A Time Story

Chapter 6- part 1

Rylan: This class is really stupid huh.

Zoe didn't respond. She was giving her the silent treatment.

Rylan: Zoe are you there? Please answer.

But it was no use. Defeated, Rylan tried listening to the teacherbot. Perhaps it could teach her something useful.

"Some events are deceptive in the impact they have. One example is the apple that fell on Isaac Newton's head. This led to the theory of gravitation which was among the main discoveries of classical physics. In reality an apple did not fall on Newton's head. He would have discovered gravity whether he came up with the story or not. However, the story was passed far into the future, becoming engrained into culture itself. Newton could have thought of an orange, a pear, a grapefruit. We have tested them and they have led to radically different results. A similar story would have not had an impact on the timeline, but how it was used, what impact it had, made the decision a pivotal moment. It is at these moments, one thought, one decision, will affect all outcomes."

Once class was over, Rylan tried to walk home with Zoe, but Zoe went out of her way to keep her distance. She looked away with her nose in the air.

"Zoe, please! Talk to me," Rylan cried.

"You have to choose," Zoe glared angerly, "either Ray or me."

Zoe flew away on her disk before Rylan could respond. She joined Gesly instead, leaving Rylan to fly home all alone.

Rylan didn't know what to do! She couldn't stand to be alone again, to go back to a time when she was all by herself. But Ray, how could she leave her? After all the fun times they had, after knowing she was lonely too? It didn't matter that she was a liar. It didn't matter this was all her fault.

Ray took Rylan somewhere different than any place she saw before. It was late in the phase and the two were past curfew. It was the darkest hallway Rylan had seen. Even the maintenance hallway was better lit although Rylan wasn't completely blind. The walls were clean like always but an eerie silence filled the air. Instead of the nurturing darkness in the cloning chamber it was as if the darkness swallowed them whole.

"Where are we," Rylan shivered in fear.

"A place no one will see us," said Ray, "I thought we should go somewhere no one will stare."

Rylan debated whether she preferred stares to a spooky place like this. She swore she could hear screams somewhere up ahead. Ray stopped at a nook in the wall where they could both sit. Ray sat beside a ventilation grate, which was scratched and tainted with graffiti.

"I'm really sorry about your friends," said Ray, "But don't worry, I'll help you find better ones. Experienced ones."

"Okay... but... I don't wanna find new friends," Rylan sobbed. Despite their flaws, Rylan missed them more than ever.

"Please don't cry Rylan," Ray consoled, "I know it seems bad but before you know it you'll forget the whole thing. You already have your whole life ahead of you."

A loud scream echoed through the hallway.

"I don't like this place," Rylan said as her tears came down, "I'm scared."

"Don't worry. The people here... we're more of a threat to them they are to us."

Ray transformed her necklace into the healing rod with the enchanted maintenance extension. She used the pointed tip to pry open the ventilation grate.

"How do I know that's true," Rylan challenged.

Ray grunted as she pulled the tool, "Rylan, have I ever put you in danger."