Jon and Tina arrived at the address that Dr Schrebers’ note had given them. This was a part of the town that Jon hadn’t been to before and he felt sure that neither had either version of Tina, the original one, or the one she had become since taking over from Karyn. They had arrived a good fifteen minutes before the arranged time and found themselves standing outside of what appeared to be a regular-looking coffee shop. “Minutes by Minuets” was not too busy that Sunday afternoon as the two friends walked inside ordered a coffee each and took a seat in the corner of the room
A short time after they had sat down Dr Schreber arrived. He looked over at them as he went to the counter to order his cup, a latte as it happened at carried it to the table where Jon and Tina now sat. “Hello, how are you this afternoon?” He asked them as he took his seat beside them. “I am sure that you have a lot of questions to ask me and I will answer the ones I can. Before you start I would like you to hear what I have to say first. It may answer some of them and save you having to ask them if that is ok?” He said looking more in the direction of Jon than Tina.
Jon nodded his agreement all the while thinking that the more time he spent In this man’s company the more he was reminded of a bad bond villain.
“Oh good. First, the blue men that you follow every night are not in charge. They like me are just small cogs in a much larger machine. There is a group of people who no one knows they are. They meet in a separate darkened part of where we operate from. I have never met them so I don’t even know what they look like. I have only been doing this for a short time I think. “ At this point, Dr Schreber stopped as if deep in thought for a moment. “Surely you must know how long you have been doing what you have been replacing people for?” Tina said to the doctor with almost visible anger in her face at what she had heard from Dr Schreber so far.
“Ah, Ms Black if only it was that simple, when you deal with people who have some kind of control over time itself time does not mean the same as to people who don’t. Think of it this way for everyone else other than you and Mr Madison here the difference between 4.00 am and 4.01 am was sixty seconds but for the two of you it was approximately two hours if not longer.” Dr Schreber replied to Tina’s statement. Tina sat back in her seat with a sort what pulzzed look on her face. “So I suppose the big question is why do you help them? You don’t want to.” Jon asked Dr Schreber speaking to him directly for the first time since he had arrived.
“They took something from me that I want back and they told me that I would get it back if I helped them.” Dr Schreber answered him. “What could they have possibly taken from you that would make you help them?” Jon asked the doctor seeing that he was finally getting somewhere in his investigation into what was happening. “My life Mr Madison they took my life. I have no memories whatsoever before I started to help them and they told me that I would get them back if I carried out their orders.” Dr Schreber replied. “The big question is why are they doing what they are doing?” Jon asked the doctor. “Oh, Mr Madison if I knew that I would be able to stop them wouldn’t I.” Dr Schreber told him. “Now I must go or I will be missed but before I go Ms Black if you don’t mind I must speak to Mr Madison on his own for a moment.”
Tina looked over at Jon as if to ask him an unspoken question. “It's ok Tina everything will be ok,” Jon said turning towards her. “I am sure if Dr Schreber wanted to cause me harm he would have done so already. I will only be a minute or two.” Jon continued. Tina stood up and moved away from the table only to take a seat a few tables away. “I take I am right to assume that you have not told her?” Dr Schreber asked Jon. He nodded he reply. “I thought so. She is still in the warehouse at least she was when I left this afternoon but as you know people come and go from there every night. She has proven somewhat resistant to their techniques but the barriers to their reprogramming are almost gone.” Dr Schreber told a visibly relieved Jon. “Now I must go, the note I am giving you will provide you with an excuse as to what to tell Ms. Black. I will meet you again soon Mr Madison please be careful and remember do not bring your stone to the warehouse for your safety.” Dr Schreber said as he turned towards the door of the coffee shop. He stopped only to say his farewells to an angry-looking Tina.
“What did he want to say to you, Jon?” She asked him after he left. “He gave me another note.” He told her. “Why didn’t he want me to know that?” An even more confused-looking Tina asked him. “I think he wants the least number of people to know what he is doing as possible. Well, at least until he felt safe.” Jon answered her.
“So what does it say then?” Tina asked him. “I don’t know I haven’t looked at it yet.” Jon honestly told her. He was just about to open it when Tina’s phone went off in her pocket, she pulled it out to see who it was.
