Microstory 1117: Opal Jolourvedin

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By absorbing all the powers of every mage in the world to finally end the war with the monsters, historical figure, Jayde Kovac ushered in a new era. Fortunately, while some monsters did survive that final attack, most were destroyed anyway. Unfortunately, the Mage Protectorate was destroyed as well. Most of the former mages survived, but they no longer possessed powers, which sent the planet into chaos. They would come to find out that these temporal abilities were not lost forever, though it would be a long time before they returned at full strength. For a while, all they had were people they referred to as mage remnants. Their powers were weak and unreliable; mere echoes of what their ancestors could once do. Opal Jolourvedin was not one of these people. She was a full mage, and in fact, quite a powerful one. The problem is that she didn’t realize this about herself. She knew that she could fix the present moment, like a magical undo button, but she never did figure out how much of reality she could alter. The universe is an uncertain place. Every decision you make springs a new reality, as does every decision anyone else makes, including the lowly cockroach. Opal had the ability to spontaneously draw forth the outcome of a decision that was never made, but could have been made, theoretically. Let’s say that a man is climbing a ladder, but is in too much of a hurry to get to the top. He rashly skips a rung, which causes him to slip, fall, break his neck, and die. With a snap of her fingers, Opal can elicit a timeline where he decides not to skip a rung, does not slip, does not fall, does not break his neck, and does not die. She doesn’t go back in time and warn him of his mistake. She doesn’t send her consciousness to his body, and force him to take a different path. She simply determines the best outcome of any situation, finds that outcome in an endless field of what are called microrealities, and then makes it so. For the most part, she is the only one aware that any change to the timeline has been made. According to everyone else, this is just what happened, and it was always going to have happened. She can, however, preserve certain people’s memories of the other timeline, just to give them a little perspective. After all, if they are not cognizant of what mistake they might have made, they may end up making a similar one later on, and she won’t necessarily be around to fix it for them. Again, she was never in a position to truly understand the magnitude of her power, but she would bear a son with the same gifts. He eventually made his way to Earth, and became...The Repairman.

The Advancement of Mateo Matic: June 28, 2113

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The good news was that Paige not only retained her memories of the missing Gilbert, but actually experienced a gain. The more she thought about him, especially on an emotional level, the clearer the flashbacks became for her. It was a long process, nowhere near completion, and included periodic dips and gaps, but it was better than nothing. Time didn’t want her to remember, but she did, and she refused to let go. Unfortunately, this also meant that their technique might not actually work on Leona. She was only within the timestream one day per year, and that might not ever be enough to retain anything meaningful about the people that were taking from them, but that wasn’t something they had time to worry about. The next expiation was waiting for them.

In the middle of breakfast, Kivi walked to the center of the crowd, nearly stepping into the fire, but not caring, or even noticing. She was staring forward blankly, like Samsonite had done before. This was another message from Arcadia, spoken through Kivi as nothing but an emotionless vessel. “Ground control to Major Tom, your third expiation...ha-ha, just kidding—second expiation will be to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Each of your minds will be sent to the bodies of someone you knew in the past. You will relive a moment in time where an action or choice you made affected that other person negatively, and you will witness this from their perspective. At first, you will be powerless, consigned as more than an observer, watching your original self at your worst. At some point, however, reality will...kick in, and you will be given the opportunity to influence that moment—and thus history—permanently. Anyone who wishes to recuse themselves from this expiation may do so, but must make this decision within ten of your minutes. If you do choose to not participate, you will be removing yourself from all further expiations. Any attempt to provide support of any kind for these later expiations will result in terrible consequences.” Kivi’s body paused for a moment, while it looked like she was about to say something else. “Ride. Or. Die.”

They all looked over at Mateo to see his reaction. He said only, “I will not lobby either way. Everyone here is an adult. Choose for yourselves. You know how I feel...that I do not know how I feel.”

They said nothing.

He went on, “I’ll be at the new water well. She didn’t say how we decide, so I’m assuming she wants to see a symbolic gesture. Stay here if you wanna stay; come find me if you wanna more forward.” She took Leona by the hand, remembering that they were not to have any further arguments about her no longer putting herself in danger. No one followed them. Either they had already decided to quit, or they thought it was better to come out of the shadows at the well, rather than anticlimactically forming a caravan.

“This is a strange one,” Leona said.

“Stranger things we’ve seen, indeed,” Mateo replied, proud at himself for the wit, disappointed that she didn’t seem to agree.

