Come Back to Me

27

Vanessa let out a long breath as she tried to focus on the meeting going on. After her reports, interviews, and borderline interrogations, she had been called to what was supposed to be the last meeting regarding her disappearance. Both her bosses were there along with their own boss, and several other important people that she completely forgot about. So far, none of them really wanted to be enforcing the ban, but it seemed as though the ones who appeared to be pulling the strings were even working for someone else.

"Miss Stevens," one of the older men spoke up. "I'm sorry that your case is, in lack of a better term, the straw that broke the camel's back, but things like this can't continue to happen. This matter of jumping through time was a bad idea from the start and should have been put to a stop then. There's still so much about it we don't fully understand and mistakes like these could be disastrous. I understand that your intentions were good, but so are the intentions of millions of others. I don't want to enforce the ban, but at this point I don't see any other alternative."

"Now hold on a second," Roy interrupted. "There's got to be some kind of middle ground. We can't just ban it completely after everything it has been and can be used for."

Spencer nodded in agreement. "What about stricter rules. Every machine made has a program that can be used to change its parameters."

One of the men let out a grunt. "So what you're suggesting is we go behind the backs of the people, change their machines, and call it a good idea?"

Roy shook his head. "No, not at all, Ambassador. What I'm suggesting is that we announce the plan and if anything put it to a vote. There's hardly anything to argue against."

Vanessa looked up at him. "What kind of rules would be put in place?"

"My first thought is that there's a time limit for how long someone can stay in the past. A month at most, but nothing like years. If they don't return by the end of that time, the emergency button like the one that sent you back, will pull them back into the present. The person will be put under a mandatory "cool down" period of six months before being allowed to go back again."

"You must be joking!" the Ambassador yelled. "All that wasted material for them to be gone a month and then a six month restriction? It makes no sense!"

"It was just one idea," Spencer defended. "All we're saying is that a ban should be a last resort. Not the first."

Vanessa couldn't help but roll her eyes. Even after all the previous discussions, hearings, and phone calls, none of them were any closer to coming to an agreement. At one point someone had gone so far as to suggest they go back to stop it from ever being created in the first place and putting an end to the whole thing. Thankfully that option was quickly thrown out.

"Maybe we should pick this back up when we can get on the same page," she said dryly. "Or at least come up with helpful suggestions."

She didn't have to look up to feel the glaring eyes on her. She was the last person anyone wanted to listen to. While she didn't fully blame them, she also was just about over the childishness of the whole situation.

"Look," she finally snapped. "You don't have to like me right now or what I say, I don't blame you and I take full responsibility for causing so many problems, but I can't change anything about it right now. We need to be on the same page, or at least in the same book, to fix anything. Or, call me crazy, maybe it's not as big an issue as you're making it out to be."

She regretted the words the moment they left her mouth.

"A man is dead because of someone you went back for. Not to mention the time that was spent wondering what even happened to you in the first place, the resources that you used without proper permission, and that's just to name a few things!"

"And I'm sorry!"

"Apologies don't give a man his life back!"

"That man was going to kill my friend! He was going to be the murderer."

"Unfortunately," Roy spoke up. "The could-have-been don't exactly hold up in court. The fact of the matter is that your partner, while acting in your defense, killed someone. He may not be facing murder charges, but a good portion of the public won't let that go. Not quietly at least."

"What would you have done? If you were in his shoes, knowing what Varg was going to become one day, would you have acted any differently? If it was your wife and friend getting hurt would you have just stood and watched?"

The room was silent, the eyes of those around her now looking down at the table or wall ahead of them.

"That's what I thought," she snapped. "If you'll excuse me, I think we're done here."