2024-12-31 “New Year’s Eve”

Addison thought it would be fun for all the Time-Traveler girls to dress up for New Year’s eve!

Everyone gathered in the common area of the apartments to ring in the new year. As 2024 faded into the past, the uncertainties of the year to come lay before them all. The had learned a lot about being Time-Travelers in the months they had spent together.

Perhaps even more, they had learned a lot about themselves and each other. Though they did not know for certain what the new year would bring, they believed that, together, they could handle it.

2024-12-31 “Hold That Thought” for Kent (born 1998)

 Kent looked over as Devon entered the apartment. Kent and Merritt were at the table having coffee.

Devon pointed out at the common area. “Are we supposed to dress up for this tonight?”

“This?” Merritt said. “I thought we were just hanging out.”

Devon shrugged. “Hannah, Emma, and Addison just retreated to their apartments to… Addison said ‘get dressed.’”

Merritt shrugged. “News to me.”

Kent picked up his phone and texted Hannah, telling her to contact Shay and Liza if there was going to be a plan of some sort, then he looked at Devon. “I was just making sure with Merritt that it’d be okay for me to use the dorm room tonight…”

Devon shook his head. “Why would it not? Nobody is using them. They were a good idea, for when we were swapping places, but now… not so much.”

Kent nodded and decided to bring up an idea. “So… listen guys… I got a plumbing problem with my house. The main line is leaking and it’s softened up the ground, so somehow the main sewer is sagging and on the verge of breaking… point is… I’m thinking about just selling it… What do you think Tom would say about me… moving into the dorm permanently… I don’t cook much, and the kitchenette is plenty for my needs…”

Merritt smiled. “I think it’s a good idea… If the four of us are going to be on missions, it makes sense you could be closer for our spaced-out days.”

Devon sat down and held up his hands. “Hold that thought…”

Devon looked down and laughed a little.

“What?” Kent asked.

“Guys, you’re not going to believe this. This morning David Ryder wanted to meet for coffee. He said he wanted to ‘front-load’ me for a question Shay is going to ask. She knows he did it..”

Merritt took a sip of coffee. “Go on…”

“Mr. Ryder said he had suggested I move into the Bank St. house. Third floor. The elevator goes right to it so I would never have to be on the floor with Shay and Liza. He said he liked the idea of a man being on the property… not that he had doubts about security, but what he called ‘high up and heavy’ duties. So… Yeah… Kent could take my place in this unit…”

Merritt and Kent both had a pile of questions, but it all actually made sense. Devon added that Liza pointed out it would be closer to both work and Columbia, then said, “It wouldn’t be much less private than sharing the common area with Emma… If her door’s open and ours is too, you can see each other.”

“So, is this a done-deal?” Merritt asked.

Devon shrugged. “I was thinking ‘no’ just cause I… don’t know… but it would be better for Kent. And me… of course… What do you guys think?”

The only issue they could think of was sharing the kitchen. Any problems that might cause were easily handled with bathrobes. The more they talked about it, the more it seemed like a good idea for a lot of reasons. Having Kent closeby for the mission events made a lot of sense.

In the end, Devon said, “Well then, I guess we just wait for Shay to ask the question.”

Merritt smiled. “…that her father already told you she was going to ask…”

2024-12-31 “Looking Ahead” by Hannah (born 2002)

Let me start off with a message to all of you who read my posts and follow my views on… all the Time-Traveler things! First, thank you! Secondly, I’d like to wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Much has happened since my last post.

Introducing my parents to Kent went… on one hand really well. They loved him. He felt great about everything. 

But… I kinda think Dad was ready to trade his daughter for a son! Exaggerating, of course, but Dad seemed so happy to have Kent around. They went  Quail hunting. Dad got his limit and Kent got one.

Kent explained to me that the Pinkerton Agent version of himself came through with knowledge about hunting and then–same Kent–the Bluewater guy had pretty extensive knowledge about firearms.

The day before we left, we all sat down and had a long, long talk about being Time-Travelers. Dad thought maybe the Instants following the Leading Edge might be like harmonics or aftershocks. He and mom both marveled that changes in the Following Instants could push changes into the Leading Edge. 

We agreed it was incredible. The most certain evidence was that the versions of us in Virginia now are continually changed in 2024 by things happening to them when they were in 1984.

To sum up, meeting the parents was great!

Yesterday, Will had a meeting with the partners to set up some accommodations for when the Travelers get missions. That, too, went well! Shay’s dad was there, and his influence was very positive. The partners also decided to hire a couple of physicists to begin a study of it all. That should be interesting…

So, we head to New Year’s Eve with what seems like a lot of things sorted out and us having some understanding of what's going on. What will look like when the Missions begin? I’m eager to find out!

2024-12-30 “That Was That” by Emma (born 1861)

Well, I figured I ought to make a post, since so much has happened since my last one. I was on the airplane then.

It was really nice meeting Merritt’s parents again. I was so scared and confused the first time. I remember I was just amazed by air conditioning.

Well, this time, it was better. We all talked a lot, and got to know each other. 

Merritt said it was a lot better for him since the memories from Merritt born in 2000 were in his head. After we was on the plan for Memphis, Merritt said his mom tol’ him she wudn’t surprised he was thinking about a future with me. She said she could see how he was about me that day back in July.

I half think she just said that, though. But like I said, that time before, I was so mixed up about everything!

We decided at the last minute not to tell them about Time-Traveling. It just seemed like it would muddle things up.

Now my daddy was just about crazy over the idea of me being with Merritt. He couldn’t hardly believe a fine man, an engineer with a promising future had taken a liking to me. He told me I oughta make sure to keep a man like that. I tol’ him I was planning on it.

Well, we come back to NY on a plane that leaves at night. We got back to the apartment just in time to find out we was supposed to be in a meeting with Will Robertson. Will wanted to let the rest of the big wigs at NYC SysCo know about Time-Traveling so they’d understand when Merritt and Hannah as well as Devon and Jacob got all distracted by the missions.

