The Music of Time

The peculiar little man scurried back and forth, as he hooked various colored electrodes onto the clear cap upon Aegon's bald head. Chronos, as he was simply known, was awkwardly close to Aegon, his thin mustache almost kissed his forehead.

“There we are.” Chronos exclaimed proudly. “Now we are ready to begin the test.”

“Yes sir,” Aegon affirmed, before swallowing spit.

“Now, do you know what we look for in candidates Aegon?”

“No one does sir, aside from typically military training, the process is a mystery.”

“Well that is the way we like it.” Chronos said with a pencil thin smile. “What made you apply?”

Aegon paused for a moment he remembered the response he had long rehearsed. “To help the Keepers shape the future, and past of human kind.”

Chronos gave a disappointed shake of the head. “Yes, yes, of course, and I love getting kicked in the jewels. Whats your actual reason?”

Aegon felt his face flush, though he decided to be honest. “I wish to see the world as it was, when it was full of life and greenery, I wish to see how my ancestors lived.”

Chronos tightened something on Aegons head, his face again close enough that Aegon could smell his lavender shampoo; and he stared, a starry glint in his eyes. “Ah there it is.”

Chronos pulled out a flat silver object that reflected some of light in the room. He pressed the center and the object then expanded into a small glowing sphere.

Aegon had never seen tech like it before.

The lights upon Aegon's head, and the computer stations lit up as everything synced. “Do you like music Aegon?”

Aegon nodded. Chronos pressed in the sphere twice and classical music began to play.

“They say music is one of the strongest things that humans have created. There aren't many things that elicit such powerful emotional responses. You may feel sorrow, joy, anger, all within a note. Music of course is somewhat a mood itself.”

Chronos walked back and forth as if he were in a lecture hall, his hands clasped behind his back. “Music can also bring you back to a time, or a place within a millisecond. For instance I may play a certain song that will bring you back to the arms of someone dear to you, a past lover maybe?" He let out a deviant laugh.

He paused, putting his finger to his lips. “Though.. If you are applying for this program I suppose its not likely for you to have someone like that.”

Bingo, Aegon thought to himself.

Chronos then pressed the sphere again switching the music. Several pieces played, as well as other songs from a variety of ages. All the while Chronos typed feverishly. He then stopped suddenly. "Okay there we are, done. Did you feel anything?”

Aegon sat confused. “Not really sir. It was beautiful for the most part. I don't think I've heard some of that type of music before.”

Chronos didn't respond, he just kept eyeing the results. His fingers resumed twitching in the air as he typed into the augmented vision, “Hmm well its possible that you have and just don't recall."

“Sir?”

“Okay lets continue and try this some more shall we? I think I found it. Now listen, really listen! And concentrate! Close your eyes if you need to.”

Aegon obliged, as music from the early atomic age started to play.

Aegon's mind wandered. Am I supposed to feel something? What is this shit? Maybe I'm not a good candidate?

A second, then a third song played. Aegon shuffled in his chair he could feel sweat collecting on the back of his neck.

When the fourth song started to play he felt something pull at his stomach. His eyebrows furled together, as he listened intently. This song.. It sounds, so familiar; but I'm sure I've never heard it before.

Suddenly the music stopped, Aegon's eyes shot open, adjusting to the dim orbs that lit the room. He had forgotten that Chronos was there. “You felt something didn't you?”

Aegon nodded, “Yes. Yes I did.” He struggled to find words. “It was beautiful, though I'm sure I've never heard it before…

Chronos raised his white eyebrows. “But?”

Aegon pursed his lips together. He decided to forgo any apprehension.“Though I was so sure that I had. Somewhere.”

Chronos sat down now across from Aegon. “I doubt you have. Not you, personally anyway.” Chronos sat seemingly admiring Aegon with a smile before speaking again. “Now. Lets try again, only this time I will turn on the actuator.” Chronos flipped a switch, giving a wink.

Chronos again pressed something on the sphere, this time it seemed he was pressing a combination. Aegon felt a warming sensation along his head, and a light hum. He could sense the different frequencies in each ear.

“Close your eyes again Aegon.”

