MTF-Γ-19,"objectivists", are dispatched by helicopter to a village in rural Minnesota to contain a reported temporal anomaly of unknown nature that has been affecting local agents, who have contradictory memories and reports of the same events.
Γ-19 alpha: There appear to be multiple strings active in the area, be sure to keep your sensors active to detect any discrepancies.
Γ-19 gamma: Roger that.
Γ-19 theta: Copy.
Γ-19 iota: We remember the briefing.
Γ-19 alpha: I can't trust you lot to remember how to tie your shoes, much less remember instructions.
Several members sigh or groan over the radio. Γ-19 alpha has been known to make comments like this with regards to his command.
Γ-19 beta: Landing behind the hill. Looks like no one saw us.
All members of task force disembark from the helicopter. Γ-19 beta shuts off the engines and follows after them. A hill lies between them and the village where the anomaly was detected.
Γ-19 alpha: Remember, delta and epsilon, you're hikers, you go in first and ask generic questions, see if you get different stories out of different people. Theta and iota, check the surrounding area for anything anomalous. Gamma and I will set up the equipment and keep in radio contact. Beta, you'll help us unload the equipment and then join delta and epsilon. Zeta and eta, are you can receiving?
Γ-19 zeta: Receiving you loud and clear. Registering no seismic or weather disruptions of any kind. A storm blew through here a week ago but it doesn't look like they'll be getting anything while you're there.
Γ-19 spreads out, alpha beta and gamma stay behind with the equipment, zeta and eta monitor delta, epsilon, theta and iota as they sweep the village and surrounding area.
Γ-19 delta: Spotted some locals, they're clustered by the store. They appear to be discussing the lumber being sold, don't seem to be aware of us.
Γ-19 epsilon (to locals): Hello there.
John: Hi. From out of town, it seems. Are you planning on buying anything or just stopping to talk?
Γ-19 epsilon: Talking, for now. Catching a breath after all that walking.
Other John: Hikers. Getting less of those every year, mostly bikers now, and even those are getting rarer.
Γ-19 epsilon: Not happy about the drop in customers, I take it.
Other John: Oh no, I don't work here, that would be John, who owns the place. I'm the the other John, I don't own anything.
Phillip (under his breath): Doesn't stop him from acting like he does.
John: I know you're not planning on any shopping, but those canteens could probably use refilling. You can fill them up at the bubbler inside.
Γ-19 epsilon: Bubbler?
Other John: He means water fountain.
John: From out of state, then. Here in the Midwest we call them bubblers.
Other John: Mostly it's just a Wisconsin thing.
Γ-19 alpha (over radio): If they ask, you're from Massachusetts, and you're driving to the west coast and doing hiking along the way. Try to keep that cover story, at least.
John: The term never caught on in the south, probably because of those big signs labeling the bubblers, "Water fountain - Whites" or "Water fountain - Colored".
Other John: Don't listen to him, he thinks everything is caused by racism.
Phillip: Not this again.
Γ-19 epsilon: Well it's the first I've heard of it, everyone just calls them water fountains out east. Any other interesting local facts, strange events, creepy legends, etc.
John: Why, you one of those travelling reporters?
Γ-19 epsilon: Just looking for something to tell my friends when I get back.
John: Well this is local gossip so it won't mean much to your friends out east, but the Mason family seems to have offended some people but no one knows how.
Γ-19 alpha: There's a chance this could be important, just listen to it and pretend you're interested, we don't want to miss anything.
John: Mrs. Mason died a few days ago, tree fell on her, real tragedy. We had the funeral yesterday and only about half the family showed up. Apparently they're claiming she's not dead, one of them even says he talked to her this morning.
Other John: I told them I saw her body myself, one of the nastiest sights I've ever had to see. They said I was pulling their leg and hung up in a huff. She must have done something to get them all acting like this.
Γ-19 alpha: This sounds like the temporal anomaly we're looking for. Try to talk to the family if you can.
John: Here's the bubbler, it shouldn't take you long to fill up that canteen, not with how small it is. I have some larger ones on sale this week, if you'd be interested. If you're planning on doing much hiking they'd probably suit you better.