Now, turns out Emma from 1965 had witnessed an accident with one of the other partners that happened in1985. I got her on FaceTime and after that, everybody accepted that it was real. Plus Shay’s daddy was there and he had a lot to say what that helped them believe.

So, I’m about to go to bed, and I’m real happy how everything turned out. We got New Year’s coming up, so we’ll be able to rest up. We don’t know when we’re gonna have a mission, though.

 

2024-12-30 “Accommodations” for Merritt (born 1960)

Merritt and Hannah had joined Will in the conference room along with Liza, Devon, Jacob, and the four most senior partners of NYC SySCo. Will was prepared to tell them about Time Travel and explain why irregularities in the work schedule would need to be understood.

Will looked at Merritt. “Where is Emma, Addison, and Kent? Shay? I wanted to give the full picture.”

“They waited for Kent at the station. His train had a snag and is late. Shay… and her father… are in the lobby.”

“David Ryder is here?”

Merritt nodded.

At that, Jeff Walker said, “You mean Blue Water Express David Ryder?”

Merritt nodded. “Yes, sir. Shay is his daughter. He’s here to be with Shay over the holiday.”

Shay and David’s arrival bought a lot of time, but not quite enough for Emma and Kent to arrive. Will—backed by David Ryders’s assent to the claims—laid out what they had, over the months, learned about Time Traveling. Jacob was not shy about adding details.

After some time, Terrance Davis, a partner, said, “This is not conceivable. Duplicates? Merged memories? And multiple Instants of time propagating through… through… “

Jacob finished the thought. “Instants propagate through Existence.”

Davis shook his head. “Inconceivable. Definitely not physics as we know it.”

Just then, the door opened and Kent, Emma, and Addison walked in. Jeff Walker stood up and pointed at Emma as if seeing a ghost.

The room fell deathly quiet as Jeff stared and pointed, shaking his head.

Will finally urged him to say something.

“You said there was a Moment in Virginia in 1984… Well… Summer of ‘85, I was in a little town… Norton… A flatbed barreled through the main street carrying huge tires off of an excavator. Wel,l a car pulled out. The truck slammed on its brakes. One of the tires didn’t stop. I pushed my buddy out of the way, but not quick enough. My leg was shattered.”

Will smiled and looked at Emma. “She won’t remember it until this summer…”

“Remember what?” Davis asked.

Jeff pointed at Emma.

“She was nearby when it happened. She did EMT stuff… She had a medical bag… something about a training program… Morphine… Called for help… It was her. I’ll never forget the face. It was you.”

Emma shook her head. “It was the Emma born in 1965. Let me call her… She’ll remember that…”

“Call her?”

Will answered. “She lives in Virginia Beach… She’ll be 60 next year.”

“Her?” Jeff asked.

Merritt spoke up. “Four of us have duplicates living in Virginia Beach. Addison’s duplicate lives up in Sag Harbor.”

David Ryder then said, “There seems to be duplicates of others of us who are not connected… metaphysically… The 1800s David Ryder was a railroad man. The mid-20th Century version of me set up Bluewater Private Security… It shut down in the late 90s. He had no kids…”

Emma Facetimed Emma in Virginia and she recalled the accident in Norton. Seeing her on Facetime obliterated the remaining doubts in the room.

David Ryder continued to share his understanding and his experiences, making frequent references to Jacob and Liza’s research. “And… since this duplicate thing runs in similar ways… Shay’s mother is going to Houston later this week to MD Anderson Cancer Center. Both of the other Carols died next year from Cancer.”

At that point, the conversation turned inward toward known physics models. After a lot of discussion, they reached the same conclusion Will had reached much earlier. Whatever was happening was beyond known science.

Needless to say, they agreed to allow the irregular working arrangements for the Time Travlers with the condition that they provide copious notes on everything… every thought and detail they can remember.

Further, they decided to locate two young physicists that they could put on payroll to be part of the study. They weren’t sure it was science, or something else, but if it was science, they wanted to be at the forefront of understanding it.

So the meeting ended better than Will had hoped. Not only did they agree to let the Time Travelers miss as much work as needed, they contrived a way they could do that and still remain full-time and keep their benefits.

2024-12-29 “Making Allowances” for Will (born 1962)

Will and 4 of the other senior partners at NYC SysCo had, as a result of Will’s urging, hit the links with a nice after church Sunday afternoon tee time. They were about to come off the 9th and take a break in the clubhouse. 

Will rehearsed what he would tell them while they found their errant golf balls and putted out. 

Paul Charm had made it clear that there would be on-going occasions where Merritt, Hannah, Devon, and Jacob would be distracted by Time Travel events. Unpaid time off would be no problem; The Agency was generous with its compensation. Will had understood that Merritt and Hannah would be affected more often. 

Will had scheduled a meeting for the morning of the 30th. It was going to be a low output day ahead of a half day on Tuesday and the day off for New Year. 

The plan was to reveal to the top partners what was going on. Will would say he wanted to protect their jobs, despite them missing numerous days of work; that Devon and Liza could cover some of their duties, so clients would hardly notice. 

Jeff Walker was returning to the golf cart. “So you want to have a meeting with us and some Interns and tech’s?”

“Trust me,” Will replied, “it will be worth it. We’re peeling back what we think we know about time and space physics. The current models… don’t line up… I’ll give you a preview in the clubhouse.”

2024-12-28 “Show Time” for Paul (born 1910)

Paul Charm took his place on the stool, center stage, at Tom Jenkins’s American Heritage Theater. The opening trailer was running, so he knew he had 3 minutes to look interesting. And think.

The days were counting down until the 2024… 2025 Brooklyn Moment of Time Travelers would see their first mission. It was, for them, too, show time.

The merging of memories had proceeded well, though some of them experienced some confusion and a little distress. The Agency assured him they would get used to it.

Paul wasn’t sure. He’d been in contact with The Agency since June, and he still wasn’t used to it.

