I created this blog under the authority of my employer, One World Over Time: The Industry Leader in providing Fun, Educational, Recreational and Safe Time Travel. -- Maria Somerton, Project Key
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Post 5 – Congress 2

This is Maria Somerton documenting our Second Congress for Moonstone Tour July Fourth, 2015.

We met again at Bassi Tower on May 8, 2415 at 11am. All team members were in attendance:

      Bear Graystone – Team Banneret
      Kevin Bonham – HD Docent
      Katie Hartnell – Cultural Anthropology Docent
      Winter Chandra – Security Officer
      Maria Somerton – Project Key

TAG Status:
We continue to await contact from Jeff Bennett.

Blog Posting:
We discussed how to post on the One World Over Time blog. I have sent detailed instructions to all team members. Bear and Katie are very excited to learn the 2015 technology, and they are looking forward to posting. Kevin was less than enthusiastic, as he feels his writing skills are not up to the task. I assured him that we simply need documentation for digital imprint to the World Wide Web of 2015. He does not need to concern himself with his writing style or technical form. All we need him to do is make a best effort. For security reasons, Winter will be exempt from documenting any of her actions on the blog.
 
Team Residency in the 2015 Time Zone:
All team members have taken occupancy of their company-owned apartments as designated:
      Bear – The Avalon Co-op near the Key Arena at Seattle Center.
      Kevin – The Montreux Condominiums in the Belltown neighborhood.
      Katie – The Concord Condominiums near the Olympic Sculpture Park.
      Winter will reside at our Project event site on Bainbridge Island.
      I’m stationed at the West Queen Anne Elementary School Condominiums.

Team Descriptions:
Team personage self-descriptions for the 2015 Time Zone were provided by each team member:

BEAR: “I am a Native-American, self-identifying male. I have brown eyes, long dark-brown hair that I wear in a single loose braid. I am 6 feet, 2 inches tall, with a large build, weighing 200 lbs. In the context of 2015, I appear to be in my mid-30s. When I travel within the 1980-to-2015 Time Zones, I wear jeans, a basic shirt, and a loose-fitting brown corduroy jacket.” 

KATIE: “I am of Japanese and Taiwanese background/lineage. I self-identify as a female. My physical appearance is an amalgamation of my lineage. I am 5 feet tall, small-framed, and weigh 103 lbs. In the context of 2015, I appear to be in my mid-20’s. I have brown eyes. My hair is dark by its nature, but I routinely incorporate a streak of blue or purple, wearing my hair just above my shoulders, and cut somewhat choppy. I also have five piercings on my ears—three on my left ear and two on my right. I outline my eyes with a dark color and wear pink lipstick. I dress either completely in black or a combination of black and white pants and shirts when I travel for work.”

KEVIN: “I look just like that guy in the movie, Twister—Dusty….  Red hair, blue eyes. I look like I’m 36ish in 2015. I’m a dude, 5 feet 7 inches tall and weigh about 150. I like to wear shorts, even when it’s cold, and a jeans jacket.”

WINTER: “I am of Germanium personage, identifying as female, with a light-brown complexion. In the context of 2015, I appear to be in my late 20’s to early 30’s. I have long black hair. I have green eyes. I stand 5 feet 8 inches and would appear to be 135 lbs.”

Maria: “I am of English and French ancestry. I am 5 feet, 4 inches tall. I weigh 118 lbs. I have a pale complexion. I have long, medium-brown hair that I often wear up. My eyes are blue. I wear light makeup to match my natural color. I choose my dress appropriately for time and occasion.

Project Status: Holding for TAG engagement.


