REPETE: Chapter Three | Day 375

8/9/2019 REPETE: Chapter Three | Day 375

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Lance knew he was the one.

He had to be. He was the volunteer they were talking about on television, on Facebook, and on Twitter. Hell even

Pinterest blew up with a screenshot of that 1940s / 1950s video of a man walking past the zebra with a man in a

trench coat on a cell phone - and Lance imagined he was that guy.

This was his destiny - to be in the past.

His bio fit like a glove. Unmarried. No kids. Time travel obsessed.

He had studied string theory, relativity via the internet.

Lance even paid a friend to create a Wikipedia entry for him while he was being interviewed here at Eight Alpha

Research Institute - so he could later secretly add a 'suspected time traveler' entry.

He had it all planned.

No one would notice it until word got out when it was accidentally released on Twitter that they found the volunteer.

He also paid his friend to send a link to the wikipedia first thing tomorrow morning.

He walked past the television crew in the parking lot and said to himself, "It's me."

Lance waited the four hours in the line outside the office that ran from the elevator - and then later taking a seat in the

waiting room. Others had gotten sick of the wait and left. Others were just plain crazy - dressed in tin foil suits,

surgical scrubs. No way it could be them.

When he heard them call his name, he thought to himself, "Now is when history gets changed."

He sat for five minutes alone in the white room with only a table and a turned off video camera plugged into the wall -

sitting stiffly on a tripod.

Then there was a knock on the door and Dr. Thomas entered.

Dr. Thomas was shorter than he appeared on television.

"Mr. Manyon is that correct?" Dr. Thomas asked and took a seat across from him with an iPad under his fingers.


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"Call me Lance."

Dr. Thomas smiled. "Okay Lance."

"Its crazy out there - ain't it?"

Dr. Thomas nodded. "Yes I feel like I am doing the interviews for 'America's Got Talent' or something. I am regretting

that I even announced this. We are getting kooks, publicity seekers - all sorts."

"Yes - its probably wasting your valuable time."

Dr. Thomas looked up from his iPad and gave a meaningful glance. "Yes it is." He paused before speaking again.

"Well, I am Dr. Thomas. I think you know who I am. I am going to make this quick. I am going to ask you three

questions only. By your answers to these questions I will have my answers if you are the 'volunteer' or not. These

questions and answers were agreed by the 'volunteer' a year ago."

Lance wiped his sweaty palms on his knees. "Okay shoot."

"Let me also say upfront. If I say you are the 'volunteer' memorize your answers. I will be recording this session.

That's what the video camera is for. The 'volunteer' told us to tell you that. If you are the 'volunteer', these are the

instructions you gave us to give to you. Understood? It's how we identify you. It's how we know to send you back."

Lance heart jumped with joy. It made him so happy to hear Dr. Thomas tell him that he was the 'volunteer'. "I

understand."

Dr. Thomas leaned over to the video recorder, adjusted it on its tripod and started recording.

"State your full name - first and last name together."

"Lance Manyon."

Dr. Thomas prodded him. "No middle name?"

"No." Lance answered. But then he got nervous and asked. "Is that one of the three questions?"

Dr. Thomas looked serious and shook his head. "No it is not."


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"Okay."

Dr. Thomas started again. "Bigfoot, Loch Ness, and Angels - which one is real?"

Lance smiled. "Great question." He thought a moment. "Loch Ness."

Dr. Thomas touched his iPad and pushed his glasses up on his nose. But said nothing.

"Did I get it right?"

"I cannot say until the end of this interview process."

"Right." Lance said nervously and wiped the sweat off his palms again on his thighs.

"Okay question number two. If you could go back in time - what would would you do?"

Lance wrinkled his brow. "You mean - what would I try to change? What would I do with foreknowledge of the

future?"

Dr. Thomas shrugged. "I cannot direct your answers. I will repeat the question, okay?"

Lance nodded.

"If you could go back in time - what would you do?"

Lance thought for a second. "Truthfully, I would want to email my mother."

Dr. Thomas looked over the rim of his glasses. "What would the email say?"

"You were wrong."

"Can you elaborate?"

"She said I was crazy for coming here today."

Suddenly, there was a rapid knock on the door and then it opened.


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"I beg your pardon, Mr. Manyon. You were wrong soon as you sat down. The questions that Dr. Thomas was asking

you was simply to waste time until the real volunteer shows up. We are simply waiting."

Lance looked accusingly at Dr. Thomas. "Is this correct?"

Dr. Thomas looked apologetic. "Yes unfortunately. Your name is the first question."

"You liar! You said it wasn't."

Dr. Thomas raised his voice. "No I said your middle name is not part of the answer."

Lance sat stunned.

"Mr. Manyon I would like to thank you for your time." Claire said without emotion.

The room was deathly silent.

Lance stood up and started for the door.

Claire moved out of the way.

Then Lance turned around, "I think this is bullshit. I don't even think there is a 'volunteer'. I think you made all this shit

up. And you yourselves are the ones who are celebrity hounds. Sucking up the limelight so you can get venture

capital investment or some shit like that."

