1. From London to District 13

"Magnificent," said the grey-haired lady sipping a martini. "I haven't had a cocktail this strong in nearly thirty years."

"I would imagine so, Alma," said James Bond. "This has real Russian vodka."

"Russia, now there's a place that hasn't been spoken of in some time."

James Bond was puzzled for a second but then remembered how different this future world was. He had only woken minutes earlier but already was beginning to grasp the stark contrast between the world he had once known and how it was at present: Year 2538.

Centuries ago, although to him it seemed only hours, Bond awoke to the sound of his alarm in his Chelsea flat. He groaned reeling from a massive hangover. M took Bond to the Blades Club the night before, and Bond drank too much bourbon and branch water as he played chemin der fer. He greatly enjoyed that spirit yet could never handle it the same way he could vodka martinis. May, his Scottish housekeeper, was on holiday, so to Bond's great displeasure, he was forced to make breakfast all by himself. Bond tried to scramble some eggs but was disgusted at his handiwork. She'll be back in a week he assured himself longing for May. Yet, Bond wasn't sure his stomach could handle another week of his own meals. Bond was a great spy but a lousy cook.

Nearly thirty minutes late, Bond arrived at his office near Regent's Park. Goodnight, his beautiful Nordic-looking secretary, appeared angry as he slumped into his chair.

"Just what do you think you're doing coming in this late?" she said gruffly.

"Nasty headache," said Bond. "Tell M I'm sorry."

"M hasn't arrived yet either."

"Bet M'll call in sick. That old bugger can't handle drinks half as well as myself."

"Even so, Q's been waiting on you for fifteen minutes. He has something important to show you."

"I'm sure he does. Now be a good girl Goodnight and fetch me some coffee. And don't you spit in it this time."

Goodnight had been rather cross with Bond ever since she arrived back at her secretary job. She was promoted for a time to various foreign offices yet had bungled most of the tasks given to her. She would have been fired had Bond not requested her use again. Even so, Bond annoyed her for he steadfastly refused to date her. He did try it once, but Bond found her much too stupid for anything more than snogging. Although, she did look rather fetching in a bikini…

"Here, sir," Goodnight sarcastically replied handing him a cup of coffee.

Bond looked at his beverage. It was medium brown.

"You didn't put milk in this, did you?" he asked knowing she did.

"Why yes I did."

"Then take this filth away. You know I like it black."

Goodnight walked back over to Bond's desk, grabbed the mug, and chucked it at the door to his office. It landed in the doorway at the exact same time Q entered the room. Hot coffee spilled all over MI6's Quartermaster.

"Control yourself, Goodnight," shouted Q.

"Oops," she replied.

"Very well," said Q, "I'm sure Bond here did something to warrant that. Is that right, 007?"

"Heaven's forbid no, Q," said Bond.

"Right," said Q rolling his eyes. "Anyway, after I change my trousers would you care to meet me in my laboratory? I have a terrific new toy to show you. Quiet revolutionary if I dare say so myself."

"I wouldn't dream of passing up the chance," said Bond. "How long will you need me for?"

"Likely no longer than two or three hours," answered Q.

"Goodnight, fetch me some vodka," said Bond. "I think I'm going to need it to get through his lecture."

Half an hour later Bond with a liter of vodka in hand made his way to Q's laboratory. He found Q standing in front of a rocket which looked to be about ten feet tall. It had a clock on it.

"Now pay attention, 007," said Q. "This personal rocket represents a most extraordinary breakthrough with regard to time and space itself. Over the past year, I've been studying some data about particles which have the ability to travel faster than the speed of light suggesting Einstein's Theory of Relativity could be at least partially flawed. I believe this rocket may have the ability to test that with a human being."

"Riveting. But what exactly does this have to do with protecting the Realm?" asked Bond.

"I haven't really thought much about that now that you mention it," answered Q, "but this may yet win me a Nobel Prize."

"So you brought me down here to brag?"

"Precisely, 007."

"Who's going to be the lucky man to try it out?"

"Well me naturally, tonight at an expo. There is one problem, however. This rocket will travel fast enough to transport forward through time, but I'm uncertain if it will have the ability to travel backwards. Nevertheless, I'm fairly confident if it has any issue, I'll be able to correct it with my knowledge and knowhow."

