Justin Time and the Time Trappers

“So,” Marx said once we were in the office with the Director. I apparently had to do a debrief of getting the monkey-girl, and how I found her, so I had to be there. Paula was wearing this pretty black shirt and matching skirt and heels. Maybe if I wasn’t so worried or feeling I was tripping on Toxin I would be uncomfortable.

I was uncomfortable, but I was uncomfortable for another reason. I knew this was a branch in time that had been created. More than likely by whoever had time-napped me. However, I was concluding something, if they had time napped me, that also meant they might have time napped Olga, and were also more than likely responsible for sending the monkey girl back.

“How did you guys get the report of this time napper?” Marx asked.

“It came up on the system,” Paula said. “You know the usual alert of Chronoton particle aberrations in the system.”

“I see,” Marx nodded, and he grabbed the Glass which had the report I had written. “And Vinny you found the girl apparently naked and like a monkey?”

“Vinny?” Paula said cocking her eyebrow at me. I remembered that my service record only had me named my moniker of Justin Time.

“We go back,” I shrugged and then turning to Marx. “Yeah that’s the way I found her. Scared the shit out of me and attacked me.”

“You didn’t like fondle her, did you?” Marx said.

“Hey, I have a girlfriend remember?” I said.

“Was he doing that back when you knew him too?” Paula asked.

“Oh, hell are you talking about the Julia incident?” I said to Marx and he nodded. “Are you not going to let that go?”

“Nope,” Marx said.

“Julia Jeune was a girl we knew back in the day.” I explained to Paula who looked at me confused. “I accidentally walked in on her changing.”

“Or so you claim,” Marx laughed.

“Moving along!” I said.

“Fine,” Marx cleared his throat. “So, you find this girl and bring her over here, despite the fact that your scan shows it only being an 80% match?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Is that part of your protocol?” Marx said. “I thought that depending on the crime you could sentence them on the spot.”

“That’s true,” I said. “But because of this 80% thing I had bring her back, article 31412 states that if there is a question about the nature of the Time Napper, report with him back to headquarters.”

“So, you did the wise thing and brought the thing back here?” Marx asked.

I nodded.

“I don’t get it though, wasn’t Project Rho shut down?” I asked.

“Part of it was,” Marx said. “The one that you know about, you know the one that created us super soldiers.”

I had forgotten that Marx had volunteered to be part of Project Rho. This was why I had lost touch with him. Marx Browne, Eugene Redd and William White were all old friends of mine. We went to the same school together and were part of a clique that were colloquially called the Color Brothers. We weren’t brothers, but we were close enough.

Seven years ago, they all went and signed up for the Super Soldier program that is now known as Project Rho. I decided not to be a governmental guinea pig and did not join my brothers in arms. I instead went to join SPADE. Around the time I had joined the Time Trapper Division was when I had found out that Project Rho was shut down because illegal experimentation on soldiers who did not volunteer for the genetic enhancements.

There was talk that a rebellion was in the works, a rebel group calling themselves GABE were trying to overthrow the dictatorship of Golordia. There was a rumor that Marx was part of this rebel group. I wondered if that was the case or not.

“Now there was also the dark project of Rho,” Marx continued.

“The one that was taking the people who didn’t volunteer for it?” I asked.

“Yes, but it was more than just that,” Marx said. “In case you didn’t notice the girl is Adrian Maroon’s daughter.”

“I did notice that,” I said.

“You think that’s a coincidence?” Marx said.

“Shit were they using the kids of the top generals?” I asked.

“Who the hell knows,” Marx said. “Anybody try talking to the girl?”

“All she does is yip,” I said.

“Just because that’s all she said when she attacked you doesn’t mean that’s all she can say.” Marx said.

“I guess you’re right,” I said.

“Anyways, I think we are dealing with an inside man,” Marx said.

“An inside man?” Paula said laughing at the idea. “Here in the most secure location of Saffar?”

I looked over at Paula, I was trying to gauge her. Why did she right away think it was an abstract idea. I didn’t know if this was a correct assessment or not.

“Why the hell not?” Marx shrugged.

“In order to do that like you have to be at least a platinum level card.” Paula said. I felt my memory jolt, Olga had said this too. I remembered that vividly. I was starting to think I had to go find her once this meeting was over more and more. “I’ll look over the personnel, I don’t think its more than maybe 10 people.”

“Can you send it to me when you find the information,” Marx said.

“Sure,” Paula shrugged.

“Now you mind if I borrow Vinny here?” Marx clasped my shoulder and shook me a couple of times. “We have to catch up.”

“Sure,” Paula shrugged again as if it was not big deal.

“Come on,” Marx said, and he grabbed me and pulled me out of the room. Once we were far enough Marx suddenly spoke out. “Don’t trust that bitch.”

“Huh?” I said, and Marx kept walking, so I had to run after him. “Hey, Marxus, what do you mean?”