Chapter 18

                Director……Lock’s thought was still fresh in his mind when his stomach told him that the Probe had moved through time.  The feeling was kindred to riding over a high crest just before a steep drop and sharp turn combination on a modern speeding roller coaster.  A kind of weightlessness and dizziness twisted together but lasting only a few seconds.  Not possible to ignore and at the same time something he probably will get used too.

                “Probe, what has happened?  You expressed to me that I needed a bit more training and our position would remain stationary until I satisfied your programming guidelines and earned your confidence.”

Our parking position outside of the local time stream but still in the immediate vicinity of your home reference point, has become unstable.  In general this is not unusual by itself, there are currents in the time stream and holding a fixed position in this stream can get bumpy.  My instruments are telling me that an event has occurred.  By definition an event consists of a change in an established thread through the stream of time.  Parked as we are, we experience an event or change in the local time stream as a wave that passes over us.  As the wave passes us, it jostles or buffets the space we occupy.  You felt it on the inside as a time shift would feel and in a real sense time did shift, as the new reality of our reference location took effect around us.

                “You’re telling me that something has occurred to change the reality of the local time line.  That when this incident happened the resulting change sent a ripple or bump through the continuum or whatever it is we are parked in, that exists between the many and varied time lines of reality.” Lock was really trying to offer this explanation as clearly as possible to give the Probe evidence of his understanding of what just occurred.  He was anxious to get on with the program.

Your clear understanding has cemented my decision to pick you as my new Director and the process has now ended.  Now that I no longer need to be concerned with my internal operations, I want you to experience a real example of what is possible when using my technology.  You need to think about something that you would like to do that involves my abilities.  It is within my discretionary programming to support you in what will be your first training mission.  Involving you directly as the subject in this training exercise will prove to you how powerful the tested combination of living Director and Artificial intelligence can be.  Upon completion of this trial, we must plan our approach to Central Base.  Protocol dictates caution after what has happened and as I have stated earlier, contact was automatically severed until stability was achieved.

                “What type of mission?  I don’t really know what would be appropriate.” Lock said while turning toward the closest barrier.  He instinctively was heading for the control room.

Just think of something in your past that you want to investigate or possibly just witness.  Our missions involve the first hand confirmation of historical information as researchers and observers.  The interference of events as recorded is not allowed but corrections necessary to repair an errant time line is possible.  The power provided to you by your Key, will be invaluable to you in accomplishing all three of our implied imperatives.  To be perfectly clear they are again, research, observation and error correction.  The error correction is sometimes referred too as a reset.  Decide well Lock, your maiden mission need be nothing more than an observation if you desire.  You may not cause a significant change but I will guide you when you advise me of your decision.  The point here is to familiarize yourself with the tools at your disposal and believe in our combined abilities before we are assigned a real mission.

                “What would you consider a change of any significance?  I’ve always wanted to kick myself when I was younger because I didn’t do something that I always regretted not doing.  Not Earth shattering in any way but I do wish that I had purchased something I wasn’t interested in at the time.  This item turned out to be rare after I became an adult and I always wished my choice had been different back then.” Lock was now in the control room as he finished his question, and stepped up to the command chair and sat down.

I don’t think attaining a mere possession will harm your thread in the time stream.  Before I instruct you how to begin with your adventure, we need to discuss one final item of business that is an added safety measure.  I can retrieve you as long as you are still in possession of your key.  Even if you are unconscious I can bring you back within my perimeter, straight to any location within such as control, the departure nexus or if need be the infirmary for a medical emergency.  As I informed you early on I can monitor your mind.  I will not interfere with your actions but if you think a thought directed to me, I will respond.  In this light you must provide me with a safe word, a word unlikely to come up in ordinary conversation.  We can begin when this safety feature is decided.

                “How about the word TRAVELER, it seems somehow appropriate to me.” Lock waited for the verdict.

Yes, the word Traveler is now set as your safe word.  We can now begin the training mission.  To begin look to your right and locate the directional controls.  You remember that each control will center in your field of vision as needed and allow you to input data.  Think of your destination and the destination control will center.  Now you must think both two dimensionally for location and three dimensionally for the time you wish to visit this location.  Many of the other controls are position controls and will be used to view and travel at the point of insertion at whatever time and place you have selected.  The screens around and above you will give you panoramic views of your destination.  The remaining controls have uses described to you as the situation of a mission warrants.  Have you set the controls to your choice?

                “I have provided my location with an approximate time.  I assume adjustments can be made in the observation aspect of an investigation before insertion.”

You are correct.  If your destination requires no more consideration, we can make the transit now.

                “Ready when you are.” Lock said and immediately his stomach informed him that they were on their way through time.