by Greg Krojac
“There are none.”
“There must be. What year are you from?”
“I was born in 2048.”
“No, I mean what’s your original time-jump year?”
“2073.”
“Okay. I admit employment numbers were lower back then, but there were jobs if you looked in the right place.”
“But I like my job.”
“Which is?”
“I’m a Temporal Private Investigator.”
“A what?”
“A Temporal Private Investigator. And I have been promoted to Temporal Field Agent.”
“You? You’re kidding me.”
“No. I am an agent.”
“What’s your name then, mister field-agent?”
“Aristotle Dunn.”
“I’ll call you, Ari.”
“Aristotle. My name is Aristotle.”
“You’re Ari. Like it or lump it.”
The woman took a zip-tie out of a pocket.
“Right, Ari. I’m going to tie your wrists behind your back with this. Don’t struggle or you may get hurt.”
Ari didn’t struggle.
“Who are you?”
The woman pulled the zip-tie tight, one-handed, which Ari had to admit was quite a talent.
“Me? I’m Cadence.”
“And when are you from?”
“2121.”
“And–”
Cadence covered Ari’s mouth with her hand.
“And nothing. I’ll explain when we’re away from this place. It’s too near the main street and I don’t exactly blend in well.”
She scowled at Ari.
“You won’t try to run away, will you?”
Ari shook his head. He had no intention of trying to escape. He needed to stay with her so that he could convince her to repair the timeline that she was so intent on wrecking.
Cadence led him to a small empty building and ushered him through a gap in the wooden slats that purported to be a wall. The structure wasn’t entirely empty – there were plenty of rats around – but they scurried off when they saw the humans.
Cadence pointed to a couple of wooden crates.
“Sit on one of those.”
Ari did as he was told.
Cadence sat on the other crate.
“Now, Ari. Pay attention, because what I’m about to tell you is very important. Do you understand?”
Ari nodded.
“Yes. I understand.”
Cadence took a deep breath.
“I’m a Temporal Agent too, but I’m from the year 2121. From your future. I’ve been sent back in time to prevent the discovery of time-travel and the invention of the means to make use of it.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
“Because by the beginning of the twenty-second century, there have been thousands of trips through time. But what we didn’t know was that each time-jump causes a slight rift in time and space, through which matter has leaked into our dimension.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You know that time-travel derives from a mathematical equation applied to universal forces and harnessed to an algorithm that unites dimensions.”
“Kind of. But I don’t know how it all works.”
“You don’t need to. You just need to know that time-travel causes dimensions to lose integrity.”
“Is that dangerous?”
“It’s deadly. So much matter has leaked into our dimension over the years that it’s killing us.”
“Killing who?”
“Everybody.”
“How?”
“All that time travel has created a temporal plague.”
“What is a temporal plague? I have never heard of it.”
“This matter that passes through time rifts reacts very badly with our bodies, accelerating our ageing process. People who are twenty-years-old look like octogenarians. People are dying off at an alarming rate. Birth-rates are plunging as there are fewer and fewer people to reproduce. We see our families and friends wearing out and dying within a few months. The human species will become extinct if something isn’t done.”
“But you look alright.”
“Like most diseases, there are a few people who appear to be immune. It seems that I’m one of them.”
“So, you want to prevent this plague from ever happening, by taking away the root cause? Time-travel?"
“Exactly.”
Ari still wasn’t sure about all this.
“But you’re killing people.”
“Sometimes I have to, Ari. I try to manipulate things so that couples don’t meet, fall in love, and have children, but it’s not always possible.”
“You killed Gillian Spencer.”
“I did. But I had to.”
“And Paula Bowen.”
“I didn’t kill Paula. I stopped her from getting raped. She was just a child.”
“I thought I had managed to stop you from killing Michelle Lavigne’s father, but you killed him shortly afterwards.”
“That was you, was it?”
“Yes. It was me. How many of the others did you kill?”
“That’s not important. What’s important is that I have to stop Professor Chandler from building another team. If he’s not stopped, he may still find someone who can draw up the algorithm. If there’s no time travel there’s no temporal plague. Millions of lives will be saved.
“So there you are. That’s the truth. Now you know why I’m doing what I’m doing. Are you with me or against me?”
Ari honestly didn’t know. His original remit – his personal goal – was to safeguard his job. But this was about more than just his well-being. The people of the future were being massacred by a disease, a disease that he could help prevent. This was about saving the human race. He certainly hadn’t prepared himself for that.
“If I help you, I can return to my own time, yes?”
Cadence shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Ari, but that’ll be impossible. Once Ryan Chandler can’t be born, time-travel will no longer exist. We’ll be trapped in the past, in the timeline that leads to Chandler not existing.
“So I can’t even come back to this period?”
“Using what? We won’t have time-jump capability.”
Ari was torn between wanting to keep his job in 2073 and being trapped in the past. If he couldn’t return to 2073, he’d like to stay in 1866.
“Cadence, what happens if I say no?”
