Time Keepers

by Kate Allenton

  “Lock me up? How is that going to stop your time manipulator from killing off all those timelines? Who is going to do that? You?” Sarah’s brows dipped.

  “There are things you need to know. People you can’t trust no matter what.”

  “You sound like Foster,” Sarah said.

  “Funny coming from him.” Ziggy’s angry face contradicted the word. “He’s the reason I’m stuck here.”

  “What?” she asked, unsure she heard him right.

  “He sent me here to make sure you knew the truth. I had to drop names for them to let me on the council.”

  “Whose name?” Sarah asked.

  Ziggy shook his head. “You’ll figure out whose when you eventually meet him.”

  Sarah’s brows dipped.

  Ziggy sighed. “He hasn’t appeared in your life yet, he’s in your future.” Ziggy threw his arms up in the air. “God, why didn’t anyone just tell you?”

  “I don’t understand, but whatever Foster did, you can come back with me…well, back to our time. You don’t have to stay here.”

  “Sarah, I stayed here for you.” Ziggy grabbed her arm and pressed a few buttons on the bracelet she didn’t even realize she’d been wearing.

  The beach and everything around them fizzled and vanished as if it were a television show and he’d turned the TV off. He pulled two glasses out of his robe.

  “You know what these glasses are?” he asked seconds before he slid a pair onto his face to rest on his nose before handing the additional pair to Sarah to put on. He adjusted the dials on both pair of glasses similar to the way Foster had in the warehouse when they were trying to save her friend.

  “Foster let me use these once. We can see images from the past converging around us.”

  “Yep. These are actually the exact glasses you used in the warehouse.” Ziggy punched in coordinates on his watch, and within seconds, they were both standing outside a building. The sign read STEM Corp, but the building looked nothing like the building she worked out of in 2018.

  “This is just residual, like a memory.”

  “Who’s?” she asked.

  “Yours.”

  Chapter 10

  Sarah turned, lightheaded as her heart raced. Twenty-one-thirty Ziggy turned the stile on her glasses like hitting rewind on that location. The stile was much like what one would find on a watch to use to adjust the time. Pulling the stem out, he turned and with each stroke, time moved around them.

  “That is so cool. I wonder how I came to have your glasses,” 2018 Ziggy said in my earpiece.

  “You both need to see this,” 2130 Ziggy said.

  Uh-oh. He knows about me, 2018 Ziggy said.

  “He is you, Ziggy. Now be quiet so I concentrate.”

  The scene continued to rewind past the time when she knew it. The faces on the people walking past to enter the building were getting younger instead of older, until it paused on Dr. Richard Bay, only he was around ten years old. He was young and unlike the old corrupt CEO that she’d had to deal with recently.

  “What year is this?” I asked.

  “The day they found you,” 2130 Ziggy answered.

  “What the heck am I talking about?”, 2018 Ziggy asked.

  “What do you mean they found me?” I asked.

  “I shouldn’t be showing you this. It’s illegal to let you go out of bounds. This could alter history. So just keep watching. This is the only time you’ll ever see this.”

  Dr. Richard Bay was a young kid during whatever time frame they were in. He followed dutifully behind his mother. As he passed the rose bushes, he yanked three of the bulbs from their stems and squished them until nothing was left but petals on the ground. Using his boot, he ground them into the dirt.

  “Even at the age of ten, he was a terror,” Sarah whispered.

  “This isn’t the location I wanted you to see.” 2130 Ziggy took her by the arm and guided her to the side of the building. “This is.”

  Blue and white light energy streams flickered as a forming time slip was shaping.

  The time slip solidified, and two women stepped over the threshold. One with a pink-wrapped bundle in her arms. The other Sarah recognized immediately. “Natalie?”

  “Are you sure this is going to work?” the woman with the baby asked.

  “I’ve watched her every day for a year, Francesca. I know Jane Weston’s schedule. She’ll be the next one to enter the building.”

