"So, the Quantum Accelerator is designed for a human to leap from point to point within their own lifetime, correct?"
Addison groaned loudly, lifting her head from her keyboard and twisting in her chair to face Magic, frustration etched into every detail across her face, which was perfectly expected, considering her fiancé had decided to waltz back in time without so much as a goodbye, see you later, or I-love-you-and-I-would-never-do-something-so-stupid-to-someone-I-love.
But he had done just that and now it was up to the remainder of his team (for that was what they were, far more than coworkers; almost a family, the closest Ben had ever had to one) to find a way to bring him back to the present—to 2022 where he belonged, with the people he belonged.
"Correct," Jenn interjected, sparing Addison from answering what could have been the beginning of a downward spiral of fear, indignation, and anger, for she definitely recognized all of those and more. There were no words to describe how she felt; however, even though she did not understand the motives behind Ben's actions, she knew they had to be there. That was just who Ben was. He wasn't selfish or power-hungry, but he was kind and caring and he would do anything to protect Addison. That she knew without a doubt. "Just as the project for Dr. Beckett was created, a person should be able to travel to any given time within the span of their own lifetime. No further and no sooner. Measures were taken to be sure an incident like the one that befell Sam would not be possible again."
"So that means that Ben is out there somewhere, leaping around like some kind of human pinball, and he could land at any point in time in the past…how old is he anyway?"
"Old enough that most of us were still in diapers when he first learned about the project," Ian remarked, not looking up from his computer screen as he continued to type at an inhuman speed, ignoring the large amount of blond falling over his eyes as he did. It was one of his off days, the ones where he just let nature run its course and did nothing to prevent the shaggy mop that resulted.
"Except for you, Magic," Jenn cut back in, leaning up around Addison and missing her friend's frown. "I think you have him beat by just a little. But you were lucky, right? To have Dr. Beckett actually leap into you and save your life and your entire squadron. Must have been pretty remarkable."
"Remarkable is not really the term I would prefer to use," Magic scoffed, deciding to overlook the age jab, well acquainted with it by this point. "Though I am grateful to have been fortunate enough to have firsthand knowledge, it is not what I would call a pleasant experience."
"Wait…" the woman paused, her face suddenly flushing pale as she slowly sunk back into her chair with a look of ghastly horror. "If…and this isn't really an 'if' because we already know it's true…but, if Ben is older than all of us," She gestured to herself, Addison, and Ian, "does that mean…he could…you know…leap into one of us?"
"Potentially, yes," the general said, folding his arms behind his back and giving her a curt nod. "It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Ben may, eventually, step into the past lives of any one of us. I trust there are no secrets that any of you would care to share before that event were to transpire, correct?"
His curt grin was met with the alarmed gawps of his three most elite employees.