The Time Travel Directorate

by Kim, Penny

  “Aren’t you going to help me?” she asked, trying to find some humor in his hesitation.

  “Kanon, I’m going to do everything possible to keep you safe,” Vin said slowly.

  Kanon shook her head.

  “I can take care of myself now. You focus on finding Julius.”

  Vin took her firmly by the waist. After a slight pause, he helped her onto the steed. Kanon took the reins in her hands, feeling heat linger from his touch.

  They didn’t speak on the return trip. Vin led the way, weaving through the rolling pastures to the palace. The chill of the evening hinted to the end of summer, and Kanon shivered slightly as the sun dipped behind the ornate gates.

  She watched as Vin dismounted, turning to help her down. Her feet placed firmly on the ground, he offered a short bow.

  “I’ll come back for you here, around eight o’clock?”

  “Yes, that should give me enough time,” Kanon replied.

  She stood fixed on the spot, wishing she could tell him everything. But her pride would not let her, and the words died on her lips.

  “Goodbye, Countess,” Vin said.

  Worried her voice would break if she spoke again, Kanon simply nodded. Turning, she felt his eyes upon her as she walked through the courtyard. Retreating to her suite, she found it vacant. Unable to remain idle, she began pacing.

  The news Vin brought her was wholly unexpected. She was now public enemy number one—no better than Julius Arnold and his henchmen. After years of dedicated service, not to mention her father’s role within the Directorate, the change of events stung her deeply.

  Chief Smiley had laid a trap for her, and she had readily played into his hands. Smiley might have gotten away with it too, if Vin had not believed in her so ardently.

  She was reflecting on this when the Duchess entered the suite, happily clutching one of her puppies.

  “Oh! Cécile, I was delayed, but it was not without pleasure,” she cooed, in a tone that hinted she was accompanied.

  Looking up, Kanon watched as the Duchess pulled Chief Smiley behind her.

  She froze, pausing as he waited until the last possible moment before meeting her gaze. He smiled, bowing slightly. He was wearing a neatly powered wig, his robin’s egg coat and spotless breeches cut in the finest cloth.

  Seeing nothing amiss, the Duchess dropped the puppy on one of the low chairs. It flew from the chair, making a beeline for the exit.

  “Oh! Naughty, Muffy! Please excuse me. Cécile, make Monsieur Reed comfortable,” the Duchess said before exiting down the hall in pursuit of the scampering puppy.

  Chief Smiley walked in a slow circle around her.

  “Inspector Hay, you have been derelict in your duties to the Directorate,” he said, his face devoid of emotion.

  “Dear, Chief Smiley, tell me how?” Kanon said, playing along as she quickly accessed her options.

  Chief Smiley would never arrange a tête-à-tête unless he had reinforcements. She had to get out of there before they arrived.

  “Well for starters, you’ve been using the web without Center Computer’s knowledge,” he replied, moving closer to her. “Beyond that, you have incurred numerous violations of the time travel code. Under the rules of the government shut down, you are strictly prohibited from traveling,” he said, crossing his arms behind his back.

  “But I must ask you about your crimes, as well,” Kanon replied, looking at him with as much smug detachment as she could muster.

  “What crimes would that be?” Chief Smiley asked.

  “Let’s start at the beginning shall we?” Kanon began, hoping she could get the pieces of the story together for maximum effect.

  “PTS,” she said slowly, pausing to watch his reaction.

  He shrugged.

  “Is this all you have to accuse me of, a legitimate medical condition?”

  “The experiences of those inspectors were real, the diagnosis of PTS was not,” Kanon said, watching his lips twitch. Her confidence grew. “You knew webs could be manipulated, because it happened to you one day. Enter Julius Arnold.”

  Chief Smiley shifted as Kanon spoke, and her heart thudded as she hastened to continue.

  “I wonder, did he approach you? Or was it the other way around? The plan you set in motion was clear enough, systematically acquiring webs from inspectors, decommissioning anyone who realized the full potential of the technology.”

