If you missed part 1-4…

1/6 || The Idea For The Telephone || Rec. 219

2/6 || A dead cow almost stops the telephone from existing || Rec. 219

3/6 || Meeting Alexander Bell for the first time || Rec. 219

4/6 || Jon Meets Bell In a Bar || Rec. 219

Back at the Salon…

“So that's in then? Just a few ads, and a tell him a phrase and boom, he gets the idea for the telephone and the world gets telecommunications?”

“We’ll not quite, I had to get some help from Mabel, his future wife. Listen, if there’s one thing that will make a man successful, and do crazy difficult things, but also get inspired in outlandish ways…. it’s the love and attention of a woman they have a crush on. It’s the most highly leveraged bale tool in my toolbox, but I typically only use it on extremely difficult jobs.

This was the last piece of the pie that I had to eat, and it was going to be a hard piece to get to go down.”

“Jon can you hold on a second, sorry, uhh another text from my Ex.”

Jon waited silently hands resting on the cool, white laminate table, fingers flared out with 4 out of 10 nails painted while Amber went hastily back into the office. Jon watched her pace back and forth through the window into the office as she hashed it out on the HoloPhone with her ex-boyfriend who was failing miserably to win her love back.

Jon decided to pull up some videos on his HudLenses, flicking his finger upwards he scrolled through some of the early 2000’s content like Chocolate Rain and OK GO’s treadmill music video, the stuff that really launched the YouTube platform.

Man people had an odd sense of humor back then. People found these funny, he thought to himself. But then chuckled after he watched the dramatic hamster.

“What are you chuckling at?” Amber asked as she came back into the room clearly frustrated from the conversation she just had.

“I can have him blinked out of existence if you want. Just give me the word… or blink twice. You don’t even have to say it, actually I prefer you didn’t say it so you can have plausible deniability.”

She laughed, “No Jon. It’s fine, I’ll get through it, it sucks now, but it’s not the worst thing to deal with in life.”

“You are quite wise for being so young Amber. But if you need anything, I’m just a HoloCall away.”

“I appreciate it Jon, anyhow, tell me more about how you convinced Mabel to accept Alec’s marriage proposal.”

Jon rambles on…

Well, you see, I really didn’t feel like taking a train back to Phoenix, and luckily, I have a friend slash co-worker that has an office in New York. So I took my hired carriage over to her office to see if she was around and would give me a ride to October 1875. A little ways into the future so that I could meet up with Mabel just after Alec had given his very cringy proposal. A request that she subsequently and politely turned down.

Mable and I needed to have a chat about that very specific situation.

As I was headed to my friend's office,B.T.W's, her name is Penelope, but as I headed over, I rang her up.

A few rings later, her floating head pops up in my HudLens.

“Jon!” She said as she answered in the most friendly and excited tone, god damnit I love talking to this woman, she’s always so, well, friendly and excited, “How are you darling, it’s been too long, I miss you, when do I get to see you?”

“Well, in about 10 minutes if you’e not doing anything and can give me a lift over to October 1875.”

“Oh my gosh! Seriously!? Yes of course. I’d love to do that. I’m just laying around petting the Lynx, let me feed my Iguana, and I’ll be right there, see you soon!”

“Oh you’re the best, I really didn’t want to have to go all the way back to Phoenix, this job has been rough one. I’ll have Anna Iris send your GeneAi my current date.”

“Always happy to help with a lift!”

We said our goodbyes and I continued on my way to her office. I soon pulled up as the rain had just turned from a trickle to a raging downpour. I knew I was at the right place because the rain only made the glowing red neon sign that read, “Zen Dog,” standout even more in an era before neon was invented. The building was still reformatting to the times, she must have just arrived.

Before I got out, I had Anna Iris dress me in a trench coat that fit the times so I wouldn’t get my favorite suit wet. It was a grey one with a pink tie.

So I rush into Zen Dog, which has a pristine interior, smells like fresh lavender, and has various shades of white and beige, along with natural light wood finishes on all the cabinetry and tables. As I walked in, the interior was still in the process of restructuring; the couch went from a minimalistic contemporary look to a very ornamental Victorian-era style. Her cover office is actually a pleasant experience to be in, which, personally, I don’t think is a good idea because then, when people wander in, they actually want help and to purchase the services you provide. This is a big reason why I keep mine bleak and outdated, I shoot for an interior reminiscent of 20 years previous to the current time period. So, like, date furniture, a computer that’s way too old and slow for whatever is needed. It’s always good to have a slow computer, people hate waiting and will leave if it’s taking too long.

