Title: Reset

[swirlsofpurple]

 

“Why do you want a Reset?”

Cassie’s standard response of ‘none of your business’ is on her tongue, ready to slip between her teeth, but she pauses. This is her sister asking, her posture open; her gaze sincere. Cassie has always failed at being bitter and angry towards Tanya, the true daughter, the legitimate heir. Tanya has always been too lovely for any resentment to survive her onslaught. They aren’t as close as they were during the summers they spent together as kids. And Cassie desperately wants them to be that close again. She also doesn’t want to tell the truth, because it’s pathetic. She settles on a compromise, a half-truth for a half-sister.

“Nothing as glamourous as love or money.” She smirks, self-deprecating, and picks at her sandwich- the bread is soggy.  

“Hmm,” Tanya gives her a considering look, takes a long slow drink of lemonade, asks gently, “You think people wanting to go back in time and live their life over just to make more money is glamourous?”

“Most people don’t want more money to have more money. It’s about the peace of not lying awake worrying about bills. The joy of being able to help whenever someone you know is in need. The safety and security of knowing your family will be cared for.”

“Those people don’t have a shot in Hell of getting a Reset.”

“Well if they work here and they work hard to earn their place, there’s a chance,” Cassie says, the words sound foolish, too high and shrieking and delusional. She can’t have given over her life to working through lunch breaks and endless over-time and throwing away every relationship for nothing.   

“We have a chance,” Tanya says, conciliatory, uses her straw to fiddle with the ice in her glass, and urges, “Tell me.”

Cassie sighs around the lump in her throat. “I don’t actually want to redo my life. I just want dad to consider me worthy enough for a Reset.”  

Tanya laughs. “Same.”

Cassie stares in shock. “But…you’re the heir, surely…”

Tanya shakes her head. “Inherent worth isn’t for the likes of us.”

 

*

 

“Well done Cassie,” her dad says, “You’ve earned this.”

There’s a high whine in her ears and she can feel her heartbeat in her whole body. She’s getting a Reset. It’s exhilarating. It’s terrifying. She worries that Tanya will hate her. But her sister just gives her an excited hug.

Cassie settles on going fifteen years into the past, the further back someone goes the more opportunities there are, but she has no desire to relive her teens.

She steps into the machine, her insides gurgle, her skin simultaneously tears and remains intact, she’s undone and is put back together whole.

She steps out onto a familiar road. Everything seems brighter.

 

*

 

The process to establish her as someone who has gone through a Reset is quicker than she expects. Some standard predictions and everyone believes her.

Her father readily accepts the decision his future self made and she’s immediately thrust into the upper echelons of the company.

Tanya is lovely to her as she always was, but she becomes more ruthless towards everyone else, an accommodation towards playing a game she’s already lost. She ends up getting a divorce.

This isn’t supposed to happen. Cassie fills with guilt and regret, wants another Reset just to put things back. It’s not possible though, more than one Reset does irreparable damage to the body.

 

*

 

Another promotion happens, Cassie’s half convinced it’s so she has no time to sit with her guilt. With said promotion comes access to the Reset records. She stares at the list of names, bile rising in her throat.

The company line has always been that restrictions on a Reset were so that too much damage wasn’t done to the timeline. Cassie has always known it’s more to do with keeping the access amongst a few rich and powerful.

But she hadn’t understood the sheer level of devastation it wrought.

Drug barrens and mob bosses were legitimized business tycoons. Corrupt business people were presidents and prime ministers.

The world had been twisted into a much darker shape.

 

*

 

“Why do you want a Reset?” Cassie’s the one asking this time.

Tanya grits her teeth.

Cassie’s never been good at getting people to open up. She decides to go first. “It hasn’t been worth it.”

Tanya laughs, too harsh, too unlike the person she once was, in another life-time. “Fuck you.”

“I’m doing an interview. I’m going to reveal some stuff.”

Tanya’s eyes widen, words rush to fall out of her mouth, “I want my husband back.”

“That’s romantic.”

“It’s pathetic.”

“No. You guys are meant to be together.”

 

*

 

Cassie’s torn apart after the interview. They paint her as a crazy liar. And the truth is relegated to jokes and conspiracy websites.

“Help me,” she asks.

“There’s nothing I can do,” Tanya replies.

“I need another Reset. It needs to be obvious. It needs to be something they can’t ignore.”

“And you want mine?!?” There are tears in her eyes. “We’re not meant to be martyrs.”

“I’ll fix it all. It will all be okay.”

 

*

 

Cassie emerges in the past a second time, adorned in lesions and seeping wounds; a product of the second journey.

“I had to come, to fix something terrible from happening,” she says.

Her father nods. “Your sacrifice will be rewarded.”   

She wears her scars with pride, tattooing around them with swirls of obsidian and gold, so they cannot be ignored. So she cannot be ignored.

She’s smarter this time. No interviews. Cassie works from the shadows, from the inside, adding light to the darkened world.

It may not be much, but as she watches Tanya with her husband and new-born child, she knows it was worth it.

Comments

[bleodswean]

I have always been staggered by the depth to which you descend with your unique sci-fi, J. You really think through the implications of so many aspects of your 'verses. The idea that the past know the future is coming back in the form of individuals is really really thought-provoking. Great work here!

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you so much, so glad you found the depth to which I took this concept thought-provoking :)

[erulissedances]

Unfortunately, it seems all too likely that those who would be given this "gift" would be the drivers of business and industry, to make additional money and have more influence. I'm glad she was able to manage a second RESET and hope that her works will make as much of a difference as those who had a venal RESET in her past/future.

- Erulisse (one L)

[swirlsofpurple]

Oh yeah definitely, things to make people powerful often seems to fall into the hands of the already rich and powerful

Thank you :)

[dsrmousey]

I thought Cassie was going to become something more nefarious! Great character. Nice work and great character. Peace~~~Desiree

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, glad you liked the character :)

[gunwithoutmusic]

Wow - you manage to pack so much into such a small punch. There have been a few times where I've read something of yours and thought, 'Man I wish I'd thought of that!' This one is definitely one of those times. I'm so interested in this world and these characters. :)

[swirlsofpurple]

Oh wow, that's such a lovely compliment, thank you :)

[drippedonpaper]

That actually makes a lot of sense, that our leaders are the ones who were cruel in other areas, then reset to take charge.

Cassie is a hero. I wouldn't want a reset for myself, but if doing it would help my kids..

You created an intriguing story, with complex choices. Great job!

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, glad you found it intriguing :)

[ofearthandstars]

I really love the intriguing concept behind your story - I think the reader suspects the reset will not be the dream it's meant to be, and that's why I do appreciate that your Cassie goes back for the second reset - in the end, science fiction is usually a remark on our own human foibles and flaws and sociopolitical commentary, and you definitely delivered!

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, so glad you found it intriguing and that the sociopolitical commentary worked for you :)

[roina_arwen]

Very interesting the way this panned out. Poor Cassie!

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, glad you found it interesting :)

[banana_galaxy]

There is so much going on here, but ultimately I like that the reset creates some scarring in a way that a some kind of time machine doesn't really capture in fiction. That feels like an important lesson and distinction.

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, so glad you liked the reset causing scarring :)

[alycewilson]

This grows darker and darker, and the progression works.

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you :)