Chapter 28

Proposed trip to 10,036.

...”Thad will have to go with you to convince his friend to give us another of the dampers,” Kathy said. After hesitating for a moment, she sat straighter. “If you two are going, I’m going with you,” she vowed.

Thad turned to her. “No telling what Kessler has in mind, and we don’t want to interfere with anything he comes up with.”

“I don’t intend to.”

When Kathy noticed the odd look on Mack’s face and guessing what the problem was, she said, “Remember that those pathways used by the blurp for the history and operations of Temporal have not been as frequently used as the other pathways in your brain, so sometimes it takes a second for your memory to bring up the answer you’re seeking from the blurp. It usually settles out in a few days, and it will all be just your memory.”

“I hope so,” Mack said, “It’s a really strange feeling to wonder about something, then have the answer pop into my mind a second or so later.”

“MR. TYLER, MR. KESSLER REQUESTS YOUR PRESENCE IN HIS OFFICE AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.”

“Please tell him I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“MESSAGE DELIVERED.”

After visiting with Thad for a few minutes, Mack decided to see what Kessler wanted.

As Mack walked into the reception area, he remembered that Kathy, in her hurry to speak to Kessler, had not formally introduced him to her replacement. Even as the thought touched his mind, Ava’s name seemed to suddenly pop into his memory.

As Ava looked up, Mack introduced himself. “I was with Kathy before, but we weren’t formally introduced.”

“Oh, I’m Ava, and I know who you are, Mr. Tyler — everyone does.”

“Well, Ava, I’m glad to meet you. Comp said that Mr. Kessler wanted to see me. Is he busy?”

“He’s always busy, but there isn’t anyone with him just now,” she answered frowning, “but he said to send you in as soon as you got here. So, go on in, I guess.”

Mack started toward Kessler’s door but turned and said, “This is none of my business, but that’s never stopped me before. At any rate, I’m going to say it. Be sure of yourself, Ava. That ‘I guess’ demeans you. If he hasn’t left specific instructions on how to do something, do the best you can, but don’t ‘I guess’. Don’t take any crap off him, either. I don’t mean to disrespect him — on the contrary, but being busy isn’t an excuse to mistreat you. I take it Kathy was here quite a while and knew what he wanted, probably sometimes before he realized it himself. Kathy says that you have just started. You can’t know what he wants until he tells you. You’ll be just as good as Kathy when you have had the experience. Remember, it takes a year to gain a year of experience.” Mack was unsure about his last statement with the blurps factored in, but he doubted if there was a blurp entitled Kessler’s assistant.

As Mack turned back toward Kessler’s office, Ava said, “Thanks, Mack. I really needed that just now.”

As Mack entered Kessler’s office, he was talking on the com again, but Kessler touched something on his desk, and Mack could no longer hear his voice, but Kessler then waved Mack toward a seat before continuing his conversation. Due to the angle, Mack could only vaguely see the person on the screen. After a few minutes, Kessler finished his conversation, touched something on his desk and said, “Ava, I’m not to be disturbed while Mr. Tyler is here.” Mack could faintly hear her acknowledgment.

Kessler focused on Mack. “Mr. Tyler, we need to talk. I need to know everything that has happened to you from the time you left your time until you brought my people back here — in much more detail than happened in our previous meeting. And ... I’ll tell you everything I think you need to know to make intelligent decisions concerning assisting us with our projects. Kathy tells me that you are willing to help, and with your talent, we certainly need you. I’ve been notified that you have completed the Temporal blurp which should help with your further orientation, but we don’t have a blurp that will tell you everything about what is currently happening. When we have time, I’ll turn you over to the proper people for a detailed tour of the facility and to bring you up to speed on our current projects that were not covered in the Temporal blurp. Now, I suggest that we get started.”

Mack leaned back, crossed his legs, and said, “Do you have more of that stim that you’re drinking?” just to show Kessler he was not going to be run over.

“Uh, yes, sure. Sorry, I should have asked,” Kessler said, turning to the dispenser. “How do you like it?”

“Straight is fine,” Mack said with a grin. “I got to liking it quite a bit before we ran out back at my cave. And just so we get off on the right footing, you mentioned previously that you realized that I don’t work for you. You might keep that in mind. Another thing, I’m pretty much an easy-going kind of guy, but I won’t be yelled at or pushed around — period.” When Kessler started to say something, Mack held his hand up slightly, letting the man know he wasn’t finished. “Last night, you yelled at some people. Maybe that’s your way, or maybe it is the stress of the situation, but to put it very, very mildly, don’t ever talk to me that way, or I’ll be gone. I’m still not totally convinced that I can’t manipulate things until my wife doesn’t die, despite what Kathy and Thad have told me.”

Kessler’s face had gone red, and he stood staring at Mack for several seconds, but he handed Mack his stim, then inexplicably burst out laughing. “All right, I suppose you have me. If a total stranger can see through me that easily, I suppose I’m getting to be a real shit in my old age.” Kessler sat and was quiet for several seconds, obviously deep in thought. Then, unexpectedly, he locked eyes with Mack before saying quietly, “Funny, I used to enjoy life, even had a contract a couple of times,” he finished as his voice trailed off.

“Contract?”

