Chapter 11: There and back again
Chapter 11: There and back again
The last trip had been... simply "eventful" would have been an understatement. To think that Sada had managed not only to see but to actually tame "Winged King", that ancient form of Cyclizar... and Miraidon, by extension. She never ceased to amaze him with what she managed to accomplish even with the incredibly limited resources she had available. But that had now left him in a bit of a conundrum; should he mention Winged King in his report? Turo was honestly afraid that doing so would only get him tasked with capturing it and bringing it back for research purposes; he threw a little glance at the Master Balls currently sitting on his desk, all still perfectly empty. He... didn't like having them with him. They were in a sense a way for him to protect himself out there in the distant past, but they had made every second of that trip when he had felt their weight pressing against his side a nerve-wracking experience, terrified at having them discovered... which had nearly happened, and had cost him at least part of Sada's trust. He had never actually seen her angry at him before today, but what had hurt the most had been the... silent disappointment and resignation in her eyes.He shook his head and focused back on the report he had been writing -or at least trying to write - for the past... couple of hours? Maybe...?
Almost answering his silent question, a screen opened by his side, Porygon 568's figure materializing from it. It floated over until it blocked his view of the screen he was currently writing on.
« Dr. Romero Turo, after your trip you have been in your office for the next 4 hours, 29 minutes and 19 seconds... adding them to the hours you have spent time-displaced, and records of your activity in this facility before the trip...I estimate you have been awake for a consecutive 36 hours, 15 minutes and 7 seconds...rounding down.» it beeped.
« Immediate execution of "sleep" is advised to maintain your body in optimal operating conditions.»
« I've got coffe, I don't need to sleep.» he gestured to the thermos lying on one corner of the desk,swiftly moving the screen away from behind Porygon to where he could see it again with a flick of his wrist. The Pokémon turned toward the thermos, eyes glowing yellow for a moment.
« ... temperature scans indicate that thermos has been empty for two hours.» it simply said.
Uh, was it? He hadn't noticed. Turo ignored the Pokémon and resumed writing - or trying to-.
« ... your report is not so urgent as to warrant such a degree of restless activity. Your erratic behavior since you've returned from your trip suggests an altered emotional state. In layman's terms... something is troubling you.»
This time he actually turned to glare at the little AI, eyes tingling after staring at a screen in the dark for hours.
« You've been spying on me...?»
« "Spying" implies a desire to extract information out of someone without being discovered, often to obtain an advantage over that same individual or group. That was not my intent.» it fluffed up it's wing feathers, offended, as much as something made of lines of code could, before turning it's head to look at him with the jittering,rapid head movements that was so typical of the many real life avian Pokémon it was partially modeled after -many by now extinct or replaced by other species they had evolved into. Turo idly wondered for a moment which programmer during the centuries had decided to devote precious time and effort programming that little feature in, because it was as impressively realistic as completely useless, since it had no real purpose... except, maybe, making the Porygon appear a little bit more life-like. Giving it a little more character... a little bit more of an identity. Someone more poetic than him would have said that it gave the AI a bit more soul.
And for some reason, it's that little detail that made him turn around toward the AI and actually give it his full attention instead of treating it like an annoying pop-up like he had until now.
What had gotten into him? ... that wasn't like him.
He flicked away the screen with his barely written report on it and sank back in his fake-leather chair with an exhausted sigh, shutting his eyes closed, both hands pressed to his temples.
«... sorry. I know I've been up here making excuses to avoid going home and... actually reflect on some things.»
« That is not healthy.»
He opened his eyes again and smiled weakly at the Porygon, patting it on the head a couple of times. It seemed to enjoy it -and again, he wondered why something that had been devised to spend more time in cyberspace than in the actual physical world had even been programmed with that feature. From a purely logical point of view, it made little sense. Devoting even a little part of its processing capabilities to define and react to something as simple as touch when it wasn't strictly necessary, or wasting even just a little part of its memory to store such trivial information like "Spots he likes and dislikes to be petted on" was a drain on resources that could be better spent on executing its task more efficiently.
... but someone still had programmed that in. And, maybe more importantly, every single update after that, every single person that had touched its code had decided to keep that feature instead of removing it. Leaving it in. Maybe even adding to it, perfecting it.
And the picture that single, insignificant detail painted of humanity was maybe the fundamental reason he was so fascinated with AI, Artificial Pokémon Programming... and the future as a whole. There was just so much... potential in it.
