A Chronetic Memory (The Chronography Records Book 1)

by O'Hara, Kim K.

  The second experiment was a little better. It was a triumphant moment when the object disappeared from the chamber, but both Lexil and Doc suddenly had memories of a small explosion during the spray paint process, right toward the end, and of having to smother the resulting flames before they licked out and consumed the paint can. That was an exciting moment, in retrospect. They carefully compared the times and realized there was a bit of lag before the object actually appeared and disappeared. When the insertion caused the object to fill the same space twice in the same time frame, the increased pressure caused an explosion. At least, that was the theory. Better just to have a built-in buffer to leave room for the lag. How much lag, exactly, was going to be critical.

  They decided to film it while they were doing the spray paint, to see if the recording would catch the object’s disappearance, to allow them to bypass the paint can and give them the ability to fine-tune the timing a little more. It succeeded, and that ability proved to be a breakthrough in their experimental methods. Lexil was glad he was keeping careful records. This would be the material he needed for his own paper on the subject.

  So then it was film, remove, restore; film, remove, restore, at both extremes of the time window available to them, plus readings in between. After multiple iterations, they were able to reproduce the same results every time.

  But they would need to test their equation for the lag time. They could only conjecture what would happen when their interval increased from a few hours to nine years. It became obvious that they would need an experiment of at least twelve hours to determine whether the lag time increased at a linear or exponential rate as they went further back in time.

  Lexil called Dani to let her know he wouldn’t have an answer for her today. He was disappointed when he didn’t get her directly and had to leave a message. He kept it cryptic, “Hey, going to have to reschedule for some time tomorrow!” and hoped she would recognize his voice. He certainly didn’t want to leave his name and risk someone at the institute happening to overhear and being able to identify him.

  He was also disappointed, he realized, that he wouldn’t see her again until the next day.

  When they had done all they could to set up several experimental stations, he returned to his study of the time disturbances. It was odd to see so many of them clustered around the lab on Vashon Island. He watched a little trail of them follow him out to the tube station on the display of the data from the night before. Soon he was remembering the delights of her quick mind and her sense of humor. Conversations and expressions replayed in his mind and he berated himself for not being more obvious about his interest in her. Then he shook his head. She would have rejected that as quickly as she had his pointed question about whether she was in a relationship with Anders.

  “Lexil!” He realized Doc had said his name more than once. He shook his head to clear away the vision he’d been savoring.

  “Here!” he answered, guiltily.

  “It’s six o’clock. Are you so buried in that that you can’t break away for dinner? Time to call it a night anyway, I think.” Then Doc looked at him more closely, with one of those too-discerning looks Lexil had come to know well. “Where are your thoughts, son? Are you immersed in your experiment, or are you falling in love?”

  Might as well admit it. “Both, Doc. Is it that obvious?”

  “You’ve been tracing the path of your walk last night on the disturbance graph, so, yes, pretty obvious.”

  “Okay, I’m coming in. Need help with anything dinner-wise?” The two walked to the house in comfortable companionship. He was so grateful that this man had stepped forward to take him in after his father had died and while his mother’s life was fading.

  Later, while Lexil was drifting off to sleep, it suddenly occurred to him what the little trail of disturbance ripples meant. Disturbances were events that differed from the original timestream. Every interaction he had had with Dani was a disturbance. That meant every moment they had shared was an anomaly, and shouldn’t have happened. If their efforts to restore the timestream were successful, all those moments, every smile, every gaze, every contact, would be gone.

  He wouldn’t remember her at all.

  24

  Decision

  RIACH CAMPUS, Alki Beach, Seattle, WA. 0745, Friday, June 9, 2215.

  When Dani emerged from the tube car, she looked around for Anders, but couldn’t spot him among the crowd of people milling about. She shrugged. She could catch him at lunch. She remembered her fear from the night before that “they” were after her and might already have Anders. She smiled now at her baseless apprehensions.

  She was pleasantly surprised to see Kat with her holosign walking back and forth near the security gate. She waved and moved to intercept her. Kat seemed to be doing better than she had last night. Dani still felt bad about how she had pushed for Kat to see Jored. If Lexil’s experiment worked, it wouldn’t matter whether this Kat had seen the scan or not. This Kat would return to being her Kat, happily enjoying her son.

  When she got to her, Dani gave her a hug, gladly accepting a little awkwardness avoiding the sign post between them in exchange for the genuine warmth she felt. “How did you sleep?” she asked her friend.

  “Not well, at first,” Kat admitted. “It was the first time I’d allowed myself to think of having a child since last year. I thought I had adjusted to it, but I guess not.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. It was something I had to work out on my own, and Marak did too, although he didn’t make it as evident as I did. When I couldn’t get to sleep, I went out to the kitchen for some tea, and he followed me. We talked for a long time. Didn’t get to bed until after midnight. I thought about calling you, but I was pretty sure you’d be asleep.”

  “Actually, I was still up.”

  “That’s unusual for you, isn’t it? Anyway, we talked, and we figured something out. We really, really want to see that scan. If only for a moment, we want to see who our son would have been.”