*Play above clip from beginning*

The music resumed, it was the same song he left off at. Aegon listened, to both the song and his ever slowing breathing. He twitched in surprise, as a light shock vibrated on the back of his neck and continued down his spine. Though the shock was not enough to cause pain. It was almost pleasant.

The song slowly became more and more convoluted, as if it were being played underwater.

Aegon listened, he began to see from under his eyelids shifting lights. He didn't want to open them. The voices of the music seemed further, and further away.

He was surprised at the sound of something pattering gently against the windows. Rain? Though after some thought Aegon remembered he was in a windowless room. He squeezed his eyes tight, as he fought the urge to open them.

He could hear the light humming of what sounded like some kind of combustible engine. Or a furnace? The music seemed to come from within him, slowly it became louder. The voices much clearer.

He tried now to open his eyes, but found that there was nothing but the lights. Like he was still looking through his eyelids.

Suddenly he felt a hand gently squeeze his thigh. It must have been Chronos. Who is Chronos?

What? He heard himself think.

Slowly his eyes opened to see a hand on this leg. He was in some sort of vehicle from long ago.

The thigh most definitely was not his. A long yellow dress sat above his knees, the warm hand rubbed his thigh with endearment. Aegon felt a warmth that doesn’t come from temperature, a heat in the center of his chest; a aura of calm protection.

As his vision cleared he could see the lights were actually other cars passing. The windshield wipers swiped away the streaming raindrops. Aegon looked over to see where the hand on his thigh led, when the song stopped abruptly.

There was a blinding flash of lightning and a sudden pulling sensation as if he were falling. Aegon screamed as he fell into a deeper and deeper darkness. He reached for something, anything to stop his descent, something that wasn't there. He fell for what seemed like hours in the abyss. The music and voices echoed inside him as he plummeted.

*You may pause the music at this time*

When he impacted he was sure his neck was broken from the fall.

Aegon gasped, his arms flailed wildly, his eyes wide with shock as he stared around the strange room he now found himself in. Aegon was back in the chair with Chronos across from him. He could hear now in place of the music, the music of life support beeping, and various mechanisms lighting up around him.

As Aegon massaged his eyes, “What the fuck just happened?”

Chronos just sat patiently waiting.

“So where did you go?”

Aegon continuously massaged his eyes and temple, he could feel the onset of a headache with each accelerated heartbeat.

“What did you see?”

“I saw..”

“I felt like, I was in a car, very old. The first thing I heard was the rain and the engine. And then..” Aegon finally pulled his hands away from his face, his eyes tentatively opened. The words to describe his experience were lost on him, most of it was more a feeling than anything. He realized it was like trying to remember a dream.

“Whys it so bloody hard to remember? I mean it just happened. I wasn't asleep..” Aegon turned now staring directly into Chronos’.

“Was I?”

Chronos smiled, for the first time showing his teeth. “No, Not at all Aegon you were wide awake. And a matter of fact your eyes were open for most of your travel.”

“I remember… I remember a warm hand on my thigh, only it wasn't my thigh. It was, the thigh of a woman. Who was that?”

“Well my boy. That is the question. Feels like remembering a dream doesn't it?”

Aegon's green eyes widened, “Exactly. And Normally-”

“Normally you remember your dreams.”

“Right.”

Chronos stood up now. “The reason it feels like a dream, is because you are in a sense in a dream, one from hundreds of years ago. A memory tied to this music, or the time that the music came from.”

Aegon started to speak, but then realized he should rather listen.

“People don't imagine shit anymore do they? They wake up. Go to work. Come home. Swipe mindlessly on their socials and streams, until they fall asleep; and then they wake up to do it all over again.” He raised his pointer finger as he continued.

“But not you. You wake up and imagine places you’ve never been, people you've never met.”

Aegon realized he wasn't breathing, he let out a loud sigh catching his breath; and he nodded slowly.

Chronos said the next words in a slower cadence.

“You see Aegon, you weren't dreaming, or imagining, you were living a memory from hundreds of years ago. You traveled back hundreds of years through your very genes, and DNA, and the genes and DNA of your father, your fathers father, and his fathers mother and so on. Traveling through their very bloodlines.”

