The Time Keeper

I pushed back from my desk with a drawn-out groan and rubbed the bridge of my nose. My eyes were going to pop out of their sockets if I looked at the screen for even another second.

I stood up over my cubicle walls. I spied the endless rows of bobbing heads over their desks, and a hauntingly dark, unused corner in the far back of the office. Mistakenly, I looked for too long and met my neighbor's horrendously happy smile searing into me.

"We don't have time for this -- Am I right?!" He said with a stupid dance.

My eye twitched. Silently, I got out, weaving through the maze of cubicles; keyboards endlessly tapping and disgruntled moaning filled the stale office air. The thin grey carpeting creaked beneath my old leather shoes, joining the symphony of others as co-workers used the copy machine or went to the cooler.

The whole time, I dared not look down at my watch. Coffee first.

I heard hasty footsteps behind me, without the creaking of old leather. Of course.

"Leave me alone, Jerry," I called out.

"Just really quick, George!" Jerry said, popping his head right next to me. "It's just that my first client's already on his way changing the world!" He pulled out a colorful bottle from his suit coat and held it to me. " I have been just ITCHING to use my bottle! But, you know, I want to keep it in case I get to save the world! You know?!"

"Put that thing away, kid!" I said, flailing and pushing it back into his suit. "You only get ONE Divine Influence Jar in your whole career; be careful with that!"

"It's just that my client is doing SO well! Can you believe it?!" He said, buttoning up his blindingly bright blue suit. In the sea of greys and whites, he stands out like a sore.

"I'm aware!" I said with the best glare I could muster, "My client is YOUR client's daughter! She hears it all!" I swear, new Time Keepers are the worst. They always think they get to keep track of 'history changers' in their first case, without even trying. I'll give Jerry 3 more centuries before he cracks.

Jerry, for now, didn't even let us reach the break room before harassing my personal space, hopping and trying to punch my arm. "How's she doing, anyway? It's so exciting that we're neighbors, and our clients happened to be close!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, NOW they are, Jer - Cut it out - Your guy only saw my girl once a year growing up; do you have any idea how much harder you made my job?!" I snapped.

"To be fair, " Jerry held up a finger. "It was the mom forcing that. Isn't that right, Felicia?" Jerry called out to the cubicle across the breakroom door.

"Can it! This woman's homelessness is driving me insane, as is!"

Jerry leaned against the doorway, grinning. "I love this job."

I groaned and scratched at my ear. I wanted to thank him for the lovely family reminder, when my eyes accidentally flickered to the watch on my wrist.

[0:30]

I looked away in shame and ripped out a coffee cup from the beige cabinet. "Just leave me alone!" I yelled.

Jerry stood frozen in the entryway, blocking my only exit. I jammed my thumb on the coffee maker and heard heels clomping down the hall, stopping at the doorway. I kept my eyes glued on the pouring coffee.

"It's okay, Jerry." A woman whispered under her breath. Probably Anne from resources, if I had to guess. "His department specializes in the 'Toughest Cases'. George is the best, and even his clients...Well, 8 times out of 10 they 'End Early.'"

I looked down at my watch again.

[0:27]

With a heavy breath, I rubbed my eyes with one hand and picked up the brown coffee cup with the other.

I shoved between my two poorly whispering co-workers and sped back over to my desk. I received a few waves on the way, but I couldn't be bothered. I set the cup down beside my two large monitors, glowing and displaying two spreadsheets; my client's file sprawled around my keyboard.

I remembered the good old days, when we had to log someone's timecard by hand in thick books. How we used to write our client's timeline choices and consequences with a golden quill, then copy what they chose, and manually branch off even more timeline outcomes. We would follow our clients everywhere, studying them, full of curiosity; I still remember the feeling of my grand white wings flapping behind me so freely.

But now, they're hidden for office space, and we have a computer system that, more accurately, generates even more possible outcomes than we could ever imagine ourselves. Now all we have to do is log in what our clients choose and monitor them using a camera display that sits right underneath our computer screens, footage we can actually rewatch if we accidentally miss anything.

We had passion, for sure. I, in particular, was very talented; I had the highest honors with upper management. But back then, a lot of us made mistakes, and at least I wasn't assigned to clients who grew up with recipes for disaster.

Like this one.

The page sitting on the file read: On the spectrum, poverty, abuse, drug-addicted mother, everyone an alcoholic (even the grandmother), father lived in another state until she moved there at 15. What a mess. My client was never treated, so she still has zero communication skills, nor any emotional regulation, even at 26. Which meant that every 'friend' she ever made ended up running away from her for 'being too much'. Now she lives in her studio apartment, jobless. Basically, in solitary confinement, it's been 5 years and counting. I have to hand it to Jerry, though; at least his client gets her out of the house as often as he can, even if it's only to hang out at his apartment or to go to the store.

