The Olive Theory ~ Adam Reed

13. Back In Time

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"What are you doing?" Hailey questioned as Sorian grabbed her arm and dragged her along, leaving the jet. "Just shut up," Sorian said as they walked into a tall building.

Hailey stumbled as Sorian opened two big doors to reveal her younger self on the phone. "Hang up the phone," Sorian demanded.

"What are you doing here? You said I wouldn't be seeing you again. Is that Hailey?" Younger Sorian asked as she turned around, confused.

"Did I? Hmm. When was that? Remind me. And yes, this is Hailey," Sorian said, yanking Hailey forward by her wrist.

"The last time you just showed up, two months ago." Young Sorian said as Sorian dragged Hailey toward the liquor on the shelf.

"Oh, well, for me, it was 32 years ago," Sorian said pouring two glasses. "So sorry if I'm a little fuzzy on the details. Anyway, times have changed." Sorian said walking over and setting down a glass for her younger self.

"You can't be here. You know the potential for catastrophic changes to the time stream. It's incalculable." Young Sorian said as Hailey sat down in a chair in front of her desk.

"God, I was such a nerd," Sorian said as she sat down next to Hailey. "Will you please just stop talking?" Sorian asked as she adjusted in her seat.

"Everything you asked me to do. The stock buys, the offshore accounts, all of it. It's unethical." Young Sorian raised her voice. Hailey watched Sorian stare at herself with amusement.

"And illegal," Hailey said, butting into the conversation. "This isn't a joke. It's dangerous." Young Sorian scolded Hailey. "I wasn't joking," Hailey groaned as she leaned back into her chair.

"The environmental impact alone from the companies you had me pick could be devastating." Young Sorian says aggressively pointing her finger at the table as she talked.

"In fairness to us, the environment was pretty much toast before we came along. And by the way, Maya, you did it, all of it, because somewhere inside that cheap suit and ridiculous ponytail is me." Sorian chuckled. Silence fell in the room as the two Sorians stared at each other.

"I'm leaving." Young Sorian said, breaking the silence. "Where you going? You seeing someone?" Sorian asked as she watched her younger self put on her coat.

"No, you're not. You're too busy." Sorian said answering her own question. "Thing is, you always will be. This company is all you will ever have." Sorian clicks her tongue.

Young Sorian sighs before grabbing her things and walking toward the double doors, Sorian and Hailey walked through earlier. "It is your personal life."

"It's your family. But this is our legacy." Sorian says, correcting her younger self, causing her to stop in her tracks. "And if we had let the government take it from us," Sorian says standing up and stopping right behind herself.

"Then everything we sacrificed, all that loneliness, all that loneliness, would've been for nothing." Hailey didn't know whether she should get up or stay seated.

"And I did it. I fixed that future where we had been forgotten." Sorian said. Hailey heard the hint of sadness in her voice.

"Then why are you back here now?" Young Sorian asked turning around and walking closer to Sorian. "I'm back because we can't control time travel if it never existed," Sorian said before sighing and continuing her sentence.

"And your buddies Adam Reed and Hailey Russett are about to betray you," Sorian said turning around to look at Hailey, who already had a glare in her eyes.

"Adam and Hailey? They're just kids." Young Sorian said as she moved to look at the younger girl still seated in her chair. "Yeah, well, those little kids..." Sorian laughed still looking at Hailey.

"They grow up to be a very big pain in our ass," Sorian says as Hailey flips her off. Sorian rolls her eyes at the child and turns back to her younger self. "Trust me. You're gonna want this." Sorian said as she handed her the drink she poured.

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