Episode Six

Marshall's death, even in another universe, changed everything for Sheila.

No one else dies. Not on my watch. Elvin, though, left a projection lab with a bounce and a step, melding with his future counterpart had provided answers. With these notes, if I were all night, I'd write a step by step primer on universe targeting by morning.

Stop scrubbing around as if you accomplished something. This is just a gift given to you by someone from the future. Yeah, me. You can't prove that. Now that we know that there's a future version of this project,

“how do we know it wasn't me who would achieve this breakthrough?”

How do we know your future counterpart didn't hijack my work? Elvin suddenly realized how hard let it rose with work

to plant his seed of doubt in the scientific community.

But history decided that Elvin, the twiler, was one of history's giants, or just an intellectual thief. Sheila, great to see you. Not today, it isn't. I'm afraid I've got some pretty bad news, Marshall.

I know, I know. I know it's not fair. Hey, another round over here, please. No, but it is kind of cool to be dead and alive to process it. Ooh, let's face it.

Marshall is already pale as a ghost, so it kind of fits. Marta, how many of those have you had already? Now that one of me is dead, is history going to reach out and zap the rest of me? Us? Holy crap.

“How do we know that our counterparts from any universities are still alive?”

Some of us might have been killed in accidents, we know nothing about.

Welcome. Baltimore's up, Marshall. This is a wig. Remember? Post it. Marta, you giggle?

Sheila, we have to tell Naomi. I'm right here, Marshall. We're not afraid to associate with the damned impressive. Scientists don't believe in fate. Well, here's the one thing you can believe, Doctor.

We're sticking together. Three of us. Three more rounds. We're getting sticky together. Oh, guys, that's so sweet of you.

Sticky sweet. (laughs) Team camaraderie was at an all-time high, which should have made me a static. But I couldn't help but worry.

Why was Bumkin Marta the only survivor of the day? Was she a saboteur or Sheila's guardian angel?

“Someone who had killed Felix just to save her friend?”

Either way, she clearly had no qualms about taking a life. As I puzzled over what to do, I was determined to keep our primary traveling team on the sidelines. That plan fell apart when then it rose dropped a bum shell at a meeting of the newly formed Ethics Committee.

Wait, travel 10 years back? What? No, it won't be safe. We haven't even begun to approach a protection of that magnitude. You say we have to minimize interference in other histories.

It's the perfect solution. You're not the one who'll be flung further than we've ever attempted? So, your ethics do have a limit. Self-preservation. We all agreed to be more careful.

A single mission, a jump back 10 years with substitute for 10 missions now scheduled. That's one tenth of the impact on other universes. We trade a higher risk to our travelers for a lower risk to other worlds. And our investors could have a definitive answer as to whether the past can be changed to benefit the future.

You mean whether the past can be manipulated for power and profit? What ivory tower do you live in? Investors need a profit and you pretend there's something sinister about that. Every exploration ever undertaken had profit as a motivating factor. Just keep in mind, Dr. Rose, that while we're minimizing our impact on other worlds,

we travelers would like to survive to process. It's what you signed up for. He's right. It's the least interest of way. But you know what? There's no need to endanger the others.

No. You're biased. You want the mission to fail.

“May I remind everyone we have a set of mission rules which require a team of travelers?”

We certainly won't suspend the rules now. Okay, then. Let's make the plan. A ten-year leap into the past. Evolved in series were correct. The travelers' counterparts from that universe

would try to affect the same changes in our world. Rose insisted on an ambiguous test at the mission's core. That, particularly, we felt bound to select an event that wouldn't upset the balance of history. Something that is successful would produce a positive, rather than negative result. The tragic incident in Marshall's past stood out like a flashing beacon.

Who's Samantha Kennedy?

Are we talking about my Samantha?

You had a Samantha? No, I... She was a high school friend.

“She was killed in the car wreck at the end of senior year.”

Just a friend? Yeah, I'm detecting more than friendship in your voice. She was... Out of my league. There's more to this than you're telling us.

Naomi, how could you choose this hideous idea? There must be a hundred other scenarios you could pick from. I don't like it either, Sheila. But we've gone over events of the past decade in all your lives. I don't like using Marshall's past this way any more than you do.

But the timing is right. And it's the right scenario. The results will be incontrovertible. Hmm, okay. Ten years ago, in our target window of May 2035,

“Sheila was a 19-year-old student at Arizona State University.”