“I’ll have to kill you. I can’t risk the failure of my mission. The lives of billions of people are counting on its success.”
Ari had no choice. As noble as Cadence’s mission might be, her answer shifted the focus back onto what was ultimately best for him – staying alive.
“Very well, Cadence. I am with you. But I do have a favour to ask.”
“A favour?”
“Can we remove Chandler’s ancestor in this timeline? I’d like to stay here if possible.”
“Why here?”
“I feel at home.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Ari.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’ll affect too many people. I’m not a monster, Ari. I make a point of going back as short a time as possible to reduce the impact on future generations. If I terminate a direct ancestor of Chandler in this time, I could be extinguishing up to ten generations. That wouldn’t be just one assassination, that would be mass murder. I can’t do that. I couldn’t live with that on my conscience.”
“So why did you come back to this date?”
“That’s your fault. I was trying to get away from you. I didn’t expect you to be able to follow me back here.”
“Nor did I, to be honest. But here I am.”
Cadence needed an answer.
“So, Ari. Do I have to kill you?”
Ari’s self-preservation instinct kicked in.
“No. You don’t.”
Cadence was relieved. She didn’t
really want to kill Ari. She didn’t kill for fun. Anyone she killed was because she had no other choice.
“Good. Now, let’s get back to 2029. I have a job to finish.”
10:37, Saturday 05 May 2029
Bromley South Railway Station, Bromley, Kent
Ari and Cadence arrived back in 2029 within two seconds of each other.
About three dozen people were on the platform, waiting for the next train. Cadence nodded towards Danuska Stepánková.
“Keep out of it this time, Aristotle Dunn. Or I will kill you.”
A train approached, its electric motor humming and its wheels clickety-clacking as they rumbled over the track joints, accompanied by a light screeching of brakes. Books were put away into bags and earpods adjusted as people prepared to board the train as soon as it stopped.
Ari scanned the group of people on the platform and watched as Cadence moved behind Danuska.
The train continued to approach.
Danuska moved forward.
Cadence moved forward.
Ari felt an urge to move forward and gripped the side of the board that held the train timetable to prevent himself from doing so.
The train continued to approach.
In her excitement, Danuska inadvertently crossed the yellow line that was painted on the platform.
Cadence moved closer still.
The train continued to approach.
The front of the train was almost level with Danuska.
Cadence was right behind Danuska.
Ari forced himself to stay where he was.
Cadence gave Danuska a shove and the Czech lost her balance, falling towards the tracks.
The train wasn’t able to stop in time.
People on the platform shouted and screamed and rushed forwards to see a tangled mass of flesh and bones where the train wheels had crushed her.
Cadence walked back to Ari as if nothing had happened.
“It had to be done. I’m sorry but I have to think about the future.”
Ari was momentarily frozen with shock at the event he had just witnessed.
Cadence slapped his cheek hard and he dragged himself out of his stupor. She glared at him.
“I suggest we go back to our respective Temporal Affairs HQs. I need to give a progress report and you need to convince your guys to back off and let me finish my job. We’ll meet at 09:30 on Tuesday 20 August 1991 in the reception area of the Bournemouth Convention Centre. Ryan Chandler’s father will be attending a seminar there about, rather ironically, the future of the human race. Agreed?”
Ari reluctantly agreed.
“09:30 on Tuesday 20 August 1991. I will be there.”
16:48, Saturday 25 March 2073
Bureau of Temporal Affairs HQ, Embankment, London EC4
Agent Wolfe was displeased.
“The whole bloody Project Clockwise team has gone, except for Professor Chandler. You do understand that it’s our livelihoods on the line here, don’t you?”
Ari nodded.
“Of course. But Cadence–”
“CADENCE? You’re on bloody first name terms with her now, are you?”
Ari continued.
“Cadence is trying to save the lives of billions of people in the future.”
“And we’re trying to save the thousands of jobs here.”
Ari understood the importance of a job in 2073. The planet had suffered three more coronavirus pandemics since 2020 and the world economy had suffered almost to the point of complete and utter collapse. Jobs were a valuable commodity in the seventies and he certainly felt grateful for his. He felt torn between a rock and a hard place. Cadence wanted him to persuade the Bureau of Temporal Affairs to let her get on with her job, but that wouldn’t be easy. Time travel was retro-based and the Bureau wasn’t concerned about the future outside of its own survival.
Agent Wolfe’s expression softened a little.
“Look. We’re not unreasonable people here at the Bureau. I’ll talk to the bosses about limiting the number of jumps per year. How does that sound?”
Ari knew that Cadence wouldn’t be happy with that.
“Each time anyone makes a jump, it causes damage. Reducing the number of jumps will not make any difference. It might delay the effect but it will not stop it.”
Agent Sheldon left the room and reappeared shortly after with a box in his hand. He handed it to Agent Wolfe, who opened it and took out a pistol. He brandished it before showing it to Ari.