The Agency relied on the subconscious for a lot of what they had planned. Principally, through dreams and memories. They communicated with Paul through dreams. Very vivid dreams.

The Mission team—Kent, Hannah, Merritt, and Emma—had access to their own memories, plus those of what would be the 1882 Manhattan Moment, the 1985 Off-line Brooklyn Moment, and the 1985 Virginia Moment.

Paul was ready for them to ask how the merging worked. He had a model. Starting with the model that Instants propagated through existence like riding waves, and Instants 8 years apart were linked, he’d go from there.

Instants rode atop the corresponding waves. Above the waves, like air over an ocean, Paul conceived the idea of the ether. 

At some point in history, the idea that radio waves needed a medium through which to propagate was common. Ether was that medium, but was later abandoned. Paul would appropriate it.

He’d explain that the subconscious—dreams and memories—of each Time Traveler in each Moment in each Instant was connected to the ether. Memories would, when they slept, rise into the ether to be later retrieved by their duplicates. And that all of the Time Travelers shared the same ether explained why they felt so close to each other. 

Paul was sure his model worked for what actually happened. It might not be exactly how The Agency did it, but it explained it very accurately.

2024-12-27 “Something Lacking” for Addison (born 2002)

Addison took a couple of days off from work, kissed Jabob goodbye and hopped into her Civic—destination Sag Harbor where the version of her born in 1962 lived. She managed the trip in just over 2 hours and was welcomed by… herself… into the living room of lovely home on Harding Terrace.

Old Addison hardly looked 62, and Addison told her that.

“Well, the hair comes from a secret bottle my hairdresser knows about. Over the years, I’ve done every this-er-cize or that-er-cize that came along. I’m in pretty good health…”

Addison smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.”

They talked casually for a little while, then old Addison said, “Well, isn’t it something that our memories are merging…”

Addison smiled. “It is… It’s complicated…”

Old Addison reached to the end table beside her chair and picked up a Journal. “So, I started discovering your memories around Halloween, 1984. I worked in an office, which you already know… Well, I started writing down everything I discovered. I suppose if you think about it, you’ll remember me at the Hallmark Store picking one out.”

Just then Addison remembered. “Wow… so many memories in our minds just waiting for some question to come up to retrieve them… So you wrote them down?”

Old Addison flipped open the book. “December 25, 1984… Addison and Jabob shared the day with the others at the theater apartments. Now, I wonder if you remember me writing that?”

Addison leaned back. “I just now did.”

“Addison, it’s very scary… See… there’s nothing in this Journal past December 25. Yesterday, there was nothing past December 24. Each day that passes now ends up being a memory I had back in 1984 and ends up in the journal. I feel like I’m standing on memory quicksand!”

Addison understood. It was mind-numbing to try and make sense of it. The memories folding in on each other created a crazy paradox.

Old Addison flipped back a few pages. She glanced at it, then looked up.

“You and Jacob are struggling…” 

Addison shrugged. “Sort of. The memories… Not your memories…”

Old Addison nodded. “I know… I wrote it down. Your head is full of 1880s Addison’s memories, too. And Jacob’s with 1880s Jacob. That Addison being a man…”

Addison nodded. “We remember how the 1880s versions feel about each other and they are reeling when our memories of… each other… It’s a mess… Sometimes, I see my Jacob and have feelings for him from the 1880s Addison…”

Old Addison closed her journal and sat quietly for a moment, then she said, “Listen… I know the Hannahs and Emmas really want every version of themselves to be the same. Maybe they are… But I can tell you this… I am NOT the 1880’s Addison… and neither are you. There must be some… differences in our case…”

Addison smiled. “When I shifted into his body… It was very strange, but… as and actor, I’m comfortable taking on all sorts of roles. I was a bear once… A tree in elementary school…”

Old Addison laughed. “I was a tree once, too!”

Addison smiled. “I sort of figured that was why there could be a man Addison…”

Old Addison shrugged. “That doesn’t make you him nor him you. Now… if my understanding of the memories are right, a couple days from now back in 1984, I’ll remember this day and he’ll remember in back in 1881. Then a few days later you’ll remember what we remembered… then a few days I’ll remember that you remembered that I remembered… We’re going to explode! But… here’s the thing… 1880 Addison needs to understand that you are not him and Jacob is not the Jacob he knows. Your… physical responses to your Jacob don’t mean anything for him… And…”

She said nothing for a long time, then she went on. “Addison… There was supposed to be a Jacob in 1962. I… never got to… Well… my whole life, I’ve felt like something was lacking… something was missing… I never married… Then back on Halloween when I started remembering your memories… I knew what it was…”

She paused again for a long time, then wiped a tear from her eye and went on. “Don’t let Addison-the-man’s memories cause you to lose the best thing that… never happened to me…”

2024-12-27 “Friday Blonde” for Rebecca (born 1922)

Rebecca Flint opened the book from the week before as Sue Dunlap rolled up beside her. Sue adjusted her position and settled into her chair.

“I told that nurse I wanted the Friday Blonde from last week to read with me again,” Sue said. “I couldn’t remember your name.”

“Rebecca… You said you had a niece by that name.”

Sue nodded. “They say I don’t have dementia, but I guess I’m lazy about remembering things. We were up to Chapter 13 last week.”

Rebecca had forgotten where they left off. She found the place and began reading.

Sue was born in 1935. Rebecca had gone to the nursing home to volunteer because she thought it would be nice to be around people who remembered some of the same things she remembered. 

Rebecca had hit it off with Sue when she asked if she had ever worn a poodle skirt. Sue would have been 15 or so when they became very fashionable. Sue had gone on and on about them, and Rebecca listened carefully, enjoying Sue’s nearly forgotten descriptions of what Rebecca had been living 10 months earlier (by her experiences, having Translocated forward from 1952).

Becoming a volunteer at Agape Homes had been a little tricky. To volunteer she had to have a valid state issued ID (driver’s license). To get a driver’s license, she had to have two pieces of mail with her address on it. To get mail, she had to have an address. To get an address, she had to have an ID.

