Wrong Time and Place

He awoke, crossed the floor and looked through the window. He'd arrived
late the previous night and had slept fitfully in a strange bed in a
strange hotel on a strange planet. Axis Five was the first overnight
stop, a planet he had often read about, but had as yet, never
actually seen. It was a Delta class planet, similar in nature and
appearance to Earth, but some hundred and fifty years behind in its
evolution and soon destined to extinction. This was Earth circa 1860
and he couldn't wait to explore whilst there was still time. The view
from his window was intriguing and it had made him smile sadly at the
irony. A large advertising hoarding read...'Hudson's Carbolic Soap
for a Long and Healthy Future!'

The street he walked out into was exactly as he had expected from
watching old twentieth century recordings of Sherlock Holmes stories.
The ones starring Jeremy Brett with the very realistic street scenes
and costumes. His tour package had provided him with a wealthy
gentleman's outfit, complete with top hat and silver tipped walking
cane so that he would blend into life on Axis Five completely
unnoticed.

Rows of Victorian shops and terraced housing stretched out in front of him
providing a backdrop for a busy population going about its daily
business, oblivious to its impending destruction. Ladies with long
skirts dusting the pavement chatted with friends as they shopped.
Handsome Cab drivers cursed at boys who threw stones to startle their
horses and costers shouted their wares from carts on the roadside.
The air was thick with smoke belching from hundreds of chimney pots
and he could actually see fine particles of soot falling softly to
the ground. Being able to actually taste life on this planet was
something that he hadn't expected and after wandering the streets in
awe for an hour or so he took shelter in a coffee house. Here he was
able to wash away a strange sulphurous taste and to check his
galactic chronometer; he had two hours before his rendezvous with the
transporter. If he were to be late he would meet the same fate as the
planet when it collided head on with the meteor Zotax 12.

Leaving the coffee house, he spotted a theatre across the street and decided
to investigate. He was a student of inter galactic theatre and would
be the envy of his piers if he could boast being present at a genuine
Victorian performance.

Convinced that he had just enough time, he looked instinctively to his left and
seeing the way clear, stepped out into the road. The coach and four
approaching at speed from his right and was unable to stop; just like
Zotax 12 two hours, eleven minutes and fifteen seconds later.