“Why?” Aegon paused for a moment. “Why did you bring me back so soon?”

“People tend to forget themselves in the memories of others when they travel. Especially when they just began to do it.”

The two sat silent, then Chronos turned to a screen that was emulating from a projector.

“Needless to say Aegon, you are accepted into the program.”

Aegon's stomach tightened up, he couldn't tell if it sheer fear, or relief. He let himself smile

“Can we do that again?”

“Ha, yes my boy, we can, though we must not overload your body. Now, what if I told you, that you could live as that person?”

Living in the past, they say you shouldn't do that but Aegon had been doing that the last several years, living the lives of his long lost relatives. Technically he could connect with anyone because everyone shares some pieces of DNA, though if the bond wasn't strong the more difficult it was to have a stable connection. Soon he found why his initial application was accepted so quickly.

He was going to investigate his first anomaly.

A break in the flow of time, a break that affected the preferred outcome of the Foundation. He was pulled into the office of his commander, Thebes.

“Have a seat, Aegon.” Thebes gestured to the foam chair with a thick hand.

“So today you find out why you were chosen Aegon. You see we received intel from our future timeline about you. You had a distant family member on board the Titanic. Did you know that?”

“No sir can't say I did, connections are endless though.”

Thebes nodded, “connections are endless."

He continued to nod before speaking again. "A rogue traveler named Krixes has ended up on the ship, and is attempting to alter the preferred timeline. You see he was supposed to prevent a young woman from committing suicide, thus the ship continuing on its fate. Though he did not. He is there now, hiding on the ship."

“Do we have a link?”

“There are several he could be, you see he was one of our finest travelers, he could connect with people his family was several blood lines removed from.”

“So I am going in mostly blind.”

“Well we are going to give you everything we have on him.”

Just then Thebes clicked his finger and Aegon received in his head hundreds of files, a complete family tree connected to Krixes.

“We are working to get others who can link on the Titanic as well, but it happens to be a small sample of people. Well, as you may recall many were snuffed out and thus their lines ended.”

“Correct sir, from an ice burg right?”

“Correct.” The commander cleared his throat. “I regret to put you in this position but we feel you are an exemplary traveler, exhibiting much discipline in your travels. I need you to be aware Krixes is very dangerous, and idealistic, one thing that may give him away is he is quite a talker.”

“What will I do when I find him or the anomaly?”

Thebes cleared his throat again speaking the next words carefully. “When you locate Krixes you will terminate with extreme prejudice.”

Aegon felt his face showing surprise, he had never heard of other travelers assassinating each other. Any small bit of damage could change the outcome of the timeline, or splinter into any number of others.

“Terminate the traveler?”

Thebes voice rattled deeply, “he is a threat to everything, you must terminate him by any means necessary, any possible breakaway timelines that result from collateral we will deal with later.”

The two stared at each other for several breathes and then Thebes repeated “Terminate with extreme prejudice.”

*Play above clip*

It took a long time before they found the right music. They played a number of Victorian pieces ranging from 1900-1912. Light pianos reverberated through Aegon as lights settled in around him, he could make out some shapes around him. Some moved, some did not; eventually they formed into discernable shapes and objects.

People, tables, Aegon now found himself sitting in a chair. A table between himself and a young curly haired blonde; who took shape across from him. She wore a fine high collared blouse extenuating her hanging necklace below her throat. Her mouth was frozen in mid sentence.

The music now returned equalizing in Aegons head as the transition stabilized, jovial string music, with soft upbeat piano. The first movement became visible on the peripheral of Aegon. A waiter went by with a silver platter.

Aegon was startled as the woman across from him spoke suddenly.

“So, I happened to have seen her. Its just the darndest thing!” Her voice giving off a sureness that can only come from being affluent. The chorus of people speaking around them became full force, a shock to Aegon's senses.

He looked at his hands, and notice they looked feminine. Okay so I'm female.

He had been the other sex a few times but it always took some time to get used to. Especially in times where women were treated less than equal.

Aegon felt up toward his head, making it appear as if he were adjusting his hair. He felt a long braid straddled down his neck, and a larger hat upon it. “Excuse me.” Aegon said politely, standing up suddenly, hmm a light Irish accent.

He walked toward one of the wash rooms. He walked gingerly, acquainting himself with the tight dress, and pumps upon his feet.

In the wash room, Aegon looked upon himself in the mirror. He was quite beautiful, dark features, his dark brown hair strong to the root. He could tell that whoever this relative was, was fairly well off for the time. He all but emptied his clutch on the washroom table.

Upon the items, was a paper ID. Hazel Astor.

Now he knew his name. He stuffed everything back, and paused for a moment in the mirror admiring his ancestor.

Aegon left the washroom, weaving through a group of laughing men, enjoying tobacco and whiskey.

He returned to the table and as naturally as possible asked the blonde woman the date. “I must be in a cloud, what ever is today's date?”

“Why, its the 16th of April of course.”

“Are we still on course?”

The blonde raised a eyebrow, “Are we still on course? Darling we were talking of that last night. Its all the talk of the ship.”

Aegon nodded, to say of course, “Did they find out anything else?” He went now to have a spoon full of the plum pudding that was in front of him.

“Well since we spoke last not that I know of. Terrible as it is.”

“Remind me what happened?”

The blonde's face twisted into some mild confusion. “Are you okay darling?”

“Yes, yes, I think maybe I'm just getting a little sea sick.”

“Oh dear that's not good, well maybe that's what happened to the girl too. Who knows, but from what that boy says it sounds like she jumped.”

“She jumped?”

“Here you are Mrs. Zigler.” A waiter slowly lowered a bottle, topping off Aegon's new friends drink. At least now he knew part of her name. After a sip, she responded.

“Yes, she had all the reason to live in this world, she was almost as rich as me after all. Oh that poor boy.”

“Do you know the boy who saw it?”

Mrs. Ziglers nose curled up slightly, “Oh no, not at all. Hes from third class I believe. Though he is quite dashing I will say.”

Aegon held back a smile. He hadn't been on the Titanic long and he already had a solid lead. From what Aegon gathered, this boy had something to do with the missing girl, he chose someone higher class that would garner much attention, and pushed them off the boat. Knowing very well that the crew and populace would be in an uproar to try and save said women, hence the delay coming from searching, and hence why the Titanic had not sunk as it was supposed to on April 14th, 1912.

Aegon dropped his pleasantries, every second ticking away is one altering the future. “What was the girls name? And The third classer?”

Mrs. Ziglers eyebrows raised in more confusion. “Are you okay? Hazel we literally just spoke about it.”

“Yeah, I'm okay, I'm just tryin’ ta put a face to the names is all.” The Irish accent came out stronger than he anticipated.

“Well, it was that lovely girl Rose Butaker of course. Is truely a shame. Then the boy's name was Jack, Jack Davidson, er no Dawson, Jack Dawson.”

*You may pause the above music*

Aegon bid farewell to his apparent friend and walked throughout the ship trying to get a feel for it. Through asking other random people what happened, he found that the death of Rose happened two days before the Titanic was supposed to sink. Aegon went on the top deck walking in eye site of the bow where the incident happened.

This was the site of the anomaly. As the people around him thinned out he pulled out his orb and told it to travel back in time to the day of Rose Butaker's death.

He would set it to an hour before the incident. Though he could only travel back in time one more time after this, you can only do it so many times while active in a loop.

Aegon felt the vertigo as he watched the ship travel backwards in time. The people going about their lives, moving backward as the sun set, then rose, then set again.

They have no idea. Many of their lives will come to a frigid end. His stomach was hit by what felt like a punch, they would all technically die thanks to him being there. Did that make him a murderer? He asked himself, though he thought better of the big picture and what was at stake.

But they are supposed to die..

Light hit him all at once on the deck, the reality around him bending as it stabilized. Aegon noticed few people on the deck that day. A striking woman walked by, red curls falling to her shoulders, she approached a young man who was sitting at the bow of the ship. She approached him with a familiarity.

The man was very young looking, he had long bangs and hair that didn't seem to coincide with the time period. This must be the incident. Aegon stepped closer, sneaking up behind them as close as possible.

The man took her hand, and led her toward the edge of the ship. Aegon remembered what the commander had told him.“By any means necessary.”

Rose’s arms spread wide, mimicking a bird's wings. As Aegon approached he heard her say “it's like I'm flying.”

Just as Aegon started to yell, the young man turned to him, his piercing eyes had a sense of knowing to them, “So you're who they sent Mrs. Astor.”

Aegon froze a few feet between them, he noticed Rose was frozen as well, her arms still in the T-formation.

“Stop what you're doing, you are under arrest for violating the time space continuum.”

“Dictated by whom? By the preferred timeline? And who decides that? Have you asked yourself that?”

Aegon wasnt about to debate this man, he knew Thraxes words could be poison. He prepared himself to launch into an attack, Thraxes was a smaller man in this timeline, but Aegon still was a middle aged woman.

Though at that present moment he might have been the best trained woman living in this timeline.

Jack or Thraxes shook his head with a sort of cocky grin. “It doesn't matter, you're going to do it aren't you? Well go ahead then, do what the future slavemasters tell you to do, do as they say because man always knows best doesn't he?”

This gave Aegon pause, he had never questioned the motives of the future ever, though he recalled what else the commander told him. “He is idealistic, and quite a talker.”

Aegon leaped forward grabbing Krixes by the arm and striking him in the face.

Krixes coiled away from the punch, it was a glancing blow, and he used the momentum to judo throw Aegon toward the railing.

Aegon bounced off the railing and turned back, flipping Thraxes’ attacking hand away, striking him below the throat.

Thraxes coughed but continued the fight,

Aegon used his knee to create space. He followed it up with a kick to the head of Thraxes.

Aegon could feel victory near, Thraxes’ momentum brought him stumbling near Rose, whom he now put his hands on as she stood smiling, frozen in time.

“No!” Aegon shouted, as he reached for Rose. He placed his arms around her to protect her from the menace.

Though he was surprised when Thraxes made no move to push her from the railing.

Instead Thraxes threw a brutal punch into Aegon's face. His head jerked back he stumbled onto the railing as a boxer would in a ring.

Krixes now attempted to lift him over it.

Aegon's heart jumped as he grabbed onto the rails for dear life. He turned an elbow toward Krixes, who dodged the blow.

Aegon then was struck directly in the solar plexus and the air seeped out of him.

Aegon gasped trying to find air, now almost falling through the railing, he hung on by a thread, he felt his feet dangling.

Krixes looked down at him with a sort of pity in his eyes, “I am sorry about this, believe me, really I am. But this must happen, its our only chance.”

His warm hands covered Aegon’s and for a quick flash he was back in the old car, rain sprinkling against the windshield. Where there was once fear, the warmth had filled him now.

Krixes stared at Aegon for what seemed an eternity. “I'm sure the ship will stop to look for you as well. Mrs. Astor.” He then pulled apart Aegon's fingers.

“No, n-dont!”Aegon plummeted in slow motion toward the frigid grasp of the sea; he reached for a railing that was only further and further away. He fell backwards as the ship and sky seemed to blur together.

Splash!

Aegon hit the water breaking his leg on impact, excruciating pain surged through his body screaming at him.

He yelled in agony as the salt water filled his mouth, he got one gasp of air before being bounced beneath the ship. With each painful thud, he was tossed twisting every which way. He didnt know which way was up anymore.

The sun disappeared leaving him in cold darkness as the Titanic passed over him. He was now being pushed away from the wake of the ship. He reached violently into his pocket in a last ditch effort to travel in time.

He would have to set it very quickly for everything around him was fading. What would happen if he died in the past?

He pressed in different combinations of dates. He needed it before today, any time before. It didn't matter.

He felt his hands going numb in the freezing waters.

His limbs continued to go into failure, all feeling leaving them, along with all the fight.

Slowly a peaceful darkness overcame him, with a terrible realization. It was me, I was the missing first class member.

It was me, I was the anomaly the whole time.

Water filled his lungs, as Aegon drifted from consciousness he could hear the faint keys of a piano playing, creating a melody with the distant bass of the Titanic rumbling across the sea.