“So you didn’t cook the fish and potatoes,” concluded Adam.
“No, I didn’t,” Thomas acknowledged apprehensively. “I waited until bedtime, without cooking any food, until Kari and the kids came home from the volunteer work they’re doing to help some of the Wasteland refugees. They had already eaten at the shelter, so we all went to bed and I just laid there next to her, waiting for my memories to shift. I thoroughly documented everything, expecting my mind to adjust just like you theorized, but a small part of me was hoping to remember the experience.” His expression changed suddenly to one of sheer disbelief. “The next morning, I could still remember eating that meal… fish and potatoes. And yet I hadn’t sent anything back through time.”
“That’s it?” Adam laughed at Thomas’ puzzled expression. “That’s all? The universe didn’t end in a huge, massive explosion of colored fireworks?”
“No, it didn’t,” said Thomas. “But deep down inside, I knew something was wrong.” He sighed heavily and sat back down in the chair across from Adam. “For the next few days, I just returned to the normal routine, coming home and eating, then sending the meals back in time later in the evening.” He studied his brother’s expression for a response. Getting none, he continued. “My apprehension continued to build as each day went by, and I’m not talking about the normal kind of anxiety Adam.” His tone was grim, eyes clearly filled with concern. “I’m referring to the same kind of non-stop, unrelenting anxiety that nearly cost me my life during the Pathfinder journey. I knew that somewhere, somehow, what I did was wrong and that it needed to be corrected. Somehow I could sense this, although I’m not sure how. Call it a ‘gut’ feeling, if anything.”
Adam could not contain his own curiosity. “So did you?” he prompted inquisitively. “Did you correct it? All that needed doing was to send a meal of fish and potato wedges back in time, to the point right before you came home and ate the night of your secondary experiment. That would still be ‘after-the-fact’. Theoretically you could do it years from now, in fact, and as long as it gets done at some point the result should be the same.”
“I was going to do just that, but I was stubborn,” Thomas sighed heavily in response. “I wanted something to happen that satisfied my scientific curiosity, something that I could study, analyze and measure. If I gave in to common sense, the experiment would be over without really completing the test. So I hesitated, not wanting to lose a learning opportunity…”
After a prolonged pause, Adam could not contain himself. “And?”
His brother just stared vacantly past his right shoulder for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “And then I decided to talk to Noah again, to ask him about what he felt I should do regarding the matter.” He smiled weakly as he spoke the words. “So I left my office with the intention of returning to the Science Lab. But there was a note on the floor… a piece of paper that I hadn’t noticed before.” Again he hesitated, but Adam waited him out this time. “I picked up the paper and discovered it to be a message from Noah. The note stated very clearly: Remember to BE harmless Thomas. Please DON’T experiment with non-linear concepts you do not fully understand yet. There is too much danger involved. This time I have rectified the matter for you… here’s hoping you enjoyed the fish and chips. Sincerely, Noah.”
Laughing uproariously, Adam shook his head with admiration. “Noah comes through with the save! You’ve really got to admire these Proteus aliens,” he stated bluntly, holding up a forefinger and thumb barely an inch apart. “They’ll share some of their technology with us, just a little bit to keep us interested, and then micro-manage everything we do with it. He was probably monitoring you the entire time, just waiting for you to do what you know they must have already done during their own experiments. Granted it was probably centuries ago; perhaps even farther back than that!”
“They have proceeded with their efforts to educate us at a pace that I am comfortable with,” replied Thomas edgily. “When you consider the potential, catastrophic damages the use of time travel might cause, I’m perfectly comfortable having a coach.” He almost glared at his brother. “Thank you very much.”
“We never needed a ‘coach’ back on Earth’s moon,” Adam countered.
“Some might say Earth’s governments needed one,” pointed out Thomas bitterly. “The time travel concept would never even have occurred to me without their introduction of the implant technology, the Wasteland project, and everything I’ve learned since. If they’re going to ‘speed up’ our learning process and teach us about newer technologies that help us gain a greater understanding of the surrounding universe, then they have every right to make certain we don’t do something that will irreparably damage it.”
