Learning to Love Time Loops Without Going Insane

“Cal, wake up. I’ve gotta head out, and I don’t want you sleeping all day while I’m gone. Plus, the dog still needs her morning walk.” Cal heard the voice and jumped out of bed. He fought through his confusion and responded, “Coming, Dad.”

He wasn’t sure what had happened. He was reasonably sure the injection had just put him to sleep, but had they killed him later on? Perhaps they dissected his body for study; he had no way of knowing for sure what had happened, but he needed to check something. This was the first time that he had died without a white flash since Bug gained the ability to speak. Did the world reset immediately when he died, or did it still wait for a white flash event?

“Hey, Bug.” Cal greeted his best friend as she trotted into the room.

“Don’t do that again, Cal! You disappeared, and we had to spend the whole loop without you, and I worried I’d never see you again. That’s two loops in a row I was without you.” She cried while rubbing her head on his legs.

“I’m sorry, girl, I really didn’t expect the Agency just to kill me. Looks like that route is out until we have more information. Let’s get everyone up to speed, take some time off to relax, and come up with a new plan of action for this loop. Sound good?”

“Yes, I want a vacation; we’ve been at this forever Cal.”

“Alright, let’s instead bring everyone up to speed and take a nice vacation. Then we can discuss what’s next.”

“Yes, I want to go to the beach and swim in the ocean. I want Ethel to come, and I want to play more D&D.”

*

Cal opened the door to their home and let Bug inside. They had just returned from a trip to the Florida coast. They had spent the first ten years of the loop just taking time off and relaxing. Cal hadn’t used his abilities at all to avoid attracting any attention, and so far, that had worked. After their first several vacations, he realized just how bad the stress on Bug had gotten, so he vowed in the future that for every dozen or so loops, she would get a nice relaxing one as long as it was possible.

He was debating the best way to end this loop, whether to break the stone and let Stan try a piece or have a conversation with future Andy, when his phone started ringing. “Hello, this is Cal.”

“Of course, it’s Cal. I called Cal. Who else would it be?” An older, perpetually annoyed voice greeted Cal.

“Yes, Ethel. It's nice to talk to you too. Did you want to talk to Bug?”

“No, I called you because I want to talk to you.”

“Alright, what’s up?”

“I want to come with you on your next vacation, and I think we should go to Guyana. I went there once as a kid with my family, and it was an amazing sight. Bug would love it.”

“That sounds great. Bug would love to have you along. Any ulterior motive here?”

“Nothing special enough that you need to worry about. I’ll explain it on the way. I already booked our tickets for the flight in two months.”

“So this wasn’t really a question of a trip and more of you telling me we were going?”

“Ah, good, you’re finally starting to understand how our friendship works. I’m old, and you do what I want.”

“At this point, Bug and I are both older than you.”

“Exactly, your brain is old and failing. I just have an old body, so you listen to me.”

“I’m going to go feed Bug now. I’ll drop her off tomorrow.”

“Right, bye.” Cal heard the phone disconnect, and he wondered just what she was planning. Why Guyana? She had something she wanted to do, but he did trust that she wouldn’t willingly put Bug in danger. The crazy old woman truly loved his dog. He decided it was time to start doing some reading on Guyana.

*

Getting Bug into Guyana wasn’t cheap. Cal was surprised she had the money for something like that. Then again, he did pay her well, and who knew what her savings looked like? They had rented out a lovely little beach house for a couple of months, and Andy was going to fly down in a few weeks as well. Cal thought this diversion was a great idea of Ethel’s despite the fact that he still suspected she was up to something. Two nights later, while Bug was sleeping in her room he learned just what that something was.

“Alright, I’m sure you know I have other reasons for being here.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured this wasn’t just a random old woman's childhood nostalgia trip. Clearly, you had the money to do that without us. So why are we here? What did you invite Andy as well?”

