Space-Time of Death: an Al Squires of the Protectorate Novel

Ch. 7.2: Afterparty, Aftermath

"What do you mean that 'Father Time' was a woman?" the Lt. Col. asked as soon as he heard this, his voice a mix between ire and surprise.

"Just that," Lady Lane said, calmly. "Father Time has been a woman this whole time." Having a cool head, she had taken the liberty of being the one to tell both him and all the others that met us, including the Chief and Sylvie. As you might have guessed, dear Readers, Sylvie wasn't pleased with what she heard. The Prof was there as well, but he was on the sidelines, eagerly waiting for his Telley Savalas picture that was still unsigned.

"Also, because of this revelation," Lady Lane gestured to me, "I propose that we take Agent Squires' suggestion, and refer to her as 'Sister Time' from now on. Until we learn of her true identity, of course"

"'Sister Time?'" the Lt. Col. asked, raising the eyebrow that didn't have a monocle under it. "Would not 'Mother Time' be a more appropriate substitute name?"

"If I may, sir," I said, raising my hand. "I got a good look at the Unsub, and her body did not appear to show any sign of having kids."

"How the deuce could you possibly know that?" he asked, just somewhere short of flustered.

"Trust me, I could tell," was all I could say without offending any of my female colleagues any further.

The Lt. Col. let out an exasperated exhale, "Very well," he conceded. "I'll make sure that the files are amended." He then looked away for a beat or two while banging his pipe in the palm of his hand as though in thought before he spoke again. "And during your encounter with...her," he said as he pointed his pipe at me, "were you at least able to see what method of time-travel she used? Knowing how she gets around might help us in our hunt, what?"

I shook my head. "It was too brief to tell properly," I answered. "She was wearing a wristwatch that stood out if that helps. It could've been an ITEM, but I doubt it; not unless ITEMs can also turn into weapons." I made a quick glance at Norah before I continued. "I have a few working theories about how she does it, however, but I'll need some more information before any one of them before I can say them out loud."

The Lt. Col. nodded as he placed his pipe back in his mouth, then started to pace a little while keeping an eye on us. "It should go without saying," he said with his pipe between his teeth, "how disappointed I am about how you failed to save Agent Segal. Because of this and because we do not know where or when 'Sister Time' has taken him, we cannot be able to save him without causing a paradox. Agent Rene Segal is now officially lost to us." He stopped pacing to bow his head in silence, and the rest of TO joined him. Out of respect, members of TP did the same.

"However," the Lt. Col. said when he lifted his head back up and continued pacing, "since we now know that our enemy has mislead us about their gender and what she looks like as well, I cannot call this a complete failure. That said, let us try to think of this fiasco of a beginning as a teachable moment, and strive even harder towards saving the others." He paused while keeping his eye glued to me for a beat or two. "Provided, of course, that this will be the only fiasco of this mission," he added, coldly.

"Now," he said after breaking his stare, clapping, and rubbing his hands together as he spoke. "Let's move on to the next victim." He picked up a folder from a nearby desk. "Because of the added direness of the situation, I must debrief you of the next target now, rather than wait for you to redress." He then opened it in and showed its contents to everyone in front of him. "This is Agent Feng Delan," he said, pointing to the two black-and-white photos paperclipped to the folder. Both pictures depicted a good-looking Asian man somewhere around his twenties; one was of him wearing era-neutral clothes like, and the other showed him in attire of a wealthy gentleman of ancient China. Possibly Qing Dynasty, if not Ming. Both pictures showed him wearing a ring with an Oriental rendition of the Ouroboros symbol on his right middle finger.