“A little like your marriages in your time. Funny, I haven’t even thought about having someone for a long-term relationship in years. I guess I’ve changed,” he finished, an odd look on his face. Then, “This place changes you; this job changes you, but please humor me and tell me everything about how this time manipulation started with you. Please include all the details, no matter how minor they may seem to you.”

“If you want details, this is going to take a while.”

“I understand.”

Mack started with the wreck, the months unconscious in the hospital, and after he had “recovered,” the blackouts and the swirling colors of his “kaleidoscope.” He left out what he knew about the operations and the regenerative procedures the doctors had performed on him. Each time Mack glossed over a subject, Kessler would stop him and encourage him to tell that part in detail as well. Kessler didn’t seem to pick up on what Mack left out about the operations, though.

When Mack got to the part about the cat, Kessler wanted details about how he had drawn the bow.

“Well, like I said, as I drew the bow, I noticed the colors start up, but not like I was going to attach to the timeline. They were ... different, somehow. Thinking back on it with what I know now, I think that I, somehow, was able to slow time down. In the military, I’ve been in stressful, even dangerous situations before, and I’m familiar with the feeling some people have of everything slowing down. Most of the time that is just caused by the adrenal surge. But this was different. I knew it was different even then. But now, I think I really did slow time down a little, at least in tiny increments. Later, I learned to draw the bow, using this thing, until it almost feels natural to do it that way.”

Mack’s stomach growled loudly enough for Kessler to hear it. He glanced at his personal comp and said, “I guess I’ve let the time slip away. It’s way past lunchtime. I’ll have Ava bring us something to eat.”

Noticing the other dispenser near Kessler’s desk, Mack asked, “Won’t that give you food as well as stim?”

Kessler, with a slightly puzzled expression on his face, answered, “Sure, but...”

“Well, why don’t we invite your assistant in to have lunch with us?” Mack asked pointedly. “If she’s your assistant, and what we are talking about is as important as you say, then surely she should be part of our meeting. You mentioned earlier that Kathy seemed to know what you wanted before you did. Ava will never be that good if you don’t include her in the loop.”

Kessler’s face flushed, but he bit back a retort while thinking. Finally, he blew out a breath and said, “Using your logic, I suppose I have a choice: either a secretary or an assistant. I guess I’m expecting her to fail because I want my old assistant back, or something like that.” To the com: “Ava, come in here.”

“Ava, would you come in here, please?” Mack snapped before he thought.

Kessler opened his mouth to snap back at Mack, but Ava was already entering his office. “Uh ... would you please have lunch with us, Ava?” Mack asked before Kessler could speak.

Ava, expecting to get yelled at again, looked startled but glanced at Kessler, who nodded.

“Certainly, Sir. I would enjoy that.”

Before Kessler could say anything, Mack interjected. “Ava, we’ve been going over my little trip to prehistoric times in detail, and Mr. Kessler thought you might want to be part of this meeting.” Mack outlined what they had gone over and then described in detail what they had been discussing about drawing the too-strong bow.

While he was talking, Mack went over to the dispenser. “What will you have, Ava? I’m new at this, but maybe I can get it right.”

Ava glanced at Kessler and stumbled over her order a little. Mack “forgot” to say comp before he ordered. After a couple more “mistakes,” Kessler (before he realized it) was ordering for all of them. About halfway through, it dawned on him that he had been had.

Kessler handed Ava her tray, then Mack’s. As Kessler took his seat at his desk, he said, almost seeming to be talking to himself, “I can count on one hand the people at Temporal that have the balls to stand up to me.” He glanced at Ava as she almost choked on her food before he continued in a stronger voice, “With one exception, I respect their opinions far more than I do others that are probably just as qualified. I suppose with all the tension in the last two years, I’ve just about forgotten my social graces. I’ve spent almost every waking moment in this office or tending to Temporal business in one way or another. I can’t even remember when I’ve eaten with someone just for friendship. Hell, I can’t even remember the last time I’ve made love to a woman.” He glanced at Ava, almost blushing, not believing he had said that in front of her.

“Well,” Mack said, “as soon as you get your new assistant trained, maybe you can slow down a bit.”

Lunch continued in a more relaxed vein than Kessler had originally planned, and as Mack got them dessert, this time without making any mistakes, Kessler said, “What about this ‘shimmer’ you mentioned ... Isn’t that what you said they called it?”

“Yeah, I think that’s what they said. But I had another similar instance while Kathy and I were sitting at the top of the bluff talking.”

They spent another couple of hours with Mack talking about his trip, as well as everything after Kathy and Thad found him at one million. Ava did not ask many questions, but she occasionally entered the conversation, obviously still ill at ease with Kessler, but her comments were pertinent. One thing that she did ask got their attention, though. “Mack, I’d like to see you do this.” Turning to Kessler, she asked, “Don’t we have a firing range? I’ve heard it mentioned. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to have Mack shoot his bow, maybe with some experts observing, like Dr. Jamison?”

There was silence for a moment before Kessler replied, “I think that would be a darned good idea. Set it up,” he said to Ava. “We’ll do it right now. Have somebody bring Mack’s bow and arrows from the time lab and meet us at the range. Get Jamison and tell him to get there ASAP. You’ll also need to have Mike set up the range. I don’t think the backstop that compensates for particle beams, even stepped-down particle beams, will be appropriate for stopping arrows. It would probably destroy them.”