They didn’t know why the clocks started spinning. No one did. People weren’t even exactly sure when it started, since they couldn’t exactly check the time. The general consensus was that is was a little after 13:00 GMT, so rather annoying for the lunch-eating English population but barely noticed in sleepy Japan. The main exception was the sleep-deprived Chronological Anomaly Detection Agency, who up until this point was wondering the reason their department existed. Turns out now was the time, or lack of it in this case.
“Not something you see every day.” Codename Hand tapped a pen against her chin, staring at the twenty-four spinning clocks mounted on the wall.
“Something you should never see, Hand. Now get back over here, we need to sort this mess out.” Codename Tock frantically tapped away at her ancient computer. The budget had never been high for this department, so they dutifully relied on their IBM PC since the 1980’s. Now they wished they’d had a few less all-expense paid meals and gotten a new Mac. Hand trotted over to Tock, adjusting her comically large spectacles up her button nose. She rested her chin on Tock’s shoulder, the bright glow of the computer illuminating the huge glass panels on her face.
“Fixed it yet?” her head bobbed up and down as she spoke. Tock pushed her away with a gloved hand and continued typing.
“I’m trying to isolate the source, if this bloody machine didn’t take an eternity to load!” she pounded her fist on top of the yellow box that could be considered a monitor. The screen flashed slightly but didn’t load any faster. She groaned, lifting her onesie’s hood over her tired eyes. She curled up on her seat, fully embracing her knees and rocking back and forth.
“So... Is this one of those times we call the President or someone?” Hand bit into her pen and chewed slightly, adding to the already countless teeth-marks.
“I imagine he’s aware. What would he do anyway? Tell them to stop?” Tock lifted her head high enough to emerge from her comfy ball, looking at the monitor.
“Aww... I always wanted to call the president...” Hand huffed, wiping away a small line of dribble from her chin.
“Better than meeting him in person, he’d sooner call his security as soon as he saw your face.”
“Hey!” Hand stomped her bare feet, not making much noise as the rainforest of wires that covered the floor absorbed most of the sound, “Bitch I’m adorable! One of the perks of time-exclusivity.” She stuck out her hips and posed, placing her fingers in a sideways V over her mouth.
“Means you’re going to be stuck as piglet-nose your whole life.” Tock pushed up her own nose with a finger and spun towards Hand, oinking. Hand covered her face, leaving only her huge spectacles exposed. Tears were magnified by the lenses.
“Meanie! At least I can still wear my frankly gorgeous outfit,” she lowered her hands and waved them down her body, indicating towards her eclectic get-up consisting of patchwork dungarees, puffy shirt and different coloured tights that ripped open at the bottom. “That onesie all you got left? I thought time-exclusivity on our bodies meant you couldn’t get fat.”
Tock span back around away from Hand, embracing her knees even closer.
“Shut up!”
“Who’s the piggy now!” Hand grabbed the back of the chair and spun her colleague around to face her. “Oink, oink!” she snorted her laughs.
Tock jumped up, balling her gloved hands into fists. She would almost look threatening if she wasn’t wearing just a pink, fluffy bear onesie.
“I said shut up, pig-face!”
“You shut up, pig-butt!”
“Both of you shut up.”
They both shot up straight with a squeal and turned to the new voice. A sharp-jawed woman stood in the metal doorway. The neon lights from behind her bounced off her long silver hair, giving it a look of an oil slick over steel. She was stroking a strand of it with both hands, rhythmically reaching up and pulling down as she glared at the two arguing girls.
“Sorry Didge...” the girls said in unison, looking down, ashamed. Digital, affectionately referred to as Didge, carried on stroking her hair and leant to the side.
“Loading’s done,” her voice, as level and rhythmic as her stroking, betrayed no hint of annoyance. The twitch in her eye, however, did. Tock fell down onto her chair, Hand joining her side as they looked at the results now on-screen. Digital stepped up behind them, her heels clacking against the metallic floor as she found the only gaps free from wires. She leant in to join the collection of heads.
“It’s coming from...” Tock whispered.
“Space?” Hand finished, leaning back and removing her giant glasses. She rubbed her tiny eyes.
“Not really. Something in space to be specific. Space-ific if you will.” Digital gave a short laugh, her face retaining it’s stony stare.
“You don’t think it’s...” Tock turned to Digital, who had now stopped stroking her hair. She nodded. Hand gasped.
“I didn’t think they’d come back. Have we messed up?” she replaced her glasses, gulping.
“They would probably just come directly to us if we were the cause. No, this is a lot more public. They want the world to know something.” Digital blinked.
Tock turned slowly to Hand.
“I think it’s time you did indeed call the President. He’d better come take a look at this.”