Adam threw up his hands helplessly. “Whatever… who really cares?” he exclaimed, growing suddenly irritated. “As far as I’m concerned, the politicians on both sides can debate these matters until they run out of words.” He studied the youthful face of his brother intently. “If we can’t go back and prevent the nuclear holocaust on Earth, then what good is all of this?” He waved a hand at the empty plate on the table for emphasis. “What is President Kaufield willing to do in order to help the persecuted souls living on Earth?”
There was a prolonged, deliberate pause as Thomas mulled over how much to tell his brother all at once. Adam’s explosive temper was active, and he knew from experience that his brother’s heated emotions would continue to escalate if he didn’t like what he heard. “Kaufield and Noah agree with you now,” the younger Roh said finally. “They didn’t initially but they put their heads together and discussed options, specifically what exactly was needed to address the problems that would be caused if we proceeded with the idea to go back in time and stop the Brotherhood. Now they want to send a small team of humans, three or four of us at most, back through time with implant technology at our disposal. We’ll use it to infiltrate and overthrow the Brotherhood leadership, using a strategy similar to what you used within the Wasteland and prevent the nuclear war.”
Hearing the response, Adam found himself suddenly at a loss for words. He simply stood there for a moment, thinking the matter over. Then he leaned toward his brother with an astonished expression. “What about the Pathfinder Project on Earth’s moon? The destiny of our earlier selves, along with our shipmates will undoubtedly change.”
“As I just pointed out, Noah and President Kaufield have come up with options.”
“What kind of options?”
Thomas was much more forthcoming this time around. “All of the refugees here in the Proteus galaxy, those originally from Earth and the recent evacuees from the Wasteland will be protected when we alter the timeline in the Sol system. They’ll still be here after all is said and done retaining their memories of the original experience. Noah’s people have the ability to isolate the changes to the Sol system, so there will also be duplicates of the survivors back on Earth. The duplicates will be living as the same people they originally were, this time without the war. Adam, if this works, we can bring back everyone who died.”
“That sounds incredibly risky!” The hair on the back of Adam’s neck was already standing on end as a chill ran through him. “Do you realize how stupid this sounds? What are Noah and the President thinking? Even I know better than to initiate a project with these kinds of unknowns, when we don’t fully understand how it will end. By messing around with the unpredictability of time travel, we could end up irreparably wrecking our own history and make our current situation even worse.”
Thomas’ eyes dropped uneasily to stare at the floor as he listened to his brother’s words. It was immediately clear that the sheer boldness of the plan was not lost upon him. “Noah’s people have experimented with the process of time travel much more thoroughly than I have. He and his scientific team are confident that this is the correct solution to the problem. Adam, please understand. We’re going to do this. I’ve been permitted to bring you into the loop because the decision to proceed has already bee
n made.”
For the first time in quite a while, Adam found himself at a complete loss for words.
PROJECT EARTH
Pathfinder Series: Book Three
Chapter II: Left Behind
Sol System, near Earth, present day…
Admiral James Henry loosened his dress uniform collar just a bit while turning the last corner before reaching the U.S. Lexington’s primary conference room. After emerging from one final, incredibly vast transit, the Admiral’s flagship – and fighter carrier – was now officially the first United States vessel to return home in more than fifteen years. It had spent most of those years in the Proteus galaxy, orbiting the planet Tranquility while multiple work crews equipped her with CAS capabilities identical to the modified, weaponized version of the Pathfinder. President Kaufield had sacrificed the precious colony ship during the final fight to liberate the Wasteland almost five years ago, but not the knowledge and technology needed to recreate it.
The aroma of hot coffee permeated the room, although most of the cups setting in front of the room’s occupants were empty. Dennis Kaufield was already speaking when the Admiral arrived, but he was dressed in civilian attire – already prepared for the upcoming time travel mission. He paused briefly and smiled in the Admiral’s direction, but Henry waved him off with a casual flick of his wrist. Most of the people present already knew the details of the mission, but one final briefing had been called in order to fully inform the team’s newest members. Adam Roh was the most noticeable, his tall, wide-shouldered frame seated right next to his brother. Additional technical specialists, men and women who would assist the personnel assigned to Sentinel duty while also monitoring the infamous brain implants, were also receiving specifics on the mission. