The Watchman Paradox: 1999 Paradox: Part 3

By KSZ OLIVER

'Sometimes it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission ”

Paradoxes, a complex and thought-provoking topic that always arouses our curiosity and promises to knot our brains ...

Soon after experiencing an intense existential crisis that culminated even with a desperate attempt to escape from reality, Denison “accidentally” ended up on a mysterious but well-known encounter.

There, after encountering, literally, that one that permeated his dreams — apparently alive — he faced and overcame an inexplicable feeling, or “Force”, antagonistic to his attempts to save the girl.

Then, believing that he was facing the opportunity “prophesied” by the student's mother, Denny drew up and put into practice an improvised plan to try to change the events of that fateful date:

• Did Denny really achieve that goal in the past?
• Was he able, despite the setbacks, to prevent the kidnapping of the young cellist?
• He would find her two decades later, in 2019 — alive? ...

Continue to follow the series “The 1999 Paradox” and find out in: “The Watchman Paradox”!

 

Good reading!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bibliomundi
• Release date: Mar 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781526032379

Book preview

Chapter I

Part 1/I:

Ghost from the present

S

oon after realizing that he had probably returned without notice from November 26, 1999, Denny was still trying to deal with the expectation and fear that if he had indeed achieved his goal after calling Murity police, 2 decades — or some minutes — ago.

"Did he really save her from the Maniac of virgins 20 years ago, or rather just minutes ago ...? he wondered. Would he find her alive at that time?" However, the fact was, instinctively something inside him said that if the plan had worked out, he might not have been there talking about it ... But he didn't want to give up hope.

City of Murity, Saturday night, July 20th, 2019, a few moments after the return from 1999 …

It had been almost 7 minutes since returning from 1999. Denny was still standing in front of the pay phone near of Polyvalent school. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he saw that he had hung up. He tried to turn on the device but was completely discharged. Leaving the vicinity of the pay phone, he had a pleasant and providential surprise...

"You're kidding, right?!" reacted, almost laughing at the sight he was having. He approached to check: Was it the same chair that traveled with him to 1999 year?! he wondered. Yes, it was! It possibly returned at the same time as him! he deduced.

"Who would say?! ... Your office chair: a 'time-traveling chair!'" His Alter ego joked.

It had appeared exactly where the old gate was, in the same place as it was in the past — just like him! He observed, impressed.

Apparently abandoned there, outside the school gate, Denny had no idea what had happened so that his chair had also returned with him from 99.

How that happen?! How did it get back, too? he wondered, intrigued.

But it didn't matter. He had more important things to check: Emmanuelly's status in the 21st century! Denison remembered. Very surprised by that reunion in 2019 with his office chair, Denison took it and put it on his shoulders. Then he walked to the PD.

Denny was right in the center of Murity. By the puddles on the sidewalks it should have been raining hard minutes earlier then. Unlike November 1999, which was pretty hot, the weather was cold in 2019. Dark, thick clouds shifted slowly across the sky, which appeared in a starry black tone from time to time.

Coincidentally, the police station building was nearby. He planned to take his car parked in the Department yard and go home to process this experience, the memories of which frantically ran through his head: He was anxiously wondering if he had saved her or not ...

Sudden, Denny remembered here was one problem: the vehicle keys were basement in the PD. He would have to explain to the security guard that he forgot the keys there, and needed to enter again ... At that time, a pertinent concern came to mind. Intuitively, he feared that something substantial in his timeline might have changed, too, and that for that reason the doorman would no longer recognize him. Or that he would not know the doorman — or no one over there.

Suddenly he couldn't explain how he could know so much about Timelines, or what they meant. As well as the implications that possible changes in the past could have on your life as well. He just realized that he had that ‘intuition', or cognitive memories about the device. What if he wasn't working at the PD anymore? he wondered apprehensively. And if he had never worked there?! Denny continued doubtfully.

As he walked to the police station with his chair in his back, he felt that he had not yet fully got what had just happened that night ... So was that really? Had he really traveled in time? Was he in that same city 20 years ago?! ... recalled exultant and incredulous at the same time.

He had no doubt — or should not have: "He stood before Emmanuelly, the mysterious girl of his dreams. The alleged figure involved in the theft of his home and the case of Manic of virgins  — on November 26, 1999!" He confirmed to himself, still without restraining himself.

Even in the face of a possible failure of the mission to save her, he was undeniably stunned by the still unexplained event.

Next to the PD …

As Denny approached the Department building, he remembered the moments before his accidental departure from 1999: Damn! ... What if the watchman asked him about what happened in that basement? What if he had seen something, like him and his chair disappearing? How would he explain?! ... He could not know exactly what the watchman had witnessed. The only way was to find out by finding out.

As soon as he arrived at the gate with that chair on his shoulders, to his relief, the watchman recognized him immediately. But he didn't mention anything about the episode. It only struck the unusual situation of the chair in the back. When asked by the doorman that he had found the lights and computer on in the empty basement, he invented: "That he had taken his chair for repair and was returning, and now that he had to get in to leave it and get his car keys."

Phew! Another problem solved, he talked relieved to note that so far, on that Timeline, everything was still as he had left ..." But he hoped that not everything.

Denny also noted that when he returned from the past, the same time had passed as in the present — or in the future. It was as if the passage of time between the two times were synchronized, and he landed in his time exactly about an hour after he had jump to 1999. After passing through the gate, the watchman strangely questioned him:

Hey! You're not afraid?...

Uh!? ‘Afraid'? From what? Denison was surprised by that unexpected question.