  “Are you done, Inspector Hay? We’d better be going,” Chief Smiley said, moving closer.

  He took another step towards her, now standing at an uncomfortable distance. Kanon felt her resolve stiffen.

  “You knew the potential for acquiring web technology, but it would only be useful without the Directorate around. The budget crisis helped with the first part, but you needed a distraction. Julius Arnold and his subversive acts have yet to impact Standard D, am I right?”

  For a few breathless seconds, Kanon thought Chief Smiley was going to answer. He took another step, placing his hand on her shoulder.

  “Come with me Inspector Hay,” he said, his cat-like eyes flickering.

  “The least you can do is tell me if I got it right,” Kanon replied, breathless.

  He released his grip.

  “I didn’t set anything in motion that wasn’t already underway.”

  He paused, looking at her with such intensity Kanon shifted back.

  “In this new world, we survive only by the partnerships we make.”

  “Why trust a man like Julius Arnold?” Kanon asked, her eyes widening.

  “You think I didn’t take the proper precautions?” Chief Smiley asked, seemingly offended. “Julius’ ego is what makes him controllable. Once the Directorate sunsets into the chronicles of history, we can use time travel to bring about a new world order,” he said.

  “What about the inspectors, the Directorate? Don’t tell me it all meant nothing,” Kanon shot back.

  Chief Smiley flushed, frowning in displeasure.

  “I dedicated my life to that organization. It was my world. I know it better than your father, or anyone else for that matter. I’m killing something I love, and I won’t be lectured by you, or anyone else on what the Directorate means to history.”

  “Then why are you doing this?” Kanon asked, stalling for time.

  “The challenge,” he snapped back, reaching for her again.

  Feeling the web from beneath the folds of her gown, Kanon knew she must act. She pushed Chief Smiley away, and was about to run when a large man appeared in the doorway. He eyed the interior of the room with a smile.

  “What gutter did this one crawl from?” Kanon asked, as the brute fixed her with a murderous stare.

  “Paris, where else?” Chief Smiley responded in English.

  “So typical of you to leave the dirty work to someone else,” Kanon said, watching as the thug moved towards her.

  The man followed the exchange with interest, advancing quickly to her position next to Smiley. Kanon moved behind a settee, anticipating his next move. Chief Smiley watched the routine with a grimace.

  “A few weeks with the monk and you think you represent an opponent,” he sneered, as his henchman lunged for Kanon.

  She deflected his clumsy attack and countered, aiming squarely at the fleshy part of his stomach with her heel. The man screamed, bowling over as she brought her elbow above her, bringing it down on the back of his head as hard as she could. He fell forward, grasping her skirts as he did.

  Kanon twisted away, cursing. The voluminous folds of fabric proved her undoing, as the man clutched them fiercely. Kanon fought frantically to free her lower limbs as he pulled her to the floor. Reaching forward to secure his hold, Kanon’s web tumbled out from her skirts.

  She froze, watching as it fell to her side. Chief Smiley flew into action, snatching it triumphantly. Kanon’s opponent took advantage of her distraction by grabbing her by the neck. Kanon’s hands flew to his, trying to loosen his grip.

  As she gasped for
air, he squeezed tighter, only releasing when footsteps echoed outside the sitting room. Air filling her lungs, Kanon drew herself to her knees, watching as Chief Smiley folded her web neatly away.

  Another man entered the sitting room, so tall that his head almost touched the doorframe. She knew it was Julius before he took his hat off and bowed with a flourish.

  “Mademoiselle Hay, what a pleasure,” he said, eyes gleaming. “Release her,” he commanded.

  The thug stood, grunting at Kanon’s prostrate form before retreating. Kanon brought herself to her feet, watching Julius as he entered the room. His powdered wig contrasted ominously with forbidding black brows and sparkling blue eyes.

  “Unlike Smiley here, I’m capable of doing my own handiwork,” Julius said.

  “Are you dispensing with the historical disguises so soon?” Kanon responded in English, trying to catch her breath.