As Q finished speaking, Goodnight walked into the room. She had a file in her hands.

"Q," she said, "Moneypenny called me. She wanted me to tell you M just arrived. You are to report upstairs in ten minutes and provide full details about your rocket."

"I better freshen up then," said Q as he walked back into his personal quarters. "Make sure 007 doesn't touch anything as he leaves."

"Of course," said Goodnight.

As soon as Q was out of eyesight, Bond ran over to his rocket. He opened it up and sat inside leaving the door open.

"Farewell, Goodnight," said Bond teasingly. "I'm going to the future."

"The future?" she said quizzically.

"Yes, I'm setting the toggle to the year 3000. Wish me luck."

Bond took a vodka shot as he sat in the cockpit. He was looking forward to the look on Q's face when he came back and saw him sitting in his prized contraption drinking vodka. At the same time in a flash, an idea for a prank popped into Goodnight's mind. Yes, this was sure to get James back for dumping her and treating her like dirt.

Goodnight slammed the door to the rocket shut. She then found some sticky glue and sprayed it all over the ground right outside the cockpit door. As soon as Bond opened the door and stepped back out he'd be stuck. As she backed away preparing to laugh as Bond made an idiot of himself, Goodnight noticed a lever a yard away from the rocket. She supposed this would help yank the rocket further into the air. She couldn't wait to see what Bond would do when he had to both tumble five feet and then land in glue. The fool. Goodnight pulled the lever. After it was too late, she realized a label on it: ignition! Before her eyes, the rocket shot up and out of the room faster than the speed of light, burning a hole though the building. Goodnight ran over to the hole looking sheepish.

"Sorry," she yelled into the sky.

Five minutes later to Bond, he felt the rocket land with a splash. The door flung open and water rushed in with a vengeance. Bond tried to escape, but the onslaught of the sea pinned him inside the cockpit. As a commander in the Royal Navy, he had excellent lung capacity, but after three minutes of holding his breath, Bond's lungs began to give. All seemed to go blurry, but then a hand. Yes, Bond saw a hand reach in and grab him. In another blur, Bond was on a small ship surrounded by a group of women in scuba gear - two of them were twins.

One twin said to a woman who still had her scuba mask on, "It's him, Jackson."

The masked woman responded, "Good. Coin will be pleased. Now administer the sedative Leeg 1."

The twin responded, "Yes, ma'am."

The twin pulled a needle out of her pocket. Bond tried to move, but he had no strength in him. She pierced him with it, and Bond blacked out. An infinity later, Bond awoke in an all white room on a slab. Above him was a mask which flashed with all the colors of the rainbow. Instantly, he knew what it was: a dream machine. A nemesis of his, Col. Moon, used one of these before to transform himself physically into the Englishman Sir Gustav Graves. Bond tried to think of a reason why he would be underneath one and a chill trickled down his spine. A woman's voice interrupted Bond's horror.

"Welcome to the future, Mr. Bond," she said. "I am Alma Coin, President of what you knew as the great state of Maryland and what is now known as District 13."

Bond was dumbfounded. He thought in fragments the future? Maryland? President of Maryland? The future?

"I can tell you're still slightly hazy. Don't fear, you're just waking up from a month's sleep. Don't look in a mirror just yet. Not until I let you know how much things have changed. And don't be surprised if you no longer recognize your own voice. But first, let us share some of that vodka you brought with you in your journey through time. I had the Leeg twins recover it from the bottom of the Chesapeake."

And so, the two began drinking. After a martini, Bond started to feel more alive. Yet, hearing Coin state that Russia was something that people don't talk about anymore sent up a red flag in Bond's mind about what sort of world he might be in.

"Does Russia still exist?" asked Bond.

"No," said Coin.

"Well then," said Bond, "I guess we finally tired of our spy games and decided to use our little nuclear toys."

"No," said Coin, "we actually won the Cold War without a nuclear Armageddon. But yes, Russia's gone. And Asia, and Africa, and South America, and Australia, and Antarctica… well, I guess nobody ever really lived there anyway. And the rest of Europe…"

"Did I hear you correctly?" asked Bond in a panicked tone. "You said all of Europe's gone. Is that just the continent?"

Coin looked upon Bond with pity, "England's gone too, Commander Bond."