“I just mean that there’s no clear goal here. With Baudin, we built a shelter. He was a constructor...that made sense. And thematically, from what you describe, this whole thing relates nicely to Gilbert. But still, there’s no logical endgame to this. When we go back to our worst moments in history, we can decide to change something, but when does it end? When will whatever point of divergence we create, if any, be enough? And what evidence will there be that it happened? Don’t get me wrong, this island has been hard, but you say that it wasn’t even real; that our memories of those events were implanted in our minds. Even if they were real, I don’t remember any moments that fit these criteria. Granted, I’m only here for one day out of the year, but I don’t remember anyone telling me of some traumatic event.

“Which means that Arcadia will have to send each of us to some moment before the island, or rather before the time we think we arrived on the island. I’ve been here for decades, but not really. I don’t remember all this stuff you say happened in the last few weeks, so either those are out of bounds, because they won’t mean much to me, or they’re not, and they won’t mean anything to me once the expiation is over, and I return to this corrupted reality.” Mateo was about to start talking and hope he figured out what to say on the fly, but Leona wasn’t finished. “Furthermore, if Arcadia sends us to moments in time before the island, then what effect can that have on the island? This all happened supposedly because we killed Arcadia’s brother, but what if our new actions in the past create a butterfly effect that prevents that from happening, or alters conditional minutia? What does that mean for us? Will we come back to a different corruption? Could we stop this from happening at all? Could something we do kill Arcadia?”

“Okay,” Mateo kind of interrupted. “These are, more or less, philosophical questions that are impossible to answer. We have no choice but to wait at the well, and hope for the best. She’s going to send us to where she’s going to send us, so worrying about when and where that is, and what ramifications it will have on the future is pointless at this juncture. We won’t know until we get there. Even if we did somehow guess our assignments right here and now, that would only allow Arcadia to change her mind on it before the ten minute grace period is up. We’re salmon, Leona. Whether you’re chooser, chosen, or spawn, right now, we’re all salmon. Nobody has any control...except for her.”

Leona seemed to accept this just as they reached the well, but still wasn’t quite finished. “I guess the bigger question is what’s going to happen to you. You erased yourself from time, so would she send you to the other timeline? Maybe she can’t. If she doesn’t, then she doesn’t have a whole lot of options, right? You’re just not very old right now. It would be like sending an infant to its own past...just limited options. This web of time is confusing, at best...probably even for her.”

Yeah.” He sighed. “I’ll be a tough one for her, that’s for sure.”

“Good.” Horace came into view from the woods. “A prey midchew can only hope that it does not so easily go down the predator’s throat.”

“Ancient Chinese proverb?”

“Read it on a bathroom stall once,” Horace said.

One by one, all of the others stepped into the clearing. No one had chosen to quit.

Mario’s watch, which was now on Leona’s wrist began to beep. “I didn’t set this,” she said.

“It’s magic,” Mario explained. “It warns of all important temporal events, and always knows what time it is, wherever I take it.” That was all anyone had time to say, because then Mateo went back in time, as did presumably everyone else.

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The Advancement of Mateo Matic: June 27, 2112

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Saying that Gilbert was Mateo’s favorite person in the world would be an overstatement, though he did care about him. The real problem now was that Gilbert knew more about choosers, powers, salmon, and time than anyone else. Well, except maybe for Lincoln, but Mateo wasn’t allowed to consult with him. He was hoping—well, to not lose anybody at all—but at least to hold off on the one guy who could help them understand what was going on. Mateo guessed then that this was the point. The Extractor, Arcadia was gradually removing from him his support system, and it was only ever going to get worse. From this comes only heartbreak.

He let everybody sleep. Paige got out of bed and they went off to get water. “Tell me about the person who’s missing this time,” she requested.

“He was a bad guy.”

“Really?”

“At times an antagonist, at others a villain. But then he became an ally, and then a friend. His relationship with Horace was particularly roller coastery.”

“Did I know him well?”

“Ya know, I don’t know. I leave for a year at a time, so when I return, I’ve always missed almost everything. It’s ironic that I’m the one who knows something others don’t since usually it’s the other way around. Because Horace is your father...and they were growing closer every day, I imagine you and Gilbert shared a few nice moments.”

She repeated his name, “Gilbert.” She took a zen breath and closed her eyes. “Nope, not coming to me. I didn’t expect it would, but...”