« ... you are worried after me. Humans drink and smoke from the instant we have figured out how to do so. We aren't exactly known for always making healthy decisions.» he answered. Porygon 568 seemed to mull over that for a moment.
« ... I believe I am not equipped to deal with your altered state in an efficient manner. I have taken the liberty of contacting Dr. Gervaso Ortega.»
« Wait... what?» the Pokémon didn't look any different, but of course, one on the thousand little processes it had running in the background at all times was probably busy calling Ortega this instant.
« You don't need to-»
« ... he said he will come here immediately and is already on his way.»
What? But wasn't it... He glanced at the clock projected on the opposite wall, confused. He had lost all sense of time.
« But it's way past three in the morning, what is he even doing...»
« He will be here in two minutes, he said. He was already awake. "Out drinking" were his exact words.»
... of course he was, probably partying it up somewhere in one of those locales that only opened after midnight. That guy had more social energy to burn in a night that he could muster up in a whole week. Turo sighed and resigned himself to wait for his colleague.
He didn't have to wait long, Ortega had probably walked to the nearest teleporter the instant he had closed the call.
Turo still had to stare at seeing him enter the office looking... so normal.
« ... uh. Don't think I've ever seen you in clothes that are not a bodysuit and labcoat or some couple centuries out of fashion.»
« I could say the same of you. And I like wearing stuff that's centuries out of fashion. It looked much better. Did you know that my ancestors used to own the biggest apparel company in Paldea? Of course, it's long gone now, but we've still got some stuff and old designs at home, on some old physical storage devices. » he said, sitting down backwards on a chair he had grabbed and propping his elbows up on the backrest.
Uh... no, he actually had no idea. Must have been quite some time ago if he had never even heard of the "Ortega" brand.
« ... is that why you are so into past fashion?» he couldn't help but ask. Ortega shrugged.
« Part of it, yeah. But enough about me-» the man squinted and looked between Turo and Porygon 568, some of his dark, curly hair falling over his eyes as he leaned a bit forward.
« What's going on here? Porygon said you're not feeling well... and frankly, you look terrible.»
Turo grimaced, not knowing how to best answer the question.
« During my last jump, I've... been to the village of the native girl I've been meeting with.»
Ortega arched an eyebrow at that, but just nodded for him to continue.
« On one hand, it was amazing... I've got so much data, made some sketches... they use moss to insulate the tents, Pokémon bones and materials, but... there's this four kids.» he decided to omit everything that had to do with the writing lessons and Winged King for now. At the moment, it wasn't important.
« Four kids... out of the whole settlement that looked like what... some hundred people? I can't stop... thinking about them. » he whispered, head held low.
« History books and documentaries never really mention them, do they? It's always just... wars, and kings, and important discoveries.
But it's like... it hit me right then that they are kids like any other... they just want to play, and have fun, and learn new things, and their life is just so-»
« Was. »
It took him a second to even register Ortega's blunt interjection, at which point Turo stopped and raised his head to look at the man.
« What... ? »
« You mean to say that their life was horrible, or unfair, or desperate, or whatever it is you were going to say. It's in the past, Turo. It's already happened. There's no use despairing over it.» he explained, looking unusually serious.
« How... can you just say that? » Turo asked, still a bit surprised by Ortega's tone. « That's... »
« "Cold"? Yes it is. But it's also what keeps you sane in this job. Listen, at the start, you were new here, so I was a bit... hesitant to tell you. You are doing the same mistake that a lot of newbies do during their first time-jumps.»
Ortega took a deep breath.
« You are getting attached to the people you meet in the past. You can't do that. You have to stop thinking of them as... I don't know, people you just met somewhere and who you can be friends with. They're not. They can't be. »
Every word of Ortega hit him like a punch in the stomach, because they were true. Completely, absolutely true.
« Every time you meet someone, you have to think of them as complete strangers that you're never going to see again... Otherwise, it's going to destroy you. What are you going to do once your project is done and you have to completely change era? Change places?» he asked, and Turo could only stare at the other man, wide eyed, heart now hammering in his chest. That thought, especially the idea of not being able to see Sada again... Of just having to disappear and never come back, leaving her wondering what had happened... Had already been tormenting him for a while.
« I...» he started, with no idea how to continue, but Ortega wasn't done.
« You are going to keep thinking about them. The temptation to sneak a little jump here and there between other projects to go see them will keep you up at night. It will drive you crazy, it will hurt even when you do see them because you can't build a relationship with a couple of hours here and there. You'll be living on borrowed time... eh-» he chuckled darkly.