Post 4 - Congress 1

This is Maria Somerton, documenting our First Congress for Moonstone Tour July Fourth, 2015. We met at One World Over Time Headquarters, at the Bassi Tower, at 11am on May 6, 2415. All team members were in attendance:
      Bear Graystone – Team Banneret
      Kevin Bonham – HD Docent
      Katie Hartnell – Cultural Anthropology Docent
      Winter Chandra – Security Officer
      Maria Somerton – Project Key 
I began our First Congress by providing the team with a brief overview of what I had accomplished to-date.
1)    Opening of the 2015 Time Door.
2)    Creation of the One World Over Time blog in 2015.
3)    Contacting our prospective TAG, delivering Proof-of-Fact, and meeting with him for his reaction.
4)    Documenting all my interactions with our prospective TAG on the One World Over Time blog.
Agenda Item One:
Profile of our prospective TAG.
The following information was provided by TEC as part of their research in consideration of Dr. Jeff Bennett as a prospective TAG.
Jeff has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Washington, and he earned his Master’s in philosophy from the University of Michigan. He has published numerous academic works on sociology and mass media, and has taught at Seattle Central College for 10 years.
Jeff is 56 years old, divorced and is currently single. He has a few friends, but appears to have little interest in a social life. He has a grown daughter residing in another state, with whom he has limited contact. His parents are both deceased. He has one sister living in another state. Contact with his sister is sporadic and is normally over electronic mail.
Aside from his work at the college, Jeff writes a blog with information for people new to Seattle. He started the blog five years ago and continues to make updates to it on a periodic basis. Jeff’s leisure activities include dinner out with friends, enjoying films and reading about science.
The Time Exchange Commission (TEC) confirmed that Jeff possesses a sufficient life arc to participate in this project.
Agenda Item Two:
Summary of my contact with the prospective TAG.
I have had three meetings with Jeff:
First Meeting: I witnessed his interaction with students and observed his teaching skills. He impressed me as a kind and caring educator: dedicated, approachable, non-judgmental. When I identified myself as an individual from the year 2415, he simply asked for proof.
Second Meeting: Very short encounter. I entered his classroom to deliver the Proof-of-Fact in the form of a pre-dated newspaper. He recognized me and allowed me to leave the newspaper laid out in front of him on his desk.
Third Meeting: Jeff requested a meeting with me approximately 12 hours after the pre-dated newspaper had matured to its original date. We met privately, alone in his office. Jeff had an emotional reaction that I documented on the One World Over Time blog.
Agenda Item Three:
Status of prospective TAG.
I believe the Proof of WQme science has challenged Jeff’s concept of reality beyond his current ability to cope, as well as causing him to struggle ethically with the temporal paradox. I am hopeful that given some time, he will be able to work with us. It is very early in the process. If we have not heard back from Jeff by May 22, we’ll need to consult with TEC about identifying another prospective TAG. In the meantime, Winter will be monitoring Jeff to ensure his safety.
Agenda Item Four:
CRM VOICEPRINT Intelligence.
Everyone will need to understand how to use the VPI on their CRM. While most of your blog posts will be in the format of a narrative account of your interactions with Jeff, the VPI will allow us to capture spoken dialogue in the exact words of our indigenous contact. The Intelligence component of the VPI will additionally provide descriptive documentation of ambient sounds and movement.
Agenda Item Five:
Establishing 2015 Residences.
I handed out residence packets to all team members, containing residence locations, keys to apartment doors, fobs or tokens for building front door access, and a “Quick Glance Reference Sheet” on rules and regulations for each residence. We took time to go over the rules for trash disposal in 2015—rules which are quite complicated and can lead to unwanted attention and reprimand by building management and other tenants if not adhered to with exacting compliance. If anyone is concerned about violating trash disposal rules, it’s always acceptable to transport trash back to 2415 for proper handling.
Agenda Item Six:
Description of Your Personage.
In accordance with OWOT Project Team Protocol, each team member must provide a physical description of their appearance within the 2015 Time Zone. This is to be accompanied by a photograph, which is to be kept in the official Team Dossier.
Agenda Item Seven:
Documentation.

Each time the 2015 blog is updated with a new post, team members will receive notification on their CRM. In accordance with project protocol, we are all required to post documentation of our 2015 interactions with indigenous contacts. To stay fully apprised of project progression, all team members are required to read each post carefully.

