You would think that it took two lone people to uproot the whole system—just the main character and their love interest. It is a story as old as time.
Philippe smiles to himself, thinking about the story of his world.
Will Salas would be the main protagonist in his sob origin story. Raymond Leon told Philippe about Will's personal loss, another orphan of the last mini revolution. He, who dares to challenge the status quo to bring equity to everyone must be one of the first people to cross so many borders. Maybe he fits the bill to become the leader after all Mr. Salas has the brawl and the charming daredevils spirit.
Sylvia, coming from a wealthy background but disillusioned with her life of privilege, would complement Will's role. She was a passive daughter in an elite circle, fluent in all the small talk and all the secrets, and never got recognized by her own name. Yet when her wings spread outside of those cages, she started a revolution with her shot at Raymond Leon. Sylvia would think that Philippe never appreciated her, but he knew that girl could sweet-talk people and wrap them around her finger. She could openly defy him with her full blown hatred and annoyance and still get what she wanted from him when the situation was over.
Together, Will and Sylvia is the united front of different social classes fighting for a common cause.
Even Raymond can fit to that band too. His role was an antagonist, but as someone who believes in the righteousness of his actions, always believes that he is maintaining balance and order, he would be the moral compass, the intelligence agent, the recruiter for others within the system to defect. Which Philippe would not hesitate to tap in those connections. Philippe's personal relations tend to form with those similar to him - white-collar workers.
Everyone has their roles, and Philippe is unsure about himself. His "extreme wealth accumulation at the expense of the masses' survival" would makes him and his defect seems only due to the price on his head. But really, in his core is the self-preservation he kept all these years. Without it, there will be no him. After all, his accumulation of time is not for the luxurious lifestyle, but a buffer against the uncertainties of life, a lesson learned from his earlier years.
He looks at his smooth hands, he has been inside the comfort of his little house for way too long. And then Raymond Leon, keeps pushing about plans. Yes, plan, something he should focus on.
"I told you about our muscle shortage." Philippe pursed his lips in disapproval of his own words.
"There are a lot of works to do after all." Raymond, on the other hand, just agree with him.
"Have you talked with anyone since you discovered your situation?" Philippe avoids his gaze and keeps pushing on Raymond, trying to know what kind of resources he can gain from the former Timekeepers.
"Of course not. That day, when my time runs out, I just dropped on the street while your daughter and Will Salas just turned their heel and runaway. They did not have much time so I guess as my car disappeared they took my per diem. And later, I am a fugitive with these empty numbers."
"That was indeed very lucky for you. The percentage of a falling clock is 0.0005%. A simple switch that has a lot of fail-safe build-in. To make it look fair, they build it to be very reliable - no one not at their time will mistakenly be killed, no one not deserving it would be tolerated."
"Then how do you know about ... the percentage."
Philippe softly answers. "You are not the first. That percentage means that there were at least 70000 person with that flux. "
"70000 people? That's not a small number in a system like ours," Raymond says, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. "How did you come across such specific information?"
Philippe leans back, a hint of a sardonic smile playing on his lips. "70000 people experiencing a similar flux isn't a coincidence in a system as vast as ours at the beginning - we had fourteen billion people at that time." Philippe began, his voice steady and calm. "You see, Raymond, with such a large population, even a low statistical probability like 0.0005% becomes significant."
Raymond looks puzzled. "How did you get such precise information?"
Philippe pauses, choosing his words carefully. "It's a natural flux, given the number of people. And, well, I had a rather... enlightening conversation with the person who designed the device I used to stop my clock."
"You mean you interrogated the creator?" Raymond's tone was a mix of surprise and admiration.
"Interrogated is a strong word," Philippe replies with a wry smile. "Let's just say I persuaded him to share some insights and then painfully verify the information by myself. I started compiling these anomalies, cross-referencing them with other incidents – accidents, sudden disappearances, unexplained deaths."
Philippe pauses once more time and goes through his memory quickly.
"I found patterns, Raymond. Patterns that shouldn't exist in a perfect system. These 'glitches' weren't random. They clustered around specific events, times of unrest, or significant political shifts. It was as if the system was being manipulated, subtly, but surely."
"Would you conclude that someone is using the flaw or it is because the system is manipulated?"
"Who knows, and what are the differences between that?" Raymond Leon goes silent after that. Yes, there are not many differences, after all, all those rebellions or political unrest have failed. Some people with failed clocks might be still alive, but they could have been killed a long time ago if they had been recognized.
Stopping his train of thought to go further South, Philippe again, reveals his conversation with the device creator, delving into the technical aspects of the system's underlying vulnerabilities. "The engineer I spoke with, was more involved in the biomechanical design aspects of the device. What he revealed was both enlightening and disturbing."
"He explained that the fail-safe in these time devices was designed to be nearly foolproof, with an extremely low probability of failure," Raymond listens so attentively that Philippes feels envious, if his daughter could be a little bit more like the Timekeeper. "However, he admitted that the fail-safe could be even more robust, almost eliminating the chance of failure entirely."
Raymond, his brow furrowed in deep thought, "So it did matter. Somebody did make the decision to keep the current system like now." Raymond's expression grew more intense. "But isn't this a double-edged sword? A system with known vulnerabilities could be exploited, not just by us but by anyone with the right knowledge."
"No, unless it is a lot of people with that knowledge, it doesn't matter, just like before, nothing changed. That is why I want you to reveal yourself to your former colleague, after all a miracle like you isn't easy to come by." Philippe finally throws his trump card out.
Raymond processes Philippe's words, a mix of incredulity and realization washing over him. "A miracle, you say. In our line of work, miracles are as rare as a day without the shadow of death looming over us. You know, as Timekeepers, we lived under constant vigilance, always aware that each tick of the clock could be our last. The fear, the tension—it's a relentless companion."
Philippe nods, understanding the gravity of Raymond's experience. "And that's exactly why your survival, your 'miracle,' is so significant. It's not just a fluke in the system; it is something that everyone desired, you know, greed for what you have seemingly achieved—immortality, freedom from the system's restraints. It can be a powerful motivator."
Raymond's expression turns pensive. "They've seen the Keeper Machines, the relentless enforcers, treating us with the same cold indifference as they do the masses. To them, my 'resurrection' could symbolize a way out."
Philippe smiles at Raymond's vision of the revelation. "Don't be too bold. We start with those you trust, those who've shown signs of doubt or disillusionment. Maybe the two kids who used to follow you around."
Raymond just gives him side eyes. "Yeah, they do have a lot of questions all the time."
YOU ARE READING
No Regrets
Fanfiction"Citizens have takes to the street." "And now, citizens are crossing Zones, entering New Greenwich" "Others fear the system might head for collapse." And Philippe, Sylvia's finance magnet father told her: "But, don't fool yourself. In the end, nothi...
