Time Agent | ONC2024

4. The Librarian

This chapter is dedicated to lhansenauthor in thanks for the wonderful cover she made for this story! Lina was shortlisted for her ONC story, Bones on Mars, last year, but doesn't plan to enter this year, due to other commitments.

Seven searched for the name of the Librarian who had compiled the report on the Trafalgar Time Line for him. To his pleasure, he discovered the work had been done by his friend, Oscar. Unlike Agents, who were allocated a prime number on being accepted, Librarians often chose a name from the literary past, all part of the secrecy and misdirection demanded by the Senta. To the outside population, the complex was known as the Packaging and Distribution Management Corporation. Unsurprisingly, it attracted minimal interest.

After a brief scan of the information provided, Seven went in search of his friend. He'd rather hear about the society he was due to investigate direct from Oscar's mouth, instead of reading reports. Besides, he hadn't seen him in person for too long.

He found him at home, working.

"Oscar? It's me, Seven. Have you got time for a chat? I was wondering if you could brief me on the Trafalgar TL." Seven spoke into the communication panel.

The door slid open and Seven entered, his face lighting up at the sight of Oscar coming toward him, a smile on his sweet face. His pale blond hair had been cut very short, highlighting the delicate shape of his head and enhancing the warm honey of his skin. "Seven! It's good to see you! What do you want with TL GPX.54?"

Oscar gave him a hug, then stood back. Seven welcomed the hug, though he'd long given up hoping for anything more. Some things just weren't meant to be. And friendship was better than nothing, right?

He laughed. "A Librarian to the core! I call it the Trafalgar TL. It's much easier."

Oscar joined in the laughter. "So, what can I do for you?"

"It's my project. I'm the Agent assigned there."

"Oh? So, you've got my report then?"

"Yes, I have, but I'd like to hear it from you. Get your feeling for the place."

Oscar nodded. "You've read our own history of the time line? The Napoleonic Wars and the British naval victory at Trafalgar?"

"I have."

"Well, in that case, you would have come across Horatio Nelson."

"Yes. I wondered whether he was connected to the divergence in some way. Is he?"

"I think so. I've only visited that time line twice in person. On the first occasion, I went in search of their own records of the period, and like us, they used books made of paper back then. I scanned several histories to make sure, but the interesting thing was, I scarcely found any reference to Horatio Nelson at all. Only the brief mention of his death in 1797 at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In our time line, Nelson lost his right arm at that battle, but in that time line, he died. Fascinating, isn't it?"

Seven frowned. "So that was enough to generate a divergent time line?"

"Not in itself. The loss of Nelson resulted in the failure of the British Navy to adapt to modern warfare practices." Oscar paused, dragging out the suspense.

"Yes? So, what happened then?"

"They lost the battle and the war. England was invaded by the French in 1803. History from that point on was completely different."

"How different?" asked Seven, excited by the news. This was what he had signed up for, to experience worlds different from his own.

Oscar ran a hand over his short hair.
"I've included a brief summary of key events in my report. You can read that at your leisure, but that's primarily of historical interest. What you'll need to know for your assignment, occurred about a hundred years later. There was a violent uprising by the English in 1910, TL GPX.54 time, resulting in the overthrow of the French Government in London, and England returning to British rule."

Seven nodded to show he was following, but didn't interrupt.

Oscar continued, his tone brisk. "According to what I've been told, you'll be sent there in 2020, TL GPX.54 time, just after the millennium. By then, the conflict has settled down but there is still a fair bit of tension between the English and the Normans. Normans, that's what the French speaking population calls itself. They're in the minority but they have considerable numbers, especially in London."

"What about technology? Where are they at with that?"

"Very basic. What we would call Petroleum Age. From what I observed on my second visit, they were pre-solar. There's more information in my report but you'll notice the details are a bit patchy. I wasn't there very long. I got caught up in some sort of parade and had to make a quick retreat." He shrugged. "Sorry, but it's the best I could do, under the circumstances."

"Only basic technology? That's odd." Seven frowned. "How the hell did they come up with time travel?"

"That's something I can't help you with," admitted Oscar. "It's very strange, I admit. Usually, when it does evolve, time travel is linked to advanced societies."

"It's a mystery," agreed Seven. "I might have a bigger job on my hands than I thought."

"Well, I think it will take more than a walk around the dome! I know the lab staff will have done the best they can, to pin point the time period and approximate physical location of where the divergences originated. But it won't be exact. That will be your job. To investigate and arrow in on the target."

Seven grimaced. "I'll do my best, but it's going to be hard on my own. I was hoping to have a partner for my first assignment, someone to share the work with." He wouldn't have admitted his apprehension to anyone else, but he knew Oscar would respect his confidence.

"Is there anything else you can tell me which might help? Your impressions of the place?"

"Primitive. They don't have a lot of things we take for granted. I suggest you spend some time acclimatising, walking around and listening, before you attempt to engage with anyone. I scanned a copy of the Encyclopædia Britannica's Cultural Life for you, but it was last updated in 2010 so I'm not sure how reliable it is."

Oscar put an arm around Seven's shoulders and kissed his cheek. "I'm sure you'll be brilliant!"

He plucked at Seven's form-hugging lavender body suit and grinned.

"Just one more thing, make sure you don't wear this when you go through the Gate. Most of the men I saw were wearing two garments, a separate top and bottom, and mostly in boring black and white. The lab should be able to fit you out appropriately. Go early though, to make sure."