But hers is so nice, with cute, kitschy things on all the shelves and tables. I genuinely enjoy going and hanging out there…. in the office part. Her actual office and living quarters are… uhhh, let’s just say, not what I would choose as a daily living experience.

“Jon my dearest! So good to see you!” Penelope said as she came out of white doors that parted automatically in the center, those hadn’t been restructured yet. She was wearing a mustard yellow hoodie paired with yellow leggings covered in black dots and, to top it off, yellow rain boots. Which I’m sure were probably handmade by some fancy designer from the 2300s.

I hugged her and said, “Great to see you too, I see you’re still full of color!”

“huh?” She said…. Yeah, she’s one of the smartest individuals I know, once, in the 1970’s she got us across the Berlin wall, then back across, then back across again. But I swear, she cannot understand a joke if her life depended on it… and it has… several times.

“Never mind, got a joint ready for me?”

“Of course, I do Jon, come on back.” We headed back to the ‘real office,' and I got attacked by her dog and then her Lynx, which is the cutest by the way. Had to say hi to the sentient alien tarantula, Carl. And lastly, the Iguana. After everyone was greeted we proceeded to the lounge for that joint. Once in the lounge, Penelope had her General AI Armon set a course for the dates I provided. This was promptly proceeded by an elegant lighting of the joint, taking just as graceful of a puff, and the exhaling with the sophistication of a debutant. Eventually, it was passed over to me, of which, I just took normal puffs.

As I was inhaling, she asked me if I had any Often Unnoticed Moments. I would be willing to trade. Whenever I ask for a favor from her, I always make sure I bring something good to trade. I had a moment of Steve Jobs when he was living in a mansion with no furniture. Her eyes lit up when I told her…. What she offered me, let me know how eager she was to have it.

But she collects something different, she collects ‘Perspective,’ you see, she’s more of an artist than a collector, most Time Traveling Salesman are strictly collectors. She stitches MER’s together. What she’ll do is take a moment that a group of people shared, and collect from different people at the same time at the same place. Uhh, they are exquisite, the truth is, as much as she loves mine, I love hers equally as much, if not more. It’s really not a fair trade, but this has just become customary amongst time-traveling salesmen that collect MER’s.

Mid jump, Penelope went on and told me she had views of 3 key dignitaries working through the North Korean and South Korean unification in 2658. Oh my god, was I curious about what was going on in that room at that moment?! I think she may have made this one just for me, she knows how obsessed I am with the Old Koreas. It was so interesting to learn about your heritage and how it’s evolved over thousands of years, and that was such a pivotal moment in our history as a people.

Sorry, sorry, I’m getting excited, and distracted, let me get back on track. So we swapped MER’s, and Armon let us know we had arrived, I gave her a hug and head out.

Got something to trade for Steve Jobs MER?

The Source Industries would really appreciate having your friend's emails.

We believe an email is of equally sufficient value to exchange for a moment in the life of one of the greatest minds of the last two millennia.

The Offer!

We’ll give you access to Steve Jobs MER from Jons Private collection, along with the rest of his Private Library for a month for free if you refer us to someone!

1 free month per email.

Normally we only let you see his Private Collection for $5 a month.

(Pssst. Just put in your best friends and tell them about it later (they also get it free for a month))

A quick question from Amber

Amber chimed in confused, “Wait, Jon, first, did you have the guy in the carriage just waiting for you?

“Oh.. shit… Ops”

Anna Iris corrects him, “Actually I got a letter sent out to him to leave 10 minutes later.”

“Oh thank god. So glad you always have my back Anna,” Jon responds to her in his head.

“Maybe if you remember things like this I wouldn’t have to operate in the back side of your mind as as often, Jon!” Anna Iris insisted.

Jon rolled his eyes and relayed the info to Amber, “Anna Just told me that she sent him a letter and he left 10 minutes later. What was the second question?”

“Oh right, umm, What’s up with trading the MER’s”

“Well, as you know I’m obsessed with Often Unnoticed Moments. Recording and reliving the normalities of life through the experiences of the greatest people in history. My obsession also technically makes me a collector, other agents, being similar in personality also tend to develop obsessions with memory experiences. Not all of them, but a lot. And because we all also like them so much, and have exclusive access to a small underground club with community forums and shit we have personally developed, like custom recording algorithms. And experiences are best shared, so we trade what we collect with other Sales Agents.”

