Interference (synopsis and prologue)

Heads up: Most of "Interference" has already been written, and not really edited, though right now, I'm taking a break from really writing it. D: It was my Nanowrimo project, but it's still not done. :(

(very long) Synopsis

“Today, the population decreased by approximately 1,500 people…”

“Alexander Abbort has just released his new initiatives for World Peace today…”

“We are here to announce today, that the restrictions on time machine usage have been lowered to two months. Anyone who violates this law is committing a federal crime in the United States…”

Headlines and announcements passed on everyone’s internet television screen. Headlines and speeches spoken straight to them. People being led, in admiration, to a leader they truly did not know. The world was succumbing to chaos, a very internal chaos, so subtle, so unknown, that it was disguised as peace. Perhaps it had not been a new concept, but this world was crumbling.
What was inevitable, was unnoticed, dismissed, so those could go on with their lives as if nothing was going on, those who were either far too in denial of the corruption that could be occurring, or far too naïve, convinced by the lies, or simply far too immersed in it themselves, whether they wanted to be or not.
Those who knew of this corruption, were usually those who were either utterly aware of the horrors that could befall them from a loved one’s experience. Some were skeptics of the “system”, others observant outsiders who could see the cracks as they began to grow in the façade of the world they lived in.
Those who were captives of this corruption, had the tendency to never return from their captivity.
And those who knew, or didn’t know, and couldn’t handle it, simply, truly, ceased to exist.
A little over 100 years in the future, our world, beginning with the United States, is close to being overthrown by a sinister dictator, who feigns peace to conceal his selfish ambitions, Alexander Abbort. His methods of brainwashing are literally "hypnotizing", with technological assistance, that causes one person to do the same to another, and another to the other, a dangerous plague that threatens the already-oblivious nation.
At the same time, the population is dropping at a rapid rate, yet no record of the beings "dying" is able to be seen; disease, accident, and especially, suicide, rates are low. But uses of time-traveling machines are high, leading the government and society to believe that people are erasing their births in some way. Huge restrictions are put on the usage of time machines, so that a person can only go back two months, and all machines capable of going farther than this should be returned and exchanged for one that can only go as far as the limit.
Seventeen-year-old Kainni Ceiltra knows the truth about Alexander Abbort, that he's a brainwashing, calculating, cruel, selfish man that has nothing good in mind. She and many others express similar views in places where they try not to be discovered, usually on underground websites.
What had once been minor suspicions of hers grew to full belief that this man had nothing good in mind, when her mother returns from a "business trip" to the Abbort mansion in Washington, D.C. after 3 months and brainwashed her in the most permanent way possible. Now she is determined to go back in time to save her.
Eighteen year old Troy feels that his time to begin the vicious cycle of the men of his family has finally come to him, and he wants no part in it. All he wants is to be away from traumatic memories, conditioning, the expectations to calculate evil, and abuse that goes on in the depths of his ominous household.
And more so than that, is the desire for his mother not to face the fate that she did. But when he catches himself thinking like his father, he feels his fate is inevitable, and the only way to reverse it is to prevent his parents from meeting, or at least from having a relationship that leads to marriage and a child—saving her, and erasing his conception. Troy Abbort is also determined to go back in time to accomplish his goals, no matter what it takes. Each teen leaves at the exact same time, using the same time machine model, causing what is called time-machine interference.
They land in none other than 2009, their machines broken down, with no one but each other to turn to. Tensions are high for these two young adults, as they are forced to face the challenges of what is history to them, each other, and the reflection of their own pasts.



Prologue

The young mother stared outside her window down into the park behind her apartment. She didn’t mind living in such a small place; it was perfect for her and her family, and she knew that they may soon be leaving it, with her husband having recently gotten a job with an up-and-coming time-travel device company, and her busy developing her own nature-preservation business for the city. She was pleased to see the park behind her building, with its green grasses and many trees, even flowers scattered throughout its grounds.
And it was even more pleasing to hear the laughter of her daughter and her friend wafting through the window. Her daughter’s friend was her own best friend’s son. She had brought him over today so the two of them could have much-needed get-together by “themselves”.
Ever since her friend had married her now-government scientist husband, they seemed to be drifting apart. It was good that they could talk now. Her friend stood and joined her at the window, watching their children chase each other around the old-fashioned swing set and slide. They exchanged a knowing glance, their thoughts identical as they considered the futures of their children.
Meanwhile, the children continued to play. The girl looked more like she was four than six, a little short, and having a more childish figure than average. Her bright red hair was caught between being very wavy or outright curly, and emerald eyes. She looked very much like her mother, though her pale, easily burned skin, and the small brushing of freckles across her nose and cheeks were reminiscent of the looks of her father when he was younger.
The boy was thin and equally pale. He was seven years old, and a little tall for his age, which wasn’t always horribly noticeable, something he though he could grow into at some point. He had the sad, soulful eyes of a child who had seen too much for his age. They were the color of the blue sky on a clear day. His black hair had bangs that were a little too long, which he blew out of his face frequently. His innocent looks unfortunately marked him clearly as the son of his father. He had a very quiet demeanor and he often let his friend do all the talking. She didn’t seem to mind, being a “chatterbox” regardless. And he liked to listen to her. It made him happy, and she could even make him laugh sometimes.
The two had run to the gardens in the park, the girl leading him through a path of bright yellow flowers. She kneeled down a plucked one from the ground.
“This is a chrysanthemum,” she said. “It is a sign of praise and admiration, or at least that’s what mommy told me.”
The girl wished she had a little more fitting flower to give to the boy, but this would have to do for now. She gingerly extended her hand, offering it to him, smiling. He accepted it with caution. She continued smiling as best she could, though it felt strange to look at him this way, with him looking back the way he did.
They simultaneously glanced shyly away from each other, a light rose color appearing on their cheeks.
The girl finally broke the silence. “Hey, I’ll… I’ll race you to the swing set!” she said, taking off before the boy could reply. He laughed slightly, feeling comfortable again as he chased her to the swings.
She hopped upon one and started pumping her legs as soon as possible. She giggled, looking smug for a fleeting second as the boy appeared at the swings a few moments later than she. He just smiled at her, one of his sweet rare smiles, as he sat beside her and began to swing as well.
They swung, and the girl talked, filling up the silence while the boy listened with great interest as usual.
Then she became uncharacteristically quiet. She looked thoughtful, as her gaze traveled to the clear, blue sky. The boy followed her gaze with his own.
“You know what I want to do?”
The boy was relieved for her breaking the silence.
“What?” he replied, quietly.
“I want to time travel. My daddy works at a time machine company now, but not a lot of people have time machines yet, he says. But some day, I want to go back a hundred years or something like that.”
The girl looked over at him, with wide, innocent eyes.
“Wouldn’t that be awesome?” she said.
He nodded, as the girl jumped off her swing to stand next to his.
“And I want you to come with me.”
Her eyes were sparkling, anticipation within them at the simple thought of such a trip. It was hard to believe this bright, imaginative girl would be so kind to invite him into one of her dreams. And he so wanted to travel like this, with her, far away from where he was now. And he realized it was very possible…
“I have an idea. I can take you. My dad got us a time machine. I can take you back some day.”
The girl looked absolutely delighted, even grateful as if this all depended on him in the first place, and aflame with excitement. She suddenly threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly. A little too tightly, but he didn’t mind right now.
“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you so much!” she exclaimed.
“Y-You’re welcome,” he stuttered. Cautiously, the boy wrapped his arms around her as well, smiling gently again.
“You promise?” said the girl, smiling now, though she looked sure of the answer.
“I promise,” he replied.