“But it was possible. I appreciate the attempt.”

“You’re lucky you have this group, Mateo. Anyone else would have dismissed your claims as total bullshit.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” he said.

“Any ideas what the challenge will be? You talked about someone called The Constructor, and then we had to build something. What might we have to do this time?”

“Well, Gilbert was founded a multi-billion dollar corporation in the other timeline.”

“You mean like Horace?”

“Yes, they were, at first, business rivals.”

“Oh, that’s interesting.”

“He ended up in prison because he essentially robin hooded their profits.”

“So, he was a good criminal.”

“As good as they come, yes. Then Horace killed him—”

“What!” she interrupted.

“Well, that was another life...literally. He came back to life and started possessing other people’s bodies, which screwed up his mind, and made him a problem. Then I killed him, and he was stuck in just the one body, and then The Cleanser killed him again, and then I brought him back through a magic mirror, and he’s been on our side ever since.”

“My father...killed him?”

“Yeah, shot him in the head.”

She looked disturbed.

“Paige, you know that Reaver was not a good guy before.”

“Well, yeah. He’s said as much...but he’s never given details.”

“That’s probably for the best. You don’t wanna see that side of him, or even imagine what it would be like.”

That did not make her feel better.

“That’s all in the past,” Mateo continued. “He’s not like that anymore.”

“But maybe he will be again. I mean, if this woman can take people out of time, she can probably change reality in other ways. All she has to do is extract evil Horace from that timeline and bring him here. Who knows what else she could do? She could destroy the whole universe!”

“Okay, okay, little one.”

“I’m older than you.”

“Touché.”

“I know that it doesn’t do any good to dwell on what might happen. On the bright side, if she does destroy the universe, who will even care?”

“The Gravedigger, the Curator, a few other people who live in other dimensions.” Lincoln appeared from behind some bushes.

“And God,” Mateo added.

“Were you following us?” Paige asked, changing the subject.

“Just thirsty.” Then he shot Mateo a careless look, but it didn’t seem like Paige noticed.

“I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, Lincoln, but do you remember Gilbert and Baudin?”

He looked scared. “What? No, of course not. Why would I? I mean...who’s Gilbert?”

Now she was suspicious. “I’ve been alive for—” and then she coughed, but Mateo could hear the word hundred. “—years. I know when someone’s lying.”

“She erased my memory, just like everybody else’s. I still have my power, but I’m missing key facts. It’s not like with Leona where it’s fuzzy, it’s just not there.”

Paige appeared to be changing the subject again. “Who gave me this ring? Do you remember?” She held up her hand.

“Why that was...uh, I don’t recognize that,” Lincoln said awkwardly.

“Yeah, definitely lying. You remember Gilbert too.”

“Who?”

“That didn’t work before, and isn’t going to work now,” she said. “Tell me the truth.”

He looked to Mateo for help, but Mateo didn’t know what to do. Finally, he felt like he had no choice but to be honest. “I...yes.”

“I knew it.”

“Look, you don’t understand. You can’t—”

“Thank God I’m not the only one,” she said with a sigh of relief.

“Paige, you remember him as well?”

“Not exactly. It’s like that one movie where Jim Carrey loses his memories. They don’t just disappear all at once. He goes through a transition period where they fade, and they’re like...shadows of people. That’s what Gilbert is to me. All I see is a shadow, except that it’s not going away. I know someone is supposed to be there, but I don’t know who. I don’t know the details.”

“Is it the ring?” Mateo asked Lincoln.

“Well, that is what you could call a remnant, but I’m not sure it’s the ring doing this. She is spawn, maybe it just plain doesn’t work on her.”

“Ah, dammit,” Arcadia’s voice rang out before she teleported to them. “I thought I had this program figured out. Either there’s something wrong with the code, or you’re right, and it doesn’t work right on spawn.”

“But I don’t remember Baudin at all,” Paige said.

“Then it does also have something to do with that remnant you’re wearing. That is protecting you, but it only works on you because you’re different than anyone else.”

“So, it’s both because she’s spawn, and because she’s wearing something given to her by someone you kidnapped.”

“Yes,” Arcadia agreed.

All Mateo could think about was Leona, but he didn’t want to say anything. If he brought her up, she would just be in danger.

