Temporal Exploring 101 - Deep Future

IV.9 The case against forming emotional attachments

"So how do you like life at a 1960s boarding-school, so far?" Karen Baker asked.

She had called my name and waved for me to come over and sit with her at a small table at the Institute's cafeteria. Karen was a few years my senior and already an experienced temporal explorer.

A few months ago, just before I was to embark on my First Temporal Assignment, I had learned that Karen had once been on a temporal assignment at a boarding-school in the late 1950s. I had sought her out to talk to her, trying to wring every available bit of information from her that I could.

I felt kind of a flattered that she appeared to recall our meeting and even my first name.

"Oh, I am liking it well enough," I told her. "Enjoying it, even. It's great once you get used to it."

Karen grinned. "I was right about the manner of discipline at those British public schools, wasn't I?"

"Yes, you were right. Students do get spanked there," I admitted with a rueful smile. "More to the point, I am getting spanked there. Way too often, if you ask me. And yes, you do get used to that. You were right about that part, too."

"Right. But there is something else that I have been dying to ask you. Rumor has it that the objective of your mission is to investigate a student named Natalie Fogg at that school. Is that true, Cathy?"

During my briefings before the start of my assignment Sara had told me that this particular piece of information, as well as other details of my mission were to be considered classified, and that I was not to talk about any of this with people other than herself and Mira.

In the meantime, this 'secret' had been leaked first to the physics and math community, and from there to the general public. When my Temporal Instructor and her grad student had told me about it, they had sworn that neither of them was to blame. Rumor had it that the head of the university or some other high ranking official was responsible for the leak. As to the reasons, one could merely speculate. Current negotiations about the funding of the Institute or of the University or of certain scientific projects might have played a role.

"Well, since the rumor is out now, I am not going to deny it."

"You know, you are one lucky girl, Cathy." Karen lowered her voice. "And is she really ... the Natty Fogg?"

I nodded. "It is not official yet, so do me a favor and don't quote me on that. But yes, Sara and our team are pretty much convinced that it's her."

"Great Gauss!" Karen looked appropriately impressed.

"Well, yeah." I was not above bragging about it a bit. "Believe it or not, I am actually sharing a dorm room with her."

"Great Gauss," Karen repeated. She took a sip of her coffee. "So tell me, what's she like? Shy, a bit timid, an introvert, a total nerd?"

I laughed out loud. "Nah, she is nothing like that. Natty is tough. A survivor. Turns out she even lived on the streets for a few years, as a member of a gang of London street kids. Natty can be extremely outspoken, to the point of rudeness. Gets in trouble with teachers and prefects all the time. But she is extremely funny, too, and loyal to a fault. You can rely on her, always. Natty is," I hesitated, searching for the right word, "a friend."

"I see." Karen smiled. "So, is she actually as smart as one would expect?"

"Yes, I would say so. She is easily the most intelligent person I have ever met, at least where mathematical physics is concerned."

Karen cocked an eyebrow. "As smart as Lucy Minarou?"

I rolled my eyes at that. "Granted, Lucy is extremely good. Our rising star here at the ITP. But Natty ... It's hard to explain. I mean, she has got that incredible intuition that somehow enables her to find a way to attack the toughest problems at a point where everybody else sort of just gives up. So, yes, Lucy is brilliant, no question about it. But Natty plays in a totally different league."