Γ-19 alpha: We've got what we needed to know, ask him for directions to one of the "offended" family members and leave.
Γ-19 epsilon: I'm good with the canteen I've got, say, you wouldn't happen to remember where one of those people lived, I'd like to hear what got them so angry that they didn't attend the funeral.
Other John: Of course I know where they live, this is a small town. The one I called on the phone lives on the hill across town, big red house, can't miss it.
Γ-19 epsilon: Thanks.
Γ-19 epsilon finishes refilling his canteen and tries to leave. The store-owner repeatedly tries to sell him various items on his way out. At this time Γ-19 alpha, beta, and gamma have finished unloading the equipment.
Γ-19 alpha: Beta, you can head in towards town, gamma, help me raise this satellite dish here.
Γ-19 beta begins walking toward the town, going around the side of the hill opposite to the path Γ-19 delta and epsilon took.
Γ-19 beta: Looks like epsilon got the first lead, I'll look for the site of her death, since it looks like the temporal anomaly is centered there.
Γ-19 theta: There's a partially cut up downed tree on the road to your left. I see some car parts around it so it looks like that's the tree that fell on her.
Γ-19 beta: A tree landed on here when she was driving? How many mirrors did she have to break to get that unlucky?
Γ-19 iota: No more or less likely if you're moving or standing still, and from the looks of the wreckage, she broke both side-view mirrors and possibly the rear-view mirror as well.
Γ-19 beta: I see it, heading down.
Γ-19 beta descends the bank of a hill to reach a gravel road where a tree is blocking half. Some road construction signs are directing people around the tree, part of the ground next to the road shows tire marks where people have driven on it.
Γ-19 beta: Looks normal, zeta, you getting anything on my sensors.
Γ-19 zeta: Everything appears ordinary, all the readings match.
A man is standing to the side of the road with a young boy clinging to his leg. He sees Γ-19 beta but does not respond.
Γ-19 beta: I see someone by the road, heading over to them now.
Γ-19 beta: Unusual spot to go for a walk, especially since it looks like there was an accident here. There's some scattered parts on the road are you picking them up?
Mr. Mason: I was taking my son here to see the site of the crash, he didn't want to believe it had happened, and I was having a hard time convincing him, especially with his relatives encouraging him in it.
Γ-19 beta: Encouraging him?
Mr. Mason: Yes, I caught my brother the other day telling him that the crash wasn't real and that we were just making it up to scare him. It's especially cruel of him to do that, you shouldn't give a boy false hope when his mother is dead.
Γ-19 beta: Any idea why he would say that?
Mr. Mason: He wouldn't tell me, he just kept insisting that I was lying. I don't know why he would deny that my wife is dead, it doesn't seem like him at all.
Γ-19 zeta: We have the data we need, epsilon is interviewing the family. There's no reason to stay here.
Rodger (the child): I-is it true? My m-mom is..
Mr. Mason: She's in a better place now, son. She's probably watching us now from up there.
Rodger: I don't want her to be in heaven I want her with us!
The child hugs his father's leg and beings crying.
Mr. Mason: Me too, son me too. If only she'd been a litte faster or a little slower, this would never have happened. The past can't be changed though, even if we wish it could.
Γ-19 epsilon: Talked with a local, nothing interesting, aside from a "Mr. Mason" claiming that his wife is dead despite her being seen just yesterday.
Γ-19 alpha: So she is alive and John from the store was making it up?
Γ-19 epsilon: Now who's the one forgetting things, John told me about the nice pot roast she had baked for the town picnic the day before.
Γ-19 alpha: Epsilon, you seem to have been affected by the anomaly. Zeta, what do your sensors show?
Γ-19 zeta: My logs of epsilon's sensor readings confirm what we all heard, but the data stored in his sensor's memories seems to collaborate what he said. We've definitely got a temporal anomaly.
Γ-19 alpha: It seems that a few people have been affected by another timeline where Mrs. Mason lived, and it appears to spread through direct interaction. We'll see if we can bring them around to the normal timeline when we can and put this all to rest.
Γ-19 beta has stated for the record that it was at this moment that she decided to go against the team leader.
