Tima2

"Listen well, Tima. The rules of a Minder are simple, but even simplicity is complex. Imagine complexity as something that is large. Which means that it's antonym, simplicity, would be the opposite; something small. But, if we look at something small in great detail, we can see how complex it really is. It's outward appearance may be something insignificant, but what is seemingly insignificant may be something of great  significance. Think of time like this. Moments in time are small, and seem insignificant, but in the grander scheme of our existence, these small make up the large streams of time. By understanding the small, we may be able to predict the large. As a Minder, these small calculations will lead us to predicting the large." 

Master Niba seemed to know what he was talking about. Yet, he did not seem to think that I had already thought of such things. I watched him speak so confidently, instructing me on the rules, but I could not agree with him. It was true that in the grander scheme of things, some insignificance could make up a larger significance. However, with that being understood,  the chaotic variables that may be the seemingly small  that Minders must understand are entirely unpredictable. If time, more specifically the present and the future, are based on these small variables that we must analyze for significantce in order to predict, this leaves us with endless variables to take into account. 

My hand raised from where I was sitting, my voice speaking up. 

"I am sorry, to disrupt you, but I inquire information. If these small calculations must be variables we take into account, this leaves all variables at an infinite. If the future is, as you said, based on these 'small' things,  we can always dive deeper, and go smaller. This means that there is no accurate way of predi--" 

"Now wait a moment, Tima. I understand where you are coming from. You are going to deep, which I would advise you not to. Do not take in all variables, only the ones that are important. If the small details seem important, take them into consideration. If not, you need not worry." 

"Your commands... perplex me, Master. I apologize if I am being rude. However, you did say that these seemingly minuscule moments or variables must be accountable for possibilities. In a chaotic world, the slightest variable, or shift in paradigm, could be catastrophic, life altering, o--" 

"Could be, Tima. Could be. Look deep, but not too deep. I appreciate you questioning me, Tima, however... I will need you to listen, rather than question. As Minders, we must be vigilant, but not too vigilant. We should focus on the what seems to be the best, not what may or may not be best." 

"I-I..." I probably seemed a bit flustered by being brushed off, and unable to speak any further. I could feel my face becoming hot, my heart sinking in anxiousness, and my brain lost in the confusion that Niba's paradoxical lessons were inducing. 

"But what seems best may or may not be what is be--" 

"Do not think that deep about it.  Use intuition, and knowledge you know of the future, and try to predict what alterations to the past could lead to a different timeline. The little details do matter, but getting worked up over them is wrong. Remember, in our world, every little option, choice, an--" 

"Yes, I know. They all lead to parallel, alternate universes in which another scenario may have happened. These altered scenarios lead to infinite possibilities, and these possibilities lead to an infinite array of universes. I have studied extensively on this subject, Master Niba."

"So then, Tima; you must know that our society relies on instinct, intuition, and the ability to break down the probability, and likelihood of a scenario occuring within the current timeline we exist in. As a Minder, you must take into account the unaccountable, and make decisions knowing that no matter what you choose, altering the present could have drastic changes." 

"If that is the case, Master Niba, then all of this minding is completely, and utterly pointless. The amount of chaos that exists in this universe is infinite, and the infinite amount of chaos that we do not take into account could lead to, roughly, an infinite amount of chaotic possibilities. Probability is meaningless when dealing with infinite. " 

"LISTEN TO ME, TIMA!" Master Niba snapped, his cold, dark eyes glaring at me. "Time has chosen you to be the next minder. So many time-lines have you as the one who leads our people. I did not choose you to be the Minder, the greater amount of time did. So heed my words, mind my advice, and take into consideration that the entire race of Tahreehians of this time-line count on you to guide them to safety." 

I shook my head, frustrated at his scolding. Yet I passively looked away from my mentor. I did not ask to be the Minder, and time did not choose me. He chose me by traveling through time, and seeing the timelines. That was not destiny, that was not time's choice. That was his choice. Beings are not born with purpose, or existence. Maybe they may find it through personal value, but with as chaotic as time, and the universe is, you would have to have such a great ego to claim that 'time' had chosen you. My ego did not allow me to be so arrogant. 