“When I was fourteen, my parents brought me here on a research trip involving the rain forests. One day in the forests, while my parents were distracted in a small cave, I had started to climb a tree. I heard a voice yell at me to get down. It was dangerous. I hopped down and looked for who called out for me. Out of the bushes walked a capybara, and it lifted one of its front paws, pointed at what I had thought was a branch, and said, ‘Do you see that snake right there? It was going to make you its dinner. You need to be more careful out here.’ and walked away. I called after the animal, but I got no answers. For years, I had convinced myself it was some weird hallucination, maybe I had been bitten, something, but after I met Bug and her giant friends, I had a different answer. I want to try and find the capybara that saved my life.”

“You, of course, realize how insane that all sounded, right?”

“You sound insane constantly, and do I judge you?”

“Constantly! Good thing for you. I’m the nice one in the group, though. Do you know roughly where you were when you found them before?”

“Nope, but I’ve got a lot of notes from my parent's research that I want Andy to look over when he gets here. Until then, we can just have a real vacation.”

Cal signed. “I just can’t escape adventures anymore.”

“Neither can I, and my body can barely handle them, so think about the next time you drag me anywhere.”

“Uh-huh.” Cal finished and walked into his room to get some sleep and think over everything Ethel had told him.

*

“Ethel, your parents weren’t here on an animal survey. Well, not exactly. They were looking for certain geological structures and the animals that may occupy them. When we get back, I’m going to need to look through a lot more of your family’s notes. They were digging into something, and from the limited information here I think it was the natural mana wells we’ve learned about. The good news is I’m pretty sure I know where they looked. The bad news is I don't think they found anything, but we can go looking for your friend at the very least.”

“Wonderful, and how long is the hike from here?” Ethel's smile covered most of her face.

“I think we can make it there in three to four days. We just need to gather supplies, and someone has to tell Bug what we are off to do.”

“I’ll handle Bug. You two go gear us up.” Cal decided to join the conversation. “She might be bored of the easy life at this point anyway.”

Cal walked over to Bug’s room and knocked on her door. “Hey girl, can I come in?”

“Of course, Cal, you’re always welcome.” Cal went in and shut the door.

“So I’ve got to break some news to you, and you might be annoyed with it.”

“Is it that we are going to try to find Ethel’s old friend, a talking capybara because I already heard all that the other night, and I can’t wait. More talking animals is exactly what our group needs. We never see Many Eyes or Many Legs anymore. I miss them.”

“Alright, you’re taking this much better than I expected. In that case, the news is just you get to pick tonight's catered meal.”

“Swordfish.”

*

Andy’s estimate of hiking time proved to be off. It took them six days to find the spot. Cal’s many loops of hiking cold mountains had not remotely prepared him for a rainforest environment. He once again realized just how much there was for him to learn during these loops if he had the chance and time to pursue it.

“Okay, I think it’s right here. Does this riverbed look familiar, Ethel?” Andy asked her.

“Yeah, maybe, oh boy, this weather is not fit for a senior citizen. Let me sit for a minute, and then I’ll take another look. I need some rest and some water.” She pulled a water bottle from her pack and plopped down at the foot of a tree.

There was a rustle in some nearby bushes, followed by a deep voice. “I know it’s been a long time, but didn’t I tell you to be careful around this tree? There’s a snake right there looking at you.” A capybara emerged from the bushes and pointed at a green snake only about two feet from Ethel’s hand.

She jumped up, surprisingly quickly for someone of her age, Cal thought. She then burst into laughter. “I knew it. You are real.”

“I am. My name is Albert, and your name is Ethel. I believe your name is Cal, you are Andy, and this is the Lady Bug. A pleasure to meet you all.” The capybara bowed.

“I can see how you’d have Ethel’s name, but where did you get ours? Have you been following us?” Cal asked.

“I have, but I already knew your names before that. An old friend that you haven’t met yet instructed me of your visit and to collect you. He can’t wait to see you all again. Please follow me.”

“I say we do it. He’s saved me twice now. I like him.” Ethel said.

“Yeah, sure, why not. My life is long past the concept of anything being too weird.” Cal added as they headed off into the bushes in the direction Albert had left.

They followed him for a few hours with all attempts at small talk hushed by the Capybara. “There will be plenty of time for talk and explanations later. Right now, we just need to make sure we get to safety.” He said, finally ending their pestering of him.

Albert stopped at the water’s edge and looked over the group. “I should have asked this earlier, but I assume you can all swim?”