  “And you’re sure he’ll never find her here?” Francesca asked, lowering the blanket from around the baby’s face. She stared down on the baby lovingly and pressed a kiss to her tiny nose. A tear slowly slid down the woman’s cheek.

  “Is that Dr. Claremont’s Francesca? The first person in time witness protection?”

  “You mean Dr. Stephen Steed’s Francesca,” Ziggy said.

  “Well, at least he wasn’t lying about that,” Sarah said, resting her fists on her waist. She continued to watch.

  “I promise I’ll watch over her. She’s going somewhere safe. Jane Weston will take care of her. She’s smart and capable, and I wouldn’t have picked her if she wasn’t what Sarah needs,” Natalie said, holding out her arms.

  The butterflies in Sarah’s stomach turned to stone, and her legs felt like they were going to give way as Sarah’s gaze flew to the woman holding the baby. “Oh my God, if Francesca is my biological mother, that makes...”

  “Dr. Stephen Steed is your dad, although he doesn’t know you even exist. Francesca vanished from her time, and she and Natalie holed up somewhere, nowhere on record, until this moment, when she gives you away. After that, she vanishes, and we were unable to locate any places she’s been. Not many people even knew she was pregnant.”

  That took my breath away.

  And you think my family of hackers is terrible. Jeez, Sarah, the blood in your veins isn’t just tainted; it’s gone to the dark side, Luke, I’m your father dark. Steed is one bad dude.

  “Ignore what I just said in your earpiece. I obviously didn’t think of your feelings,” Ziggy 2130 said.

  “Heyyy,” Ziggy 2018 growled.

  “It’s okay.” I patted Ziggy 2130’s arm. “I’m glad you’re…he’s…in my ear. I can’t imagine going through this alone.”

  "Does anyone know why Francesca appeared with the other people claiming to be in the protection program?"

  "Yes.” Ziggy 2130 rested his hand on my arm. “Instead of there being a Father Time, she's Mother Time."

  "Are you telling me that she is the person that invented time travel?"

  "She didn’t invent time travel, but she was the only one to master it. The work she and Steed did in the lab was instrumental in discovering the stabilizing agent. Unfortunately, their human trials were unsanctioned and violated laws."

  "Unsanctioned?"

  "The record is really unclear on what transpired. Records and research were destroyed. All we know is your mother can travel forward and backward in time, and we believe she can do it at will."

  "So they assumed she was a threat?"

  "They didn’t assume. She is a threat. She wasn't the first witness in the program like the Time Enforcement Board believes; she's the first person to ever go off the grid using time travel. There's a difference. She’s the equivalent to a military person going AWOL or a prisoner escaping jail.”

  “My mother is a criminal?" That was a tough pill to swallow. The woman must have had her reasons to run. And if Sarah had to guess, she would say Steed was probably part of that reason.

  "Keep watching."

  Jane Weston, Sarah’s adoptive mother, parked her car and was headed toward the building. Every few seconds glancing over her shoulder as if thinking someone might have followed her. She had never been paranoid while Sarah was growing up. But today, it looked like she was. Instead of going to the door like any other worker would, she rounded the building to where Francesca and Natalie were waiting.

  "Right on time," Natalie said.

  Additiona
l tears were streaming down Francesca's cheeks as she stared down at the baby. She didn't want to give the baby up. Sarah could see it in her eyes. Sarah watched as silent witness as her mother handed over infant baby Sarah to Jane Weston, her adoptive mother.

  "Here is all of the documentation that you need." Natalie handed Jane an envelope. Jane stared down at the baby with tears in her eyes before kissing the infant Sarah’s rosy cheek.

  Jane met Francesca’s gaze. "I promise I will love her like she's mine."

  "She is yours. Don’t let him find her. If he knows she’s carrying all of the answers, he’ll kill her.”

  Chapter 11

  "What answers is she talking about?” Sarah asked.

  "No one knows. But it is believed that your mother went into the future to another time and looked back at everything to see how it would play out. The Board believes that she has changed things, and not only has she changed things but she made you capable of changing them too."

