1984-07-04 “Finding Emma, Part 1” for Merritt (born 1960)

Merritt left Atlanta at 6 a.m. and reached Memphis 10 hours later, at 4 p.m. As he drove, he had a lot of time to think.

Merritt decided that he’d grab a couple rooms at the Peabody which was downtown, which is where the bus station was. He’d rest a bit and prepare to meet the bus.

He was looking for a version of Emma who would have arrived in Memphis in 1984. The Emma born in 1965 shifted back to 1880 and wrote a journal entry that had appeared on Emma from 1961’s Instagram. It said she had, on July 4, 1984 left Vicksburg for Memphis and had planned to sleep in the bus terminal. That’s where Merritt would be.

Merritt had stopped and called Greyhound and found that a bus was scheduled to reach Memphis at 7:40 p.m. Who would be on it? There were a number of possibilities. 

If only Merritt unshifted and ended up back to some different version of July, then it was possible none of the Emmas would be on the bus—all of them being elsewhere in November. He’d have burned a lot of gas for nothing.

Emma-1861 shifted from 1861 to 2024, so it definitely wouldn’t be her arriving in Memphis in 1984.

Emma-2005 shifted from 2024 to 1984. It could be her. He doubted she would have re-shifted from Nov. 1984 to July 1984, so it would be her first time shift and she would be confused.

Emma-1965 shifted from 1984 to 1880. It seemed to Merritt that there were 2 chances it was her. If there was a timeline on which she never shifted, she’d get off the bus and he’d be a stranger. 

But, if Emma-1965 unshifted like Merritt had, then she would be back on her correct timeline, like Merritt, but having spent 4 ½ months in 1880. She would have shifted from Nov. 1880 to July 1984 and be as confused as Merritt was.

Merritt had a feeling… In the realm of the unthinkable time-shifting, the most likely options would be an Emma-1965 who had never shifted or—what he thought was most likely—an Emma-1965 that had spent 4 ½ months in 1880 and was back in July for a second time.