Frank, each 22, also lived in Phoenix, working in construction. Martha, 23, had recently taken a position at Albuquerque's San Diego National Laboratory. She recalled a camping trip near Silver City, New Mexico, coinciding with the event in question. Marshall, counting down the final weeks of his high school senior year,

lived at home in the small town of Ritea, Arizona. I toyed with the idea of removing Martha from the team, but it couldn't find a way to justify such an action without openly jeopardizing her career. Still, I felt helpless when it came to protecting my travels while they were in the distant past. To my surprise, Martha helped to find a solution.

Before we travel so far, we need to talk about flat stuff. With my past self-tried rejecting me, I was stuck there and to you guys figured it out. We saw your lifeline flicker. Now we know what that means and we've got the emergency return protocol program. But I had issues before the monitors picked it up.

An experience traveler can recognize signs of trouble before you do, and a few minutes could be the difference between getting someone home safely and the breakdown that could compromise the whole mission. Or lose someone all together. I like where your head's at, Martha.

We need a way for a traveler to initiate a return. You can't take anything with you. There's no device we can send unless we use a device that's already there. I should've thought of this weeks ago. Maybe fuming firearms, Elvin already did.

Eat shit and die Leonard. Tazers. Tazers? Right. Among other things, the lifeline tracks of travelers individual magnetic field.

Anything disturbing that magnetic field should show up on the monitors. And a non-metallé electric shock was scrambled the magnetic field. We just have to add that to the list of things you do as soon as you arrive. Go find a tazer. Shouldn't we test it?

Right. Hey Frank, we got one more thing to add to today's mission profile. You want me to what? Come on Frank, it's no big deal. You want me to taze myself.

Don't be such a pussy. I had to do it as part of Royal Navy Basic. Yeah, with plenty of medics around if you went into cardiac arrest. Time, you put a bunch of us, did it for fun after that. That's the spirit, Marsh.

Where am I going to find a tazer?

Hmm, just proposition the first woman you see on the street.

Um, hello?

“I couldn't help but notice what lovely breasts you have.”

Herbert. It works.

Gillis still didn't like the plan.

He said martial would have any number of opportunities to eliminate me. I was still worried for martial. Marta would have any number of chances in the deep past to kill him, or any of the others. But at least.

At least I had a way to initiate and escape. At least this way we could get home in a hurry. All the success of Antha. Judging by the reaction that Cretian's next briefing, Sheila wasn't alone in her objections to our new direction.

Everyone settled down. We have to prove this kind of exchange mission works or were dead in the water. Yes, did, did, that's our issue. Gretchen, this is the same kind of exchange mission that wiped out the Malibu Bunkins universe.

To minimize risk as much as possible, we've chosen the Star Trek universe as our target. Like I look lousy, Star Trek was huge in over the years of education. We can assume they are biologically identical universe two hours. A sum, a sum, that's all you do.

And we've never been there before, so divergent shouldn't be an issue.

While we plan this mission, they should be doing the same. Frank, wake up. And an infinity of universes, they will choose us too. Seems like a real long shot to me. What if it's not a long shot at all?

“What if our histories are on parallel paths right down to the smallest detail?”

Boom, travelers will meet themselves in the limbo. And bum, we disappear. Look, we can safely assume they aren't any more anxious than we are to blow someone else up. They know one of us will act first, and the other will follow. So who goes first?

We do, of course. Dr. Rose, isn't that an assumption? Frank, what happened? Are you all right? Um, that guy. What guy?

The Star Trek me.

He says they want us to go first.

Told you. All right, last time through. Sheila, your main job coordinate the Samantha mission with Marshall. Thanks, Sheila. Really? Of course.

And I'm there to support everyone. Even a ridiculous secondary monograb mission. Hey, I'm gonna get rich! What do you do? I find a stock guy.

Up, a broker. Right, and by a few stocks of vantage solar, please kick. Fine. And Marta? What way did you choose?

Easy. The 2035 can talkie dubi. Well, host named Paloo Slutrik out of Washington State. Went off at 45 to 1. One out of the biggest upsets in Derby history.

Convincer passed self to place the biggest wager she can afford and then bank the winnings.

“Each of you should have memorized Sheila's phone number, so check in.”

Let her know you've arrived safely and that your past counterpart is on board. Now, Sheila, please be sure to take the time to get oriented. Don't try to make the drive from Phoenix to Wittier until you are comfortable with your integration. Easier said than done, but yes. And everyone, remember, your past self will be assaulted with a decades worth of your experiences and emotions.

This could be a brutal assault. Even though the travelist themselves couldn't drink before mission, comrades all made up for it at the time warps ritual sent off. Frank was holding court among a group of female emiris when Sheila and Marta ended together. Looks like you've got competition for Frank's actions, huh?

No, not really. Not if I put my mind to it. Really? Put your mind to it, I mean. Uh, being honest with myself, if we're all stuck here for three more years, probably, does that bother you?

Look, I don't try to hide it. I've got a healthy libido, I like sex.

“I don't confuse orgasms with being in love.”

Look, ah, your boundaries, married, and I don't do married men. In fact, that's kind of why I'm here. How cool. Well, I, uh, I worked at one of the Phoenix TV stations owned by a huge conglomerate. I was an honor reporter and I wanted to be an anchor. One of the station hunches came on to me offering me that carrot.

And I refused. His wife got wind of it and blamed me, of course. His buddies higher up in the corporation said they wanted me to take an assignment here for five years. I could have refused, made a sexual harassment complaint. But I knew if I did, I'd be covering frozen pipe jammers and fargo for the rest of my career.

Hey, you never told me why you're here.

That's a discussion for another day. Right now, I'm just trying to block the image of six with Frank. You know, the problem is that a lot of the most interesting men, quite or intellectual, introspective guys, they're too intimidated to approach me. Sounds a little like Marshall.

Let's, let's not go there, please. Boy, with that ever be complicated.

“And speaking of, hey, Marshall, come on, come join us.”

That was the first time anyone had seen Marshall in the company of a woman other than Sheila and Mata. And, a nebryated wonder maze, the traveler candidate had attached herself to his arm like a leech. Marshall was beginning to realise some of the women who had betted in the erection holes now displayed something more than a monetary interest. He found that a little confusing, but was open to the possibilities. Tonight though, Wonder was mostly in the way.

But Marshall was too polite to say anything, as they joined Mata and Sheila, Wonder held on and stared at him with increasingly glazed over eyes. Tasty, tasty. Ow! What's wrong? She did my earlobe!

Is it bleeding? Not much. Ow! Wonder? Wonder?

Yeah, she's passed out. Let's just move her over there. Some of her friends will come and get her. Hey, this thing they're asking you to do. It's not right.

How can I say no? I have a chance to save the life of someone I knew. Someone you cared about? Someone you loved? She was a friend.

I told them about Samantha Kennedy.

She moved to Whittier in the third grade and her family lived across the alley from us.

We built a fort along my back fence. We were best buddies for a while. Our relationship faded in the sixth grade when we began to gravitate toward our respective social stations. Her parents divorced when we were in the seventh grade, and she moved with her mom to the other side of town. By the time we were in high school, Samantha was way beyond me.

We resumed a limited friendship during our senior year of high school. She held elite social status and bent herself to the pressures of popularity. On a Wednesday between Christmas and Thanksgiving,

“I still can't remember how I had the courage to ask her.”

She agreed to a coke date. Got a couple of cherry coax, and crews the one ways that went through the middle of town. We've been talking about books and movies and aspirations, and to my surprise. She seemed to be enjoying it. Then...

Hey Samantha, looks like you need rescue me. Come with us. We got beer. Ugh, gross. We're all up the window, Marshall. Let's go someplace where we don't have to listen to jerks like that. We could go out to the dunes. I don't think anyone else would be there tonight.

I waited for her to man to take her home, but instead... That would be nice. A few miles east of Whittier, several acres of rolling red sand dunes interrupted the lush snore in desert. During most of the year, the dunes were a quiet playground for families during the day, and a make-out spot for teenagers after sundown.

We talked some more. I felt a connection.

Finally, I summoned all my courage.

Samantha, could I? Would you mind? I mean... Could I kiss you? Oh, Marshall. Could we just hold hands?

You don't know how many guys I've just tried to.

Maybe we can beer or join.

And this has been so nice. So different. So for now, could we just hold hands? I felt this odd mixture of disappointment and relief. But she said, "For now, two words I cling to, a crucible of hope."

The day would come when she would see the truth about pretty guys with cruel intentions and look to the purity of purpose in the heart of a call, skinny geek. I walked her to her door. She had one more surprise for me.

“Marshall, if you want to kiss a girl, don't ask her. Just do it.”

I was so shocked I waited one awkward moment too long. Well, okay. I hit her fairly nice time. Good night, Marshall. We didn't go out again.

I didn't call her.

But the smiles and brief comments we shared in the hallways of school

made me think I reached something inside. Even if she didn't understand it yet. Then, only a few weeks before our graduation, fate shattered my fantasy of our shared destiny. The party was at Donnie Courthouse, drugs and alcohol were involved.

At some point, talk turned to fast cars. Not the tone down hydrogens and electrics everyone drove,

“but gasoline beasts with monstrous horsepower from the previous century.”

Donnie's dad collected old muscle cars. A race between two of them took place in the dunes. Samantha and Donnie both died in the crash. And she was right. What they were asking was unfair.

