Microstory 1135: Mario Matic

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The Matic family was infamous for being composed of many choosing ones and salmon. For the most part, the natural inclination to experience time in some way other than linear is neither genetic, nor hereditary. The joining of two salmon seems to often result in the product of a chooser, which is presumably why the powers that be so heavily regulate their encounters. Still, many temporal manipulators bear children, who don’t necessarily have powers, so the fact that so many Matics have powers or patterns is not well understood, scientifically speaking. Mario wasn’t the only time traveler in the world, but he did have a very specific job. While others were dispatched to save people’s lives, or alter history, he was assigned to be a protector for famous people. These historical figures and celebrities may not be famous at the time of his rescuing them, but are destined to become so one day. If the latter is the case, it often means Mario is the one who ultimately creates their fame. This is not true every time, though, as sometimes their death was caused by a different time traveler who changed the past, and Mario is needed to remedy the situation. He was designated as The Kingmaker, because of his responsibility to help others help others. He has no choice in the matter, but he’s the type of guy who would do it regardless. All he needs to know is when and where, and he’s there. He’s met thousands of important people throughout history, pulling them out of rushing rivers, or pushing them out of traffic. Some remember him showing up, while others end up with the memories erased. It really depends on how that memory would inform their future actions. In the knowing, they may make certain choices that could cause problems down the road, such as becoming obsessed with time travel, or knowing about future technological advances. On the flip side, if they don’t remember being saved, they may end up just making the same mistake as they did before, and nothing will get better. Fortunately, this is not for Mario to decide. He jumps in, helps in whatever way he can, then jumps out. Perhaps about half the time, it’s necessary for the powers that be to implant knowledge in his brain, so he knows who to save and-or-how, while half the time, he just has to figure it out on his own. This technique appears to be working, as he’s never failed a mission even once. As you might imagine, this job can be quite taxing on the mind and body. Unlike The Savior—who operates in consecutive time, and thusly kind of always has to be on the clock—Mario is given opportunities to break from his job. He doesn’t always know it’s coming, or even that it’s come, so it’s not quite like a vacation. He’ll find himself in a time and place, and after searching for his mission parameters, will eventually realize he’s not there for any particular reason, so he’ll be able to rest. It’s not an easy job, and it doesn’t come without its consequences. The price of saving one life frequently means letting another go. It’s never up to him to decide who is important, and who isn’t, so that takes the burden off of him, but at the same time, he doesn’t always agree with it. Still, overall, Mario is happy with the cards he’s been dealt, and completes his work with no complaints.