Timing

   I’ve been wanting to talk about this Time Slide business. The details, I mean. But it’s quite difficult, even for me, to make complete sense of it, much less describe it. But I’ll try my best.
 
   I’m Orville, by the way. That’s my real name. Most people just call me O. But the Project assigned everyone a handle, a code name. Mine was Ghost.

   Where do you want me to start?

*          *          *

   At the beginning, eh?
 
   What’s the beginning? For all I know, perhaps this is the beginning. Ha! I mean right here and now might really be it. I’m not sure I can tell the front from the back of a story anymore.
 
   I can tell you about the Project, at least. And Mr. Green. Maybe that’s a good place to start telling about it. I know you’re already familiar with Mr. Green, at least by name.
 
   I was six years old when I started. I went to Palm Harbor – the Montessori school. The Company does a lot of recruiting there, but, of course, I didn’t know that as a kid. My family probably knew – what with my mom and dad being former assets and all. Anyway, that’s where I first got connected with Mr. Green, who ended up being my Guide. He taught me how to develop my skills. My remote viewing skills.
 
   I’m a tick over fifty now. Whatever that means.
 
    I could always do it, as long as I can remember. I could see glimpses of things that were happening in other places. But Mr. Green helped me train myself to do it in a focused way, so I could target where and when I was going. He was a great guy. Really smart. I believe he had good intentions. I really do. He was mainly interested in the science and the mystery of it. The military and spy stuff annoyed him.
 
   But, of course, pretty much everyone else in the Project was in it to kiss Eagle’s ass, and to use remote viewing for God and Country or whatever. I’m assuming you know who Eagle is?
 
   Right then.

*          *          *

   An example of the ass-kissing?
 
   Well, Shadow is a perfect example. She was my Twin for most of my assignments. It was like a buddy system. You know, four eyes and ears were deployed on most assignments for safety and security reasons. Anyway, I could tell that Shadow genuinely got off on the work. Just like the rest of them. Mr. Green used to call her “Little Miss McQueen.” She was always pretty full of herself, and Mr. Green had a tough time throttling her.
 
   I remember on one assignment Shadow and I were supposed to view the basement of a skyscraper on the day that it was brought down. This was about two months after the event, so just a short Time Hop for us. The distance was a no-brainer because we did it out of the Manhattan office. You can probably guess which building I’m talking about. It was a pretty big deal at the time of its Primary Occurrence.
 
   We were supposed to go the basement to see why one of the explosive devices didn’t detonate as planned. But, upon entering the Sequence, Shadow abandoned ship and jumped herself up to the hundredth floor to people watch. Everyone was panicking up there, of course. They had been trapped by some of the earlier explosions. Some of them were jumping to their deaths, rather than passively waiting for what was coming next. I assumed Shadow wanted to witness their terror first-hand. That would be just like her. She was sort of dark like that.
 
   Anyway, Mr. Green really let her have it afterwards, when we returned to Primary TimeSpace. “Why the hell did you break protocol and abandon your Sequence?” he yelled.
 
   You know what Shadow did? She just stood there, unblinking and unapologetic, without saying a word. I found out later that she jumped Sequences on Eagle’s orders - but just the same, I think she probably enjoyed it.
 
   Knowing what I know now, I think this is around when the scales began tipping against Mr. Green. I feel like the clock was ticking for him after that. His days were numbered.
 
   Ticking clocks: Ha!
 
   Numbered days: Ha!
 
   What the hell is time, anyway?
 
   I want you to know that I really would have tried to do something to stop them from eliminating Mr. Green, but they did it when I was on assignment in Russia for the October Revolution in 1917. I was a hundred years and five thousand miles away from the Primary Occurrence! So, all I could do was watch it go down as a Future Map.
 
   Mainly, they eliminated Mr. Green because he wasn’t a “team player.” Eagle had it out for Mr. Green from day one, I think. He just wasn’t a Company man. God bless him.

*          *          *

   Mr. Green is just one part of it, of course.
 
   Let me try to explain myself better, and tell you why I’m here to speak with you.
 