Claire's face went red and she was just about to say something until Dr. Thomas touched her hand.

"Mr. Manyon I can understand that you are upset that you are not part of changing history." Dr. Thomas tried to say

with a soft, understanding tone.

"No, you are mistaken Dr. Thomas. If you have done what you said you have. I am part of changing history." He

waited for the words to sink in. "Let me ask you. It's happening now - right?"

Claire blurted out, "What is?"

"History. Time is running right now. And everything we do is changing what happens next. Right?"


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Dr. Thomas nodded. "You are correct."

"So change it. Seems like you got a problem with your first volunteer. What the fuck does 'we have a sighting' mean?

You lost him? He is out there changing history - unbridled. Fucking things up." He let them digest the words then he

stabbed them with, "Then get rid of him."

"How? It already fucking happened!" Claire exclaimed.

Dr. Thomas shot a look at Claire.

Claire backed down She knew she had just revealed too much.

Lance knew he had them. "Choose me."

Claire and Dr. Thomas just looked at him.

"Choose me. And your problem goes away."

They were both quiet. But then Claire spoke up. "Mr. Manyon. Thank you for your time. I would like to remind you that

you signed a non-disclosure agreement before agreeing to this interview. Anything you heard or said in this room -

cannot be revealed without penalty of persecution. Do I make myself clear?"

Lance went out the door and slammed it.

Lance was fuming.

He stood there by the door trying to calm down. They were wrong. He was the volunteer! They didn't know what the

fuck they were talking about! He stood beside the door trying to make sense of it.

Maybe this was just a test. Yes, he was the volunteer! He just had to prove that he was.

That's when he noticed the door was not sound proof. He heard their voices inside.

"What the hell was that?" Claire asked irritated.

"Well remember the psychology of what we are proposing. Someone the world doesn't know - has already traveled

back in time. And so many people believe it's them. And based on what's happened we can see why there are so


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many 'volunteering'. They all have emotional investments they impels them to want to go back one year. Tell a loved

one before they die - they love them. Make the right stock choice before it ruins their portfolio."

"Even if they are someone else."

Dr. Thomas nodded. "Even if they are someone else." He paused. "Also there is one more thing I wanted to just bring

up and put it out there. Take it or throw it away."

"Make it quick because I have information."

"That's what I was about to say. Maybe I don't want to know what it is. And maybe Lance is right. What if we did

choose him? Wouldn't this all go away? Are we choosing our 'volunteer' because we were told to choose him -

because it's already happened? What if we did change things?"

Lance's heart started pounding. He put his hand on the door knob.

"Fuck. You are giving me a migraine with all this."

"Is it pre-destiny or can we change it and erase all this?"

They both just stood there and looked at each other. Dr. Thomas stroked his beard and pushed his glasses up on his

nose.

So Claire broke the silence. "So do you want to know? Or do you want me to call Mr. Manyon back in?"

Lance whispered to himself, "This is it." He gripped the door knob harder and his palms started sweating.

Dr. Thomas gave a long pause. He looked Claire in the eyes. She seemed a bit lost at what to do. "Times like this I

wish Cliff was still with us."

Claire laughed and then caught herself and almost choked up from emotion. "Cliff is - still with us."

They suddenly missed him so badly it ached inside.

That's when Dr. Thomas looked down at his feet and let out a deep breath. "Okay tell me."

"Yes he was spotted in Southeast Asia." Claire blurted out.


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"What the hell is he doing there?"

"It seems he is on vacation."

"What? How do you know?"

"My furry friend used Google's face recognition on the photos being uploaded around the world - and he got a match."

Dr. Thomas laughed. "So he is using a Google Plus?"

Claire answered quickly, "No someone using an Android phone - uploaded a picture. He was in it."

"Fucking a Google employee has it's privileges." Dr. Thomas smiled.

"That's why I overlooked the bear suit during sex."

"So where is he?" Dr. Thomas asked.

--

Lance waited until he heard. He let go of the door knob and went out into the waiting room and saw all the idiots

waiting. He wanted to scream at them that it was a scam but instead he left quickly. Shoving people that got in his

way who were waiting like he had been. He got to the elevator and jabbed repeatedly on the down button.

When the elevator doors opened and he came out into the ground floor - he saw the local television crew was still out

front.

"I will be the volunteer. They said it. I can change things." He said to himself.

He walked forward like he was in trance and suddenly knew what he had to do.

The television reporter was interviewing a processed 'volunteer' and the producer was standing in the background

listening. Lance walked up behind them and said, "Excuse me. Are looking for the 'volunteer'?"

The producer spun around. "Yes."

Lance spoke softly, "I might have an exclusive for you."


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--

"Okay so here is the plan." Dr. Thomas began. "You go there and intercept him and keep it quiet. Take Ozaki for

backup. I have to stay here. We are still waiting for the 'volunteer' to volunteer. He still hasn't shown up."

Claire answered, "I will call our corporate travel agent, buy a ticket, run to the house - pack my bikini and passport.

