May 25, 2005

“That’s it!? A broken ladder? That’s all we get? Are you kidding me?”

Jacob turned the TV off and sat back down. The first season of LOST just finished and he was still no closer to knowing what was in that darned Hatch.

Jacob let out a long sigh. Exasperation at the prospect of having to wait four months to find out set in.  It wouldn’t be too bad if not for the knowledge that there was a time travel organization out there dragging it’s feet in getting back to him. If only Markos would show up and bring him back to the Anchor, then perhaps Jacob could convince them to let him watch the next season early. Or better yet, the whole show. At the very least he could get confirmation that the show doesn’t get cancelled or ruined. After the disappointment of Firefly, Jacob could use some reassurance that Lost was a safe bet.

But all that would have to wait on Markos. Supposedly the Chronodynamics Guild had him under surveillance somehow. What if he could let them know what he was going through? Jacob looked around his empty living room. “Gee,” he said in a loud voice, “It sure would be nice if Markos would show up!”

Nothing.

Frustrated once again, Jacob decided to just go to bed. On the way upstairs he admitted to himself that it was probably foolish to hope to use the Anchor to travel to September 2005 just so he wouldn’t have to wait for LOST’s next season. At the thought of September Jacob’s mood immediately soured.

Lisa would be dead for 4 years in September.

Jacob opened the door to his bedroom and looked at the empty bed.

When and if Markos ever returned, Jacob was sure he would be far too angry to think about using the Anchor to catch up on LOST.

August 13, 2005

Jacob was too excited to sleep. After six years Markos had finally returned! That in of itself was not what was robbing Jacob of his rest, he had decided some time ago to refuse any involvement in the organization that chose to keep him in the dark regarding Lisa’s fate. No, what was causing his current bout of insomnia was what Markos told him that led him to rethink his stand on the Chronodynamics Guild.

“You will see your wife again.”

Lisa.

Jacob stretched his hand out to what he still thought of as her side of the bed, empty for so long. For a moment, the briefest glimmer of hope flittered across his mind.

If I see her again…

No, there was nothing he could do. He had no idea how he would see her, or under what circumstances. For all he knew, he would get to see her as a baby in the hospital.

Jacob turned over onto his right side. Markos wouldn’t do that to him. He was sure of that.

But why would they let me see her?

The only reason he could think of was that there was nothing he could do, nothing to change the past. Lisa died at 9/11 and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn’t go and save her and change-

Change what exactly?

It wasn’t as if there was a lot of evidence that she died. In fact, aside from her disappearance ever since 9/11, there was no direct evidence that she was on the plane at all. It was just the natural conclusion, given the facts. She called him from the airport, had to go to get on the plane, and then nothing. In fact all Jacob knew for a fact was that she was at the airport!

Again a glimmer of hope danced at the edge of his consciousness. The only established fact he had regarding the nature of Lisa’s disappearance (Jacob noted the use of the word disappearance as opposed to death) was her presence at the airport. There was obviously no body at ground zero, they never recovered her DNA. When he saw her again, if Jacob somehow managed to bring Lisa back to 2005, would he actually change anything?

No he wouldn’t!

In fact, if he did bring her back to 2005, it would explain her disappearance, given she wasn’t on the plane. The more he thought about it the more Jacob realized that there was as much evidence to support the idea that he will save her as there was that she died in the attacks. More, actually, when one factored in the fact that Jacob would see her again and that he will have access to a time machine at the time!

Lisa’s not dead!

Jacob’s heart was now beating franticly in his chest at the prospect that he may actually be able to save his wife.

Great, now I’ll never be able to get to sleep!