8. Time Police Writing Competition

Entry by Rachel Bridle

Regulation 847.6: Officers are prohibited from utilising their uniforms for anything other than strictly Time Police duties; specifically, no parts of the uniform or helmet are to be used in any shape or form to contain, attract, glue, bond, link or attach in any way any food item or beverage of any size. Rip-grip patches are to be used strictly and only to secure Time Police regulation issued weaponry and utilities used in the pursuit of Time Police regulated duties.

Report concerning the introduction of Regulation 847.6 and the circumstances thereof.

Team 247: Officers William, Henderson and Hegley, under the command of Lt Chamberlain

Stated mission:

Team 247 were dispatched to the 20^th century in pursuit of Mr Harvey E Weston who had been travelling the timeline to steal military weapons to sell in markets of the future. The removal of such weapons has, however, affected time in that those who were supposed to have died by such weapons have, in fact, lived on, causing unwanted issues in the timeline.

This was a routine but Priority One Search and Apprehend Exercise.

Mr Weston was reported to be in the vicinity of the Matley Ridge area of the New Forest, in October 1917. At this point in history, there were many servicemen being trained in this area, and Mr Weston’s opportunities for weaponry theft were many and varied.

On researching the matter after the mission, it was also discovered that Matley Ridge in the New Forest was home to a school which trained dogs to work in First World War trenches in carrying messages and assisting with sentry duty etc.. [Note: it might be prudent to advise more thorough research prior to future missions – see Lt North for advice.]

Handling of the mission:

Team 247 successfully apprehended the fugitive on sight, disabled his pod, and secured his person within minutes of discovery.

However, on returning to their own pod, the team were swiftly surrounded by a large pack of dogs intent on preventing their return to Time Police HQ.

The dogs proceeded to attack and delay Officer Hegley particularly. Clawing and biting of trouser legs occurred. Officer Hegley realised that said trousers were unfortunately beginning to leave his body and started to run while pulling on the trousers, despite the dogs baying at his heels. He subsequently fell and appeared unconscious.

After the mission, questions were raised as to why a set of well-disciplined dogs were so keen to attack Team 247, and particularly around their attraction to Officer Hegley. There was also confusion as to why Officer Hegley’s uniform failed to contain his admittedly large but well-muscled legs when such an issue had not occurred previously.

Once recovered from his ordeal, Officer Hegley was able to advise. Unsatisfied with the supply of food and beverages available in Time Police HQ, and finding his appetite challenged, Officer Hegley designed a small snack box with rip-grip material on one side. This enabled him to affix said box to the rip-grip patch on his uniform trousers, a patch normally used to secure Time Police issued weaponry and other useful utilities. The aforementioned box was full of beef jerky, useful for appeasing the appetite of one large Time Police Officer, but also very attractive for a pack of hungry dogs, who, upon exercising their natural olfactory senses, clearly felt all discipline depart in favour of a smelly ready-made snack.

During the frenzied tugging of the snack box by said animals, such was the bond between box and rip-grip patch, that the hitherto well-fitted trousers begin to leave the person of Officer Hegley alongside the snack box. While his uniform failed him, it appeared that Officer Hegley attempted to remove his stun gun so that said dogs could be persuaded to cease their pursuit, but instead found himself tripping and falling to the forest floor. In doing so, his stun gun was triggered and Officer Hegley rendered himself unconscious.

Lt Chamberlain can only be commended for her subsequent actions. Faced with the prospect of the comatose, half-clothed and dog-surrounded Officer Hegley, and realising that the noise would soon be attracting contemporaries to the area, Lt Chamberlain swiftly directed Officer Williams to return with Mr Weston to the Time Police pod. Once there, and with Mr Weston successfully secured within the pod, Officer Williams was to activate the newly installed sonic alarm to dispel said dogs as quickly as possible.

It can be reported that the alarm worked well. The dogs cowered, and Officer Henderson and Lt Chamberlain, despite suffering some minor side-effects from the sonic alarm themselves, were still able to carry Officer Hegley back to the pod. Due to the unconscious state of said officer, they returned to Time Police HQ rapidly where Officer Hegley was successfully treated in the medical bay for mild concussion, minor dog bites, lacerations to the legs , miscellaneous beef jerky related injuries and the effects of being stunned by a Time Police weapon.

Post-mission Issues

Unfortunately, once Officer Hegley had recovered from his ordeal, it was discovered that the snack box had been successfully captured by an intrepid but unknown dog, and the box was therefore unhappily still situated in the wrong century.

Being made of a material unknown in the 20^th century, and desiring to not further affect the timeline, Team 236 was dispatched, armed with sonic weapons, liquid string and dog nets, and after approximately 4.25 hours of search and rescue, were successfully able to locate and return the box to Time Police HQ. The beef jerky had unfortunately been consumed by the dogs so could not be returned to its correct timeline.

However, despite exhaustion, cuts and bruises, some minor dog bites, and having imbibed an unhealthy amount of 20^th century New Forest mud, Team 236 much admired the snack box, as did other observant officers; it became apparent that plans were afoot for many members of the Time Police to adopt the idea and attach similar to rip-grip patches for future snack use.

This new regulation has been created therefore, to prevent any further pollution to the timeline. This will be entered into Time Police Official Regulations, with all normal consequences for said regulation being broken.

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