Dynamic Duo: Gauge & Polly

Chapter 15: The Beginning

There would be three months of preparation before Gauge and Polly perform their first temporal jump. Because of the nature of their mission, the 'Time Keeper Force' was sworn to secrecy, even after the embargo lifted. When the company revealed itself to the world for the first time, Insight Mechanics had two sides. The side that worked for the public and the side that worked for the Dynamic Patrol. While they were allowed to mention innovations and devices that would benefit the world publicly, the side that worked for the Patrol involved Gauge and Polly operating out of their Mother's facility. Of course, time travel was outlawed after the temporal war... but most people wouldn't be surprised to know that the Dynamic Patrol operated in a bracket that most would consider being 'outside the law.' 

This meant, unfortunately, Gauge and Polly were sworn to secrecy; they couldn't tell their classmates and most members of the Patrol, including other heroes, and especially not their father. Gauge and Polly were a little uncomfortable with that; they told their father everything... and keeping secrets made Polly feel like his Mother, which wasn't a good thing. During those three months of preparation, Gauge and Polly delved deep into their training regimen under the watchful eye of their Mother, Meredith, and the skilled technicians at Insight Mechanics. They were put through rigorous simulations, honing their skills in temporal navigation, observation, and intervention, and each day brought new challenges and discoveries as they familiarized themselves with the intricacies of the time-skimming technology.

Despite their upcoming mission's excitement, Gauge understood the importance of discretion, but Polly struggled with it. Both brothers were ordered to sign a contract stating that they would never reveal their 'internship' to anyone who didn't hold a clearance high enough to know what they knew. Finally, Gauge and Polly were essential. More than just junior members. They were special. Even around the office, they were the golden boys because they were children of Meredith and the only DP heroes allowed inside of Insight; although Polly wouldn't admit it, he did like being a little star; he was especially popular in the coffee shop within the food court, but Gauge was more focused on trying to do his job, he brought his laptop because he wanted to show his mom all the things he'd come up with. She was supportive, but even he could tell she... didn't really care; she was focused on her own company, more sophisticated technology. The Gauge would often occupy her lab, where she would write endless lines of mathematical equations and various drawings of... something on a whiteboard; Gauge could ascertain that these were drawings of the device they would be using to travel through time.

Now, both Gauge and Polly occupied the laboratory, and Polly found a little stoos capable of spinning endlessly, and since he didn't have a stomach, he did not vomit. Now, the only thing stopping him was the dizziness, which he didn't mind. Gauge approached his Mother's whiteboard, where she had the marker in her mouth as she was stuck on something, scrutinizing the equations and diagrams intensely. He cleared his throat softly, not wanting to startle her. "Hey, Mom," Gauge began, his voice tinged with curiosity, and his hands, particularly his thumbs, battled each other as he approached. "What are you working on?"

Meredith glanced up from the whiteboard, her expression momentarily distracted before softening into a warm smile as she saw Gauge. "Oh, hey there, sweetheart," She greeted, removing the marker from her mouth and setting it down on the table, where her hands slipped seamlessly into her lab coat again. "I'm just working on some calculations for the next phase of our project."

Gauge leaned in closer, studying the complex equations with keen interest. His curiosity piqued. "Are you trying to refine the algorithms for our jumps?"

Meredith nodded, impressed by Gauge's insight. "Yes, exactly," She replied, her tone proud. "We've encountered a few hiccups in our simulations, so I'm fine-tuning the algorithms to ensure a smoother transition during our jumps. It's all about minimizing the risks and maximizing our efficiency."