Suspended

Breathe. Lore had to remind themselves that the world around them wasn’t real, despite the fresh memories that were filling their head. They tried their hardest to force the newest additions deep down, remind themselves that they happened to someone else. The Hologram reappeared and, for once, it didn’t look smug.
“I’m sorry.” It sounded different too. More deferent. “These cubes were assembled by a committee, each memory included voted on. Despite every member living through that experience, the majority still voted for you to see that. I was one of the few that objected and so, I recorded this message and a few limited responses to make my distaste clear.”
“But why?” Lore felt a tear forming in their eye.
“Because it was our relationship with Crait that was part of the reason we realised we were asexual.” The New Hologram flickered. “After dating them and repeating that a couple more times, we realised sex just wasn’t for us. It may have been different for you, still might be, but that’s a journey you’ll have to take for yourself.”
Lore choked down the lump in their throat. “This wasn’t an isolated incident?”
The New Hologram lowered its head. “I’m sorry but it wasn’t and you’re going to remember them all. If it’s any concession, you’ll also remember all of the work Crait did to apologise when we finally talked to them about it.”
The New Hologram flickered and was abruptly replaced with the original one. “As was mentioned earlier, you and Crait spent a significant amount of time in zones designated as Suspended Temporal Areas.”
Lore blinked the tear away. “Did they?” Their voice was flat and almost uninterested.
The Hologram failed to pick up on it. “STAs are areas of reality where time doesn’t exist. While in an STA, almost all biological functions are suspended; a human could exist in one for an eternity, never needing oxygen, food or water. For the most part, naturally occurring STAs are too small to support human life however there are some that exist in Earth’s orbit. As they don’t move, they temporarily slow time for individuals they may intercept. The Temporal Sciences Guild found that they could create and manipulate these areas of suspended time to create stasis pods or prison cells.”
“Prison cells?” Lore could only imagine the horror.
“Indeed. The Guild discovered that they could reverse the effect and rather than suspend time, compress it. A second of time in the outside world could become a century inside of the STA.” The Hologram summoned a hallway around them. “This is The Guildhall’s Temporal Hallway. This is where they tested this phenomena and made use of it.” A series of doorways forced their way into the walls. Rather than a handle, each door had an egg timer like device built into it. “To activate, one selects the rate of temporal dilation and enters.” The door on Lore’s right opened.

Loren and Crait had made themselves at home. A small campsite had been established in the corner with two folding beds with a small heater between them; of the two bunks, it was easy to tell which one Loren’s was as his was in an almost laughable state of disarray when compared to Crait’s neatly made and organised bed. They each had their own workspace that told a similar story. Loren’s was a work of functional abstract art; parts and pieces were strewn across it but everything was grouped in a way that meant that it could be easily seen or accessed whereas again, Crait’s area was barren; everything had its place and was safely tucked away where they could find it. Loren and Crait appeared in the scene as it began.
“Ren, have you seen my adjusti-wrench?” Crait ducked their head under their workbench.
Loren patted himself down. “I thought I gave it back to you.” He continued to search anyway. “Hang on.” He held it aloft. “Here you go.” He smiled, tossing it across the room. Crait dodged, narrowly avoiding the mass of metal and electronics. “Sorry.” Loren couldn’t help but laugh.
Crait sighed before chuckling themselves. “At least I wouldn’t have bled out.”
They continued working on their own projects. Every now and then, Loren would vanish and reappear across the room before snapping back to the point they started at. Crait never reacted.
“What’s going on with Loren?” Lore asked, trying to track his erratic movements with their finger.
“This is where Loren discovered that, when used in an area of suspended time, a temporal grenade could be used to move matter short distances instantly.” The Hologram checked the green book. “But that’s not the purpose of this memory.”
They continued to watch Loren and Crait tinker in silence save for Loren’s occasional mumbling or vocal stim. When it was eventually broken properly, it was Crait who spoke first. “I know you said it wasn’t that big of a thing but… I still wanted to apologise.” They turned around and extended their hands to Loren. “I was a dick and I put myself before you without thinking about what you needed. I made you feel like you had to please me rather than trying to find a compromise.” They opened their hands. Inside was a small metal band, studded with a series of blue crystals. Crait lowered themselves to one knee. “Will you take me back as your partner?”
Loren looked at them and the ring. “On one condition: We actually talk about things that hurt us before we let them get too far.”
“Done.” Crait slipped the band on Loren’s finger.

Time accelerated as the memory played at ten times speed. The days and weeks passed in minutes as Lore watched Loren and Crait mend their relationship. The bunks moved closer together, the heater cannibalised for parts and the workbenches built between to make a larger work area. They looked happy. The memories soon mingled with the ones they had been given prior, softening them, making them slightly more manageable. Time returned to its normal speed as Loren removed their ring, placed it on the top of the device they had been working on and left the room. The Slider was born. Evaluations.