“This, Aristotle, is a Glock, a semi-automatic pistol. You are going to go back in time and kill this future-woman, so Professor Chandler can be born and assemble a new team of scientists for Project Clockwise. This is the timeline that matters. This one.”
Ari stared at the weapon.
“But I don’t want to kill her. I tried once–”
“And you failed.”
“I was not expecting her to time-jump before the train hit her.”
“But she did, and now Katerina Nowaková never existed.”
“I can’t kill Cadence. I’m sorry.”
Agent Wolfe pointed the pistol at Ari’s forehead.
“Then I’ll have to kill you and sort things out myself, my anachronistic friend. And I don’t want to have to do that.”
Above all else, Ari didn’t want to die.
“Okay, okay. I will do it. I will do as you say.”
Agent Wolfe’s scowl turned to a smile.
“I knew you’d come to your senses.”
He handed the weapon to Ari.
“Be careful how you handle this gun, Ari. It has no manual safety catch so don’t point it at anyone unless you think you might use it.”
Ari gingerly took the Glock from Agent Wolfe, determined that he’d do his best not to use it.
09:35, Tuesday 20 August 1991
The BIC, Bournemouth, Hampshire
Cadence paced around the reception area of Bournemouth Convention Centre. There were plenty of people around, signing in for the various presentations and generally chatting amongst themselves but there were two noticeable absentees – Aristotle and Dr David Chandler. Dr Chandler could be excused for arriving late but Ari had no such excuse as his watch would send him to an exact point in time. It was impossible for him to be late.
She went over to the seminar’s administration desk, where a pleasant-looking young man was poring over some lists. She coughed politely and the man looked up.
“Oh, I’m sorry miss. How can I help you?”
Cadence smiled at him, the very picture of innocence.
“I hope so.”
She looked at his name badge which was pinned to his jacket lapel.
“I hope so, Andrew. I was supposed to meet a Dr David Chandler here. He’s normally so punctual. Has he signed in yet?”
Andrew ran his finger down the list of attendees in the ledger.
“Found him. Yes, he signed in at 08:58.”
Cadence looked around the communal space, wondering where he could be.
Andrew continued.
“I remember him now. He was talking to another man and signed out at 09:15.”
Cadence didn’t like the sound of that.
“Another man? What did this other man look like?”
“Oh, I remember him very well. Difficult not to, really. He was dressed in very old-fashioned gear. You know, waistcoat and breeches. Wore a top hat and had dark goggles on. Very strange. He didn’t take the goggles off except for a few seconds after which Dr Chandler nodded and then signed out, leaving the building. The strange-looking chap just disappeared. I didn’t see where he went."
Cadence smiled at Andrew.
“Thank you, Andrew. You don’t know how much you’ve helped me.”
09:10, Tuesday 20 August 1991
The BIC, Bournemouth, Hampshire
Ari recognised David Chandler immediately, not least because he wore a lapel badge announcing his identity to the world. He approached the man, who was reading the presentat
ion timetable.
“Excuse me, Dr Chandler, may I have a word? In private?”
Ari led David to a quiet corner of the room.
“How can I help you?”
Ari spoke in a hushed voice, looking around to check that he couldn’t be overheard.
“I am with Special Branch. My name is Detective Constable Deaton. I am working undercover.”
David wondered what kind of case DC Deaton could be working on. He was dressed so strangely.
“Do you have any ID, Detective Constable?”
Ari took his Temporal Licence from his waistcoat and flashed it at Dr Chandler, replacing it in his pocket before David’s brain could register any details.
Ari continued.
“We believe you’re in danger, Dr Chandler. We believe someone wants to kill you.”
Dr Chandler laughed.
“That’s ridiculous. I’m nobody special. Why would anyone want to kill me?”
“I am deadly serious, Doctor Chandler. You are in great danger. You have to leave here, now.”
“But I’m booked in to attend a presentation at nine forty-five.”
“Please, believe me. You will not live to see the presentation if you stay here.”
“You are kidding, right?”
Ari lifted his goggles for a couple of seconds before lowering them again.
“Do these look like the eyes of someone who is making a joke at your expense?”
Ari’s eyes told the truth. Doctor Chandler nodded.
“I don’t know why, but I believe you.”
Neither Ari nor Doctor Chandler noticed Cadence approaching with a gun trained on the doctor.
“Don’t make any sudden moves, Doctor Chandler. We don’t want to make a scene, do we?”
Cadence glared at Ari.
“And you’re not going to cause any problems either, are you Ari?”
Ari immediately felt guilty. After all, he had promised not to interfere with her mission. But, then again, Agent Wolfe had threatened him with a pistol. He remembered the Glock that was tucked into the back of his breeches.
Cadence nodded towards the exit.
“We’re all going to go to the car park. We’ll finish our business there, away from prying eyes.”
The three of them filed out of the doors of the conference centre and turned left towards the multi-story car park that was part of the same structure. Once inside the parking area, Cadence guided Dr Chandler and Ari to a dark remote corner where there were a few cars to provide cover. She gestured at the two men with her pistol.