Meeting Notes:
Bear has initiated a 2015 study on safety threats, disease, and mortality statistics.

Kevin and Katie are researching the 2015 Time Zone and reviewing the recorded history of the July Fourth event. They will begin crafting guest tours once we know if our chosen TAG is willing to participate in the project. 

Winter is arranging accommodations for guests in accordance with the Premium tour package and standard TEC safety and security protocols. 
My ongoing tasks will include posting project information on the One World Over Time blog, managing contact with our chosen indigenous TAG, and working with Marketing on tour promotion. I will be continually available on my CRM for assistance or questions.
Conclusion:
Everyone on the team is very excited to be a part of the Moonstone Tour July Fourth, 2015 Project.

Project Status:
Hold – Waiting for contact from prospective TAG.

Post 3 - Reaction

This is Maria Somerton, Project Key, documenting my return meeting with Jeff in follow-up to the delivery of Proof-of-Fact. On Monday evening, May 4, 2015, I received a text message from Jeff asking if I would meet him the next day, at 2pm, in front of the Broadway Performance Hall at the college.

I texted him back, “I’ll be there!”

On Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 1:55pm, I transported back to the college. Jeff was late. By 2:15pm, I was getting ready to text him when from behind me I heard his voice.

“Maria?”

I turned around and even before seeing his face, I said, Jeff, thank you for meeting with me.”

“I think we should talk in my office,” he said. He seemed nervous and spoke in a shaky voice. He turned, and I followed him. We walked across the campus, then into a building. We walked down halls lined with classrooms and into another smaller part of the building filled with individual offices. When we got to his office, Jeff went straight to the chair behind his desk. He quickly sat down, and motioned for me to sit in the chair positioned at the corner of his deck.

He stared blankly at the surface of his desk, then said, “So, tell me again. You’re a time traveler from 400 years in the future. You work for a time travel agency, and you want…what from me?” His voice was emotionless.

I leaned forward in my chair, and in a calm, quiet voice, I said, “Jeff, I know it’s scary. I understand.”

He took a shallow breath. His hands were on the desk with palms flat. He nervously looked out the window, then back at me, then back down at his desk. He took a sip from a mug he had placed off to the side. Then, he started to talk.

“I looked at the newspaper on Friday. I thought you were crazy. I thought it was something you had mocked-up and printed, but it looked authentic. Yesterday morning, I walked down to the QFC grocery on Broadway and I bought a copy of the Monday Seattle Times.” Jeff’s voice dropped to barely a whisper. “I compared the two newspapers, all day…and line for line, word for word, I couldn’t find one word, period, comma, or space that didn’t match-up. The two papers—the one you gave me on Friday, the one I bought myself on Monday—were identical. How is that possible?”

Jeff sighed heavily, and took another sip from his mug before he started to speak again. “I thought maybe I’d imagined you and our conversation. But, I checked on you….  You’re registered here at the school. You’re real.” Jeff leaned back in his chair and sighed again. He looked like he hadn’t slept.

“Jeff, listen. You’ve been confronted with something that contradicts every law of nature and science that you know. Give yourself some time. Breathe.”

Jeff closed his eyes, leaned forward, and rested his head on his desk. He took a deep breath. The room was silent for a few seconds, then a police car came screeching up the street, red and blue lights flashing past Jeff’s office window. My heart jumped. I thought he had called security. Jeff raised his head, almost like he was expecting the police. I pulled my CRM out of my messenger bag. I stood up and looked out the window. I could see there was some commotion out on the street. I couldn’t tell what had happened, but it soon became obvious it had nothing to do with me or Jeff. I felt safe again and went back to my chair.

Undistracted by the noises outside, Jeff said, “Maria, you told me to call you if I wanted answers…. I want answers, and I want to understand what’s going on—but the implications of all this are beyond me. It’s all beyond me.”