« ... Literally. Simply delaying the moment where you will have to actually say goodbye... And leave them in the past for good.»
A deep silence fell between the two. Turo sat, shocked, thinking about what he had just heard.
« ... That's why all your projects are so short. That's why you almost never go back more than a certain point in time.» he said in the end.
The other time traveler just nodded, then looked to Porygon 568 with a sardonic smile.
« Sneaky bastard... That's why you called me of all people, didn't you?»
The Pokemon simply tilted its head without answering, and Ortega just shook his head.
« He was... » he stopped after a moment, brows furrowed. « ... Never mind. Point is: I had to disappear from his life before it completely tore me apart. You want to know the first thing I did after seeing him for the last time and coming back to the present?»
Turo had half an idea, but he simply waited for the other man to continue.
« Looked him up online. Anything I could find. Articles, biographies... There's even some old pictures, from the first couple of centuries of the Internet... He had a good life. Successful. A family. Three kids. He could have never done that with me, seeing me for a couple of hours at a time. That gave me ... Closure, I guess. I know that's not really an option for you due to how far back you go, but... » Ortega took a final deep breath before looking back at Turo.
« We observe, Turo. Nothing more. The sooner you get used to it, the less it will hurt. »
He nodded quietly. It was easier said than done, but... Knowing that he wasn't the only one that had struggled with similar problems helped a bit.
« It's just... So strange to think about. You go in the past, and they are right there, it's easy to forget that they're already... Long gone once you come back here..» he struggled to articulate it.
« I know. Blame human psychology. We're really not made to wrap our heads around time travel... Or maybe it's just too early, who knows. » Ortega answered.
And then he jumped up, clapped his hands loud enough to make both him and Porygon flinch, and grinned, back to his usual self.
« Enough gloomy thoughts. You need to take a little break from all this... Get out, get a little change of scenery. Change of perspective, it'll do you well.
And I know exactly what you need.»
Turo slowly got up, just to stumble dangerously and have to lean against the desk to support himself. Ortega coughed.
« .... Maybe get some sleep and something to eat, first.»
---
« A trip to the... future?» Moreau wondered, eyes passing between both.
« Just a little joint collaboration of a single trip. A test run. We do all test runs in the past by default, but I think we should start doing them also in the future. So that every new time traveler in the department is aware of certain... things to pay attention to in both, err... "directions".» Ortega smoothly answered, gesturing to the screen with a little proposal he had written up that floated between them. Standing completely still by his side, Turo could hardly contain his excitement. The future. He was actually going to... see it. It was incredibly hard to get clearance for it, especially for someone like him that didn't even have a single completed published paper related to time travel to his name yet. And now they were actually discussing it. He barely dared to breath, for fear of ruining the moment.
He felt somewhat like being a kid again, during the parent-teacher meetings at school. Moreau was still looking rather pensive.
« ... sure. Let's see how it goes. But-» he added.
« As the one with most experience traveling to the future, I'm tagging along.»
Oh. That was, umm... unexpected. Turo observed the current director -and possibly one of the most expert time travelers currently alive - of the TTDL walk to his desk and get a time-anchor out of it, slipping it on his wrist.
« Mostly because I want to make sure that you » icy blue eyes went to glare at Ortega.
« Don't mess around with whatever we're going to find, and so that you» now it was his turn to get glared at, and Turo flinched. W-what...?
The director smirked.
« ... don't manage to somehow land us 20'000 years in the future or something else equally ludicrous. »
Ortega laughed while Turo blushed in embarrassment, managing a quiet "Y-yes" in response.
He... he was never going to live that one down, was he?
---
They stepped into the time machine together, synchronizing their respective time anchors to the same coordinates. After the usual injection that would protect him during the trip, Turo shuffled to the side, waiting for Porygon 568 to finish calculating the coordinates.
He felt a little pang of guilt in thinking back about the promise he had made to Sada, to come back "tomorrow, at dawn"… for him, that "tomorrow" could be days or even months from now, and still only one night would have passed for her. It made no sense.
He shouldn't feel guilty, that was simply how things worked... But it still somehow felt like he was deceiving her.
Turo shook his head, focusing on watching Ortega and Moreau getting ready. Thinking about where he was about to go.
Mesagoza, just shy of 30 years from now... It was almost nothing compared to the hundred or thousands of years that even he had jumped back in time, but still... It was the future. His first real step into it.
The time machine whirred to life around them, and with a twinge of nervousness Turo closed his eyes when he felt the familiar sound of time and space starting to move all around him. Because yes, apparently, it had a sound. Even quite a specific one, like nothing he had ever heard before. Physicists were still puzzled about it.
One moment later, he opened his eyes back again, to the familiar sounds of the megalopolis of Mesagoza all around them - snippets of videos of news programs and ads, music, the low buzzing sound made by Miraidon and Rotom bykes crossing the streets or gliding overhead, some of them even simply scaling the great shining skyscrapers were railings and platforms had been built to let the Ride Pokemons rest.
They were standing in a little back alley, away from people. At first he looked around, instinctively paranoid that someone had seen them appear... Then, with a little jolt, he realized that even if someone did, it wouldn't matter. Of course people would simply recognize them as time travelers.
He couldn't help a little grin from spreading on his face at that realization; it was ... liberating in a sense, not having to worry about hiding literally everything about himself. They started to walk around, with Turo trying to catch any detail that could be different from the present.
« So, what do you think? » Ortega asked after a while.
« Well...»
The city honestly looked pretty much the same, at least at a first glance. Something, he had to admit, that left him a bit disappointed. But then again... it was only 30 years from now, he couldn't exactly expect many differences.
« ... I think it's not really... future enough for me.» he confessed after a moment.
He would come to see these times by himself, after all... and that thought made him suddenly stop in the middle of the street, one Miraidon growling at him while the Pokémon and her rider had to suddenly brake and swerve around him.
Ortega just laughed.
« "Not future enough" for you? Oh, you're impossible... you want to look at the little details to notice what's changed. » he said, but Turo wasn't listening, too distracted by what he had just realized.
« What about... future us? Are we not at risk of meeting them...?»
30 years from now... he would be in his sixties. Probably still here in Mesagoza somewhere, if he didn't decide to move to another city. He couldn't begin to imagine what his life would look like by then. Was he still at the TTDL? ... would he still think of Sada after all that time, or just look back at his first research project as a silly little thing that he had used to worry too much about?
Moreau didn't look fazed.
« I wouldn't worry. They would remember everything from this day after all: what we have done, where we've been... and probably decide to stay out of our way. »
... right. That... made sense.
« And even if they didn't, that whole "never meet your future or past selves or it creates a time paradox" is a bunch of bullshit.» Ortega added, earning himself a glare from their superior.
« Not exactly... »
« All right, we don't know if it does if you do stupid stuff like kill yourself, but if both parts are careful about it, there's no risk... right, sir?»
Turo stared at the two other time travelers. Wait, were they... talking from experience...? Moreau heaved a deep sigh, closing his eyes with the solemn expression of someone that had just been forced to remember some deeply unpleasant memory.
«... yes. You proved it in quite an unique way, Ortega. That was a paper that I never thought I would have to peer-review.»
« It was around six months before you joined the TTLD. » Ortega explained, evidently seeing his confusion at their little exchange. « See, I decided to do this little experiment-»
« We are not talking about it. The research paper is there if he wants to read it... as much as I wish it wasn't.» Moreau added, before gesturing for both men to stop.
« But since we are talking about it, I want to check something... » the man made the familiar gesture to summon a screen in midair, which opened in front of his face. Moreau quirked an eyebrow, and seemed to relax slightly.
« Well... good to know that I'm still alive in 30 years time.» he dismissed it quickly without looking at it.
It took Turo a moment to realize what the man meant. Right, of course... if your ID was technically always the same, and you were able to access it... right now, he would be logging into his 30-years-in-the-future-account, which would hold... pretty much everything. Phone calls. Emails. Pictures. And since the IDs were deleted a certain time after a person's passing to respect their privacy and not leave their data potentially exposed, you could, technically, use the fact to know what Moreau had just figured out...
The thought creeped him out quite a bit. See, stuff like this is why he much preferred to think about the far future, not the one he could actually reach just by the passage of time... he resumed walking after the two other time travelers, continuing to look around. Now that Ortega had mentioned it, he was starting to notice little differences that did make it clear that he really was walking in a different city from the one he had woken up in that morning. Ads were showing celebrities he had never seen and promoting products he had never heard about. He caught a news segment that mentioned colonizing Jupiter's many moons, and he trembled with excitement - they had already reached Jupiter? What about the Mars colony?.
He gestured for a screen to have the little news snippet replay privately, hoping to catch some more details: that's what trips to the future were for, right...? Gathering information...
Nothing happened.
With a scowl, Turo tried again. Nothing.
His heart literally skipped a beat.
« G-guys... » he said in a shaky voice. Both men turned to look at him with a questioning look.
« ... my ID is not working.»
They both visibly paled while Turo tried not to panic.
His heart started hammering in his chest with so much force he could distinctly hear its pulse in his ears, accompanied by a high pitched whooshing sound.
He suddenly couldn't breathe; his suit automatically registered the anomaly, and responded by stretching ever so slightly around the chest area to allow him more breathing room. Normally, a prompt to contact the nearest hospital would have opened right under his hand, ready to be pressed. Nothing appeared.
That meant... but that wasn't possible. He couldn't be dead in this time, he would have barely been in his early sixties! Moreau was older now than he would be in 30 years!
It couldn't be!
« I'm... I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation.» Ortega said, while his face betrayed a slight panic into obviously trying to come up with one.
« You're... you're the computer genius here. I bet you will set up something to protect your account from being accessed from future and past... well, "you" » he offered after a moment.
The terror that had been gripping him diminshed just the slightest at his colleague's words. He looked to Ortega while slowly resuming to breath again, almost desperatedly wanting to believe him.
« It... » he started tentatively. « ... it does sound like something I would do. » he added, subconsciously knitting his brow while he started to, almost automatically, think on possible ways to implement the very thing.
It... yes, it made sense. Especially if there were things his past self wasn't supposed to see, he *would* take precautions to make sure they couldn't be accessed.
« I'm sure that's what's going on, don't worry.» Ortega clapped him reassuringly on the shoulder.
« ... maybe this very incident is what inspires you to do it. You hadn't thought about it before, didn't you?» Moreau added, causing Turo to sputter in disbelief.
« But that would... that would mean... »
« ... yes. Your very first time loop.» a slight grin appeared on the older man's face.
« Congratulations.»
« You're growing so fast-» Ortega pretended to wipe some tears while they resumed walking. Turo followed after a moment, the disbelief quickly replaced by uncertainty; he frowned, then quickly assumed a more neutral expression while he followed after the other two. He didn't want to worry them, but he couldn't stop thinking that... if the ID not being accessible was really his own doing...
He would have done it differently.
A little alert, maybe. "You are trying to access information you are not meant to see", something on that line... not simply nothing and give himself the worst scare of his life.
... then again, you could argue that he already would have gotten the scare by that point and so decided not to worry about it too much...
A time loop... was it really?
---
At first, he thought that it was simply an impression of his, his paranoia and unease making him see things, but by the third person that he found stealing glances at him he was starting to be sure of it.
« I think... people are staring at me.» he said. For the second time, they both turned to look at him. Ortega looked around, then shrugged.
« I mean... you are walking around in a labcoat in the middle of the street. You really like to bring that thing places where it shouldn't be.»
Turo blushed. All right, it was a bit unusual, but... some scientists did it all the time. Some Pokémon Professors did field work with a labcoat! He liked the stupid thing, all right? Even had the buttons customized and all...
Just as he was about to answer, his eyes caught something that completely made him forget everything about what he was about to say. And frankly, forget most of everything that was going on, his mind going into complete tunnel vision (and quite a bit of fanboish nerdgasm, but he would die before admitting it out loud) at what he had just seen.
« What is that?» he couldn't help but ask, pointing to the other side of the street. There, sitting at a little café and enjoying some ice cream, was a girl that could be at most fifteen.
That wasn't the reason for his reaction (and would have been quite offensive if it was).
Not, the reason was the green, quadrupedal Pokémon sitting calmly by her side that was busy licking his own ice cream in a little glass on the table. It had a sleek, elegant figure, the red pixellated eyes that characterized most modern Pokémon, and a bit of a flat head.
He sprinted to the other side of the street, his lab coat flapping loudly behind him. He had to see it! Possibly pet it, and... and if his damn ID actually worked, he could have asked to inspect it's basic code, but he could at least ask some questions...
« Oh no » he barely heard Ortega sigh behind him. « ... new Artificial Pokemon, of course the Artificial Pokémon Programmer nerd goes crazy over it.»
Turo paid him no mind, panting while he reached the teenage girl (he was officially and definitely out of shape), and pointing shakily to the Pokémon with one hand while he regained his breath.
« Pardon my intrusion, but... what is that Pokémon called?» he managed.
The girl looked at him like he had just asked what a Miraidon was.
« ... Iron Leaves. » she answered after a moment, staring at him wide eyed.
« Iron... Leaves...? » he repeated.
Not the... most imaginative name he had to admit, but most Artificial Pokémon didn't have one to be fair. Most people just gave them nicknames anyway.
He turned to look at the Pokémon, who had stopped to eat and was looking at him with impassible, regal eyes. It exuded an aura of calm, calculated grace, sitting serenely there next to what had to be its owner. It was quite small, or at least smaller than the original it was based on (or in this case, supposedly based on), like most Artificial Pokémon.
« Sorry if I ask, but... is it really based on one of the Swords of Justice...? »
They had really made an Artificial Pokémon of a legendary...? How did they even manage it? To create an artificial version of a Pokémon required to know as much as possible about... well, everything. Biology. Behavior. Diet. Intelligence. Habitat. As much information as you could think of had to be programmed in... if you wanted it to become as similar to the original as possible, at least. If you wanted it to become... a real Pokémon, its own species, and not only a fancy manufactured robot.
« ... and they are so common that anyone can get their hands on one?»
The girl still looked quite surprised.
« Y... yes? I got Aramis for my tenth birthday... »
So they had been around for at least... five or six years...? But they had to have been developed before, at least ten years, then some years to see if everything had gone well and they started to become common enough that the general population could get one... so that meant that their invention was still some... ten, fifteen years in the future...?
« Can I... can I examine it just a momen-»
« Sorry, but I'm afraid I will have to interrupt you.» the cold voice of Louis Moreau sounded out right behind him and Turo flinched. He had... completely forgotten about them, honestly.
Moreau flashed a little badge he had taken out of his coat, which Turo recognized after a moment as the TTDL badge used to identify them outside of the University, while on their trips.
His own sat unused in his office, mostly because it was going to be completely useless in Paleolithic Kalos anyway, and at worst just another thing he could accidentally lose in the wrong era. But if you jumped to an era that already had time travel... yeah, he could see its use.
« We are time travelers on a short trip. Better pay attention to what you say, miss.»
The girl gasped, excited.
« Omygee, you are time travelers?! It's my first time meeting one! » she said, before the grin that had spread on her face slowly disappeared. And then, and this time there was no doubt about it, she stared straight at him.
« But, umm... aren't you-»
« Not another word.» Moreau shot forward, raising his voice to cover whatever the girl was going to say and slamming one hand on the table. The ice cream glasses rattled loudly and the Iron Leaves let out a low growl, raising up on four legs. Powerful actuators hissed while the Pokémon took aim at Moreau, sword-like blades jutting out from its side, ready to jump in defense of it's partner and cut the man down.
« Aramis no, calm down, it's okay-»
« We've already seen and heard things we weren't supposed to. We're leaving right now.» there was no arguing with the director's words, and Turo hastily went for his own time-anchor, pressing it right as the Iron Leaves roared at them.
Another reason he liked the future. Here, where everything continually used the same energy source as the time machine, the time anchor recharged pretty much instantly.
Thank Arceus.
Porygon 568 welcomed them back with his usual phrase, but none of the three men said a word until they were out of the time machine room and into the sanity room - today a traditional ancient Hisuian zen garden, with Chimeco chimes tinkling softly every couple minutes to a simulated wind -.
« ... that girl knew me.» Turo said after everyone had sat down.
And so did other people over the street. He replayed her words in his mind.
Aren't you... what? What was she about to say?
Not to mention her expression when she had seen him. He had thought it was simple surprise at his dumb - from her point of view - question, but..
Ortega dismissed his concerns with a lazy wave of his hand.
« ... maybe you're famous in the future. End up developing the next cool big thing and everyone knows you like everyone knows Wells today. But at least it means that you can't be dead, right? » he proposed.
« So much for a simple test run» Moreau looked at him, exhausted.
« My first couple jumps to the future I found out, at the most, that my favorite character in a popular tv series would die in the last season. You are there for five minutes and meet an Artificial Version of a Legendary Pokémon... We'll all have to sign NDAs for this.» the man pinched the bridge of his nose.
« I know, isn't it great?» Ortega laughed.
« I swear he has some superpower. Everything time related Turo touches ends in chaos in the best way. The best worst time traveler I've ever seen!»
Turo sighed and scratched at his neck with one hand, embarrassed.
---
When he managed to schedule his own jump, more than two weeks had passed in the end. He had pretended not to notice both Ortega and Porygon 568 keeping watch over him; dragging him into the break room one more time a day, keeping him occupied with discussing other projects, other times, even tagging along with other jumps... Porygon, he was pretty sure, had even completely made up some error codes just to have him take a look at them... which had honestly impressed him. Didn't think the little AI would be capable of it.
He knew what they were trying to do, and in a way, he appreciated it, but that still didn't make his current project any easier.
He appeared, as promised, at dawn of the next day he had left, in the same patch of tall grass. Figuring that Sada would be waiting for him at her village, he started to make his way towards it. The Master Balls were again sitting in his left pocket, and he kept his hand on one of them while he looked around, wondering what to do with them. Should he... look for some wild Pokémon while alone? Dangerous if he got surrounded... but still less dangerous than someone seeing him use a Master Ball. Maybe he could play it safe, wait for his time-anchor to recharge, and go look for some wild Pokémon only once it was full... worse case, he could escape anything by jumping back to his own time.
Or... he looked around. This was a trail supposedly used by wild Pokémon.
Could he make a trap...? Leave a Master Ball, invisible, with some bait in some place he was sure not to forget and check on it before he jumped back? That could work... as long as he didn't lose it. Somewhere. Invisible. With a Pokémon trapped inside. For who knows how long.
... maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all.
« Hey.»
Turo jumped a little when Sada suddenly seemed to appear out of thin air at his side, and he realized that she must have been hiding in the tall grass.
He smiled warmly at her, only for the smile to slowly disappear when she didn't reciprocate. He hastily thought back to their last meeting. Right, she... she had looked quite disappointed when he had mentioned having to leave. Of course she would still be angry. He noticed the spear slung over one shoulder and her usual leather satchel tied at her waist. She offered him a similar bag, only empty, and he took it after a moment of hesitation.
« Umm... thanks-»
« Let's go. We gather food today.»
She turns around and starts walking, and he is left staring at her for a moment, stunned.
He didn't expect such a cold treatment... was she really that angry?
After a moment, he slips the hand he had automatically taken out of his pocket expecting her to take it back in the lab coat's pockets. The only thing his fingers touch is the cold and smooth surface of one of the Master Balls.
He slung the bag over his shoulder and started to move after her, head low.
They walked in silence for a good half hour, Sada turning around to watch him every couple of minutes. No, not watching. She was staring. Analyzing.
One hand on the flute she seemed to always carry with her now, the one she had used to summon Winged King. He looked around, wondering if the Pokémon was nearby. Probably had to be.
They finally arrived near a little group of trees, and Turo realized they were all berry plants. He could recognize the most common ones; orange, pecha, chesto... and that was it. The others looked wildly different from what they grew in their greenhouses.
He quietly wondered if, like rice and other grains, he was looking at what some berries used to look like before they had been "domesticated" by humans.
... had they figured out planting berries yet? Or did she just know that there was always something to eat available here? Maybe he could bring a couple back-
« Put them all in here.» Sada gestured to his empty bag and he was pulled out of his wandering thoughts. With some hesitation, he started to pull some chesto and orange berries from the plant, mostly because he was sure at least those were edible. He could feel Sada's eyes on him as she slowly approached him and started to fill her own bag.
She finally looked away from him and he relaxed slightly. With the corner of his eyes, he noticed her biting her lip with one of her sharp little canines. She seemed to always do it when she was nervous.
« ... I saw you. »
At first, Turo didn't understand what she meant. He turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised in a questioning look.
« You... vanished. Like a ... like a creature. I saw the light. » and then she mimed pressing something on her wrist with her other hand, and he stared at her in complete horror.
She saw him. She saw him disappear.
« You-»
His first reaction was to hold out one hand towards her. Sada was much faster than him; she raised her own hand over her head, and one moment later, the tip of her spear is pressing against his neck. He is forced to raise his head, looking down at her at an awkward angle, but he can still feel the stone point pressing right against his Adam's apple.
« What are you? »
He freezed completely, only managing to raise both arms in a placating gesture that mirrored their very first meeting. What... what was he supposed to say? One wrong answer, and he's death. And Sada, she is still looking at him with eyes full of anger, and disappointment, and hurt.
« I... I'm a person... » he desperately tried to explain, to think of an excuse, just to choke slightly on his breath when the spear pressed just a bit harder, drawing blood. He suppressed a cough, eyes wide and terrified. She was seriously ready to stab him.
« Lies! It's a lie... I've trusted you, and you... » he doesn't understand her words, but her tone is more than enough.
It ...hurts to hear her so angry at him.
But... maybe it's for the best. If he manages to get away, to run... he can... just leave, and never come back. It would hurt, but at least it wouldn't hurt her.
It would be the best outcome for both of them.
Don't get attached. Just like Ortega said.
He stared silently at Sada. Her fierce expression, her eyes. Those bright eyes he loved so much, now full of tears of frustration. She wanted to be proven wrong. To not treat him with fear and suspicion.
Don't get attached.
« I... »
Don't get attached.
... how could he? It was already far too late for that. He could never leave with the thought that she hated him. And, truth was... he was getting tired of it.
He didn't want to keep up this farce. The half answers. Avoiding questions. She deserved better than this.
And really... it was just her. Just one girl, one bright, wonderful, amazing girl... what difference could it make? So far away in time?
Turo closed his eyes.
« I have... a power. » he opened them up again, to look at Sada who had been staring at him silently. For once, he didn't mumble his answer, didn't look away avoiding her gaze.
The spear didn't move, still pointed at his neck.
But Sada had noticed his change in tone. Her eyes had changed; there was that little spark in them again. Curiosity.
« A "power"... is it a "scientist" power? »
If it wasn't for the spear at his neck, he would have laughed.
... almost too smart for her own good.
« ... yes. I... jump here. Using this power. » the spear wavered while she bit her lip again, thinking this time.
« Where do you go when you leave? » she asked after a moment.
Ah. That... that was the big question.
"Far away" wouldn't cut it this time.
How could he even explain...?
« Home. » he said « To my people. I can't stay here.»
« Why... why not? »
Because if he spent too much time time-displaced, the effect of the injection that protected him during the trip would vanish and he would be truly stuck. He could theoretically jump back anyway with the time-anchor, sure... he simply wouldn't survive the trip.
There was a reason why they had to do the injection almost every time they stepped into the time machine, after all. Each shot only lasted a couple days times, at maximum. And since you usually went way more than a couple of days between one trip and the other...
Another problem that you didn't have jumping to the future. You could simply explain that you needed a shot, over there.
But that is something that he has no idea how to explain. Not technically, at least.
But he can convey the reason why.
« Because... you and I... » he slowly raised one hand, to try and grab the spear and move it away from his neck. She lets him do it without much resistance, and he can finally step forward and close the gap between them.
« We live in... completely different... worlds.»
Now she's confused. He doesn't blame her.
He... has no idea how to talk about it. They... never really talked about "time", except for the most basic things. Day. Night. Moons. Seasons.
In her "world", what else did you need?
He caressed her hair, gently, moving one strand of hair behind her ear and away from her face.
With the limited vocabulary he had, how could he make her understand? He thought for a couple of long seconds.
« I am... I am from your... tomorrow . » he whispered in the end.
« ... tomorrow...?» she stared, not comprehending at first. Then her eyes slowly, slowly became wider and wider, and she suddenly raised her free hand to his face and cupped his cheek with her palm. She stroked his beard with her thumb, slowly, almost methodically, and for a moment he is too busy just melting into her touch, leaning into it, to pay much attention to anything else.
But he noticed the little spark of recognition in her eyes, of understanding, and something in her mind must have just clicked, because the anger and suspicion and frustration finally dissipate, leaving space to that bright, excited, wonderful smile.
« How many... tomorrow? » she asked in a whisper. He can feel her shaking slightly against him. Fear? Excitement? Both? « One... one moon?»
He smiled a little.
« Many.»
Her eyes just go wider and flitted all over him, almost like she could read the answer on him somewhere.
« ... one season?»
His smile got a bit wider.
« Many, many seasons.»
Sada pouted, evidently annoyed at his amused expression, which just made him want to laugh even more.
He was finally being truthful and it's like an enormous weight has been lifted from his chest.
It's way too late to not "get attached"... but at the very least, in the precious time he has with her, he can finally be completely honest with her, and really make the most out of it.
A couple of things about this chapter:
1) In case it wasn't clear, why yes, I love talking about AIs.
2) Ortega: Got that Turo? Don't get attached
Turo: Yes
Ortega: It only hurts more in the end.
Turo: Makes sense...
Ortega: So what do we do?
Turo: Hopelessly fall in love and angst about it, gotcha.
Ortega: NO-
3) "I'll add just a liiiitle bit of foreshadowing- oooops would you look at that"
1) In case it wasn't clear, why yes, I love talking about AIs.
2) Ortega: Got that Turo? Don't get attached
Turo: Yes
Ortega: It only hurts more in the end.
Turo: Makes sense...
Ortega: So what do we do?
Turo: Hopelessly fall in love and angst about it, gotcha.
Ortega: NO-
3) "I'll add just a liiiitle bit of foreshadowing- oooops would you look at that"