  Dani was surprised. That was the last thing she would have expected. At the same time, she felt a little leap of joy. It would be so nice to share that with Kat and Marak. “Did you talk to your uncle?”

  “Yes, and he will have a security escort ready to take us to you sometime later this morning. He’s going to let me know what time, so I can’t tell yet. He said he was pretty sure it would be okay for you to escort us out again after we see it. After we see him.”

  Dani pictured the scene in her mind: this erstwhile protest organizer, avowed enemy of the institute, being escorted by a security guard into its big open mouth. She giggled. “Do you know what that’s going to look like, with the security guard?”

  Kat looked puzzled, and then she got it and started laughing too. “It’ll probably help with my reputation,” she said. “They all think I’m too tame anyway. Should I let you know what time we’re coming?”

  “No, they’ll put it on my schedule. I’ll see it.”

  “Okay. Thanks for doing this.”

  “No problem! Just be sure you really want to.”

  “I’m already sure.” Kat turned to go, and then turned back. “Dani?”

  “Yeah?”

  “What kept you up till after midnight?”

  Dani smiled. “Well, I didn’t get home until around eleven thirty.”

  “What? How could it have taken that long?”

  “I took a little detour to Vashon Island. Saw a secret laboratory. Walked in the moonlight with a really good-looking guy. But it’s too much to talk about now. Time for me to be at work!”

  “You can’t leave me like this!”

  “Have to. I’ll tell you more later.”

  As she cleared security and walked to the institute doors, she heard Kat calling after her: “I want to hear about the moonlit walk first!”

  Yeah. Because secret island laboratories were so passé. Dani smiled to herself, although she had to admit that there were some me
mories from that evening walk that made her inexplicably happy.

  RIACH OFFICES, Alki Beach, Seattle, WA. 0810, Friday, June 9, 2215.

  The morning’s assignments were all things she could do quickly, so Dani reviewed her personal list of things to do. She wanted to leave the coded note for Dr. Brant, reaching out to make a contact, but cautiously. She had written the note at home before she left. “Let’s talk about Vashon. Tube station bench 1715.” She wanted to find Anders and reschedule his meeting with Kat and Marak. Perhaps, if they arrived close to lunch, she could take them to the cafeteria and happen to run into him, but she didn’t want to draw any attention to him while he was still digging into the finances of the place.

  Most importantly, of course, she had an institute-approved slot in her schedule to see Jored again, and show her friends their son. She hoped it would make them happy, and not cause them more pain.

  She had to walk past the researchers’ conference area to get to the lab. Occasionally, she saw Dr. Brant there in meetings, but that was usually on Mondays. Still, she checked to see who was there today, just in case. The conference area was empty, with a few research fellows at the work areas that ringed it on the outside. No sign of the doctor. No sign of any of the doctors, for that matter. She wondered if she should make a little detour through the hallway where the offices were.

  Dani glanced around. No one was paying any particular attention to her. She wandered down the hall with a vague idea that if Dr. Tasman happened to ask her where she should be at that particular moment, she would tell him she was heading for the garbage can at the end of the hall. She wouldn’t actually stop at Dr. Brant’s office, but if she was there, she would make eye contact.

  Dr. Brant was in her office. She looked up as Dani passed by. Instead of glancing then turning away, Dani made a point of locking eyes with the doctor and nodding, almost imperceptibly. Then she continued down the hall, nonchalantly dropping the crumpled note in the can at the end of the hall. Then she turned and retraced her steps, back toward the lab. She hoped this was not a wasted trip. But she didn’t know how else to catch the doctor’s attention.

  Unnoticed, the camera behind her pivoted to watch her go.

  But so did Dr. Brant.

  RIACH LABS, Alki Beach, Seattle, WA. 0830, Friday, June 9, 2215.

  When Dani got to the lab, she started working her way down the list of scans on her schedule. Everything went smoothly, so she had time to scan the stone and preview the scenes she was going to show Kat and Marak. She didn’t know how much time they’d have, and she wanted to know the exact settings to use before they started.

  That was probably a mistake, though, because soon she was fighting tears as she watched herself chase Jored down the hall, just out of sight, and heard his giggles. She loved the whole family feeling when they all played the matching game. To be able to have a meal like that, one more time, with all of them together!

  She was still absorbing every detail of his wonderful little voice and contagious joy when she was startled by a tap on her observation box window. The boxes were clear from the waist up; it was easy to spot which ones were in use. But the doors couldn’t be opened while the scanners were hooked up. The young woman standing outside her box was a stranger to her. She was dressed like a security guard, though, and for the first time, Dani felt uneasy. Had she made her extracurricular activities too obvious?

  She carefully disconnected and opened the door. “Yes?”

  “You have visitors in the lobby. I was asked to give you a message.”

  Relief flooded her. Of course! It was Kat and Marak. “Oh, thank you. I’ll go meet them.”

  She headed out of the lab, toward the lobby, chiding herself for being so nervous. Kat and Marak were waiting for her, and soon she would see Jored again.

  RIACH LOBBY, Alki Beach, Seattle, WA. 1105, Friday, June 9, 2215.

