The Boy and The Psycho

The Day That Wasn't

The Handler, Five, and I make our way out of the large white building. Five's arm is still wrapped protectively around my waist as we walk up the entrance.

"I must admit, Number Five, in all the time that I've been here, I've never met anyone quite like you." The Handler says.

"Hazel and Cha-Cha, for example, are talented, certainly, but... they can't see the big picture. Your spunk, your enterprising spirit, well, it reminds me a great deal of myself, if... I may be so vainglorious." She continues.

She continues on yet again, "If things work out for you here, you could potentially make a fine successor, Five. And Fiona, you could one day take over for me here. With your smarts and skills. Easy." 

We walk into another large building with many people coming from all sorts of directions. 

"I'd like to discuss the logistics of my family's safety at your earliest convenience." Five says as she takes off her coat and we follow her up the stairs.

"As well as this body replacement." He adds.

"Such chutzpah. It's refreshing, I'll admit. Slow down, Five. All in good time."

We continue up the long winding stairs and I quietly observe everything about the building. Just in case anything happens with our plans of being here.

"In fact, now that you two have finally agreed to work with us, we've got all the time in the world."

We turn down into a hallway still bustling with people, and head into what looks like a lab of sorts.

"The Commission works in support of a delicate balance between the timeline of events and mankind's free will. The briefcase is no longer part of your kit, Five. Free your mind. You're management now. One of us."

The Handler places a hand on Five's back and leads him away from the briefcase room. He still pulls me along with his hand squeezing when he feels nervous.

We walk into another long hallway. This one is not as busy as the first ones.

"All the people on this floor are case managers, each one responsible for one major event at a time." 

She leads us into the doorway of a room that goes on and on forever. My jaw drops as I stare at the never-ending room. Five's hand softly grabs my lower jaw and pulls it up closing my mouth.

"So many of them." I say out loud.

"Impressive, isn't it, Fiona?" She asks. "Being part of something... so grand."

We look into the room for a minute longer. Staring at all the people hard at work.

"Come along." 

We leave the doorway and continue down the hall.

"Whenever someone chooses the wrong path and the timeline is changed, the Commission gets a report from field agents on the ground. These field reports are sorted and assigned to a case manager. They determine if anyone needs to be... removed from the equation to assure that their event happens as it should."

We stop in the doorway of another room fit with many tubes and a woman standing near them with big round glasses on her face.

"Based on that determination, the case manager sends instructions via pneumatic tube to... temporal assassins like you formerly were, Number Five. Any queries so far?"

"Yeah. Who was the case manager handing me?" 

"Ah. You mean the apocalypse." She runs her hand along the side of Five's face again. Making me annoyed.