To be there alone in that basement. he explained.

No! ... Denison replied, still trying to understand why that question. And why the question?

I don't know ... The watchman seemed a little reluctant to ask. It seems that there is a ‘strange presence' down there ... he asked anyway. Never felt it?

Denny laughed internally as he realized which episode he was probably referring to: Possibly he should have seen something as he came down the stairs, but wasn't sure what it was. Surely he thought it was something supernatural, Denny suspected.

Dude! ... Could be! ... Denison did not disagree. But if there's something down there, they don't care much about me, no. He joked.

IS?! The gullible watchman startled, taking the statement seriously.  Why do you say that? ... he still wanted to know.

Why ‘they' never messed with me!? ... Denny hinted, already walking away, leaving the employee half-confused in the gate.

And what do you think it might be? He still asked Denny.

How so?!

What do you think you can have down there?

Seriously, is this grown man afraid of a haunt?! ... Denison was impressed by the guard's credulity and superstition.

However, he also saw that as an opportunity ...

Well, there is plenty of evidence of murder cases over there, so ... Get your own conclusions! ... Denny hinted purposefully.

Whatever he saw there, it really scared him! ... Denny admitted, laughing to himself.

The fact that Denny fomented his imaginary and superstitious fear of his colleague was to drive him away from his workplace and avoid more of that situation, when he was surprised by that underground employee to jump to 1999.

Almost 20 minutes after return

Arriving basement, his safe zone quickly grabbed the file folder and flipped through it trying to find any significant change in that timeline and in Emmanuelly Machado's story.

After a quick check, he was disappointed to find that nothing had changed about the girl: her status remained the same, Missing. He sat down in his chair, half falling on it, frustrated.

Denison began feel guilty that he had lost so much time, scared to death to meet her in person in the school;  and for not having sought her more diligently to warn her of the abduction. He was also penitent for listening to that strange feeling, the anguish that said internally he should not interfere with that fact back in high school, Which also made him waste a lot of time, paralyzed with fear.

Almost 11:00 pm

After that session of guilt and self-pity, he resumed processing that event more objectively:

Dude, I really traveled in time! He said, laughing, still not wanting to believe that feat. I'd ask myself to pinch myself, but I was really in 1999!  He exclaimed in ecstasy.

Without the pressure of previous moments — and no longer having the fear of being trapped in the past — he began to rationalize the information he had ... He looked again in the archives and clue board, if his visit to the past had not produced any change in the case — no matter how small: At first glance, it appeared that his presence in 1999 was innocuous, without producing any apparent result, he  acknowledged.

Despite the frustration of the first moment over the call's unsuccessfulness, he suddenly realized that it was as if part of the obsession of recent months — and especially the last few days — was beginning to make sense to him — or almost. From that night on, he realized that he could finally start looking for the answers to the questions that nearly drove him mad!

As he stared at the black board on the wall with the clues of the case, a recurring thought kept pulsing in his mind ..."He saw her! He met her! The girl of his dreams was really alive!" exulted Denison internally. Well, at least there, in that moment in time! he mused. "However, the important thing was that he wasn't crazy, delirious or even schizophrenic: nor had he imagined all this things!" acknowledged. In some strange way, surely, he knew her. And how it came about was something he did not yet understand. Yet it was also something he intended to discover, He deduced, amid concern and ecstasy at the unique experience he had spent in those last hours.

Extremely excited about this episode, whenever he thought of her and her smile — which he saw live and in color — Denison already had a huge urge to see her again. He had barely returned, and already wanted to return to 1999 ... (...)

Part 2/1:

My Phone, a Time Machine

N

othing had apparently changed in Emmanuelly Machado's archives or life story: But if he could return, he would have a new chance to save her! He planned excitedly.

His hope was that he would be able to go back and try to change her past again — only better prepared this time: But he still had to figure out how to do that, he realized, taking his cell phone out of his pocket and looking at it. He was pretty intrigued by it that amazing device he inexplicably owned.

(...)

But what are you really, buddy? he asked, carefully analyzing every inch of that smartphone.  Have you always been like this? If not: who did this to you, huh?

Without having the slightest idea of how that phone of his was acquiring that capacity and wanting to process what happened calmly, he hurried to go home. On the way, still wary, he looked around to find out if he recognized everything in the city at that time. He still feared that something might be slightly different than before, and such details had gone unnoticed.

It was after 11:20 pm

As soon as he got home, he immediately put the device to charge and was waiting. Denison was anxious to return to 1999 and research about Emmanuelly. Instinctively, he knew he should try to save her again.  Suddenly, he realized that he simply could no longer contain the flood of new thoughts he was having about her: Possibly because he no longer tried to block or fight them.

Following that time jump event, he no longer needed to contain himself.  There was no longer most doubt permeating and torturing his head during those last days. For that reason, Denison was no longer restricting those memories with her. Succeeding plugging in the phone, he again wondered about the origin, capacity, or time travel function of his mobile phone.  About that, he wondered:

What was so special about that cell phone that transported him through time? he wondered. For him and anyone, at first glance, this was a low-cost, absolutely ordinary smartphone: it had only 4.5 inches, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal memory, and reasonable processing for the model.

But was it really it?! ... he doubted for a moment. Despite that momentary doubt, putting the pieces together, he admitted that it could only have been the smartphone. He remembered that when he 'jumped' to 1999, he was on hand and only returned from there when the battery alarm went off. It could only be it! reiterated. "His smartphone was an amazing Time Machine!" he exulted, still not wanting to believe it,