered.

"Then, that nice man showed me that all those whod sinned, were goin to the Lake of Fire, to live in agony with Satan hisself for eternity. I realized my sin and started cryin. I had sinned gainst Yah, and I was sorry. Then, that Chaplin told me about what Yahusha did for me. Cause Yah loved the world so much, He gave his Son, who died an bore my sin on that old wooden stake. He said all I had to do was repent o my sin and confess that Yahusha was soveriegn, and I would be saved. I did, and I was."

Wow, Jack thought silently to himself, No one has ever explained it like that. Sure, Ive been told that Jesus loves me and all that, but no one ever told me that such a place as the Lake of Fire was real.

"Sheesh," Jake said, "Thats a lot to chew on."

The man grinned. "I know, I know, it was for me, too. But when I was saved, all my burden was gone, and my sin was gone too. Ysee, man is at war with Yah, and that war will end with mans destruction. You just gotta realize where you are, and choose a side."

Jack was torn. All of this was making sense. In all of his 32 years of existence, he had never felt this way. He was suddenly realizing the holiness of the one called "Yah" by this man,  who obviously knew every thing every person could have ever done, known enough to judge the person worthy of the Kindom or the Grave. On top of that, he was also realizing that he really had sinned against Elohim. All of those commandments were coming to mind now as he sat there in the dank and dark alley with a stranger form another time. Tears came to his eyes. For the first time in his life he truly sought the Almighty.

"Oh, Yah, what have I done?" he sobbed. The man that was across from his came by him.

"Sir, you know how you've sinned, now all you haftah do is repent. Tell Yah youll nevah do those sins again. Realize your worth, and receive the gift of f'givness. Then confess with your mouth that Yahusha is Sovereign, and you'll be saved."

Jack did that, kneeling and leaning forward in humbleness. He confessed each of his sins to the Living El and repented of them. He prayed for forgiveness in true contrition and asked for the saving blood of Jesus. He knew immediately that God had forgiven him. The Holy Spirit confirmed it, and as he came to know this he looked at the man next to him and whispered "Jesus is Lord!"

The mans eye's grew watery and he whispered "Amen!"

Through the portal came two men, arriving immediately after the first one left. Together they told the story, and together all 25 members of the Underground Patriots Guild came to know the True Savior.