12. Time Police Writing Competition

Entry by Gentian deJong

From: Head Legal Liaison Officer (HeLL)

To: Commander Time Police (CTP)

Subject: TP Regulation 847.6: Due for Review

A) Regulation

TP Regulation 847.6: No time police officer is to attend a theatre event outside of their chronological time unless the following conditions are met:

847.6 a) Express authorisation has been given by:

i) The Commander Time Police (CTP); or

ii.a) The Head of the Temporal Arts Re-Regulation Team (TART) and

ii.b) The Head of the Vestment, Clothing And Robing Squad (VCARS)

847.6 b) Clean up crews have undertaken a preliminary sweep to ensure the absence of any St Mary’s personnel.

847.6 c) The following documentation is completed and filed at least 30 minutes before the jump:

i) Form 847 – Book Log certifying that all team members have read the script of the performance in full and have passed an AI knowledge check. Responsibility: Team Leader and Pod AI, to be filed with the Head TART

ii) Form 847 – Vestment and Robe Request for period appropriate clothing. Responsibility: Team Leader, to be filed with Head VCAR.

iii) Form 847 – Weapon Control Log evidencing the surrender of all string and sonic weapons. Responsibility: Team Leader, to be filed with the weapons officer on duty in the pod bay.

B) Reason For Review

Regulation 847.6 has not been invoked in the last 10 years. Per HeLL operating procedures it is therefore necessary to consider whether the regulation should:

a) Remain on the Time Police Operating Statutes (TiPOS) as written;

b) Be amended

c) Be removed from the TiPOS

C) Reason for the Regulation

10 years ago Team [redacted] were called to attend the Exeter Theatre, London on [date redacted] to apprehend two time criminals (TC) who had travelled to record a performance of Dr Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.

Team [redacted]’s pod was subject to inexplicable time drift and they landed 30 minutes late. Officer [redacted], the Team Leader (TL) was neck and neck in the lead with the Team Leader of Team [redacted] in an unauthorised but popular ‘most collars’ competition. Officer [redacted], Team Member B (TMB) had studied Dr Faustus for English Literature A Level (Grade E). As a result the team opted to continue the mission instead of returning to TPHQ and calling for a relief team or, alternatively, waiting to apprehend the time criminals on their return to their pod. It should be noted that the Pod AI did attempt to recommend these courses of action but was reprimanded by the TL.*

As a result of the late arrival, Team [redacted] were unable to apprehend the TC before the start of the performance. Officer [redacted] Team Member C (TMC) remained in the pod to pilot the mini drone which was used to identify the location of the time criminals in the audience. The TC were close to the stage, wishing to obtain a positive identification, TMC piloted the drone forward onto the stage. Unfortunately, the silencers stopped working at this time and a low but audible and persistent buzz was noticed by the actors on stage. TMC tried to move the drone out of the way as quickly as possible, moving between Faustus and the Bad Angel before angling back behind the Good Angel and moving above the pit and out of the theatre. This seems to have caused some unrest amongst both the players and the audience.

Meanwhile the TL and TMB moved into the wings, using their cloaks and the stage curtains to hide from the players. Unfortunately, as Mephistopheles was re-entering the stage with his company of devils (Faustus having successfully bequeathed his soul to Lucifer), he tripped and pushed a devil, the devil reached out to steady himself and managed to make contact with the TL. The TL, finding himself under attack and with reflexes honed from years in the Time Police, deployed his sonic. TMB stepped out from her hiding place in order to render assistance and found herself under attack by those players playing Valdes, Cornelius and Wagner. She deployed her string before moving to stand with the TL. At this point, the Team noticed the TC attempting to depart the theatre and moved to intercept them, again deploying both the sonics and the string. The TC were brought to the Pod which, due to the proximity to the theatre, had its invisibility shield activated. Unfortunately, several departing theatre goers noticed the door open and the TM and TC disappear.

The Team and TC returned to TPHQ successfully with no further drift of the pod. Unfortunately, following this mission the CTP received a ‘strongly worded’ message from the Director of St Mary’s Institute of Historical Research (SMIHR) indicating that the players (and audience) had reported the presence of real devils at the play. So realistic was this ‘appearance’ that the players went home to read their bibles instead of congregating at the local pub.

As a result of this incident the incumbent HeLL was charged with the drafting of suitable regulations to be added to the TiPOS to prevent the recurrence of a similar event.

D) Recommendation

While it has not been necessary to invoke this regulation over the last 10 years it is notable that the Head TART has reported an increase in cultural temporal tourism in recent months. HeLL recommendation is, therefore, to retain Regulation 847.6 on the TiPOS subject to a review in 5 years.

* It is not note that in the last three years, both the Pod involved in this incident and several other pods have started to register protests with the Chief Mech when assigned to certain teams. The AI Legal Personality Bill is currently progressing through Parliament and is expected to receive Royal Consent shortly. HeLL is preparing a briefing note on the steps that will need to be taken to enrol the Pod AIs as legal employees and how to manage ongoing tensions between the AI and our Human (or ostensibly human) employees.

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