“I know what you’re thinking, and I won’t stop you,” Arcadia said to him. “You still can’t speak with Lincoln, but Paige and Leona are weak spots that I did not predict. I would dishonor myself if I changed the rules on you just because of how inconvenient they’ve turned out to be for me. That’s something Zeferino would do. If you can figure out how to get help from the spawn, then I have no choice but to allow it.”

“Thank you,” Mateo said to her graciously.

“I told you that I’m not a monster.”

“I know, and you’ve proven that today.”

“I’m going to leave now so I can alter the plan. I’ll make the expiation easier so it only requires two days, and give you today to discuss these...developments.” Arcadia approached Lincoln. “And I’m giving you a pass because you were caught off guard. I will not give you another one. You best learn how to lie, because if Leona tries to talk to you about this, things could go south real fast. You are still bound to your silence.”

“I understand.”

She eyed him to make sure he was serious, and then teleported away from them.

After Lincoln was satisfied that Paige would not slip up like he did and reveal what he knew, they all three ran off back to the new camp. It was only then that he noticed the sign attached to the roof. It read CAMP BAUDIN. “You named it after him?”

“Of course they did,” Leona said as she was putting on her shirt.

“You’re welcome,” Vearden said with a cutesy bow.

“But you people don’t even know him.”

“It’s his shelter,” Mario said. “We hope to know him one day.”

Vearden was doing his morning stretches. “It feels like everybody’s here, but I assume somebody’s missing. So come on, Mateo, out with it.”

“His name was Gilbert Boyce. And...” He paused to make sure everyone was anticipating his next words. “And Paige Turner remembers him.”

“You do?” Horace asked, shocked.

“Well, not exactly,” Paige explained. “I have memories of times with someone, but I don’t remember the man himself. He’s been cut out, but Arcadia wasn’t able to do the thing where she patches up the timeline so we don’t even care who’s missing.”

Horace gave her a small hug. “It’s because you’re spawn, isn’t it? Serkan is helping us, even from the grave.” Then he dropped his face into a frown. “Oh my God, am I gonna forget my husband?”

Mateo shook his head. “I don’t think she’s ever going to delete memories of someone who wasn’t here when this whole thing got started.”

“That’s a relief,” Horace said before adding, “if it’s true.”

“Hold on,” Leona said. “Question.”

“What is it?” Mateo smiled.

“Who the hell is Gilbert Boyce?”

“Wait,” Darko said. “She is spawn as well, should she not remember?”

“Right, well, it’s also because he gave Paige a gift that she had on her at the time.”  He took Paige’s hand in his and held it up. “He didn’t give Leona anything like this.”

Darko jumped out of the shelter. “Objects!”

Téa jumped out too. “Clothing.”

“That’s what we were thinking,” Mateo said.

“I’m lost,” Mario said. “What are we doing?”

Saga understood perfectly. “Paige and Leona can both remember people who have been taken from us. If each of us gives each of them something of ours, they’ll...bond to it, and be able to remember us when we’re gone.”

“I can’t imagine a world without me,” Mario said. He went on when they looked at him funny, “I mean that literally. Philosophically. Can you picture—I mean, really picture a world where you don’t exist? Rather, can you picture yourself not existing.”

They evidently could not, but most of them didn’t really want to talk about that sort of thing since it meant risking their heads exploding. Instead, they listened to Mateo’s description of Gilbert Boyce during breakfast. He talked at length about what Gilbert had been through in all of his many lives. He explained Gilbert’s motivations, mistakes, regrets, and redemptions. He went over his relationships with each and every one of them, however little, and explored his own feelings towards him.

After the meal, Téa and Darko got to work. They led the group in what was almost a game. Everyone still around was asked to remove one item of clothing, or an object belonging to them, that Leona and Paige could keep on their person at all times. It was a little weird that Kivi had to give her bra to Leona, and her underwear to Paige, while Xearea did the same in reverse. It was necessary, though. It was far too hot for the two spawn to have to wear, like, ten shirts. Most of them had at least two things that they could give up and contribute to the cause. Mario was both proud and scared to bestow Leona with his sentimental watch. Aura was the same with her engagement ring. Vearden had only the one shirt, and not really anything he could part with. The others in the group weren’t all that upset that he had to go shirtless, though. Vearden could have borrowed an extra shirt from someone else, but no one wanted to suggest he wear more clothes. In the end, Paige and Leona had what they needed to survive the time tears, and provide Mateo with some much-needed psychological support. The day ended on a pretty high note, but 2113 brought them danger.

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