The mission planners only knew I knew Samantha. Not that I loved her. So it was largely a matter of curiosity to physicists and governments and corporations. Thrust Samantha's fate, center stage once more in my past and future. I did feel angry.

I couldn't turn away. One day she had smiled at me between classes. Then I awoke the next morning, the footage of a crumpled, burning car, and the impossible realization that Samantha was gone forever. I didn't feel guilt about her death.

Only a crushing grief. I couldn't share with anyone. We failed this time to save her, though. I carried that guilt for the rest of my days. Odd, that he had.

Marshall, they can't make you do this. Just tell him you won't go. I couldn't live with myself if I turned my back on the chance to save her.

“Remember, if you feel the younger you can't handle your rival,”

find a way to suffer an electric shock and get out of there. If your power self can handle it, then I'll win a scheduled your return for early morning, May 10th, the morning after the car crash. Which won't happen this time. We projected the traveller separately.

She loved first, martyr, then friend.

And finally, Marshall. I couldn't help but feel that somehow betrayed these brave people who counted on me to look out for their best interests. I had come to welcome the limbo as something of a refuge. A quiet millennium where I could hone my philosophy of life,

sore through the great mysteries of being, or lament the weakness of character that fostered my lustful fantasies about Sheila, or martyr for that matter. This time, though, I couldn't escape premonitions of disaster and humiliation. My hard-learn survival path for a skinny dork from junior high-onward was keep your head down and do nothing, nothing to call attention to yourself.

But sure enough, when I came crashing to the mind of my 17 year old self, rushing to class to a crowded hallway, I was sprawled across the floor throwing a body block into Donnie Court. God damn it, watch what the fuck you're going! It was an accident, Donnie.

Haven't you ever tripped? Fucking asshole. My younger self would have normally found this incident a total humiliation, but he barely noticed. Instead, inundated by a flood of events, emotions and experiences,

past martial struggle to reconnect with reality, Samantha offered a lifeline when she dropped to an ease and spoke to him. Marshall, Marshall?

Yeah, but... He wasn't enough. The duality was too much. For a moment, you can't hear me. But, you can't hear me.

But, you can't hear me. You can't hear me. You can't hear me. Yeah, but... He wasn't enough.

The duality was too much. For a moment, I found myself slipping away. Until I heard Sheila. Thanks, thanks for your help, Samantha. Hey, I'm this cousin from Phoenix.

I'll take care of him. I knew I didn't have a cousin from Phoenix. Things weren't getting better. Then, the clying of a tardy bell helped ground both of us. You're sure he'll be okay.

Mm-hmm, yeah, I got this. Go ahead to your class. Okay. Bye, Marshall. Bye.

Don't try to talk. Let's just get you out of here. Focus. Focus on why we're here.

I realized I needed to slam him me with an image so powerful it could override the onslaught of everything else.

As Sheila guided us into the parking lot, we shared the image of a mangled car and stark black words and a newspaper headline. Double fatality. Samantha Kennedy 18. Sammy's gonna die? But we're here to save her.

Sheila helped us into our rental car. I felt my younger body real axe as the flood subsided. I realized how close I had come to losing my grip and siding off into some dark of living in. Only my previous experience and Sheila's present saved me. Do you think Marda and Frank can handle this?

Whoa, he's letting you speak. Apparently so. He has a lot of questions though. Frank's integration was fine. He faced a mental collage of 10 years' worth of sexual conquest. He just laid back and enjoyed it, I guess.

Marda, Marda, I don't know. My phone shows I missed a call from her and she hasn't called again. I'm a little concerned. How about you? Rough.

I was asleep in my dorm. I'm not sure I want to go through anything like that again. What if Marda doesn't call back soon? I'll call Frank and send him to Silver City. We're closer. We could get there faster.

Yes. Well, you are 17 and you can't just disappear from school. The key to this mission is here. It requires both of us to be here. How are the two of you handling this? The confusion terror comes and goes and waves.

He's trying, but at moments he still struggles the hang on.

“Scary thing is I think he could banish me if he wanted to.”

Oh, well, we can't let that happen. And she leaned across the seat and kissed me. There's nothing chaser, sisterly about it, a long passionate kiss with tongues chasing each other all around the rosy. What about now? No problem, he's on board.

And we should probably go someplace and change our underwear. Oh, he wants to say something. Holy shit! Glad to assist. For now, though, I'd better leave you to undistracted.

I found it helpful to close my eyes and sit quietly, let the jumble of memories find their own way. And besides, I have to find a place to stay.

Can I always stay at my house?