My eyes flickered at the watch again.

[0:23]

I watched my client on the monitor; she lay in her big, lonely bed with a sullen, blank look on her face. 3 months ago, I logged that she finally fell in love for the first time in her LIFE. Robert's client over in the West Wing, some 'Tyler' person. I scrolled up the timecard on the right screen and reread my entry.

[December 24, 2024 - 5:00 p.m.]

'She spies a cashier at the checkout of a store; her heart skips a beat. She is glued to him; something arises in her stomach, a feeling she's never had before. Everything about him seems perfect.'

[December 24, 2024 - 5:15 p.m.]

'She leaves with a rapidly beating chest and a warm face. She was too shaky to approach him, but she plans to go back to hear him speak.'

I sighed. I remember that little spark of hope when I typed that entry; even Jerry's guy was cheering her on, giving her all the advice he could. My client voiced her concerns, like, what if he ran from her, too? Her dad assured her that they're all in the adult world; no one's that immature anymore.

Then, I scrolled down to the entry from a week ago.

[March 3, 2025 - 4:00 p.m.]

'She goes back to the store and searches the whole building for 'Tyler', checking to see if he is still willing to go on the date he promised, and maybe even ask why he's never texted her since she gave him her number 2 months ago.'

[March 3, 2025 - 4:25 p.m.]

'She spots him near the bathrooms. He spots her too; he turns around and thinks for a moment before bolting into the boys' bathroom.'

[March 3, 2025 - 5:30 p.m.]

'She waits for him but knows he won't come back out. She exits the store in tears. Remembers how everyone in her life has always run from her the same way; the adult world was no different than being a kid again, she thinks.'

I rested my face in my hands and gave a shaky breath. That was when the timer started...I was so CLOSE. She finally socialized, got out of her shell, and communicated. On her way to actually SMILE when she came home. I know what her family thinks; she's always sad and frowning. It feels like she's worse off after trying than if she didn't try at all.

I suppose...This one will be another casualty.

I reluctantly pressed my fingers onto the keyboard and began to type.

[March 10, 2025 - 2:30 p.m.]

'She lies in bed with a heavy chest, her mind racing. Mapping out exactly how to reach the quarry and fill her jacket with rocks, and how to access the roof of her building.'

"GOD!" I yelled out, slamming my desk and holding my fists against her file. "I am so tired of this happening!" It said so RIGHT there. She's destined for amazing things, from rags to a happy life like her favorite princess movies; she could even win the Nobel Peace Prize if she put in the effort! So why?!

I looked at my watch again.

[0:10]

A faint knock interrupted my thoughts. I scoffed loudly as Jerry said, "Hey, neighbor."

I leered over my case; it was very polite of him to invite himself into my cubicle and lean against my wall. "You know, Anne told me about the good old days." He said softly.

"Leave me be, kid."

"I'm just saying, George." Jerry perked. "Back then, you all would collaborate and communicate with each other, actually have fun creating a future for your clients!"

"This is serious work, Jer. There's nothing 'fun' about people's destinies."

"Look," he said, hovering a hand over my shoulder. He wouldn't dare. "If you had just talked to Roger in the West Wing, his guy wouldn't have done that to her! Or you would have had her avoid this whole thing, at least!"

I sighed; as I recalled, those times were also chaotic and unprofessional. I shook my head. "Look, Kid. I get it, okay?" I started, tugging at my grey monotone tie. "You're new at this; you have hope for your people and the future as a whole. But it gets to the point where it's not even WORTH trying anymore; you just let humans do what they do."

Jerry squared his shoulders and stared at me intensely. "If it's not worth it, then why are you so upset about this?"

I looked away, staring at my client on the small monitor. She sat still as a log, sinking into her bed.

"Come on, don't you want to get down there again? Influence people for the best? Watch your clients live HAPPY? You can do that, George!" Jerry shoved his face into my view. "Start talking to me! To others! My client is HER dad; he wants to help her! Let's work together and strive for something good!"

I shoved his face away. "Look. I've dealt with hundreds of these cases. Your client can stop one 'event' on their own, but they will go right back to another one. Something will always push them off the edge eventually. Just. Let the system do its job."

"Come on! We can prevent them!" Jerry chirped. "You can easily overwrite the automated timeline outcomes; it says so in the manual! You have to put in some creative effort!" He put his hand on my shoulder; audacious. "Please don't give up. Don't let HER give up; Maybe passion is just what these 'tough cases' need."

Jerry finally walked away, and I was alone with my thoughts. I took a deep breath and rested my head in my fist.

I peeked down at my watch.