Γ-19 alpha: Epsilon, report back to the helicopter and turn off your transmitter, we don't want any of the rest of us being affected.
Γ-19 beta starts back up the hill in the direction of the house epsilon is leaving.
Γ-19 zeta: The records switch after epsilon was talking to the affected relative for about five minutes, it seems that interactions with an affected individual have to build up to a certain level to affect you. It might work in reverse, try broadcasting recordings stating that Mrs. Mason is dead to the relative and see if it pops them back into the normal timeline.
Γ-19 beta reaches the house and knocks. The relative opens the door.
Albert Mason: I seem to be getting a lot of visitors from out of town today. Has my brother sent you? The last one was acting pretty strangely, telling my I was delusional then suddenly agreeing with me out of the blue. Wouldn't even admit he said that I was wrong at first, listening to him you're think no one was saying anything about her being dead.
Γ-19 beta: You say there was no accident on the road?
Albert: Of course not, I saw her just yesterday, same as I told your strange friend.
Γ-19 beta: It's a shame that so many rumors are going around, I thought you could help me clear them up.
Γ-19 beta removes her radio and begins tuning it to the frequency of the local broadcasting station.
Albert: What do you have there that you're fiddling with?
Γ-19 beta: A radio. I'm from the local radio station, I thought I could put your statement on air and it might help clear up the rumors that have been going around.
Albert: I'm being interviewed? Well, come in then, I don't think there's much to say, just that she's alive and I don't know what all this nonsense about an accident is about.
Γ-19 beta successfully activates the foundation public transmitter, setting her radio to broadcast to all radios withing the town and block the actual radio programming.
Γ-19 beta: That works, if you could just elaborate on that, and speak into this.
Γ-19 beta holds up her radio.
Albert (over radio): I've heard some of you saying things about my brother's wife lately. Not the usual stuff, stories about her dying or something in a highway accident. I don't know why some people are spreading these rumors, but I can tell you all they're not true. Why, I spoke to her just this morning when she brought over what has left of that delicious pot roast she cooked us all for the town picnic. You all remember that, right? I really don't have much to say about this except how surprised I am that people would be spreading things like that. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finished the rest of that very real pot roast.
Γ-19 beta: Thanks that helped a lot.
Albert: Shorter than most radio pieces but good to know I was of help.
Delta and epsilon reported that after hearing the broadcast some citizens were converted to Albert's timeline immediately, while others argued in the streets for a while before suddenly agreeing that Mrs. Mason was alive.
Γ-19 alpha: Beta! What do you think you're doing on the radio broadcast?
Γ-19 beta (back on secure frequency): Just fixing the temporal split while you were busy.
Γ-19 alpha: We were trying to restore the normal timeline, not spread the anomaly.
Γ-19 beta: I must disagree. I think both timelines are equally valid, just because one was spread farther doesn't mean it is the "real" timeline and the other is anomalous. I think the anomaly caused the timeline to split into two equal halves, and I've just spread one of them enough to restore causality to a single path.
Γ-19 alpha: I'll have to confirm that with the researchers, but nevertheless, you went against my orders.
Γ-19 alpha is rewritten to the version of events where the tree never fell.
Γ-19 alpha: All right, it seems the temporal anomaly was a false alarm. Everyone back to the helicopter and pack up this equipment.
Γ-19 gamma: Wait didn't we detect-
Γ-19 gamma is rewritten.
Γ-19 gamma: Will do.
Γ-19 alpha: Were you going to say something?
Γ-19 gamma: No, just a bit annoyed at another false alarm.
The rest of the task force is rewritten.
Γ-19 beta: Get the helicopter ready for me I'm going to have to cross town to get to you, another dead lead.
Γ-19 alpha did not file a complaint, as his memories were rewritten to match the new timeline where none of this occurred. Γ-19 beta was reprimand but no action was taken. The outbreak of the anomaly was considered contained, and no further signs of a temporal split were observed. The wreckage disappeared and the fallen tree was found standing upright an alive next to the road. Amnestics were administered to the town population. "Bubbler" was added to the foundation's list of local slang.
End Log
Per 