Before she abandoned New Order, they had created a 1960 Birth Certificate and altered the Social Security records. She had a 1960 NY license, but that expired.

Despite the circle of barriers, Rebecca managed a lease, got her address changed with the bank, waited for a bill for cable and Internet, and hit the DMV at a very busy period when the fact she didn’t look at all like a 64 year old woman would be ignored.

Credential finally in hand, she was ready for life in 2024. She just didn’t know what she would do.

But Agape Homes was something.

2024-12-26 “Jacob’s Findings” for Devon (born 2002)

Devon led Shay up the stairs into the common area of the apartments. As the neared the top, he could hear Addison and Jacob talking.

Devon and Shay reached them and Addison said, “I was just telling Jacob something interesting I picked up from Paul Charm…”

“What’s that?” Devon asked.

“Well, he was talking about the Time Traveler Moments for the year to come… He said there’s the 2025 Brooklyn Moment, the 1985 Virginia Moment, the 1985 Off-line Brooklyn Moment and then he said something that seemed off…”

“Which was?” Jacob said.

“He said there was a 1882 Manhattan Moment. I said, ‘Don’t you mean Memphis?’ He said, ‘Ah… Same people… We can say ‘Memphis Moment’ for now.’ He wouldn’t say much more except it would be clear in a few weeks…”

Devon watched Jacob shaking his head and looking at Shay.

“What?” Devon said.

“Monday at NYC SysCo… Liza and I got tired of pretending to work, so we asked Will if he’d hook us up with a contact at the City Register’s office… So… okay… let me go back. Shay… your house… it’s historic. It had to be something that could be tracked… When we were trying to figure out if we all are on the same timeline… I got the idea… Anyway, Liza and I got to look up deeds on that house…”

“My house?”

Jacob nodded. “Also, Liza did some newspaper searching, so we fleshed out a few details. It was built in 1870 by David Ryder for his wife, Carol and daughter Shay. Shay left NY in 1880 to go to Memphis to work with Yellow Fever recovery. We know that from… you know… talking to Shay.”

Shay smiled. “I have her… my memories of that.”

Jacob went on. “In January, 1882, Carol passed away from consumption. Earlier in January, Shay arrived back in NY with friends she made in Memphis… two married couples and the black servant of one of the men… Devon Collier… So… the 3rd floor of the house was quickly remodeled from servant quarters into two bedrooms where the married couples lived. I assume Devon occupied the 2nd bedroom on the 2nd floor…”

Shay shook her head as well.

Jacob shrugged. “We wouldn’t remember it… it hasn’t happened yet. So, David Ryder deeded the house to Shay and he moved into a fancy coach that he had pulled from place to place… And here’s something else that was in the papers… Devon Collier enrolled in Columbia University to study engineering…”

At that, Shay grabbed Devon’s hand and her mouth fell open.

Addison shook her head. “What? What’s going on?”

Devon shook his head. “We weren’t going to bring this up until it is final… Shay’s mom made some calls and everything is on track for me to start at Columbia for spring term…”

Jacob closed his eyes and shook his head. “Wow… How about that?”

Shay looked at Jacob. “Anything else?”

“Shay had no heirs, so before she died, she sold the property and donated all of the money from her estate to Howard University, Tuskegee Institute, Spelman College, and Morehouse College.”

Shay then asked, “Did she ever marry?”

Jacob smiled. “Liza tried to find that out. Nothing was mentioned of it. But, there were some big society page articles… So, summer of 1882, Shay, the two couples… I assume Hannah, Kent, Merritt, and Emma… along with the black servant… Devon… went to Jamaica. The paper speculated that the heiress to the Ryder fortune was going there for a secret wedding. When the six of them returned without the mystery groom, the papers reported the rumors were ‘much ado about nothing.’”

Just then, Devon had an epiphany. “Okay… plot twist… a day or two from now, Shay, Devon, Addison and Jacob will remember us having this conversation about things they are going to do, but haven’t done yet!”

Jacob’s eyes bulged and he looked at Shay. “Oh… wow… Shay is going to know her mother dies in January… that’s why they pack up and rush back to NYC…”

Addison shook her head. “My brain just melted.”

2024-12-26 “Meeting Parents” by Hannah (born 2002)

Well, it’s happening. I’m taking a guy home to meet the parents. I’ve talked to my mom about Kent a few times… enough that she asked a call or two back when they got to meet him. That’s going to be today.

My dad, the physics teacher, is excited to meet Kent, the electrician. Dad always has been handy with wiring and things, so there’s that. And on Saturday, Dad wants to take Kent up to a farm his buddy owns to hunt Quail. So… that escalated fast! I’m an only child, so I think Dad wants to try out a “son” figure.

While we’re doing this, Emma and Merritt are hitting Atlanta to meet his parents, then on Saturday, they fly to Memphis and drive to Vicksburg. They will red-eye back to New York so Merritt can stagger into work on Monday.

So… meeting the parents… 

Perspective… I’ll be 23 in March. Kent will be 27 in October. We’ve sort of come to a place financially where there’s nothing on that front to prevent marriage.

And if me using that word is a surprise, let me remind you that this Time-Travel phenomenon creates a really intense bonding experience. Our thinking now is that whatever process merges our memories with the duplicates also creates what Merritt has called a metaphysical connection with each other.

Speaking of those merged memories… The Hannah and Kent now in 1881 are happily courting. The Hannah and Kent in now the 1984 Virginia Moment are happily dating… and we KNOW they get married in fall of 1985, because they told us that when we met them.

And the Hannah and Kent on the 1984 Off-line Moment are already married. That Hannah’s memories of married life… I’ll just say I’ve been preoccupied by them more than once. 

As the memories merge more and more, it's as if every day dating him is 4 days dating (3 days dating and 1 day married, to be more accurate). 

To the point of me marrying Kent in 2024… that I am thinking of marriage should not be a surprise to anyone. 

So… yes… we’re talking about it. But no… No firm plans. Yet. 

