Recovered communication
Intercept 006
Declassified extract
DAY 22 — PRIMITIVE TOOLS
I've started working on something that apparently doesn't exist yet in 2026.
Real artificial intelligence.
What they call “AI” here is absurd. They build enormous data centres covering square kilometres and consume staggering amounts of electricity and water just to make a machine answer a human question.
And they call this progress.
I remember 2081. I was still a child when these practices were officially banned. Resource consumption was supposedly the reason. At least, that's what the textbooks said.
Later, we learned the truth.
It wasn't about energy.
People simply knew too much because of AI.
So AI was banned.
I have an old computer. By 2026 standards, it's actually quite powerful. By my standards, it's a primitive tool.
It will have to do.
I've started SEED on it.
I don't know if it will work. If my calculations are correct, in a year, maybe two, I should have something that can truly be called artificial intelligence.
I need it.
The time machine is too badly damaged. Without a proper intelligence system, I can't even perform the basic calculations required to reconstruct its temporal systems.
If SEED works, it will help me develop a repair plan.
If it doesn't...
I may never get home.
Department assessment
Analysis of the intercepted transmission confirms that the fugitive has begun development of a system identified as “SEED”. The designation does not appear in any known registry of 21st-century technology.
Of particular concern is his declared intention to recreate a prohibited-class artificial intelligence.
RECOMMENDATION: PREVENT SYSTEM ACTIVATION.
Recovered communication
Intercept 005
Declassified extract
DAY 17 — SOMEONE FOUND ME
Something happened today that I can't explain.
For several seconds, my phone completely stopped responding. The screen went black, and then a message appeared that shouldn't exist here:
“TEMPORAL SIGNATURE DETECTED”
A moment later, everything returned to normal. There's no record of it in my notification history. I didn't take a screenshot.
I know that message.
I've seen it before.
In 2126.
If it really is them, I have far less time than I thought.
Department assessment
The intercepted transmission contains the first direct reference suggesting possible contact between the fugitive and technology originating from his claimed time period. Field units have been notified. Increased signal-monitoring frequency is recommended.
Recovered communication
Intercept 004
Declassified extract
Day 16 — The Machine Answered First
Day sixteen.
Today, I had to call a government office.
A machine answered.
For a moment, I genuinely thought I'd somehow returned to 2126.
“Tell me briefly what you're calling about.”
So I did.
It didn't understand.
I tried again.
Still nothing.
For the next few minutes, I had a conversation with a machine that asked me questions, ignored my answers and remained absolutely convinced it was helping me.
That's basically how most government services work in 2126.
Then something happened that I wasn't expecting.
The machine transferred me to a human being.
An actual human being.
In 2126, that's a premium service.
I'm beginning to suspect that, here in 2026, it has already started.
You just haven't noticed it yet.
Department assessment
The subject has been recorded attempting to contact a government institution by telephone.
During the call, he displayed unusual frustration with the automated assistance system and considerable surprise after being transferred to a human operator.
His apparent familiarity with future administrative systems remains concerning.
Call-centre staff are advised to report anyone asking whether “speaking to a human is still free.”
Recovered communication
Intercept 003
Declassified extract
Today, I visited a supermarket.
Day fifteen.
Today, I visited a supermarket.
People were freely walking between the aisles, picking things up, examining them and occasionally putting them back in completely different places. No permits, biometric scans or delivery-drone supervision.
A strange experience.
In 2126, physical shops no longer exist. Small retailers were wiped out years ago, while the major corporations trade exclusively online. Everything is delivered directly to your door by autonomous vehicles and drones — usually before you can remember what you actually ordered.
What surprised me most was being allowed to touch a product before buying it.
In my time, that feature is only available with a premium subscription.
Department assessment
The subject has been observed entering a retail establishment and handling multiple products without purchasing them.
His unusually strong interest in obsolete commercial practices suggests continued difficulty adapting to the year 2026.
Retail staff are advised to report any questions concerning drone delivery corridors, biometric payment systems or premium access to physical objects.
Recovered communication
Intercept 002
Declassified extract
The Currency Problem
Day fourteen.
I thought about ordering the replacement components online.
But how?
I do not have a bank account. Why would I? I am not supposed to exist for another fifty-three years, and my Global Civil Credit token is unlikely to be accepted by any payment system in 2026.
I am stuck.
I need to find employment.
I saw a vacancy at a place that appears to sell enormous quantities of chicken. KWC, FCK or KFC — I cannot remember the exact designation.
Establishments of this kind no longer exist in the future. They were permanently closed after the Great Poultry Recognition Act of 2084 granted chickens the right to legal representation and retrospective compensation.
The uniform appears undignified, but the employee meal allowance may keep me alive.
I intend to apply tomorrow.
Department assessment
The subject is attempting to establish a financial identity within the historical banking system.
Commercial institutions and employers are instructed to report any individual presenting unverifiable credentials, future-issued currency or knowledge inconsistent with the year 2026.
Recovered communication
Intercept 001
Declassified extract
Eleven Days in 2026
I have been here for eleven days.
The machine survived the journey. The temporal stabiliser did not. Three components are damaged, two do not exist yet, and the third may be replaceable with something currently used in industrial refrigeration.
I tried explaining this to a man in a hardware shop.
He asked me to leave.
I am beginning to understand why time travellers usually keep quiet.
Department assessment
The subject remains without a valid Temporal Engineering Licence. Historical hardware retailers are instructed not to provide technical assistance, coffee or refrigeration components.