"Listen, Tima..." Master Niba said in a softer tone. "I understand that you are confused, frightened, and worried. But I am here to teach you. And if you do exceed in so many timelines as the Minder of our race, then there is something special about you, and the potential that you may have. Is there a chance you will fail? Yes. Is there a chance you will not? Also yes. So try your hardest to be the latter, Tima. I see you as our greatest hope." 

I took a deep breath. His words, while worrying, did make me smile. To think someone of such great importance thought of me on the same level. I knew it did not make any sense, yet I could not deny the possibilities he was offering me. I was reluctant, but willing. I had to learn to mind time. I had to learn all that I could, even if I knew there were infinite odds against me for chaotic reasons I could not even begin to grasp, or attempt to understand.

  
Days had passed. Or perhaps they were months? They always felt short when obtaining knowledge on how to mind time. This day in particular was going to be the day that I finally traveled to the future, through alternate timelines at once. I was told to equip my body suit, as it was designed in order to allow me to travel. 

I looked in the mirror. It was... tight. Perhaps a little too tight. In fact, it made my slender body reveal most of my shape.
It was also itchy, and clung to certain areas that were uncomfortable. The outfit was a bluish color, and glowed in certain areas. Just near the waist, where a belt would be if it were pants, was a clock which displayed the date, the month, and the year.

I turned my back to the mirror, and peered over my shoulder. There I saw my backside. While I was never one who cared for their appearance, I did believe that, in this suit, one might find me to be incredibly desirable. Especially the opposite sex. Or maybe even the same. It was an embarrassing thought that made me blush a bit, but a thought that I could not  prevent myself from having. 

After my lengthy, vain gaze at my reflection, I made my way to the Minder's training area. There Master Niba awaited my presence. He too was in his body suit, which, admittedly, showed a bit too much of his body for me to enjoy. It was hard to take him with the utmost seriousness, but I attempted to do so. 

"Welcome back, Tima." Niba greeted. "I see you have found your suit. I understand that it maybe a bit uncomfortable at first, but it an absolute necessity. As you know, our people do not have the ability to travel through time naturally. It has become a science that our culture has studied for years. For various reasons, physical time travel has never been implemented. By that I mean that we cannot travel through time in a physical sense. Your body will not travel through time, but your consciousness. These suits allow us to keep our bodies in this current time era, and transfer our consciousness  to a future self. If you take off the suit, your current self cannot travel to a future self, and your future self cannot receive the consciousness of your current self." 

"I-I... understand. A-At least I believe I do." I did not understand. Not even in the least. This science was beyond what I had studied. 

"Wonderful. Now, as your consciousness travels, know that you may only travel through future timelines where you continue to exist. If you are dead in any timeline, you may not be able to see the future of it, as you have no body to mind-shift to. The timelines you can travel to are also only available if the current present sets these timelines in motion, and are a current possibility." 

I did not like hearing that. This proved my theory, as I had thought before. If everything changes rapidly, any form of chaos could make a distant future chaotic, or one where I do not exist in. This made my face pale, but I accepted it in order to assume my duties. 

"I understand." I stated with reluctant and uncertainty. 

"There is one more thing, Tima. As Minders of time, we never travel back in time before the present we are mind-shifting from. If we do, the simplest of actions could cause  us to no longer exist. So, for an example, if say, you were to mind-warp from this moment, to four minutes ago when you had the suit on, the consequences could be catastrophic, and you may very-well lose your existence. Always travel to the future, and back to the present that you were shifting from." 

Oh no. That was worrying, but I did understand that. I had to understand it with every fiber of my being, for if I did not, I could end up no longer existing. My head gave a nod to my master to indicate that I understood. He seemed pleased, and then pointed to the clock on his waist. Much like the clock on mine, it was flipped upside. 

"Now take a look at this.  This clock is positioned the way it is so you may look down on your waist,  see the date, the time, and the exact seconds. This clock will save the time and date you shifted from, and also save the time that you arrive in. Since you are a beginner, I am going to teach you how to go one hour into the future. Progressively, we will go further, and further. But for now, it will be simple." 

