Myalo Series: The 2020 Assignment

“To leap between years is a great undertaking; there is much that must be done and much that must be avoided. Many things change between one year and the next. Dangers both known and unknown prevail, and the confusion that controls the unknown may darken the path and awaken old fears. He who watches over us, help us remember what was before so that we may conquer what is today. Protect our journey, and place Time on our side so that we may succeed in our aim.”

Skepsi would say the same words before every journey we took. We were preparing for our next leap into the future, and we knew very little about the journey ahead. Usually we were more prepared.

“Ready to leave, Syna?” Skepsi asked me.
“No more ready than usual,” I responded. Skepsi smiled, and we leaped out of our year.

We came to the year 2020 intentionally but without any knowledge of what we might find. We had been given this task by whatever Being watches over the world (we often call him Lord). He foresaw many problems in future years and assigned us to the task of exploring them and correcting them. We had not been told much about the journey to 2020, however.

Upon leaping into that fateful year, we found ourselves already halfway through it and immersed in a new sort of plague. Much unrest among the people of different nations compounded fear of this unknown plague, and we saw all around us people with anger and uncertainty upon their faces. “What is this?” I asked my companion, Skepsi. “Were we sent too late?”

He was silent for a while, watching. “I make nothing of it,” he said, “but look, here is Time coming to explain.”

I looked, but I could not see that man who had watched over us on so many of our other travels. Time was often invisible to my eyes and inaudible to my ears, but my companion was always able to find him.
“Look closely, Syna,” Skepsi said to me, and he directed me to look upon a house nearby.

I had learned by his direction to take my mind, full of feelings, and find the reasons for those feelings. His mind, full of thoughts, could easily focus on Time and what he might say to us, but my mind had to be coaxed to see. My eyes focused, and there was Time standing just ahead of Skepsi. He had come, perhaps, from that house Skepsi had shown me.
“Welcome.” Time spoke hardly above a whisper, but his voice made the ground tremble. “Come, we have much to discuss.”

Time spoke for longer than I expected, telling us that many unfortunate events had already transpired and that there was nothing we could do about those. “Or Lord, of course, knows why there is a plague, and he knows why people are angry. We must merely endure, and the Lord will work his great plan. But you are here at this moment to do great things.” An instant, and Time had disappeared again; Skepsi, however, seemed to still see him.

Skepsi continued to speak with Time, but I could hear neither of them; an uncertainty had swept over me and I was very afraid, for this year was unlike any other we had visited. I thought perhaps that our current task was the beginning of a very different life for us. Suddenly, a voice much like Time’s sounded in my ear, though it was far more sinister: “You will not succeed.” 

“Who are you, creature, and what do you need from me?” I asked, but my voice was unsteady, and I do not think Skepsi heard it.
“I am Confusion,” said the creature. After she spoke this second time, I saw her appear beside me. She was far smaller than Time, but she seemed to be all around me at once. I found that I could keep her neither in my sight nor behind my back. “You will see much of me from now on. This world of anger and uncertainty is mine, and you shall not be the downfall of it.”
“I have seen you before,” I said, though I was still very afraid, “but you were not so strong.”
“I am stronger in this new place. The places you don’t know are the places I know best.”
“I have help, Confusion.”
“You have no help here.”

Then she was gone, and I could hear Skepsi speaking. He was bidding Time farewell, and he turned to me. “Did you hear everything he said, Syna?” he asked.

“No, I did not. Did you not hear Confusion?”
“I do not know who that is.”
I gave no response. I could still feel Confusion lingering nearby.

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Time was with us almost constantly, Skepsi said, but I rarely saw him. We were given many assignments from Time, some of which he brought to us from the Lord, and I found that I learned much with Skepsi’s help. Many of the people we met also seemed brightened by Skepsi’s calm thoughtfulness and my occasional humor and encouragement, and I believe many of those that we were around the most were travelers from other eras as well. Despite many trials, we were progressing with our mission and getting closer to the journey home. Skepsi and I often discussed what we had accomplished so far, and those discussions did much to improve my outlook. I had only seen Confusion a few times, and Skepsi had never been able to see her. She was very much at the back of my mind.

“Listen, Syna. I’m having a special thought.” Skepsi began one afternoon when we had finished our tasks.
I turned to him, amused. “I’m listening.”
“We have heard Time say, and have often said ourselves, that justice is doing one’s own work and not meddling with what is not one’s own.”
“Yes, we have.” (Plato 119). I tried to think like Skepsi for a moment. “Perhaps that is why we have met so many other Travelers during this year? They have their pursuits, and we have ours?”
“Perhaps. We cannot do everything alone, you know.”
I nodded. “I think I understand.”

The next day Skepsi and I had many tasks, but I could not find him. I could tell he was nearby, but whenever I tried to see him, I could not. I had never been unable to find Skepsi before. I suddenly became afraid again; Skepsi was the one who could think, while I usually was the one who felt. I needed him if we were to complete our tasks in this year. Uncertain and worried and unwilling to do anything without Skepsi, I went back to my room and sat under the sheets on my bed.

“Your other half is not here.” I looked up, flinching, to find Confusion standing in front of me. “I sent him away.”
“You cannot send Skepsi away. We are always together.”

“Not anymore,” Confusion replied, looking quite amused. Suddenly she was all around me again, and even though I pulled a blanket over my eyes, I could still see her. “You’ve seen very little of Time, haven’t you? You’ve been ignoring him, and Skepsi finds it difficult to work with Time when you are not paying attention. Now you have neither of them. Is your task not due this evening?”

Then she was gone, and I was left alone in my room. I realized that I had never before wished to speak with Time, and had often wanted him to leave me alone. Now, when I could not find Skepsi and did not know how to complete this evening’s task, I found that I wanted him there.

“Ah, so you finally asked for me yourself?”

I looked up, and there was Time standing nearby. He shook his head at me.
“How are you here?” I watched him as he began to pace, but I did not leave my bed. “Why is Skepsi not here?”
“Skepsi is in the next room,” Time said, motioning for me to be calm. “You weren’t searching very well.”

“I have never been able to see you without his help,” I replied, once again uncertain. Now, however, the uncertainty was not accompanied with fear.
“You have never tried. Now you realize that I am more a help to you than a hindrance.” He smiled at me. “Go get Skepsi. Your task is still due! Were [you] created to wrap [your]self in blankets and keep warm?” (Aurelius 35)

I then leaped out of my bed and went to find Skepsi.

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The first time Skepsi saw Confusion was when 2020 had nearly ended. We had accomplished most of what we had been sent to do, and we had not been late with any of our tasks. Our friends from this year helped us when we needed it, and many people seemed less angry by the end of the year. Confusion, of course, came to express her anger.

“Go away,” was all she said, and I was surprised when Skepsi turned at the sound of her voice. “You have no business here. This is my territory.”
I believe Skepsi learned a bit too much from our 2020 friends, because he glanced at Time, who was standing by our side, and then turned back to Confusion.

“No, you.”

[Confusion] fled with a groan of outrage down to the shades below (Virgil 386).

We saw no more of Confusion during that year, and Time was very much with us for the final assignment. We went back to our own year, content with the work we had done.

“I think our next assignment will be very similar to that one,” Skepsi said one day as we were reflecting on our new friends and many tasks.
“I agree,” I responded, and I found that I was not concerned by the prospect. I did think I would enjoy the two months we had at home, though.

Works Cited

Virgil. The Aeneid. Translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin Books, 2010.

Plato. Republic. Translated by C.D.C. Reeve, Hackett Publishing, 2004.

Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. Translated by Martin Hammond, Penguin Classics, 2006.