  “When one obtains a certain level of influence, a great degree of, shall we say eccentricities can be explained away,” Julius said, smiling at her.

  “You call mass murder an eccentric flaw?” Kanon asked, swallowing heavily.

  “I am not the criminal I have been made out to be,” he replied in dulcet tones.

  “You insult me, sir—I am certain it was you who sent me to the guillotine,” Kanon said, coloring at his clumsy attempt to confuse her.

  Did he think a few kind words would make her forget? Looking at his confident gaze, Kanon realized that he did.

  “All a misunderstanding, you really must believe me,” he said, motioning for Chief Smiley to back away.

  “I am sorry about the manhandling. That beautiful neck of yours is awfully red,” he said, easing into a low chair.

  “I had to retrieve government property,” Chief Smiley said by way of explanation.

  “Ah, yes, your simple but effective web technology. Quite a boon for travel on the sly, as I like to call it,” Julius responded, gesturing to a chair next to him.

  Holding her head high, Kanon followed his lead, arranging her skirts as she sat down. She never expected Julius would portray himself as a martyr—unfairly persecuted by the Directorate. How could he pull off such dramatic spin? Kanon realized her only option at present was to ask him. Chief Smiley had her web—she was trapped.

  “What exactly are you planning?” she asked.

  “Me?” Julius asked, his eyebrows rising like two great big caterpillars. “It is clear that I have my issues with the Directorate. I want to give time travel to the people.”

  “So you are a modern day Robin Hood,” Kanon replied sarcastically, “allowing the little people to take their hedonistic adventures.”

  “Why not fuel our masochistic desires in the past? You act as though it matters!” Julius responded coolly.

  Kanon felt her anger flare.

  “It does matter,” she shot back, as both Julius and Chief Smiley exchanged glances.

  “You think I have been doing these horrible things,” Julius began, leaning towards her, “for my own pleasure? I seek to prove a point. The government is regulating something they should be promoting. My actions in time have not impacted Standard D in the least. The universe, it seems, corrects itself. The people I kill would have died anyway—it is all averaged out, my dear.”

  “That is a circular argument. Only you have been committing these crimes, what if everyone did!” Kanon cried.

  “Think of it, Inspector Hay,” he said, clucking his tongue at her. “Do your father justice by using that mind of yours—all that schooling he paid for!” Julius cried, slapping his hand down on his leg. “No present-day crime. Murder, eliminated—rape, a thing of the past. If people could fulfill their most lustful desires in history, they would have no need for such acts in the present.”

  Kanon shook her head, the theory was more terrifying than she assumed.

  “Standard . . . ”

  “I have been to practically every restricted area that’s been identified by your little Directorate,” Julian shot back. “None of my actions have impacted Standard D. Isn’t that right?” He looked at Chief Smiley, who gave the slightest of nods.

  “You are leaving out the part about the tremendous amount of money you will make once you market the web,” Kanon replied. “How can you call your claim altruism with this in mind?”

  “What use do I have for more money? There will surely be knock offs, that is the nature of business,” Julius said. “The Directorate had a long run, to your father’s credit—he has done a wonderful job. But you can’t stand in the way of the coming revolution. The new world is just within reach. Will you stand in the way?”

  “What will happen to the inspectors?” Kanon asked, understanding the depth of Julius’ mission and his attempt to persuade her.

  It was now very clear what her mission was—eliminate Julius Arnold at all costs.

  “The time for the Directorate has passed.” Julius sighed, annoyed that she was still unconvinced. “I’m sure there will be interest from Congress about my activities,” he hinted. “Revolution is coming, my dear.”

  “So all this is a political ploy?” Kanon asked.

  Julius snorted in response.

  “Haven’t you been listening to me? Kanon Hay, I am going to change the world!”

  He brought his hand on top of hers and squeezed it hard. Kanon was at a loss for words.

  “And before you begin threatening me,” Julius said to her, slapping her hand playfully. “Know that Chief Smiley here will make sure you are brought in trussed and feathered, case closed. That is, if his inspectors don’t kill you on sight. Either way, you are hopelessly screwed.”

