The Beginning and End of it All

**The Beginning and End of it All Episode Synopsis**

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The podcast episode starts with Jackson telling Emily that Bill is interviewing with ISAT now. The voice fades out to the robotic voice we all know well at this point with the podcast episodes.

We then fade to Ormond’s voice greeting Bill. She states that the date is April 17th 2028 into a recorder and explains she’s interviewing applicant 687 William G Wells (Prefers to go by Bill).

The interview process starts off fairly normal. Ormond asks Bill what brought him to apply for JumpPoint and how he thinks JumpPoint can benefit his life. She then gets very specific, with questions ranging from how Bill would describe himself to how did his mother die. Bill admits he’s not close with his father since he remarried. Ormond continues to ask if there’s a history of addiction or abuse in his family and Bill asks how  this is related.  Ormond explains everyone’s past is important.  They touch on relationships and Bill explains how he was in only one relationship that ever mattered, the one with Emily.

Bill explains how he thought Emily would be the one he spent the rest of his life with. However, after a while, Emily didn’t feel like their relationship was growing anymore. Bill tried to change but it wasn’t what Emily was looking for. She called off the relationship. Bill said even his mother thought she was going to be the one he spent forever with. She even gave him her wedding ring to propose with, a beautiful oval cut ring. It meant a lot to him that his mother approved. He still saw Emily sometimes but she eventually moved on.

Ormond asks if Bill still has feelings for her. Bill admits he tries to think he’s moved on yet here he is still talking about it. Ormond asks how he could have changed himself to make the relationship successful. Bill admits he’d have to be someone else to achieve that. Bill says that moment is a defining moment of his life.

Fast forward to July 8th, 2028 and Ormond is congratulating Bill on being accepted as a participant for the JumpPoint Initiative. Ormond explains how they will give Bill details and then he will begin basic training. Ormond explains it’s a nine month period to prepare him both mentally and physically for the task ahead. At this point the talking pauses and there are sounds of someone drinking water and  coughing, but it doesn’t sound like either  Ormond or Bill (At least to me). Ormond lets him know he’ll be traveling back to 2025, exactly four years from the expected launch date of April 29 2029. Bill is in disbelief that time travel is real and asks how it’s possible.

Ormond corrects him that they *believe* it’s possible. They’ve conducted several smaller tests, but this is the first test on a human. Bill asks how many were selected and Ormond tells him 5 were selected. Ormond said the lack of social circle Bill had made him an eligible candidate (savage) he also seems to be in perfect health mentally and physically. Bill asks if he goes back into the past wouldn’t he be replacing himself? Ormond reassures him that the ideology about the logistics of time travel is simple. A statement cannot both be true and false, if you go to the past and replace yourself, then how did you get here in the first place?

Ormond explains his past will still exist and his past will still occur. He is assigned a new identity with a new makeover. He will be meeting an assistant monthly to receive his pay, he just cannot interact with his past self as it would compromise the integrity of the study. Ormond informs him he needs to do nothing but meet with the assistant monthly and protect the integrity of the study. Bill will be observed for 10 years.

Bill is confused how there is already assistants in the past if this project is just starting. Ormond explains ISAT has been in operation and funded for a long time and how the JumpPoint Initiative started 15 years prior. They know to meet Bill because it’s already occurred, a version of him from the future has gone back. They go back and forth and Ormond explains how neither of them have had the individual experience of going through this process.  She explains it’s a time loop of sorts.

Fast forward to April 24 2029 and Raymond is getting Bill set up for the launch. They talk about the makeover and Raymond gives Bill his origin folder. It contains his new identity and a redacted version of his case file with instructions for the monthly meetings and what to do in the event of complications. Raymond advises Bill that if he loses the key to inform an assistant so they can get him a new one. Creating a new key is dangerous as the project must be kept secret. Bill sees his new name is Jackson Flores, a city worker from Oregon. Bill tells Dr. Raymond how the first thing he’s going to do is get a cup of coffee in Spokane. Raymond comments how Spokane is far from Vancouver but as long as he goes to his meetings in Vancouver.

Ormond comes in ready to take over and begin calibrations. Bill asks how she is and Ormond explains how it’s a thrilling time with lots of preparation for the beginning of something new. Ormond goes  through some instructions, secure the helmet when you get in the box, the room will get bright and you can close your eyes, there will be a sound as all the light gets sucked out of the room. She also insists he does not move until an assistant on the other side opens the box.

Ormond asks if Bill is ready to be history. Bill corrects her “Make history.” Ormond corrects Bill again “You cannot make history, Mr. Wells.” Dr. Raymond explains what’s happening as he starts the process of the launch. He counts down and the audio gets very deep and intense sounding as Dr. Raymond counts down 5...4...3...2...1.

A robotic voice comes in again saying “end of date, beginning and end of it all.”

The familiar sound of Daisy’s coffee shop comes back and a cashier greets Bill. Bill is very excited but the cashier, not so much. Bill orders a Chai Latte and goes to find a table.After that, Hudson and Emily enter and realize how crowded the place is. They decide that Hudson will go find a table while Emily orders. Bill is called for his coffee and leaves his table. Hudson sees an open table and tries to swoop in, but Bill catches him and says that it’s his table. They go back and forth for a little bit, Hudson pleading with him to give him the table since he’s there with his wife. Bill asks Hudson’s name, but doesn’t give his in return “Ah, just a stranger”. Bill ends up giving up the table and told Hudson to have a great day as he leaves. Emily comes up to Hudson and asks who that was.

“I have no idea.”