Niba pointed to his waist once again. There were different modules on the clock which slowly ticked down time. He pressed it a few, and then commanded me to follow. 

"Do as I do. Press the shift button, and then calm yourself as if you are about to sleep. This will lunge your consciousness into the times-stream of possibilities. Now, I want to warn you before you take off, when you return, there may be altercations to your current personality. This is because you will be traveling between time, reality, and possibilities. Alternate versions of your future self may linger in your thought patterns due to shifting. It does wear off after so long, but you should be warned." 

I understood, yet the feeling of knowing that my personality may warp due to the mind-shifting was worrying. This was my moment. This was where I finally put my training into action. I took a deep breath, and hit the module on my waist. I looked down at the time, and took note of it. Closing my eyes, I got into a relaxed state. Yet, I did not feel anyt-- 

There it was. My entire consciousness was floating through an array of colorful possibilities which  revealed themselves before my eyes. It was like zooming through still frames of a life I had yet to live. I could see each moment, each current possibility, and it was breathtaking. Could I stop myself at any given moment? I was not going to try. Not when I was tasked to go one full hour into the future.

When my consciousness reached it's destination, I felt as if I had been thrown back into existence. It was a jerking feeling which made my current self's eyes open wide, gasping for air. Where was I exactly one hour from now? I was not sure, but I was about to find out. When my eyes opened, I tried to move my body, but could not. 

I was still woozy, and my vision blurry. When things finally came into focus, I took note of my surroundings. No. No. No. No. No. What... what future is this? I looked down at my wrists, they were shackled in restraints, my ankles  as well. I was starting to panic. I had seemed to be placed in some sort of cold, dimly lit ship. That's when I saw it. It as the logo for 'The Work Force': An intergalactic slave ring that abducted people from various origins. Why? Why was I here of all places? Had I been kidnapped?

I... I had to get back to my present. I had to tell Master Niba of what an hour into the future had in store for me. My hands reached for the module on my belt, I pressed the buttons, and while difficult to do it in such restraints, I was able to input the sequence to go back to my present. I calmed myself, and then started to shift. When I returned to my present self, I saw Master Niba smiling, and looking quite proud.

 "So, did you enjoy your first shift?"  He asked cheerfully. 

"Master Niba, in an hour, I am going to be abducted by the work force!" I panted heavily. 

"Hm? No, no. Tima, you are experience shock from a possible reality, and since realities are infinite, you just happen to feel the same as one of your alternate timelines."

"No! I saw it! I shifted there! I am going to be abducted! I-I... I have to prevent this from happening! I have to find what causes this, and stop it at on--"

Niba approached me, and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Tima, calm down. I experienced the same fright that you felt the first time I shifted. You learn to cop--"

"SHUT UP! You do not understand!" I broke away from his grip, and turned my back to my master. "You did not see what I saw! You do not know what I know! I have to prevent this! I have to run! I have to! I cannot be taken by the Work Force!"

That is what I did. I ran. I ran from the training center for Minders, and left Niba. I heard him call my name, telling me to come back, but I was far too panicked to listen. Eventually I had reached the outskirts of of my home city. I took a quick moment to catch my breath. My body heaved with each huff. How...? How could I be taken by the Work Force? It did not make any sense! It just did not a--

"FREEZE!" I heard a voice call out to me.

There was now a laser pointer on my chest. I looked up only to find a squad of Work Force collectors. They charged towards me, and started to beat on me, before pushing me to the ground. They soon placed shackles on my wrists, and ankles.

That is when it dawned on me. The hour that I traveled to, that.... that happened because I ran away. I sealed this fate with my own decision. I made this reality possible with my choice. I did not prevent it because I thought irrationally. Chaos was everywhere, and this moment of chaos was inflicted by myself. I was going to be put in the Work Force because I did not calculate that my own actions could seal my fate. I only knew how to travel an hour ahead, so I could not get a clear view on what to do. 

What was going to happen to me?