Then I will get there as soon as a flight makes it human possibly."

"A bikini?"

"You may have let your body go to shit with all this. I have been doing yoga. I am a stress exerciser."

"Can I just say something?" Dr. Thomas went serious.

"Sure."

"Next time we need to ask the 'volunteer' all the details about their volunteering. Day they showed up - when it was,

everything. This waiting around for it to happen - sucks."

Claire looked shocked. "You want to do this shit again?"

"No, I am just saying."

"Will call you when I am about to board." Claire put her hand on the door.

"I will let you know if he shows up."

"Here's to us cleaning this fuck up - up." Then Claire left.

--

The producer stood behind the camera man. "We are going live in 30 seconds." The producer then turned their gaze

to Lance. "If you are lying to us - you will become a meme. Not a good kind. One of those memes that show a

baseball hitting you in the balls. Or an ice skater falling on her ass and accidentally showing her camel toe. With the

words in big font, 'FAIL'."

Lance coughed and then cleared his throat. "Point made."


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The television reporter held the microphone in his hand and spoke directly to Lance, "I am going to start with a little

introduction. Put a little validation forward for your story. And then you drop the bomb, okay?"

Lance nodded. "Will do."

The producer touched their ear. "I just got word that network is picking this up. Looks like we are going national."

Lance's palms began sweating. I am the volunteer, he smiled to himself.

The producer announced, "On in 15." Producer paused and then started again. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6..." And the producer put

up his hand showing all five fingers, four fingers, three fingers, two fingers and then pointed to the reporter.

The reporter touched his earpiece and began nodding as if someone in the distance was talking to him. Then they

said loudly, "That's correct, Jim." Then more quiet but nodding while looking directly at the camera. Abruptly the

reporter started anxiously, "I am here with volunteer Lance Manyon. He is one of the hundreds of people that have

come here 'volunteering' to be the world's first time traveler. The first question I have," the reporter turned to Lance,

"Why?"

Lance smiled and looked at the camera. "When I was a kid I read, 'The Time Machine' and watched 'Back to the

Future' movies over and over. And I said, one day I want to do that."

The reporter nodded, "Who hasn't? But why you?"

Lance looked up to compose his answer and then replied, "I do not want to financially gain anything. I do not want to

create a time paradox. I simply want to be the lab rat. The one that does it first for science. And there are the basic

bio things. I am not married. I have no kids. I am debt free. I am not trying to run from paying my credit cards or a

student loan."

The reporter laughed. "Time traveling doesn't excuse you from debt collectors I suppose."

"Or the Internal Revenue Service." Lance added.

The producer gave a thumbs up and smiled.

Then the reporter moved on, "How was the interview process?"

Lance shifted on his feet. "I signed a non-disclosure agreement so I cannot discuss that."


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"Understood. But what are the chances of you becoming the 'volunteer'?"

"Ask him."

The reporter gave a shocked look. "I am sorry. I don't understand. What did you say?"

"Ask the 'volunteer'."

The reporter wasn't sure where Lance was going. The producer's face changed and gave a thumbs down.

"How can we ask the 'volunteer'?"

"A 'volunteer' would know where the volunteer is - right?"

"Are you saying, you know where the 'volunteer' is right now? And because you know that - you are the volunteer?"

Lance waited because he was trying to navigate in his mind if he was staying within the confines of the non-

disclosure agreement terms and conditions. He wasn't revealing what was told to him in the room - directly. He was

revealing something that he had overheard. More importantly it was heard outside the room. The NDA only covered

the room conversations.

"Right now, at this time, the 'volunteer' is in two places at the same time. Correct? He went to the past and now the

past has caught up with now. And he exists now - before he has gone to the past. I think it's safe to say - because the

interview process is happening behind us in this building - the 'volunteer' is here now."

"Are you him?" the reporter asked point blank.

"I am legally bound to not divulge that information."

The reporter seemed pissed. The producer was jumping up and down doing a cut throat sign with their hand and

touching their ear piece with the other hand.

"But you can ask the other 'volunteer'."

"How can we? No one knows where that person is. Or who that person is."

"I know where they are."


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The producer stopped jumping and went very, very still.

The reporter went very serious. "Mr. Manyon, can you tell me and all the people across the country - where is the

time traveler right now?"

Lance shifted his weight, wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, and looked directly at the camera. "Cebu, Philippines."

--

Sheila was watching. The baby began crying when it saw her crying. She went instantly to the phone and called her

mom.

The sobs were so deep she could barely speak when her mom answered.

"Sheila is that you? What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong, baby." the phone asked.

Sheila was able to compose herself a little but the baby was crying even louder. The little boy felt his mother's pain

and went hysterical. Sheila began to rock the baby - trying to soothe him. But the tears kept coming. "Mom, can you

take care of Clifford for a couple of days?"

"Sure honey, of course I can. But why?"

Sheila felt the big, salty tears fall across her lips. "I found him."

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REPETE: Chapter Three | Day 375

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