"Well, we've saved the thirty-first century from the authoritarian rule of alien evil spirits, New Life Labs, and the robomen's Mega-Leader. Now if we could just get back to the twenty-first century and save my time from the mindless zombies in charge there." I was exhausted and depressed.

"Everything is so much easier when the time machine is working," The Professor sighed.

"Isn't there a way to repair it?" I asked.

"The simplest way would be to go back in time and keep it from being broken," he smiled.

"Yeah, that solution is a bit paradoxical, don't you think?" I said with all the sarcasm I could muster.

"And time travel isn't paradoxical? Let's keep an open mind. You got here without a time machine. Maybe we need to consider other mechanisms of time travel."

"The way I got here, being cryopreserved for a thousand years, only works for traveling into the future. We want to go the other direction."

"Yes, but from what you have told me, someone knew you needed to be in this future. That someone must have been here at some point, and they must have gone back in time to get you here. Do you have any idea who that could have been?"

"I doubt you will believe me. I'm not sure I even believe it." I debated with myself whether I should even mention it, but the Professor kept looking at me to finish. So, I shrugged and said, "I think it was either Mick Jagger or the Devil."

The Professor didn't even blink. He just considered my answer seriously and said, "As unlikely as it sounds, The Devil seems more likely. I'm just not sure how to arrange a meeting with The Devil." The Professor stroked his chin thinking.

I didn't want him to strain himself with all this thinking so, I told him, "I have one more card up my sleeve. A magic potion that I am supposed to drink when I'm uncertain what to do next." I brought out the vial Miri had given me.

"What are you waiting for?" The Professor held up his teacup and said, "Cheers!"

I drank my potion, and my mind became very clear. I saw myself traveling across a desert on a hovercraft heading for an oasis. The wind in my hair, the speed, and the breathtaking scenery were all very exhilarating. I wasn't sure where I was or how I would get there. I just knew I had to go there, and it would all come to me when I needed it. I explained it all to the Professor including the vivid images of dried-up mud flats, rugged cliffs some black and some very colorful and what looked like geysers spouting out of conical mountain peaks.

"Sounds like the Fly geysers in the Black Rock Desert wilderness. That is where a thousand years ago they used to hold the Burning Man festival. It is north of Reno about 3 hours from here and I just happen to have a couple of personal hovercraft. What more appropriate place to look for the devil than at burning man?" The Professor grinned.

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Speeding across the desert on the hovercraft was just as I dreamed it. Unfortunately, the dream had not gone on long enough to prepare me for what came next. Both hovercrafts broke down simultaneously. The Professor thought it might have something to do with being out of range of the time machine. I think the Professor was embarrassed to admit we had run out of gas, but I kept my thoughts on that to myself and asked, "What now? We seem to be stranded in the middle of nowhere."

If things were not bad enough, I spotted a desert snake slithering across the dried mud and coming toward us.

The Professor was scanning the horizon hoping to get an idea of which direction held the most promise when the snake reared up within striking distance of him. Before I could warn him, the snake spoke. "Follow-sss me-ssss. You'sss expected," it hissed swishing his tongue back and forth.

Naturally we did. This was hardly the craziest thing to happen to us.

After an hour of following the snake through the desert it was not surprising to see a mirage in the distance. I was pretty sure there were no oases in this part of Nevada, but there one was. It was complete with fan palms and inviting pool of cool water, a regular Garden of Eden.

We drank from the pool and rested in the shade. The Professor looked at the snake as if there was nothing unusual about all this and asked, "Exactly who is expecting us?"

I swear, the snake rolled his eyes and answered, "Why-sss, The Devil-sss of course, just-sss a little furthers now-sss. Refresh-esss yourselves some more first. Drink some water and there are some nice apples in that tree over there. If you like-sss, I brings you one."

"No thank you," I quickly replied. "There is no way I'm taking an apple from a snake in the Garden of Eden.

"You'ss no fun," the snake said and began to slither away saying, "The gates of Hell is only a little-sss further-sss now. Come-ssss."