2024-12-26 “Meeting Parents” by Emma (born 1861)

Well, I’m on an airplane again. This is my 2nd time.

Compared to that first flight, I feel like a different girl. Truth be told, I feel like four different girls rolled into one, an’ one of them has a husband. I’ll just skip over talking about that, this time.

Me and Merritt are on our way to Atlanta to meet his parents. Then, we’re flying to Memphis an’ renting a car to drive to Vicksburg to meet my dad.

It’ll be good to see him on account I have memories of growing up from the Emma born in 2005. Me and him had it… That Emma and him… let’s just say when “our” mother died, it was real hard. I see why he backed my idea to go off and find a better job. So, I’m looking forward to meeting him, ‘xcept he won’t know it’s my first time. An’ it’s a lot to explain about Time-Traveling, so I’ll probably not bring it up.

Meanwhile, Hannah and Kent are driving to Scranton to meet Hannah’s folks. Kent’s folks have done passed away, so they won’t have to rush.

Now, I outta say Addison made a big fuss about “meeting the parents.” She went on like it was one step away from walking down the aisle. Me an’ Merritt think we’re on that path, but we haven’t known each other a whole year yet.

Same for Hannah and Kent.

Well, Shay insisted on driving us to the airport in one of her Tahoes. I guess I mean, she rode with us and Cole Pryce drove. He’s sort of quiet, but seems real nice. ‘Course Devon rode too. He sat up front with Cole. Devon gets on good with everyone, and I’m sure glad him and Shay are dating.

I wanna say one more thing in this post. Addison and Jabob are gonna go up to the Hamptons to a place called Sag Harbor where the Addison born in 1962 lives. They talked on the phone an’ all that, so I hope she like meeting herself as much as I did meeting the Emma in Virginia.

Now, I know that sounds crazy. Truth told, all this Time-travel business sounds crazy, and feels it, too when you're in the middle of it.

2024-12-25 “Christmas Day”

2024-12-25 CHRISTMAS DAY—It was Christmas, 2024 and in the common area of the Tom Jenkins’s American Heritage apartments, the Time Travelers and their friends met together, sharing the day, talking about the past, and speculating about the future.

Thank you to all of the Time Traveler readers, fans, and supporters! 

2024-12-24 “‘Twas The Night…” for Paul / Rebecca (born 1910 / 1922)

Christmas Eve, a night oft spent with family and friends, came off differently for two of the Time Travelers.

PAUL CHARM turned away from the window in his Brooklyn apartment and looked into the space that didn’t quite feel like home; a loft apartment a few blocks away from Tom Jenkins’s American Heritage Theater where he worked. He thought replacing the air mattress (which he thought was an amazing invention) with a real bed could be a step in the right direction.

It had been just over a month since he Translocated from 1945 Chicago to 2024 St. Louis and less than 2 weeks since reaching NYC. It was far too soon to consider the other Time Travelers friends, though he figured something akin to that would develop over time. They were all around 10 years younger than him by time walking under the sun. Most were MUCH younger when he considered the actual year of birth—all except 20 y/o Emma who was born in 1861.

When he looked out his window, he could just barely see the windows of the apartments above the theater. There was a glow from within; Christmas lights he guessed.

From Paul’s point of view, the Christmas before had been Dec. 25, 1944 and he was in the RAF waiting for Santa in the barracks of an airbase. He and his buddies sat around the Marconi radio listening to Forces Radio and swapping dreams for after the war. It was 80 years later—for Paul, 12 months had passed—and thousands of miles away. He was in a city surrounded by millions of people, but he was alone.

REBECCA FLINT stopped her Fat Boy and put down her feet. It was Christmas Eve and she had just finished what she had come to think of as a patrol lap. She had it in her head that she needed to keep an eye out on behalf of the Time Travelers living in the Leading Edge Brooklyn Moment. That’s where The New Order had dumped her. She didn’t know what she was keeping an eye out for, but she guessed she’d know it if she saw it.

She had Translocated out of 1952 at the age of 30. The days and weeks or months sort of got lost as she bounced around doing work for The New Order, but when her will to do their work was tapped out, they Translocated her to December 8, 2024. She was counting all the time-travel as a year, so that made her 31. She’d probably say she was 29 as a matter of principle.

Her last Christmas had been in 1951, and she had spent it with her brother and his girlfriend. This one, she would spend alone.

She looked down the alley toward the building where another Translocator, Paul Charm, lived. She’d be keeping an eye out on behalf of him, too. Just in case The New Order objected to what The Agency was trying to do.

2024-12-23 “Meet The Parents” for Merritt (born 1960)

Merritt and Emma cuddled on one of the sofas in the common area. Behind them, Addison and Jacob sat at the table in the kitchenette sharing reheated Chinese food. Their words were lost to the softly playing Christmas music, but their occasional laughter spoke of their relaxed mood.

Emma nuzzled back into Merritt and kissed his cheek. “I’m so happy.”

“Me, too.”

Merritt tilted his head and kissed Emma’s forehead, then they both relaxed, her body melting into his chest. They sat still, as the music bathed them in warm wishes and good cheer.

Finally Emma sighed. “So, is the trip a ‘meet the parents’ meet the parents or is it just… regular meeting the parents?”

Merritt pulled her tight. “I’d say it’s ‘meet the parents’ meet the parents. Whose memory did you get that from? That’s not an 1881 expression.”

Emma laughed. “I can’t tell. Everything is so connected.”

Merritt understood. The memories were, for the most part, hard to sort out unless it was long and drawn out. But, there were certain memories from the Off-line 1984 Moment that were obvious; so far, that Moment was the only to have married couples.

2024-12-23 “More Memories” by Hannah (born 2002)

Merritt, Devon, Liza, and I are at the office today and tomorrow. (We decided to take Friday off instead of Christmas Eve.) Will is here, too, and according to him, he’s pretending to look at specs for overhead warehouse supports. The company has quite a few warehouse re-designs going on as they try to keep up with tech advances.

