Rantings of an Arranged Mind

Valy looked around my room with wide eyes, her jaw loose with shock. Then her mouth curved upwards in a smile as she turned to me.

“You did it! You brought us home!”

She started to cry, but it was clear it was with relief and joy. I was sure some of it was for Dav and her other friends, but mostly it seemed celebratory. I hugged her and sat us down on the bed as she sobbed and sort of laughed. I imagined we were both exhausted, and right now it was just a little overwhelming for her.

I waited until she stopped. “Why don’t you get some sleep and I’ll take a look around, see if anyone is here.”

Valy nodded and curled up on my bed. I felt sort of odd, being back in a civilized place wearing dirty deer skins, but checking our surroundings seemed more important than clothing. I started down the small corridor outside my bedroom, peeking into the bath before heading out to the social space.

It was on its default setting, the living room with a couch, and as soon as I entered the room there was a beep. The Mentor appeared in all his holographic glory about three feet away from me. I bounced back about two more feet, poised to fight if necessary. It was pure instinct, and understandable, but it took me a second to breathe and straighten up.

“Welcome home, Miss Dahlia. Congratulations on your successful completion of the Survival Test.”

“Hiya, Teach. Miss me?”

“As an instructional AI my programming would make an emotional response mere formality, as I am sure you realize. However, given that you were only gone thirty minutes, it would be difficult for anyone to notice your absence.”

“What do you mean, thirty minutes?” I asked, incredulous. “I was out there a month!”

“Physical scans indicate that would be the case. However, the clock would disagree. I would suggest that temporal displacement has occurred. You are looped.”

“I time-travelled?” I asked. “How?”

“That is a very good question. Your chronometer is not equipped for that.”

I sat down on the couch, trying to make sense of what he was telling me. Had I apported through time as well as distance? What had I learned to do?