  "That would mean I’m also a threat.”

  “Wow, Sarah. That means that they’re more scared of you than they are of me," Ziggy 2018 announced in my ear.

  "You are a threat to the very fabric of time. With what you're capable of, if anybody were able to manipulate you to do their bidding, things would change without us even knowing it.

  “I believe that's why your adopted mother, Jane Weston, got you into the program as a watcher. To help you understand that any changes, no matter how small to the timeline, could have a ripple effect like a tsunami."

  "I’m still confused. What answers does Francesca think that I have?"

  “If I knew that, you would already be dead."

  "Did I just threaten you?" Ziggy 2018 asked in my ear. “Who needs sensitivity training now?”

  Sarah stepped back, unsure of where she’d go if she had to run. She didn't know anybody in this time, and she had no idea if the name Foster had given her was even real. "You would have killed me?"

  "Sarah, you trained me. You helped me to understand what type of threat this would be. It's only because I trust you to do the right thing that you are still alive. But make no mistake; others don't see it that same way. That’s why we’re here. That’s why I’m showing you this. Whatever your mother did to you or gave you, I need you to destroy it. That’s the only way to make all of this stop.”

  "If I knew what she did to me, don't you think I would have figured it out by now?"

  "Don't listen to me. I'm a douche in the future," Ziggy 2018 said. "Sarah you can't trust these people."

  That was kind of humorous considering Ziggy was telling Sarah not to trust himself. She had to believe the future Ziggy knew something that the younger Ziggy and she didn’t know. He wouldn't be showing her this otherwise. Unless it had something to do with helping her right the wrongs. She could only hope that she had instilled her convictions in younger Ziggy as she trained him.

  "Don't worry; I'll figure this out," Sarah said.

  The fine lines of Ziggy’s face softened. "I was hoping you would say that."

  "I don't trust him, Sarah. You need to come back home, and I'll help you figure this out."

  “The younger version of me in your ear has every right to be leery. He and I are the same.”

  “You know about my earpiece?” Sarah asked.

  Ziggy smiled. “You had that conversation with me. We both care about you and would never want to see any harm come to you. That's why you're here. That's why I sent for you. You had to know the truth. Instead of just running and chasing Foster, you should be working with him."

  "What is Foster's role in any of this? He's the only person that knows where my adoptive mom and Natalie are being kept. He's the only one that can lead me to their location."

  "Sarah, he isn't trying to hurt you or them. He's trying to save you all by doing what he does best."

  "By being a bad guy?"

  Ziggy 2130’s lips twisted into a smile. "I’ve told you too much, but one day you’re going to look back on this conversation and kick yourself. As much as I’ve enjoyed you being here, it's time for you to go back to the Time Enforcement Board. I can only fool the other members for so long. They'll never believe you escaped from me of all people."

  "Yes, they will." Sarah slid the kitchen knife out of her sleeve and into her palm. She lunged, stabbing Ziggy’s leg. He never saw it coming. Ziggy fell into her arms. A scream bubbled from his lips as his face reddened with pain. She lowered him to the ground and closed her eyes without looking at the wound.

  "Sarah, why did you close your eyes? I can't see. What did you do? I heard a scream," Ziggy 2018 said.

  She leaned into Ziggy 2130 without answering the younger Ziggy’s questions. She whispered into his ear. “I didn't hit any major arteries. You’ll survive, but I hope you understand that I have got to go.”

  He nodded.

  “What the heck did you do to me, Sarah? Granted, I’m sure I deserved it. I...he wanted to lock you up, but what the heck?” 2018 Ziggy asked.

  “This will help convince the others that I got away." Sarah looked away, not showing Ziggy 2018 what she had done. She grabbed the wallet out of Ziggy 2130’s pocket and his ATM-looking card, which she didn't know how to use.

  "It's a phone. Remember when Henry showed up and thought she could it to call base? You can also use it as credit to move around in this time period. It's like a universal credit card. But you must do it quickly. Security Enforcers will be passing by in the next thirty minutes."