Will told me to pretend to look at all of my markups from all my site visits, then he reminded me that there were snacks in the break room. And then he insisted all of us join him at 10:30 for lunch. Then he said, we’d come back to the office around 1:00 and wrap up anything we needed to pretend to do.

Merry Christmas!

Emma and I had coffee earlier, before she started breakfast and before Addison came to help. We talked about those… married memories. I mentioned that I was shocked awake—in a nice way—by memories from Hannah in the 1984 Off-lie Moment. In that group, Emma and Merritt are married and Hannah and Kent are married. So, now if I think about it… I get (as does Emma)… married memories—lest the censors judge harshly and  strike down my post, I’ll leave it at that.

Emma and I decided to NOT mention this to the boys. If they haven’t experienced it already, we don’t want to… light a fire.

If they have, then… Emma said she’d be embarrassed; I probably am right there with her.

But it has me thinking… With 5 days off, I think it’s a good idea to drag Kent to Scranton to meet my parents. And… yes, it’s kinda like a “meet the parents’ moment. His parents died when he was 20 in a car wreck.

As we ate, Emma brought up the idea to Merritt. He got pretty excited (he’s very even-keeled, so to notice anything means he was really spun up.)

They are going to fly to Atlanta on the 26th, then fly to Memphis on the 28th and rent a car to go to Vicksburg. They’ll fly back on the redeye and arrive Monday.

I’m not going to say the married memories are, by themselves, the reason for the visits. But, I’d be lying if I said they weren’t a factor, at least for me.

2024-12-22 “Changes” by Emma (born 1861)

I guess it’s regular that, come Christmas and New Year, people stop and think about the year just passed. Well I have a lot to think about. Mostly from the 2nd half of the year, after I shifted from 1881 to 2024.

Well, aside from just about everything to do with 2024, getting a job making enough to pay rent and live on was a really big thing for me. Now that the different versions of us have started getting merged memories, I realize my theater job is pretty good compared to a lot of things. I know lots of people in the world barely get by. And as I am on the topic of money, being added to Traveling Friends LLC  is utterly amazing.

I got the memories from Emma who’s in Virginia that came from 2024, so I know the 2024 daddy who’s still in Vicksburg a little better. He’s some like my 1881 daddy. He’s a proud man, but I think I’ll see about shifting some of my money his way on the regular. He feels more like family now.

Well, I want to say a few things about this picture. I’m letting the robe be open to make a point, not to be naughty. I never ever set out to make naughty pictures, but I guess some of them might look like I did. Emma in Virginia says I was too carefree, like she was in 1984.

But, after talking to her, calling, and texting, I feel like I need to say something about all the pictures of me not in a bra. She tol’ me how some people take a girl being braless in certain ways. Hannah an’ Addison say she’s right. I jus’ never thought I needed one on account of being petite.

So, you can see I got on a bra, and now on, I’ll be sure to wear one when going out in public. ‘Course I wore one for church, then we went over and helped in the homeless program serving meals. We come home and changed and went for pizza. I’ had it on all day. 

Now, I’m not saying I’ll wear a bra in every situation from now on. But going to the store or dinner out or church and to college, I’ll wear one. 

So… that’s all I guess, ‘cause I’m out of letters and don’t want to continue in comments.

2024-12-22 “Holiday Mode” by Hannah (born 2002)

When an unexpected memory from one of the other Moments woke me up a little while ago, I caught my breath, and sat up on the bed. Then heard Emma in the kitchen. I hauled myself in and made coffee. She was in one of the robes Shay had given us prepping for breakfast. I sat down and we had a nice chat.

“I like those jammies,” she said.

I smiled. “Liza said when they unloaded the dresser and counted, Shay’s mom had sent her 34 sets of pajamas and nighties in the short time she’s lived here.”

“I s’pose her mom means well… Do you think anyone else is up for church? Last Advent today.”

“I heard Addison flush a while back. She’ll probably be over soon to help as usual.”

Emma returned to dicing peppers and onions, so I assumed it was going to be omelet day.

She chopped a little, then said, “So, I guess we just sit around and wait for Paul to tell us we’re about to get dazed so the Off-line Moment can Translocate and do a mission…”

“Yeah… It makes me nervous. How are we going to keep our jobs?”

“Well… what with Traveling Friends, LLC and the money from The Agency coming in… You know Pay It Forward Society still pays our rent to Tom every month… I never did figure out why I got money from Aux Autres…”

I laughed. “You probably held the door open for someone at some store. We hardly have to do anything… But, Will said Merritt, Devon, Liza, and I should all get our Engineering Licenses, then we could move upstate and open our own firm… do small jobs around the Time-Travel missions.”

Emma chopped a little more, then said a little sheepishly, “Hannah, do you ever find memories from the Off-line Moment?”

“Like what? I mean… you know it’s not alway clear which Moment the memory is from…”

Emma wouldn’t make eye contact. “These are… Memories of being… a wife… and having a husband… and…”

She trailed off, but I knew what she was talking about; I had just been woken up by one. “Oh… yeah… uh… marriage memories…”

Emma smiled. “They seem really nice, though…”

I nodded. “That’s an understatement.”

1984-08-07 “Nature Of Translocation” for Merritt’ (born 1960)

Merritt and Emma Gray stood with Kent and Hannah Marlon in a theatrical props and costume storage building. They stared at each other and shook their heads. Paul Charm had just vanished before their eyes after explaining their roles in future Time-Travel missions.

Kent broke the silence. “Well, this isn’t intrusive…”

“No, not at all!” Merritt’s voice was sarcastic.

Hannah rolled her eyes. “Quick review… We are to move into the apartments above this costume and props storage building, then on short notice, come here, change into something suitable for various periods of time throughout history, have a seat in the provided recliners and wait to have our bodies hurled through time and space in order to carry out some cryptically described mission…”

Emma laughed. “Don’t forget that he said our clothes will usually Translocate with us…”

Merritt shook his head. “Well, like Paul said, at least we’re married…”

Hannah laughed again. “But I’m only married to Kent. I sure don’t want to show up in an 1849 gold rush town in some closet sans clothes with you!”