“We can, but I’m not sure Ethel has the strength for this river,” Cal answered.

“Don’t worry, Ethel, I’ve got you. Lady Bug is ready to ford the river.”

“Not quite. We actually need to dive into that small hole right there. I know it doesn’t look pleasant, but I assure you all that everything will be okay.” Albert pointed at a small dark spot in the river.

“Bug, you go first with Ethel, then Andy, and I’ll follow last to grab anyone who gets caught in the current.” Cal didn’t like the idea of this, but he was also worried about trying to find their way back to civilization without Albert, so once again, he was ready for a round of cave diving.

Bug leaped into the water while Ethel slowly climbed in, grabbing her around her backside. Bug then doggy paddled over the hole and dove down, disappearing into the blackness. Andy followed shortly after. “I guess it’s do or die time, eh Albert?” Cal said as he leaped into the water, swimming for the hole and diving further in.

It was pitch black in the short tunnel, but there was enough of a current to make the swim relatively easy. The current picked up the longer Cal was down there, and he was getting worried about just how long this tunnel was; he doubted Ethel could handle much longer. His fears lessened as he saw the light in the distance and, a few seconds later, was deposited into a small pond side of a large chamber. He assumed another cave. A large man was sitting in the center of the room.

“Hello, Cal. I’ve waited so long to see you again, my friend.” The man stood up, and he spoke. Cal guessed he had to have been nearly nine feet tall and was sure he had never met anyone of this size before in his life. The man was bald, but he also had a bright red beard that hung down to his chest. It was an odd combination to look at.

“I don’t believe we have ever met,” Cal responded.

“Ah yes, the perils of time. I’ve met you, but you haven’t truly met me yet. My name is Ralth.”

“Okay, Ralth, I apologize if I sound like an ass here, but I’m going to need a lot more proof that you are my friend in my future, starting with, how exactly are you here?”

“I will answer the majority of your questions shortly, though I’m sure there will be a few that I will not be able to help you with. First, I have prepared a meal for us to celebrate our reunion. As an apology for taking away some of Bug’s vacation, it is surf and turf.”

“Cal, I like him already. The steak smells so good.” Bug bounded off, following her nose through a passageway.

“Please, come sit and break bread. My emotions are quite high. I understand you don’t share them yet, but for me, this is a momentous day.” Ralth walked after Bug. Ethel shrugged and followed with Albert beside her.”

“Andy, what do you think is going on here?”

“I have no idea who Ralth is, but with the way your life works now. What if he’s another person stuck in a time loop, just from a loop that either never occurred or hasn’t occurred yet for you? Time travel is insanely complicated, and without being able to retain my memory, I can only work from what I have each time around.”

“Fair enough. I guess it’s dinner time.”

The two of them walked after everyone else into the next chamber. It was well-lit, and there was a large table in the center. There were several capybaras in the room walking around carrying trays of food. One of them approached Cal.

“Hello, sir. We’ve got several types of beer on tap, sparkling water, and a few sodas. What can I interest you in?”

“Can you all talk?”

“We can, but what’s your drink order, sir?”

“I’ll take a Pepsi if you have it.”

“Absolutely”

Cal heard Andy order a coke from another capybara. “Weird, but okay, a jungle restaurant isn’t the worst new experience.”

“Cal, they have my favorite brand of bottled water.” Bug yelled across the room.

“Yes, I prepared for your visit as best as I could. I even made sure to have Miss Ethel’s favorite beer on tap.” Ralth said.

Cal and Andy made their way to the table and sat down alongside Bug and Ethel.

“When will we first meet? Can you at least tell me that, Ralth?” Cal asked.

“We will meet on the day you make your final move against the void issue.”

“I’m not sure what the void issue is. Can you be more specific? Is this about where future Andy is stuck?”

“It is, and I cannot. I never knew the details, but I will be there.”

“Okay, let’s try this a different way then. What can you tell us that you think is critical for us to know?” Cal took a bite of a steak after he asked the question.

“Where would you like to start? I can tell you about the mana wells or the power currently growing inside of you. I could also tell you about the Gryalth and why they are here.”

“What are the Gryalth?” Cal asked.