[0:07]

Through the hole in my fist, I spied her moving on the monitor; she had scooted to the edge of her bed, like she wanted to get up.

I straightened myself out and started typing.

[March 10, 2025 - 2:33 p.m.]

'Thoughts of what it would look like falling off the building loop in her head; she feels her heavy body try to get up. Her mind tracks exactly how to get on the roof; it will only take 3 minutes. She imagines how the view looks, and how fast she can fall before it all goes black forever.'

I slammed into my desk again and shoved my keyboard away. I gripped my balding hair and moaned with all my might.

She's a... Good person. She's stupidly creative; her imagination paints such a beautiful picture of the world. She's way too selfless, and she has a Lot of love and devotion to offer...It may be overwhelming to the weak-minded, but it doesn't mean she's meant to be alone. Her first experience ended the way she feared most, but she has room in her heart to finally have a friend for life, to finally not be alone anymore.

At least... she thinks she's alone. But there's someone who cares about her more than anything. Who won't ever run from her.

I grimaced; with my eyes shut tight, I ripped open my desk drawer. It emitted a loud, rusty squeal. A dusty, round bottle of rainbow liquid rolled to the front.

My only Divine Influence.

No one's bothered using them, just because you only ever receive one. Everyone wants to use it to save the world.

I glanced at my client, who finally got up from her bed. I looked at my watch.

[0:05]

With a deep breath, I grabbed the cool, dusty bottle. There was only one way to use it, the way only a handful of workers had ever experienced. I shot up from my cubicle; Jerry noticed and mirrored me.

"George?"

I ran out, across hundreds of corridors of confused Time Keepers, all dropping their work to watch me reach the rusty Heaven's Elevator at the dark corner of the office. I heard gasps and whispers about the bottle gripped in my hand.

I jumped in and pressed the 'Earth' button, calling out, "05401! 05401!" Dust kicked up as the doors squeaked closed. It grew dark for a moment, and I heard a ding as they immediately opened again. The clouds of earth stretched far out before me in a white wonder. I stepped out, feeling a weight drop on my back.

Oh, they felt so amazing...I flapped those greying wings, hearing the crackle of joints that hadn't been used in so long.

I looked down at the clouds and breathed out. Here I go...

I dove. My wings took over, spreading out and gliding smoothly into the wind. I spotted my client's building just below me, bleak and depressingly dirty. I soared down to her porch window and phased through. My client stood there in her studio apartment, staring blankly at her door. I checked my watch.

[0:03]

I braced myself. I looked at my sacred bottle one last time and threw it onto the floor. The air lit up like bolts of lightning; the bottle's remains dissolved into the air around me and surged through me with Divine Rite.

I inhaled, and with a powerful boom, I cried out. "Don't do it!"

My client froze, her back straightened in shock. She blinked, almost confused.

Thank the high heavens, she slunk back onto the bed obediently.

She was still so depressed, I know. I stopped it this time...But it only counts this once. She'll go back to it soon, I was sure.

Suddenly, her phone rang. I swore her father worked today?

I could hear the conversation on the phone: "Come on down, honey. I'm here to pick you up; I won't take no for an answer!"

My client obeyed, not from rite but from father, if you can believe it. Out of curiosity, I phased through the building's dank walls and hovered down to the parking lot. There was her dad, sitting in his truck, with someone else sitting on top.

"Jerry?"

Jerry waved excitedly. "Didn't you hear me yelling at you to wait up?!" He stood up as I landed on the lot. "Even my client knew something was up; I just gave him a little 'boost' to do it NOW and not later! I rewrote the system; he'll keep bugging her every single day until she can move on! He actually thinks this is all a big step towards making her the future she wants!"

He hopped down to me as my client came up, lazily dressed. She climbed into the truck slowly, like she was made of glass.

I stared at Jerry in awe; I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I had to ask, "I thought you wanted to use yours to save the world?"

"I did!" He stared at our clients talking to each other; mine almost broke into tears. "I saved HIS world. And you just saved hers. I think those are the world's futures worth interfering with." Jerry held his hands behind his head in victory.

I smiled and patted his shoulder. "You're alright, kid...Thank you."

"Thank YOU!" He said. "Look at your watch!"

I held up my wrist; for the first time in centuries, the display read:

[7:77]

"Indefinite."

Jerry flapped his snowy wings excitedly and wrapped an arm around me as our clients drove away.

"So, how about we go around the office and see who can handle your girl? My guy's all for it!"

I gave a firm nod. "Let's make her future."

Jerry hopped and playfully punched my shoulder. "Atta Guardian Angel!"

I laughed, for what felt like the first time in years. "No, no, not anymore."

Just a simple Time Keeper.