“Point taken,” Merritt replied. “I got the idea clothes would go with us as a rule…”

Kent shook his head. “I’m not liking this ‘low density limit’ thing…”

“Yeah,” Emma replied. “He said buttons and zippers were sort of the upper limit on metal. Small belt buckles only.”

Hannah laughed. “Well, isn’t it common knowledge that Translocating metal through time and space is a no-no?”

“Guess it is now,” Kent replied. “He was emphatic… ‘No swords or guns… knives probably exceed the limit…’”

“So we just sit here and wait to get shot through time and space,” Hannah said again.

No one said anything for a moment, then Emma spoke. “He said, we’re an Off-line Moment. Does that mean we aren’t even real?”

Merritt pulled her in close. “You feel pretty real to me. Especially when you kiss me!”

Kent shook his head. “How does he always come up with those romantic remarks! Makes me look bad!”

Hannah turned and kissed Kent. “You look pretty good to me.”

2024-12-21 “Nature Of Moments” for Merritt (born 1960)

Merritt and everyone else sat in the common area of the apartments as a man named Paul Charm set out to explain the whole of the time-traveling that had utterly changed the lives of him and his friends. Merritt had taken notes from earlier.

• Time flows like waves propagating through a canal (see diagram).

• There is a primary line of time called the Archline.

• Any point in the canal is called an Instant.

• Any 2 Instants that are 8 years apart are linked. (Corresponding Instants.)

• Groups of Time-Travelers in an Instant are called Moments.

• Instants that are “off-line” from the Archline lag behind.

• There are duplicate versions of some people in some Corresponding Instants. 

• Duplicate Time-Travelers in Corresponding Instants have merged memories.

Before Paul went on, Kent spoke up. “So, under the right circumstances, I can remember what Kent from 1881 did last week?”

Paul smiled. “What did he do?”

Kent shook his head. “Wow… Very much sitting around Merritt’s house…”

Just then Merritt remembered the same events from his point of view. “Oh… wow… It’s so cold…”

Paul smiled. “Now, let’s talk about what’s next, shall we?”

He looked around the room and went on. “There are 4 linked moments… 3 on the Archline and 1 that is off-line. They are all important… And, for some reason, only 5 duplicates instantiated in 1984, but the missions can go on.”

Then Tia spoke up. “Okay… just for the record… Why am I here? I’m not a duplicate.”

Paul smiled. “Ah, well… I’m getting to that. The missions… Now, you can just forget the idea of shifting. With the memories merged, you will just focus into one instant. Members of all 3 Archline Moments will collectively focus into one Instant. These, we’ll call a Focus, not a shift.”

Merritt realized something. “Then the people in the other Instants will veg out…”

Paul nodded. “Tia, Liza, Eric, Tom, Will… Caleb, too… And anyone not in the Focus will need to pitch in and keep the kettle going while the others… veg out.”

Merritt had a good idea he knew what the “veg out” experience was like. He guessed it was what happened to Hannah, Kent, Emmah, and him earlier when they sat around in a daze.

Paul confirmed his guess. “When the Focus occurs, those linked to, but not in it, will be aware, just not really active. Whereas it takes some time for the memories to merge, they won’t know what’s happening in the Focus in real time. So… there’s that…”

Liza then spoke up. “So… suppose Merritt and Hannah are in a Focus… Mr. Robertson, Devon, and I might have to cover for them at the office while they are distracted, right?”

“Exactly. Not just in a Focus, though. There’s something else…” Paul looked around and no one said anything, so he continued. “Now, for the 5 of you with duplicates in 1984… 4 of you will be taking part in a different kind of mission. This is called Translocation. It’s far more complicated than a Focus… It involves that off-line Moment in 1984.”

Tia laughed a little. “Oh… So a Translocation is more complicated than just… time-travel… I see.”

Eric laughed too. “Good point.”

Merritt agreed. “Okay… tell us about this more complicated thing.”

“Translocation,” Paul said, “involves actually moving bodies—not just consciousness—though time. And the destinations are not limited to Instants that line up on the 8-year marks. Those 8-year-apart Corresponding Instants are easier to access, but other years can be reached.”

Emma shook her head. “You are going to shift our bodies through time?”

“And space…” Hannah added. “Don’t forget that!”

Paul shook his head. “No, not your bodies… Your minds will link to the Translocation and run things… you will… eh hm… ‘veg out’ like with a Focus, so everyone will have to support you in the same way. But your bodies won’t be going anywhere.” 

Merritt offered up a guess. “So, the off-line Moment supplies the bodies and our consciousness links in…”

Paul nodded. “Exactly! And after all the memories sync up, you’ll remember what you did! Now I need to bop off to 1984 and explain things to that lot.”

He looked at Tom. “I’ll be back before the Dinner Show. Worry not!”

2024-12-21 “Previously Unconsidered” for Liza (born 2003)

Liza was halfway between being asleep and being in the shower when she encountered her reflection in the mirror of the dresser. She paused, a thought passing unbidden through her mind.

“Am I pretty?”

It had been many years since she had stuffed that question deep into the part of her mind where she kept things she didn’t need. There, it would have stayed had…

…had everything in her life not drastically and suddenly changed.

Time-travel was a thing only in fiction books. But for Liza, being friends with people who accepted her nerdy awkward ways was equally far-fetched. She had more than once thought that she would have believed in time-travel before she would believe she could have friends.

Further, the social connect-the-dots game had opened the possibility of a relationship with a very nice guy. Caleb Hastings, brother to the guard of Shay, one of Liza’s new friends, was handsome, kind, and smart. He was starting a masters degree in computer science at NYU.

He self-identified as being nerdy but he seemed pretty regular to Liza. And he had told her he liked being with her. Without putting a label on it, they agreed they were together as a couple.