  Kat was peering down the long hallway, waiting for her to come. Marak was gazing at the massive doors. The viewwall that usually showed Dani’s schedule when she entered simply read, “Welcome!”—a message left over from when visitors were the norm rather than the exception. Kat and Marak would have been irisscanned on their way in, and permitted only because Uncle Royce had made the arrangements. Since they were inside the building, they had obviously been pre-approved.

  It seemed so odd, seeing them at the institute, but Dani was very happy they were there.

  “Which way is the lab?” Marak asked.

  Dani led the way down the hall, waiting when they paused at the displays, giving them time to look around. To anyone watching, she was a tour guide. But she wouldn’t mind at all if her friends managed to see something they could use later to help her gather information they needed.

  As they walked, she played her role well, pointing out areas as they passed. “These areas are where the researchers work. I pass right by this area every day. There are the scientists’ offices, down that hall back there. Financial services and the directors’ offices are on the second floor. The coffee shop and supplies room are in the other wing on this floor. The cafeteria is in the basement.”

  Kat and Marak nodded, smiling at anyone who noticed them. Dani could tell that Marak was making mental notes, not missing a thing.

  Finally, they got to the lab. Dani led them to the scanner she had been using that morning. Only one person could use the observation box at a time, but Dani had two objects she could use to show them: the rock and the metal disk. She could borrow the adjacent scanner for this.

  “I’m going to put one of these in each chamber,” she told them, “and close the chamber door. When you step into the observation box and close the door, you’ll feel a tickling sensation in your brain as the scanner hooks up directly to your sensory nerves. It will look as if you are there, with the rock or the disk, able to see and hear what is going on at the times I’ve set.”

  “Will we still know we’re here?” Kat was a little nervous.

  Dani reassured her, “You won’t be all that aware of your surroundings here in the lab, but you can choose to see and hear what is here instead of there, if you want. It’s under your control. If I tap on the window, for example, you’ll hear it.”

  She adjusted the settings for each machine. “Okay, who wants to be able to smell the shish kebabs? Only one of you gets to do that. This machine has the metal disk, so you get the full experience here.”

  Marak stepped back to let Kat have that spot. Dani hoped Kat wouldn’t be too overwhelmed by it.

  “I’ve already set the time frames. All you’ll have to do is tap ‘start’ and it will take over. There are thirty-eight minutes I’ve framed for you, so get comfortable. Sit or stand; the machine doesn’t care. If you need to take a break, for whatever reason, the ‘start’ button will have become a ‘pause.’” You can resume right where you left off when you are ready to go on.

  “Can we replay if we want to?” asked Marak?

  “That’s a little more complicated. I’d have to give you a short training session first. Just live it like you were there, for now.”

  They both nodded.

  “Ready? Then step in, get comfortable, close the door, and tap ‘start.’”

  Dani pulled a chair over to wait. She remembered the first time she had experienced a scan. She had scanned a stone from a public fountain on a chilly winter day. A commonplace item in an insignificant setting. Still, she had been awed by the whole thing, with the water splashing down around her and the occasional passerby walking swiftly to get out of the cold weather. Kat and Marak were probably equally awed, but their experience would be so much more intense. They would be seeing themselves.

  She watched their faces change and imagined what scenes they were seeing. That slightly squirmy look as they saw themselves doing things they knew they hadn’t done. That look of amazement at their first glimpse of the little boy that looked so much like both of them. A taste of joy at his squeals and giggles. Wistful yearning at his hugs. Tears as they reached t
he end, when Dani had pocketed the items again as she prepared to leave. She could see the viewscreens signaling the end of the session, and still they sat, remembering. She respectfully gave them time to recover before she tapped on their windows. It was almost lunchtime, and the labs needed to be cleared by noon.

  Kat emerged from her box and went straight into Marak’s waiting arms. They cried together and Dani found herself crying with them. She passed out tissues, which they gratefully accepted. She hoped they didn’t hate her for putting them through this.

  When she had regained a little of her usual composure, Kat turned to Dani and said simply, “Thank you.” Marak nodded in agreement.

  That didn’t surprise Dani at all. What surprised her was what came next.

  Taking Marak’s hand to give her strength, Kat said, “Do it. Do whatever it takes. Get him back.”

  RIACH CAFETERIA, Alki Beach, Seattle. 1230, Friday, June 9, 2215.

  Once she found out Kat and Marak’s visitor badges entitled them to a free lunch in the employee cafeteria, she continued her tour by showing them the basement level.

  They got to the cafeteria for lunch a little late. Dani looked around for Anders. He should have arrived and bought lunch already. She was puzzled when she didn’t see him. But maybe it was better this way. The three of them had so much to discuss. She thought about sitting at the table where they’d eaten before, but when she started toward it, she saw it wasn’t there. That was odd. Had someone moved it? She glanced around the rest of the cafeteria. Were there other differences? She didn’t eat here often enough to enable her to be sure, but it seemed as if the walls were a different color. Maybe that was due to the timestream change.

  Kat interrupted her puzzled inspection of the cafeteria. “Dani, what actually changed everything to this reality? I know it had something to do with that padlock. Marak and I were talking after you left, and he couldn’t remember having seen it at all on the day he got into the garden.”