  She leaned in to whisper, "Thank you."

  "It’s the least I can do for you not killing me that day in my room all those years ago. Stay safe, Sarah."

  She rose and glanced in each direction. It wasn't until Ziggy gestured with his head that she understood which direction she needed to go. She started in a run, not knowing where in the world she was going. It wasn’t until she stepped out of the holographic program projecting the beach that everything around her changed.

  She passed several human-sized AI’s and real humans giving her strange looks.

  They were dressed in futuristic high-tech material like Sarah had seen on several of the travelers that had visited her time period. Her clothing wasn’t from this time period, and there was little if anything she could do about it.

  The sidewalks and houses on the ground level were somewhat similar if not more sophisticated than the ones that Sarah was familiar with. Instead of having locks on the doors, they had no door handles. It was as though the building itself would be able to identify the owner.

  Sarah passed a park with children playing and nannies with other babies in strollers. She grabbed one of the futuristic sweaters from one of the benches and shrugged it over her body, zipping it up. She knew she stood out wearing jeans and the jacket, but what choice did she have? She needed to find a way to get back. Several flying taxis passed by. It took everything she had not to flag one down.

  If she were chasing a criminal or someone who didn’t want to be caught, she’d tag their financials and their phone. It was the easiest and fastest way for law enforcement to locate the criminal.

  Sarah slipped the phone/ATM card into a diaper bag as she passed. It was probably crazy that she wasn't using it, considering it might have been the only source of currency she could get her hands on. She passed a group of nannies and paused, pulling out the address Foster had stuffed into her bra.

  “Can you tell me how to get to 5524 Terrance Street?"

  Several of the woman looked Sarah up and down and turned back to continue their conversation as if she were a homeless person on the street and not worth the time.

  “Great to know snobs still exist,” Sarah grumbled and turned to walk away.

  Seconds later one of the nannies appeared by Sarah’s side. “I’m sorry about them. Their programming doesn’t allow them to talk to strangers.”

  “Programming?” Sarah asked.

  “Yes. They always wear their survival chips when watching another family’s children
. To them, you are a threat.”

  “But I’m not to you?” Sarah asked, ignoring the fact she had no idea what a survival chip was.

  “I forgot my chip.” The nanny’s face blushed as she lifted her arm to show Sarah. Hardware embedded into the skin, which Sarah could only describe as a slot for what people from her time would call a memory card reader.

  Sarah pushed all the questions she’d wanted to ask out of her mind and just went with it. The less she knew about this time, the better. “Right. So can you point me in the right direction?”

  “Of course.” She pulled out a device similar to a tablet from Sarah’s time. Only hers was holographic and had additional features that didn't make sense. She pulled up a 3-D map of where they were and how to get to the address.

  “It looks like ten miles by foot, which is way more than the daily allowance.”

  “Why is there a daily allowance on exercise?” Sarah couldn’t stop herself from asking.

  “The water supply, of course,” the woman answered, giving Sarah a funny look. “My driver will take you.”

  “Should I be leery of getting into a car with a stranger?”

  “Car?” she asked, and her brows dipped.

  “Flying vehicle?”

  Her brows eased. “You aren’t from around here, are you?”

  “You caught me. I’m sightseeing, and I’m lost.”

  The woman punched a few buttons on the mechanical bracelet around her wrist. Within seconds, a car dropped from the sky. “My AI, James, will take you wherever you need to go.”

  “I’m a virtual stranger. Why are you being so nice to me?” Sarah asked, climbing inside.

  “You’re her.” The woman grinned and punched more digits into her tablet. A picture of Sarah popped up. Only in this picture, Sarah was shooting blue and white energy beams out of her eyes. “You’re the lead in a scary story they told us as kids to stop us from messing around with time travel.”

  “You don’t seem scared of me,” Sarah said.

  “I’ve always been a rebel,” the woman answered. “Besides, I knew it wasn’t true, and you being here proves it. Time travel didn’t turn you into a monster.”