Retrieval

Despite their rigorous training, occasionally time agents screwed up.

It was usually such a small indiscretion that it didn’t really matter, but from time to time a senior officer had to be sent back for a retrieval. Of course, none of this would be necessary if both the government and the military hadn’t decided long ago that any knowledge regarding the existence of the portal should remain subject to the Official Secrets Act. A report had landed on the desk of one such officer. It was late in the year with public holidays and he was on a skeleton staff. It concerned a particularly problematic failure to follow the strict protocols about travel preparation. On this recent jump, the agent had gone back several decades to gather what was relatively minor intelligence without properly checking his pockets.

The time element was critical and the officer was soon sent back several decades to the beginning of the twentieth century, where he reappeared in a toilet cubicle on board a train. Checking the report, he made his way to the designated carriage where the item had most probably either dropped to the floor or slid down between seat cushions. He was pleased to find the carriage empty, enabling him to carry out a thorough search without interruption. It was troubling that after a painstaking effort he found nothing.

Moving through the train, he located the guard and made enquiries. These were based on the ruse that it was him that had lost the item. His concern grew even more when he found out that something had been found and handed in at the main city station’s lost and found office. This could well mean that the item had been seen and handled by several people!

Changing trains he made his way to the city where he made similar enquiries. Describing the dimensions and the approximate weight of the item, the clerk was happy with his story. He smiled, saying that it had been handed in that day and he went to the back to retrieve it. As he stood waiting he wondered what people would make of finding a latest model iPhone. However, he was greatly relieved when he saw it.

Thank goodness it had been wrapped in Christmas paper!

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