Marcos Mission

*"You are not supposed to be here..."*WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in QIA, you may want to avoid reading beyond this warning. We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of the series should you continue.

### Date

Thika: 26th January 1993South Surrey: 12th May 1973

Stockholm: 29th August 1935

Bury: 24th August 1645

### Objectives

Minimise damage to the timeline caused by each of Sebastián Marcos' infractions

### Agents Involved

Tasneem HafizEnora Gallou

Tom Burt

Rupa Kalsi

Denny Franklin

Dan Hamilton

Vicky Wells

Emmett Rowland

Farzana Surihani

Nelson Ohene

### Jump Date

Thika: 29th April 2020South Surrey: 30th April 2020

Stockholm: 1st May 2020

Bury: 2nd May 2020

## Background

At just past midnight on 28th April 2020, Sebastián Marcos, a former Sağlık Pharmaceuticals patient, suddenly began a series of uncontrolled and unintended quantum shifts.

## Infraction

Marcos' series of shifts caused multiple infractions, including in Kenya 1993, Canada 1973, Sweden 1935, Italy and Spain. Most of these infractions were mere sightings by the general public, causing distress and confusion at the sight of a man appearing and disappearing.

Note: although one of the infractions was in Canada, it was given to the London Hub since all the others were in the European jurisdiction.

## Mission Outline

Joining forces with the Sweeper Team, the London Field Team set about minimising damage to the timeline in each of the timeframes, in reverse chronological order. Since Marcos had Jumped from timeframe to timeframe, actually preventing the infractions was too risky. However, after Milan, no further infractions were noted, and so the team's secondary mission was to implant a tracking device on Marcos during one of the previous infractions, in order to follow him to his final destination.

### Thika, Kenya - 1993

Marcos was due to appear, then disappear, within the campus grounds of Thika High School, which would be witnessed by at least six people. To prevent it, Agents Burt and Gallou staged an argument, followed by a marriage proposal, which successfully drew away everyone's attention. However, the Eye calculated only a 37% chance of success at tagging Marcos, and so the others did not attempt to do so in this timeframe.

### British Columbia, Canada - 1973

Marcos was due to appear and disappear in the middle of a crowded shopping centre. Due to the large amount of people present, any attempts at distraction would likely cause a larger infraction. However, Agent Rowland came up with the idea of Agent Burt posing as a street magician - 'David Blaine' - who, after a series of short bluff tricks, finished his show with *The Appearing and Disappearing Man* - Marcos - which was met with a resounding success by the crowd, causing only minimal disruption to the timeline. During this mission, Captain Hafiz and Agents Kalsi and Franklin were able to implant the tracking device in Marcos.

### Stockholm, Sweden - 1935

Marcos was due to appear and disappear in a public library, witnessed by an employee and an old man. Agents Burt, Gallou and Surihani successfully distracted them both, averting the infraction.

### Milan

Another infraction in Milan was successfully averted.

### Italy

Another infraction in Milan was successfully averted.

### Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk - 1645

Marcos was due to appear in Bury, 1645, a few days later before the 1645 Suffolk Witch Trials. After his appearance near the Abbey Gate, Marcos would be knocked out and taken for trial, and later executed under the orders of Matthew Hopkins, the self-appointed Witchfinder General. Unfortunately, Agent Kalsi was discovered during the team's attempt to prevent the infraction, and was also knocked out and arrested under suspicion of being a witch.

Kalsi and Marcos were both subjected to degrading torture and interrogation at the hands of Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General, who is determined to prove they are both witches. The rest of the team made several attempts to release them both: first, Agent Gallou posed as Marcos' sister and Agent Franklin as the minister who took them in, then later Agents Burt, Gallou and Franklin attempted an outright breakout. However, after this failed significantly, the three of them Jumped in front of Hopkins, which only furthered his belief that Kalsi was a witch. Finally, Gallou came up with a plan to use witchcraft itself - or at least, twenty-first technology - to stage a rescue plan. Unfortunately their previous failures meant that Hopkins had stepped up security around the prisoners, meaning their only opportunity would be during the hanging. Kalsi and Marcos were both, predictably, convicted as witches and sentenced to death. During the hanging, Captain Hafiz (with help from the others) appeared to the sound of Led Zeppelin's *Immigrant Song* and some pyrotechnical effects, pretending to be a witch and demanding Hopkins hand over Kalsi and Marcos. It worked long enough for the two of them to be rescued by Burt.

Being behind the current timeline, Burt arranged for Robert Fulton, a local retired physician, to secretly shelter Marcos for a week. Upon returning to 2020, Burt immediately Jumped back to 1645, a week later, and brought Marcos back to the 21st century.

## Repercussions

Damage to the timeline was minimised with most witnesses to the spectacle on Thingoe Hill later blocking it from their minds. Hopkins, however, was shaken by the events; while he had previously made his living tricking the public with his witch trials, after that night be began to ponder whether witches really were real or not.

Marcos was returned to London, where he later was to be transported to Northolt airfield to be taken to Geneva, although that did not quite go to plan. ("Northolt")

## Unanswered Questions

* What caused Marcos to suddenly begin his Jumps?