that are already known to us. This will allow us to better judge and focus your efforts when need be.”
She continues, rehashing some of the things Marie has already taught me, and then wraps up with the warning that if our performance fails to meet expectations, we can still be removed from the program. “But I’m certain you will all do just fine. You are on the cusp of a great adventure, and for that I envy you. You’ll be seeing what no others can. You’ll be witnessing history . It’s an honor so very few will ever have. Never forget that.”
With that, she turns and walks out the door, followed by Sir Wilfred.
We sit silently for a moment before Sir Gregory moves up to the lectern. “As I call your name, please join your instructor. Hayden Adams.”
Hayden, sitting in the row in front of me, gets up and heads down the stairs to the front of the room. When he reaches his trainer, they exit through the same door Lady Williams and Sir Wilfred used.
One by one, the process repeats until I’m the only one left.
“Denny Younger,” Sir Gregory says. As I walk by him to where Marie waits, he smiles and pats me on the shoulder. “I’m very impressed with your work, Denny. I knew you would do well.”
“T-t-thank you, sir.” I’m caught off guard by the compliment.
As soon as Marie guides me out of the room, I ask, “What are we doing?”
“You’ll see” is all she tells me.
We turn down several halls and descend a flight of stairs to a level I have never visited before. We soon come to a set of double doors that cuts off the hallway.
As Marie opens one side, I can see that the room beyond is small and unlit. “Step in but don’t go any farther,” she says.
I do as told. When she joins me and shuts the door, we’re plunged into complete darkness.
Marie moves past me and I hear a handle turn. Dim light streams in from another room.
“This way,” she says.
Worried that I might trip on something, I carefully follow her shadowy form through the doorway and into what turns out to be a large, rectangular room. Doors line all the walls but the one at our end. Their close proximity to each other reminds me of our trainee instruction room, only these doors are constructed mostly of glass.
Down the center of the room are two long, parallel counters divided into dozens of data stations, all but a few occupied by individuals wearing headphones and staring at their screens. I also spot a couple of fellow trainees and their instructors standing behind the data operators.
“This is the companion center,” Marie says. “One of four at the institute.”
My brow furrows.
“Come.”
She leads me behind one of the manned data stations. I can now see that the user has two monitors in front of him. One is displaying moving digital graphs, while the other is showing an alternate spectrum shot of someone lying on a bed.
Marie whispers, “This man’s job is to monitor one of the companions.”
“What—” The word comes out louder than I intended, and a few people sitting nearby glare at me. “Sorry,” I whisper, then look back at Marie. “What exactly are companions?”
She motions for me to follow her again, and we head over to one of the glass doors. Though it’s dark on the other side, there’s enough light bleeding in that I can make out a narrow, occupied bed.
Marie moves to the next door. After checking through the window, she opens it and ushers me inside. The room is exactly like the one before, only the bed is empty.
“Was that a companion?” I ask, more confused than ever.
“Yes.”
“What was he doing? Sleeping?”
“Basically.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what his job requires.” She sits on the bed and urges me to do the same. Once I’m beside her, she says, “We’ve talked about the pain of time travel.”
I nod. She’s told me the longer the trip through time, the more pain a Rewinder will experience.
“The effect is considerably worse without a
She continues, rehashing some of the things Marie has already taught me, and then wraps up with the warning that if our performance fails to meet expectations, we can still be removed from the program. “But I’m certain you will all do just fine. You are on the cusp of a great adventure, and for that I envy you. You’ll be seeing what no others can. You’ll be witnessing history . It’s an honor so very few will ever have. Never forget that.”
With that, she turns and walks out the door, followed by Sir Wilfred.
We sit silently for a moment before Sir Gregory moves up to the lectern. “As I call your name, please join your instructor. Hayden Adams.”
Hayden, sitting in the row in front of me, gets up and heads down the stairs to the front of the room. When he reaches his trainer, they exit through the same door Lady Williams and Sir Wilfred used.
One by one, the process repeats until I’m the only one left.
“Denny Younger,” Sir Gregory says. As I walk by him to where Marie waits, he smiles and pats me on the shoulder. “I’m very impressed with your work, Denny. I knew you would do well.”
“T-t-thank you, sir.” I’m caught off guard by the compliment.
As soon as Marie guides me out of the room, I ask, “What are we doing?”
“You’ll see” is all she tells me.
We turn down several halls and descend a flight of stairs to a level I have never visited before. We soon come to a set of double doors that cuts off the hallway.
As Marie opens one side, I can see that the room beyond is small and unlit. “Step in but don’t go any farther,” she says.
I do as told. When she joins me and shuts the door, we’re plunged into complete darkness.
Marie moves past me and I hear a handle turn. Dim light streams in from another room.
“This way,” she says.
Worried that I might trip on something, I carefully follow her shadowy form through the doorway and into what turns out to be a large, rectangular room. Doors line all the walls but the one at our end. Their close proximity to each other reminds me of our trainee instruction room, only these doors are constructed mostly of glass.
Down the center of the room are two long, parallel counters divided into dozens of data stations, all but a few occupied by individuals wearing headphones and staring at their screens. I also spot a couple of fellow trainees and their instructors standing behind the data operators.
“This is the companion center,” Marie says. “One of four at the institute.”
My brow furrows.
“Come.”
She leads me behind one of the manned data stations. I can now see that the user has two monitors in front of him. One is displaying moving digital graphs, while the other is showing an alternate spectrum shot of someone lying on a bed.
Marie whispers, “This man’s job is to monitor one of the companions.”
“What—” The word comes out louder than I intended, and a few people sitting nearby glare at me. “Sorry,” I whisper, then look back at Marie. “What exactly are companions?”
She motions for me to follow her again, and we head over to one of the glass doors. Though it’s dark on the other side, there’s enough light bleeding in that I can make out a narrow, occupied bed.
Marie moves to the next door. After checking through the window, she opens it and ushers me inside. The room is exactly like the one before, only the bed is empty.
“Was that a companion?” I ask, more confused than ever.
“Yes.”
“What was he doing? Sleeping?”
“Basically.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what his job requires.” She sits on the bed and urges me to do the same. Once I’m beside her, she says, “We’ve talked about the pain of time travel.”
I nod. She’s told me the longer the trip through time, the more pain a Rewinder will experience.
“The effect is considerably worse without a
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