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Registered Phenomena Code: 751
Object Class: Beta-Yellow
Hazard Types: Temporal Hazard
Containment Protocols: Telephone calls towards RPC-751 are to be intercepted, with the caller tracked and placed under Authority custody. Callers who originate from the chronological present or are temporally displaced within a ten (10) year period are to be amnesticized and released, while individuals with a chronological displacement of over ten years are to be detained until methods of returning individuals to their original time periods are devised.
Attempts at locating RPC-751 are to be conducted at every opportunity.
Description: RPC-751 is a customer support call center whose employees refer to as "The Time Traveler's Call Center". Communication with RPC-751 can be achieved regardless of region or signal intensity, primarily by temporally displaced individuals with access to the telephone number of RPC-751.
Individuals are made aware of RPC-751 via several methods, including:
- Receiving a call from RPC-751 upon temporal displacement
- Spontaneous manifestation of an RPC-751 business card upon temporal displacement
- Direct mentions of RPC-751 in other temporal self-help media
- Engravings of its telephone number manifesting on temporal displacement devices
RPC-751 provides assistance in resolving miscellaneous issues encountered by temporally displaced individuals. Functions include temporally-induced medical issues, resolving paradoxes, recovery of lost temporal material, and temporal device maintenance.
The spatial and temporal locations of RPC-751 are unknown as communications are affected by a secondary anomaly; signals directed to RPC-751 spontaneously "vanish" after traveling an inconsistent distance and returning signals from RPC-751 manifest with no clear source. Several theories have been suggested, including:
- Being located within a temporal or interdimensional pocket
- Relying on external anomalous signal infrastructure
- Being located extremely far from Earth
- Possessing advanced technology, to the point where RPC-751 does not utilize electromagnetic waves as signals
Discovery: RPC-751 was discovered after an anonymous tip-off was allegedly provided to Researcher Turtle Leung on 08/09/1992, with subsequent testing confirming the existence of RPC-751. Why this information was provided to Researcher Leung, a recent hire at the time, instead of senior temporal researchers remains unknown.
Addendum 751.1
The following are excerpts from calls to RPC-751. All tests were conducted in English.
Addendum 751.2
The following are intercepted calls to RPC-751. All material has been translated to English when possible.
Addendum 751.3
On 04/10/20, a call made by RPC-751 was intercepted. Unlike previous calls, this call's origins were traced.
A missing person report was later filed on a "Miss Turtle Leung", matching the description of the callee. The issuer of the aforementioned assignment was later discovered to be Dr. Leung. Since then, Dr. Leung has not been located. A raid on Dr. Leung's apartment revealed the possession of an HKID card with Dr. Leung's date of birth marked as 11/02/2000.
The location of RPC-751 was determined as the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong4. A subsequent raid revealed the location was empty save for a few handwritten notes and a few items.
This is the last time I mention TSAC. -Kenneth
Magnitude 9.4 [unknown] headed our way. Relocate Recci to 3881.45.
The next note is false! -Kat
Tally count, 4 10 43 why are there so many methheads?
Tell Liz and her sector that I'm sorry.
Where are the spare cords? (WHY DO WE USE THESE PRIMITIVE PHONES)
I got the Founder initiation call, Kelly. Holy fuck. -Rog
The identifiable recovered items are:
The recovered W48 rotary phone.
- A broken vacuum tube
- 356 crates of assorted alcohol
- A file on RPC-751 by the Authority, dated 09/09/1992
- 2 fragments from a burnt script; consists of a mixture between Latin, English and Traditional Chinese
- A heavily-used W48 rotary phone
- A weathered plaque with the engravings "The Time Traveler's Call Center - Established 1876, 1990, 2020, 2077"
- An instance of RPC-916, with some blank pages containing descriptions of other temporal anomalies contained by the Authority
- A poster featuring an unidentified lady with a typewriter consuming alcohol, with the words "Time Travel - Good [unknown] Luck" in Latin on it
- A large oil painting of a lady resembling Dr. Turtle Leung in 1990, holding a piece of script. Underneath it is a plaque with the engravings "Dr. Turtle Leung - The Founder."5
- A document typed by Dr. Turtle Leung, addressed towards the Authority
The contents of the document are as follows.
Since I'm the "Founder", you'd think I'd know everything about this place. Maybe even tell you the secrets to time travel. Too bad.
I arrived on the 8th of October, 1990, having accidentally discovered a method of time travel. I called RPC-751 who helped me out of my mess, and to thank them I gave them my homework. But without my homework, they wouldn't have been able to call me and give me advice, and thus I wouldn't be able to give them the script.
The Time Traveler's Call Center is a bootstrap paradox6 and I have no idea who started the loop. Maybe somewhere upstairs there's a Turtle Leung who understands this whole thing. All I know is that 28 years later I'll have to assign that piece of homework to myself or I risk something really bad happening.
I don't know know how time travel works any more than you. I don't think anybody really does. Time machines can't be replicated, temporal jumpers can lose their powers at any time, and paradoxes rule the timeline. I don't even know how we haven't been destroyed by time itself.
Then again, I suppose our work is to do all you can despite the questions you have for this incomprehensible and inexplicable world. Kind of like the Authority, right?
- Researcher Turtle Leung to the Authority, 08/09/1992