“At this time, you are likely referring to them as the aliens, and while that is true, they aren’t from this planet. They also aren’t from this reality.”

“Okay, that doesn’t really change much in the grand scheme of things, but why are they here?” Andy asked this time.

“In their home reality, they have an interstellar empire that has conquered our galaxy and is at war with many other galaxies. They need as many raw resources as they can get to fuel their expansion, and they’ve started stripping other realities with less developed space-faring civilizations of their resources to feed their endless war machine. Their goal here currently is to siphon enough of Earth’s natural mana wells in order to tear a large enough hole from this reality to their home reality. This will allow them to bring the equipment they need for widespread harvesting to begin.”

“Sure sounds like something our motley crew will be capable of stopping.” Cal’s sarcasm was obvious to everyone.

“I don’t know if it is or it isn’t. I was thrown backward in time, so very far from home, before that happened. I’ve seen other realities beat them back, though, so there is always hope.”

“Yeah, Cal, stop being depressing. You promised a happy time loop.” Bug said.

“Alright, alright, enough depressing talk. We have plenty of time for that later, I suppose. How about mana? What exactly is that?”

“I’m not fully clear on the origin of mana pools. I’ve heard many theories, but somehow, natural forces across the universe coalesce into pools. Generally, these locations tend to be more in harmony with the natural world, but not always. Given enough time, these pools eventually grow into guiding spirits, but thanks to the actions of the Gryalth, these pools are being drained in universe after universe, and while I have no idea what the eventual outcomes will be. I doubt it’s good.”

“I always said animals were better than people.” Ethel shook her head as she spoke.

“I do have some good news, though: our reunion should not be one of sadness. I am here to help you find a way to turn the tide. I fought so long to return to my friends and family that I am not about to let everything be lost. Cal, you have touched one of the pools and gained your growing reservoir within yourself. It is currently a very minor talent, especially by multiversal standards, but it is still amazing how far you’ve come with no training.”

“The problem now is I can’t use it without attracting the government or the aliens, so it’s kind of pointless.”

“Yes, we need to take the energy you currently have and fuse it into a core somewhere beyond their ability to detect. All of you come with me; there’s another room I need to show you.” He stood up and walked out of the room. Everyone followed.

In the center of the next room was a lightly glowing pool of crystal clear water. “Is that a natural mana well? It’s beautiful.” Cal stated.

“Yeah, this is what they look like if they aren’t polluted by their minions. This one is tied to a plane of electricity. The perfect thing to disrupt any ability to monitor this location. In fact, it’s why it has remained hidden from them for so long.”

“So I can train here?”

“You can, but not this loop. The first thing we will need to do is purify your core and then use your internal mana to fill that void. From there, you will need to spend years solidifying your new core. Once that is complete, you should be able to shroud yourself from any long-range scanning. At the start of your next loop, I need you to get here within two years. It’s the only way we will have time to complete it in a single loop, and it has to be done in one go.”

“This is a lot of information to throw at me. I will consider it, but for now, I want you to have Albert lead us back to our vacation home so we can debate this in private.”

“Absolutely.” Ralth motioned Albert over. “Please see them home.”

*

Cal was sitting in his living room, back home, next to Andy. The last day of the loop had arrived, and no decision had been made about what to do for the next one yet. Future Andy was going to get the deciding vote.

“For what it’s worth, Cal, I still feel like Ralth was telling the truth.”

“So do I, but I want to see if your future self has any extra input.”

Twenty minutes later, future Andy was ready to talk. “Look, I don’t believe in magic. That said, oil is real, and at one point, I’m sure that seemed magical. This is probably some function of quantum mechanics I don’t yet understand, like half the reality we are now dealing with.”

“So you’re saying do it?”

“I’m saying, what choice do we have? Ralth gave us more information than we’ve gotten anywhere else in all of this.”

“I agree. Time to become a superhero.”

Future Andy sighed. “Unless you need anything else, I’m going to use the remaining time of this loop to take a hot shower. I really want to experience that again.”

“Go for it.”

Cal sat on the couch, continuing to debate about Ralth, finally deciding he had to try it. He began to smile as the white flash hit.