“That actually makes a lot of sense… It’s weird as fuck, I can’t believe you’re one of those but it makes a lot of sense.” Amber said while shaking her head.

“Hey don’t shame me, you love my collection, I’ve watched your face while you’re in them. And also, I break so many rules in the community, and at The Source by sharing them with you.”

“Uhh fine, you’re right, but I just had to give you a little shit.”

“Fair enough Amber, I mean you are correct it is weird, but fair.”

And back into the main plot

Anyhow…

I had made my way over to the market. I wasn’t completely sure I’d see her there, but I had good reason to believe she would be there. More affluent families tended to go browse the market after church if the weather was nice, and since it was a beautiful October day, My chances were good.

Sure enough, about 10 minutes after walking around, oh my god, I found these amazing handmade scarves; I got three: two gray, one black… Sorry, sorry, anyhow, about 10 minutes after walking around I saw her sitting outside a bakery while her parents were inside picking up some bread.

I did my best to smile with my eyes as I mouthed ‘hello’ to Mabel. Confused, she pointed at herself, I nodded my head and gestured with a thumbs up asking if I could sit down. She hesitantly shrugged and nodded back.

It's amazing how people actually aren’t used to being asked things, because most people fail to ask at all. So when you ask for something, people have a tendency to say yes, simply because they don’t know how to say no, or they are afraid of not being liked. So, often, just asking to sit with someone, will force socially force them to let you sit next to them.

I had to move quickly because her parents could come out any moment, and I didn’t want to have to explain or reveal my presence to them. It’s so wild Amber, Mabels dad, Gardiner Hubbard, was Alec’s biggest financial backer. This guy was a Lawyer who had sued Western Union, the biggest telecommunications company at the time, and lost. Which made him, financially fucked… Until Alec started tutoring his daughter Mabel, and he learned at a home-cooked dinner; Alec was invited to that Alec was working on the multi-telegraph. The crazy bastard saw an opportunity, backed a very risky horse by paying for all the supplies to make the muli-telegraph,… and because of that risky decision, he became one wealthy son of bitch.

This is such a thankless job…

Fuck, anyway, back to the story, so I put the same translators I put on Alec’s mom’s head on Mabel which allowed us to share thoughts.

Once she got past the shock of the experience we had a chat about Alec.

I said, “So I learned that Alec proposed to you the other day and you didn’t say yes.”

“No, he’s nice, and I’m so grateful for his help, he’s fine, but he’s not rich, and my dad is kind of upset with him right now so there’s just no way I could marry him. I need security.”

“Totally understandable. Societal pressures around status and money are really strict in this time period. BUT” I emphasized the but, “What if I could guarantee that, with your help, marrying Alec will be the best decision, financially, and status wise, of your life?”

”Alec!? No. Come on, I know he thinks he can pull this teletone thing off, is that right? telemone? I think that’s what he calls it.”

“Telephone?”

“Right telephone, I mean, I won’t be able to use it, but either way, I just don’t see it happening.”

“It will happen if you show him affection and support him.”

I showed her some pictures of telephones in about 5 different eras.

“These all happen because of him. He does do it, but not without your help.”

She looked at me in shock and bewilderment, “I’m finding it tough to believe this is real, but we’re talking with thoughts, with what looks like a button, so it’s hard not to believe you.”

“Mabel, none of this happens without you. If you want this, and want everything that comes with Alecs success, you have to support and guide him. You now know he does it, so it shouldn’t be hard to help him when he he gets stuck. Can you do this for me?”

She nodded her head eagerly, “I can and will. Thank you Jon, thank you!”

“You’re welcome, but listen you also can’t tell anyone about me or this conversation or this device on your head, if you do the deals off and everything is lost for everyone. Alec’s parents have been working with me for years to set up this last stretch, so please lips sealed, unless you’re talking to them. Deal?”

She agreed, so I took the device off her temple and headed back to Penelopes for a quick ride to 1919 so that I could collect the NanoCams from Alec.

Tune in next week for the final chapter…

Jon gets the NanoCams back and shows Amber the Often Unnoticed Moment he shares with her.

Get Access to Jon’s Private Collection of Commonly Unnoticed Moments

We broke into his hard drive while he was getting his nails done and put in a program to deliver us copies of his collection. This all cost us money, and we risk losing him as a Sales Agent…

but it’s for a good cause…

Our pockets!