So into the corner of her mind where she kept things she didn’t need, she dredged up that middle school question she had ignored for so long…

“Am I pretty?”

The passing of years had taught Liza there was only so much she could do with regard to her outward appearance. Shay had helped her learn about many of those. She’d try. To an extent that seemed reasonable.

Moreso, Liza wanted to “be pretty” as a person. There were among those time-travelers, several who she’d try to learn from.

And, it looked like she’d have a chance to do it. Later that morning, she and others were to meet a man named Paul Charm who would explain each person’s role in things to come. Thus, it seemed, Liza’s future would be woven into theirs.

2024-12-20 “Weekend Ready” for Kent (born 1998)

It was Friday before Christmas and Kent had gone to the apartments to spend it with Hannah. Merritt and Emma would join them later, but they had opted for dinner out.

They were sitting in the common area when the outside door buzzed and Devon and Shay made their way up the stairs. Kent looked up.

Devon nodded. “Who’s ready to give up a Saturday to finally figure out about all this Time-Travel stuff?”

“I am, for sure,” Hannah answered.

Shay then looked at Hannah and changed the subject. She seemed nervous, but was not to look like it.

“I brought a bunch of sweaters. My mom sends them. Liza made me count… There were 27. So, she thought I should pick some for me and share the rest. I kept 8, in case mom asks. She took 6 and I have the rest for you and Emma. I think they’d be too small for Addison… since…”

She didn’t finish, but everyone understood.

Hannah smiled. “Thank you so much… Emma will be back later… You… can you stick around? We’re just hanging out.”

Devon answered. “We thought we’d do that.”

Shay still seemed nervous to Kent. He didn’t think it was the sweaters. She cut her eyes at Devon and took a deep breath, then put her arm around Devon’s waist.

She smiled and looked down.  “So… we’re dating now. I wanted to just get that out so… no one would wonder. So… that everyone would know."

When she was done, she looked up and seemed to relax.

Kent thought it was a bit of an abrupt segue from sweaters, but not unusual for Shay. “Dating? Woo… Devon got lucky!”

“Or pre-dating…” Shay shrugged. “And I’m the lucky one, if you ask me.”

“Pre-dating?” Hannah asked.

“Dating… Just call it that…” Devon smiled.

Shay seemed very pleased with Devon’s reply. “I just wanted to get it out so no one would be wondering.”

Kent noticed Hannah and Devon make eye contact. Devon nodded and, to Kent, it seemed like a full stop period to the little week the two of them had pretended to be a couple. 

Kent asserted his opinion again. “Next to me, I’d say Devon is the luckiest guy I know.”

2024-12-20 “Nature Of The Agency” for Rebecca (born 1922)

Rebecca Flint parked her Fat Boy and got off. She looked down the alley that ran behind Tom Jenkins’s American Heritage Theater; it was unoccupied. She had been dumped into 2024 for almost two weeks, but she’d gotten a lot done.

She sold her Bay Ridge property for a cool $1.8 million. When she checked her income over expenses for rental from 1952 to 2024, she had another $1.2 million. Invested with some diversification to generate income, she could draw enough to rent a 1-bedroom in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn and be more than comfortable.

Room and board established, she was ready to… She actually had no idea what she should do. But, her encounter with The New Order and what they said about The Agency convinced her she needed to keep an eye out on The Brookline Archline Moment.

She’d visited the theater twice. The first time with a Halloween black dye on her hair that didn’t wash out as easily as the bottle said it would.

She’d seen a few members of the Moment plus their handler, a Translocator like herself. She didn’t know what to do about it.

But her knowledge of The New Order and The Agency left her thinking she should… something.

According to The New Order, The Agency was far from benevolently trying to advance civilization. They had first started meddling in the early 1800s.

Supposedly, they had accelerated social and technological advances by centuries. Rebecca knew there were differences in many ways, but to her 124 and 1124 and 1524 weren’t a lot different. Animals pulled plows and everything was dirty. 100 BC and 1000 BC… she couldn’t think of many differences.

But… 1824 to 1924. Yes. 1924 to 2024. Also emphatically yes.

But why? 

The New Order claimed it wasn’t as idealistic nor altruistic as The Agency would say it was. But, it was the New Order that sought to un-instantiate… Her thoughts balked before they relived her deal with the devil.

2024-12-20 “Nature Of Time” for Paul (born 1910)

Paul Charm stood in the dressing room drinking a cup of coffee. Not a black rust-remover version from his WWII days in the RAF. Smooth, creamy theater coffee. He wasn’t complaining.

Looking up Addison approached, robe mostly tied closed wearing a fedora. “Your hat?”

Paul thought it was just a notch shy of being flirty. “Probably one of the dozen Tom bought for the costume closet. My actual fedora’s not quite so fresh.”

Addison smiled and took it off. “So, you’re going to make me wait before telling me anything about the time-traveling?”

Paul smiled. “Too much to tell twice. Is everyone ready to spend some time tomorrow?”

Addison nodded and headed back to where our costume was kept.

Paul had a lot to tell the others—things that would have never occurred to them. He’d start with the very nature of time, explained by virtue of a wave analogy.

Existence could be considered a vast shallow dish of water. From a central point radiated waves like ripples in a pond. The waves moved out in all directions.

One direction was prime; the actual line of common existence. This was the Archline. 

Existence propagated continually from the origin, an Instant riding the top of the wave. And every eight years, a new wave started its own course with its own Instants riding along. The Leading Instant of the Archline had almost reached the year 2025.

In any Instant were what The Agency called Moments. The 8 Time-Travelers Paul would meet with, were the Brooklyn Moment of the Leading Instant on the Archline of time.

But Moments could exist off of the Archline. They would lag behind, but would still be part of the Instant. 1984 had an important Moment that was off-line.

Time-travel was easiest from the top of one wave to the top of another. Hence travel was easiest to any Instant some distance that was a multiple of 8 from the Leading Instant.

It was complex and confusing. Paul knew that, and expected he’d have to go through it all several times… with the Brooklyn Moment.