I tried to keep my voice calm and quiet. “No, no it’s not beyond you. Think of it as just another mystery. You live with mysteries. Why are we here? Where do we go after we die? Everyone lives with mysteries every day.”

Jeff peeled off a small, yellow adhesive note from its pad and began folding and unfolding it nervously. He kept looking at the note, then he would glance up at me, and then back down to the blank note.

“Yeah,” he said, “Everybody lives with mysteries.”

 “Jeff…Jeff,” I said. “Look at me. Everyone speculates about time travel. Time travel has been at the intersection of imagination and science for hundreds of years. You’ve just been confronted with the reality that science—as it has for thousands of years—has once again built a bridge from imagination to actualization.

Jeff didn’t respond. He fumbled silently with the yellow adhesive notes. We sat there in the quiet of his office, for two, maybe three minutes.

I told him, “You don’t have to believe I’m a time traveler. You don’t have to believe anything I’m presenting to you—it doesn’t matter if you don’t believe it.”

Jeff laughed, then asked, “Okay, where do we go from here?” 

“Information exchange. That’s all. A series of meetings—with me first—and later with other members of my team. You choose where we meet. We ask you questions. You can ask us questions.”

“I don’t know if I can do that,” Jeff said. “What if—what if you are—a time traveler? And I tell you something, give you information you act on, and….”

I interrupted him. “Jeff, you’re concerned about the temporal paradox—the butterfly effect. Is that it?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“It doesn’t work that way. Time travel doesn’t work that way,” I said. “As science and technology moved into the realm of time travel, scientists uncovered a whole new set of rules. These rules made it impossible to inadvertently change or alter time.”

Jeff stared at his yellow notes, then looked up at me. As he raised his gaze, I said, “Jeff, we’ve been traversing the strings of time for 200 years. It’s solid science.”

I sat up in my chair and said, “Alright, I want you to think about what we’ve talked about. Think about your concerns, and then think of a place we could meet, and how much time you’d like our meetings to be. Then, when you’re ready, call or text me.”

Despite the intensity of our interaction, I felt comfortable leaving Jeff and walking by myself out of the building and back out to Broadway. I walked for a few blocks down Pine Street, then stepped into an alley to transport back to my apartment.

Post 2 - Proof

This is Maria Somerton, Project Key for Moonstone Tour July Fourth 2015, documenting my delivery of Proof-of-Fact to prospective indigenous TAG, Jeff Bennett.
I elected to use a printed newspaper as the Proof-of-Fact.
In accordance with established protocol, I traveled from Friday, May 1, 2015 at 8am, to Monday, May 4 at 10am, to purchase a copy of the Seattle Times newspaper.
I brought the paper back with me to May 1, to my Seattle apartment.
I laid the newspaper out on my desk. Taking a separate piece of white paper, I wrote my name, phone number and email address, then wrote the words “CALL ME” in large letters. I placed my note in the middle of the newspaper, and folded the newspaper into thirds. It folded neatly, tightly and was easy to carry inconspicuously.
I put the newspaper in my messenger bag, waited until 3:45pm, then transported to Seattle Central College. I knew Jeff would be teaching a class at that time, so I waited outside in the hall. I was a little nervous just standing there, looking like I had no purpose. As students began to exit, and the last one came out, I felt an unexpected resolute calm come over me. I walked into the classroom—Jeff looked like he didn’t recognize me at first. I went up to the front of his desk and took out the folded newspaper.
“Maria,” he said, as a look of recognition came across his face.
I put the newspaper on his desk. He picked it up. His eyes flashed to the top of the page. He didn’t say anything. I waited for a moment, as he studied the page.
“You asked me yesterday if I could get you proof.”
“Proof that you’re a time traveler?” he asked.
“Yes, this is your proof.” Jeff looked back down at the newspaper. “Take this home with you,” I said. “Read it. On Monday, when the information in this newspaper is history, call me—if you want some answers.”

Jeff looked lost. I smiled at him briefly before I turned and proceeded out of his classroom. I did an immediate corner-transport just outside his door.