“On death, the reverse is true. You are retrieved, or as we call it, ‘pulled’ to the buffer, your new experiences are downloaded, so you are mentally returned to the exact moment you left. Your last memory prior to closing your eyes is still with you, but you have no memory of your task whatsoever. Then comes your debriefing, where, in your handler’s presence, your memories are opened so you both share the experiences. This way, any lessons that need to be learned are shared in a controlled environment. Sometimes, it may be deemed appropriate for you to be returned straight back to deal with the type and nature of your death. At other times you are re-assigned to a new time frame, should you so desire.”
“These constructs, what are they?”
“Exact replicas of the agent, genetic clones with certain modifications.”
“Modifications?”
“It has proved necessary to improve certain attributes, to aid survival and extend durability. Thus the construct, if uninterrupted, may live for forty or fifty years beyond normal life expectancy. The bone structure is stronger, more flexible and the whole body is more efficient. It can last longer on lower nutrient intake; it will heal very quickly, and can withstand extreme temperatures and noxious substances. Pain thresholds are modified to allow greater tolerance to pain, with no loss of efficiency. You can’t poison a construct, as it has an enhanced immune system to combat disease and infection.
“Remember, many of the time zones in which we operate have little or no medical knowledge or expertise. It is essential that all our agents are as self-sufficient and efficient as possible. All known diseases and infections are therefore of no threat to a construct. In a world where peritonitis and food poisoning are killers, these attributes are vital.
“A construct is to all intents and purposes a super-human; capable of great physical feats and mental dexterity. Reactions and reasoning powers are enhanced by a factor of ten; and strength by a factor of five. Great care is needed to exist dumbed-down along side their ancient contemporaries.”
I sat and thought about everything he had said. My mind was in a whirl, as soon as a thought popped in, it disappeared and was replaced by another.
“I’ve experienced it myself many times, and have to say, one feels almost invincible,” he said, perhaps in an attempt to persuade me.
“You mentioned my qualities. I take it you meant my, my…”
“Gender identity disorder?” he asked, mentioning the previously unmentionable so casually as to make it sound like nothing more serious than acne.
I hesitated, but finally had to admit to something I never thought I would.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Quite.”
“Why?”
“It’s cultural, let me explain. Most, but not all the agents we recruit are male, for a variety of reasons. The primary problem is the cultural one. Traditionally, the male is the dominant figure in most ancient cultures, indeed, even up to and including my era, let alone the twentieth century. A man is capable of advancing in most areas of life and reaching positions of influence and responsibility, whereas a woman is often unable to do so, often only being required to conceive and bear children, and destined to look after them to adulthood. Remember, there was no contraception apart from abstinence or anal sex, so many women started having children in their mid teens and went on until what we call middle age.
“It’s therefore only natural that male recruits tend to select to be male in the field, so to speak. We are very short of female agents. We do have them, but often they find it harder to deal with the cultural differences in some of the more barbaric epochs. Bear in mind that what little prejudice and discrimination exists in the late twentieth and twenty first centuries, are so slight in comparison with the blatant sexist attitudes of earlier epochs and comparatively barbaric cultures.
“The few we have are excellent, but they sometimes find it harder to return to the present once they form lasting attachments in their target date.”
“Surely that is a risk for anyone?”
“Agreed, and there are several agents who are living out their lives in very happy circumstances, refusing to return until old age or accidental death claims them.”
“So, what is it about me that appears so different?” I asked, not entirely understanding.
“As an experienced male, you have a wealth of skills and understanding about that aspect of your life. But, to have a burning desire to be female, this is something that makes you unique. You see, many transsexuals are content enough just to be the gender they achieve, they are far more accepting of the social mores of the specific era than genetic women, whom often become aggressively angry at the social injustices that females often face, comparing them to the standards they are used to. This anger and frustration can cause them real difficulties in maintaining focus on the task at hand. Some become so determined to improve the lot of women that they forget why they were there in the first place.
“Your quality is therefore a bonus, for you have the opportunity to select the gender of your construct. You have the advantage to assist in designing her physical form, within the genetic framework that your DNA allows, of course. There is an additional bonus, in that our opposition expects all our agents to be male, for the reasons I have given.”
“You assume I would choose to be female?”
“I do. Would I be in error?” he asked, one eyebrow arched.
I thought about this. I had lived as a male, and succeeded despite my hang-ups. To be given a chance to be female, and a high quality one at that, was a dream come true.
Or was it?
I had no experience at being female. I had fantasised and wondered, but I had never done it. I had never given in to the temptations and urges that drove so many to surgery or suicide. What kind of female would I make?
I expressed my fears to Michael, who looked surprised and somewhat shocked.
“I had never considered this. How strange. You constantly surprise me. I accept what you say totally, and you’re very sensible to consider it. But, I imagine you would have enormous fun finding out,” he said with a grin.
The grin was infectious, so I found myself agreeing with him. It would be exciting finding out. I had to agree.
“Let me just clarify a couple of points, which may affect your decision. Your construct will not be fertile, she will be perfectly normal, but unable to conceive,” Michael said.
“Deliberately, or incidentally?” I asked.
“I think it is something to do with the genetic code. No successful conception between a construct and a normal temporal human is on record.”
“How about between two constructs?”
“I don’t know. It has never happened. There are very few examples of two constructs cohabiting in the same time frame.”
“How about the opposition? You said they used constructs too.”
“Good point, but it has never been tested,” he said with a wry smile.
I thought for a moment, and then asked about the pay and contracts.
“Our contracts of employment are simple. You sign on for one job at a time. Each job is paid in the currency of your choice, to the value of twenty years of an average salary in the country and time of your origin. Thus, you would be looking at twenty times $50,000. This would give you $1,000,000 on successful completion of the job. Considering you would then be free to take up from the exact second you left off, not a bad day’s work.
“Should you wish to take on several contracts, one after the other, there is a maximum of five without a break,” Michael explained. Even with my limited ability at Math, I worked out that came to $5,000,000. It seemed too good to be true.