A Time Story

Chapter 8- part 2

[Continued from Chapter 8- Part 2]

C-5 pressed a button that made four chairs appear from the ground. Rylan sat down normally. Theo was slow and formal. Soma sulked like a child. Zoe gave C-5 an arrogant look.

"Found a fitting housing complex right off the coast," Rylan looked up to see C-5 interacting with a virtual house. "Yours will have four rooms, kitchen, living room, the works. We just need your shelter pod to design the meta-shelter," C-5 shrunk the house and moved it to the top of the screen. "It should be arriving right about... now."

The back wall opened behind her revealing the snow globe room stationed at the back of the office. C-5 pressed a button that made the shelter pod disappear. After a suction noise, a pocket orb capsule hovered above a hole on her desk.

"And right on time."

She plugged the porb in a drive port. A circle room appeared on the monitor below the house.

"Wait," Rylan inquired. "Does that snow globe pod fit in there?"

"I stored it into the porb, yes."

"But... then why aren't they shrunk before they arrive at the time floor?"

"Plenty of agents travel in the pods directly from the assignment center. The pods also need to be decontaminated before dispatch."

"What's decontam—"

"Stupid question! Continue," Soma cut her off.

"I suggest you watch your tongue. Only I give orders around here," C-5 turned to Rylan. "Sorry Rylan, but we'll have to answer your questions when we're less busy. For now, how about I make this shelter nice and pretty for ya?"

C-5 molded the virtual pod like clay, creating branching rooms and corridors. Together they formed an upside-down tree, with a stem connecting under the house. C-5 clasped the screen in her hands and ejected the pocket orb.

"Here, make sure you don't lose it, m'kay," she winked as she tossed the capsule to Soma, who caught it with perfect accuracy. Her blood boiled.

"I swear if we meet any other time, I'll—"

"So next order of business," C-5 ignored her, "is your identities. I have you all on file here." C-5 pulled up a screen with their profile cards, "Received your plan in the early-phase, though I have some grievances with it."

"I can't even remember the plan," Rylan worried.

"It's obvious!" Soma bellowed. "We are family of Korean exchange students who—"

"And that's where the problem lies," said C-5. "You wish to be the same age, correct?"

"It's a priority," Soma stated. "Same classes as well. We can't have the newborns running off on their own."

"Unfortunately, four birth's at once is not permissible in this time period. Your ages would be at least a year apart with the same mother."

"We are fraternal quadruplets! It is not unheard of!!"

"Oh Soma, but it's extremely unlikely," C-5 grinned, "and that unlikeliness will bring unwanted attention. We'll have to separate you into different grades. One of you can be twins at most."

"No!!" Soma pouted.

"Perhaps it could work if we were cousins," Theo reasoned.

C-5 thought for a moment.

"Possibly," C-5 started typing. "I will have to review it and change a few records. The changes will not modify your appearance, so for now I create identities using the current plan."