   Remote viewing isn’t just a Location Slide. It’s a Time Slide too. And that’s where it gets tricky for us RVs. For instance, even though I’m here talking to you right now, I’m also in a bunch of other places and times. You are too, but you just aren’t consciously aware of your access to all that time and space.
 
   I’m just assuming that. I could be wrong. I know you have some special talents. I know about your Spirit Quest. I’ve watched you over the years. Eagle has a file on you.
 
   Anyway, through some quirk of nature, I can somehow recognize that this, here and now, is my Primary, and I’m able to sort it out from the other noise coming from Secondaries. By “Primary” I mean I know that this is my primary TimeSpace.
 
   Quirk of nature indeed!
 
   Mr. Green would say to me, “Ghost, you’ve been given a gift.”
 
   I’m not so sure it’s a gift, though. All that other noise is always there, churning around in the background. It can be a little distracting.
 
   Your gift is not consciously knowing that there’s anything else but your Primary. I think you have another gift too. I say this, because I’ve seen what happens when you access your other realms: The simple fact is that I’m not able to see where you go!
 
   The “you” that I see becomes translucent. Shadow always described you as powdery, like stardust.
 
   Wanna trade gifts?
 
   Ha! I don’t actually mean that. We are who we are.
 
   I have something else in mind, actually.

*          *          *

   I can go see Mr. Green anytime, of course – and I often do. He shares wisdom that I continue to learn from. But it’s a lot like what you would get from watching a favorite old movie. Like, you’ve heard all the lines before, right? But sometimes you can pick up new meanings. In my case, I’m experiencing it, which makes it a little crisper, I guess. But since Mr. Green’s TimeSpace signature expired, I’m feeling more and more lost. I’ve truly lost my Guide.
 
   That’s why I’m talking to you.
 
    I wouldn’t want the Project to assign me another Guide, even if they could or would. I’m done with all those goons. All they want to do is tinker, tinker. They’re never satisfied with just gaining access. They’re constantly looking for ways to change things. Future Maps, Past Maps – it’s all a bunch of malarkey, as far as I can tell.
 
   When the Company let me go, I became free and clear. They have a new class coming up, younger and fresher and more tech-savvy. They consider me a harmless, old old-timer.
 
   Again: What is time, anyway? How can I be an old-timer?
 
   Anyway, I’m cool with it. They’ll never mess with me, as long as I don’t mess with them.

*          *          *

   What does it feel like to be an RV?

   Again, it’s quite difficult to explain.
 
   The best I can describe it is that, to me, TimeSpace is like an infinite, forested mountain range.  I’m able to see it and experience it all at once, rather than seeing and experiencing just the tiny sliver that represents my Primary tree.
 
   I’ll admit that it’s plenty of fun to go poking around in the endless forests of TimeSpace like an explorer. But I sure don’t like doing it at behest of the emperor. Or Eagle, in my case. And I sure as hell don’t enjoy the sense of homelessness that it inevitably brings.
 
   Plus, I feel like I ought to do something useful with my so-called gift, something more meaningful.

   That’s where you come in. I hope so, anyway.
 
   I have to admit that I was a little reluctant to come see you. When I hear the word “shaman,” it doesn’t conjure up the best images for me.
 
   I’ve seen guys like Qu’te’po, an old Incan guru, who was spiritually gifted, but who also fancied ripping the intestines out of people – with a big fat smile on his face, no less. Kwan Ki, who won’t be around for another few centuries is a gifted shaman too – but he’s a big fan of reprogramming brain interfacing software with his anti-demon code, which turns his subjects into fanatical pudding-heads, as far as I can tell.
 
   But you seem like a different breed of shaman. I don’t see you trying to tinker with people. I don’t see you imposing your Will upon others. You seem to be on a decidedly private journey, but one that’s causing ripple effects in the TimeSpace around you. Maybe you're not aware of these ripples. But it’s been noticed, for sure.
 
   Anyway, I’m here to propose something to you. A partnership of sorts. I’m wondering if we can combine our skills somehow, work together?

   As Mr. Green would always say, “If you take a step back, surely there must be a reason for all this.”
 
   If he was still around, I think he would give us his blessing. I really do.

   What do you think? Would you like to do some exploring with me? It could be a Lewis and Clark sort of thing.
 
– O.M. Kelsey