  Kanon fell silent, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  “Of course, there are many ways to skin a cat,” Julius purred. “Trust me, I’ve done it. We could use you to help pave the way for our little takeover—taking care of inspectors who were getting too close to our little secret. Chief Smiley here tells me you that your ability to use the web is unsurpassed.”

  “Not as precise as mine I’m afraid,” Chief Smiley commented.

  Julius continued as if he hadn’t spoken, eyes locked on Kanon’s face.

  “Inspector Hay, put away these juvenile notions of what is right and wrong and embrace reality. What I propose is a way forward. It will change the world as we know it. And you, my dear, can be at my side when it occurs.”

  He fell silent, looking at Kanon intently.

  Kanon quickly accessed her options. If she refused, she was dead. If she agreed, she was further embedded in the conspiracy, with no one in the Directorate able to defend her.

  All except for Vin.

  Could she rely on him to believe her, even if she allied herself with Julius Arnold? She heard herself answer.

  “It’s a big decision, one that will impact my life forever.”

  “Sure, think it over. Where we are going, you’ll have plenty of free time.”

  As he said the words, Chief Smiley moved towards Kanon.

  “You can’t force me to go anywhere,” she noted, looking at the web Chief Smiley offered to her.

  “You are right. Bring the Duchess, Inspector Hay wants us to convince her,” Julius said, an evil glint in his eyes.

  “Wait,” Kanon said, reaching across to put her hand on his.

  Julius looked at it queerly before narrowing his eyes.

  “Your softness doesn’t help you, Inspector Hay. You would have been a formidable opponent, if only you were a man.”

  “I can’t watch her die again,” Kanon said, knowing this made her look even weaker but not caring very much. “I will do as you say—tell me where we are going,” she said, accepting the web with shaking hands.

  Julius smiled broadly and gestured to Chief Smiley.

  “Show her.”

  14

  Vin knew something was wrong when Kanon did not show up at the appointed time. Inquiring amongst her friends, he determined no one had seen Countess de la Motte for several hours.

>   Searching her quarters, Vin came to the inevitable conclusion that she was missing and Julius Arnold must have some role in her disappearance. Panicking, he moved for his web, a message from Chief Smiley flashing on the reading pane.

  Return with update.

  Vin quickly mounted his horse to depart for the present—finding the dark countryside a convenient jumping off point.

  Arriving in the deployment room, Vin quickly set off for Chief Smiley’s office—determined to confront him then and there. Throwing the door open, Vin found a startled Inspector Quill, seated on the floor sorting through some files.

  “What are you all fired up about?” Quill asked.

  Vin studied his detached expression and relaxed slightly.

  “I’m looking for Chief Smiley,” he said, letting his breath catch up.

  “He was called away to the budget talks. I’m helping him file.”

  “Under threat of jail time?” Vin asked, an edge to his voice.

  “What, you think he’d ask you?” Quill said sharply, tossing a file to one side and digging for another.

  The Directorate was never able to go entirely paperless—something that always amused Vin. But watching Quill go through the files seemed to agitate him more than usual. He decided not to answer Quill’s last question, leaning against the doorframe.

  “I’m on the Kanon Hay case now,” Vin stated, watching Quill’s reaction carefully.

  Quill shrugged.

  “You have to accept that she is in Julius’ employ,” he responded. “The Director is coming around to it as well.”

  “That’s bullshit and you know it. It isn’t Kanon,” Vin said.

  “Dude, when are you going to wake up?” Quill demanded, “Have you been reading the news lately? All signs are pointing to a budget resolution. So guilty or not, your precious Kanon will have a whole new set of problems on her hands if they find her with Julius.”

  “Even if she’s held against her will?” Vin shot back, making a mental note to catch up on the latest news.

  “I think at this point, she has some explaining to do, if she’s innocent why doesn’t she bring herself in?”

  “Maybe she doesn’t want suspicion to fall on her father,” Vin said.