“My name is Roland Duschand. I'm a commander in the High Sayarian army, Panderan Unit.” Roland says with a smile, there's something...warming about it, but you can't put your finger on it. It isn't like seeing yourself in the mirror, even though you've been living in this body for a while now.
“I've recorded several videos, some of which will never be seen by a single soul, and that is okay. The Anthropic Principle assures that this’ll be the one that you need to see. I know that doesn't mean much to you right now, so let me explain. I did say that I'm a commander, but that is not my only calling. I'm also tasked with fixing our timeline,” Roland trails off, looking off camera.
Fixing our timeline?
“Time runs in many directions at once. Your time runs alongside mine like an island on your blue planet. It may seem like we're worlds apart, but that is because there hasn't been the proper transportation. I have that transportation from a friend of mine here, of which I have no doubts that you may run across on your time here on Sayar. He likes taking the form of different animals, I'm sure that this may ring a bell?”
He must be talking about the bird that saved you from that cave. So, that was really a person that could turn into a bird? That doesn't sound like anyone you know. It actually sounds more like a Lunfilios since they are shape-shifters, so maybe he's talking about Khap-Ar? Then again, you don't even want to think about how many Lunfilios are out there in the world, narrowing it down to a single one would take an eternity's luck.
“The transportation I'm speaking of resides in the room just outside the one you're in now—down the hall there is a gigantic machine. It is used to access all times. I personally don't know how to use it, but I'm assured that once you're to use it you shall know what to do. Anyhow, that's not the part that is important right now. There is a poison that is causing havoc on our timeline, and we have found that it has begun near your time. If left undeterred your time would shatter, and trust me it looks way worse than it sounds.”
Our time would...shatter?
“Traveling to other times is a very dangerous activity, as the person who travels to other times is not intended to belong to those times. Now, the act of existing in a time not your own is not harmful to the timeline. This we've confirmed, and fortunately so. But of course those with ill intent who are in other times do tend to be bad news. There was such a person who had traveled from our time to yours—they stayed for almost a hundred years on your Earth. He was a Lunfilios who went by the name of Khap-En, I'm sure you've heard of him as he's regarded as a universal terrorist in our time.”
“Is he causing some trouble in my time?” You ask, forgetting you're speaking to a video.
“His actions led to the destruction of Earth, and he has been properly punished. We thought that would put an end to the poison in your time, the temporal disturbance, but that doesn't seem to be the case. We guess that he must have left something back in your time—something strong enough to cause this much disturbance—maybe something planned on his part or maybe a simple accident. Whichever one it may be, it cannot be left alone.”
He looks to the side one more time and takes a deep breath. “This is where you come in. In our time, you're long dead, it is the year 7,423. Of course, that is the year that you woke up in. Right now, you’re in what we call a pocket dimension—a separate existence built to look just like our time. Of course, it isn’t filled with life, but it isn’t meant to be. My friend set it up as a location for me to train, physically, mentally, the whole thing so I would be ready for my journey.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Like a rift in time?
“This pocket dimension exists outside of our own time—not affected by the passing of time or by the events of our time. I trained here for seven years in our time. Now your biggest question is of course, 'how did I end up in 7,423?' That's a simple explanation. My friend and I organized a plan to eliminate the poison from your timeline. I am to use the machine in the other room to travel to your time and seek out the disturbance and eliminate it. My friend sought me out for my combat prowess and high charisma—I can talk myself out of several hairy situations. He saw that I was most fit for the job. I obliged, and currently as of this recording I'm preparing the final stretch before I use the machine to head back. The machine my friend calls ICARUS sends my consciousness to any time that is plugged into it. It runs on our special Infinity Core—Infinity Engines—so powerful it could power your entire planet—it's that strong.”
You're still not sure of why this concerns you.
“My consciousness would need somewhere to go to, as my body cannot follow—that is how we avoid the problem of merely existing causing temporal disturbances, as nothing new is actually gained in the destination time...it is swapped. So yes, you were the candidate that we had chosen. It may hurt to hear this, but you were chosen because of the way your life ended—and your relationship with those around you. We were looking into your mentor, Noah Marshall, because we had learned that he was in direct contact with Khap-Ar for a majority of his young life—spending his time being taught things he should never have had the chance to know. As it turns out it seems someone on our end went and beat us to the punch—Mr. Marshall is in our time, but without knowing who it is we have little chance of doing anything about it. My friend is going to be keeping a close eye while I head to figure out also what they are intending to do.”
You peek down at the tablet and take a deep breath. It makes the most sense, but it doesn't make things any less crazy.
“We cannot predict our own future, however hard we may try. Technically, ICARUS grants us access to all times, but my friend has vehemently warned us against seeking our own futures, so now we look to the past. When our job is complete I shall return to our time—My friend will recall my consciousness using ICARUS and our minds will swap back to their intended places. Unfortunately for you, however, we had to return to the moment just before your death—delaying this moment in time until its owner returns.”
“...”
“I'm sorry to be the one to say it, but this was how it had to happen, it is where the signal of the disturbance is the strongest, and our best shot at finding it. When I finish my task we will both return to our lives. You will have to return to that moment. I'm telling you this because I'm going to need you to trust me, because you have access to ICARUS there, and you have full ability to tinker with it however you may please. My friend was hesitant about it, but I helped convince him to give you a choice for once in this matter. You can choose to find the way to reverse my decision and swap back now...or you can choose to trust me and let me finish my mission. Choosing to tinker with ICARUS could work to your benefit—you might find a way to swap your consciousness with a past version of yourself—maybe even before you made any choices you regret, but let me say that doing so would irrevocably lose any precious time that we have left in finding the disturbance, not to mention you'd be stranding that version of yourself to the year 7,416 without any explanation.”
“I know it isn't an easy choice, I've placed you in an impossible position, and for that I am eternally sorry, but I ask that you make a choice that you would be proud of. One that could help everyone in this universe and the next. My time here is about finished, I shall leave you to it. If you decide to leave ICARUS alone, there should be someone arriving in the bunker you're in shortly who can help you with the next step. If not, if you do choose to return home, well, I hope that you're able to solve whatever problems you have there before time collapses. Maybe you'll get to see her smile before it ends. Devon, I bid you adieu, my journey is just about to begin,” he nods his head and walks off camera, turning it off for good.