No, I couldn't. Your mom knows for sure I'm not your cousin. And I'm barely certain you don't have girls sleep over very often. How would we explain ourselves? Sheila drove away.

Then we, I retreated to our car and sat for an hour while both halves of our consciousness came to terms. So we're good with the plan? I mean, what the hell choice do I really have here? Hey, what time is it? Crap!

You made me miss Mr. Ferris' Monday physics quiz. Mr. Ferris, double crap, I remember. Research paper for makeup. Ugh. Or get enough?

Hey, I just figured this out.

“As soon as we try to save Samantha, you're out of here, right?”

Well, yeah. You don't have to do the makeup work, but I do. And you made me seem like a clots by knocking Donny down. All of a sudden, I'm back to being the uncoordinated dufist and you hop off to the future where no one remembers the stupid stuff you did in high school.

Look, I'm sorry. If there was another way, shit, Samantha. Hi, Marshall. I was worried when you didn't make it to class. No, I'm fine.

I sat out here until my head cleared. I mostly just feel stupid. Do you have time to talk? Your cousin is very pretty. My cousin?

Oh, right. Yes, she's from Phoenix. Visiting. She was at school because... Because...

Hmm. The two of you must be very close.

We've always been good friends.

Huh. Well, Marilyn said you two were making up. What?

“Mr. Bander let Marilyn go to her car to get her English book?”

She saw you and your cousin kissing.

She's not your cousin, is she?

That's a long story. I need to see you Wednesday night. And what were your cousin up to say about that? Maybe.

“And you should take things a little slower while you're new to this.”

You know, maybe just one girl at a time. No, Samantha. It's not like that. I need to see you. Marshall.

I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression out at the dunes. I like you as a friend. Clearly, your cousin is who you should be asking out, though. Please, Sammy. Sammy.

Wow. You haven't called me that since we were in grade school. I'm not asking you out. I know you don't feel anything special for me, but I do need to talk to you. I can't see you Wednesday. I've got a big test.

I know you're going to Donnie's house Wednesday night. How do you know that? Is Donnie telling people? No. How I know about it is part of what I have to explain.

“I am seeing Donnie Wednesday, and I'm not going to bail because...”

Tomorrow, then. I can't tomorrow night either. I've got drama club. Mr. Campbell is casting the senior skit for the graduation assembly. I can't miss it.

So just tell me now. Believe me, this will take more time than we've got here. Just give me a half hour.

And then if you don't want to, I'll never bother you again.

We were close once. Can you trust that friendship just one more time? You know what I've liked so much about you. You're someone who doesn't pass your me to do anything or be anything. Now here you are. Same as every other guy.

All I want is for you to listen to me. Can you tonight? My mom's going out and I have to babysit. She'll be back nine thirty or so. I can sneak out after they go to bed.

“I'll meet you at the park sometime between 10 and 10 thirty.”

That's the best I can do. I'll be there. Please, please don't forget. I can't drive to Silver City. I've got a date.

And if my future selfs recall is correct, I'm in a pretty spectacular evening. I'll go tomorrow. No, Frank, go right now. Selfish.

And who's going to pay for this? Ah, for Christ's sake. Hey, I'm a lot poorer now. I went to the stock guys office this afternoon and wrote them a check.

Great, which will probably end up making you rich when you get back to 2045. Just use the money you're going to spend getting into that poor girl's pants tonight. Your Leonard Rose's guy.

You think he'll be happy that you passed up a chance to find out what we're all up to. Oh, how will I ever know where to look? I'll make some calls while you're driving over and I'll find out where she and her friends are staying.

She looked called every motel in Silver City, hospital emergency rooms, morgues.

Finally, she called Frank back.

Yeah, so where am I heading? Grand County Detention Center. Detention? I thought Marshall was the one still in high school. Jail, Frank.

Marta's been arrested. Taking time is a production of Voyage Media. The series is produced by Nathamandall and Dan Bettamoy. Executive produced by Mike Murphy, Nancy Murphy. Based on Mike's novel, taking time,

a tale of physics, lust, and greed available on Amazon, a link is in the show notes. Written by Mike Murphy and Millie Hooks, story produced by Joshua Malkin, directed by Dan Bettamoy.

Starring Ray Carcila, as Marshall, Rochelle Simpson, as Sheila, Rachel Pape, as Marta, Cheryl Chong, as Naomi, and Sydney Shiotani as Gretchen. Additional cast credits available in the show notes. Edited, Sound Design, and Mixed by Joel Lipman.

Original music by Dorolis Gonzalez. If you're enjoying the show, please leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you're listening. And subscribe now for future episodes. [BLANK_AUDIO]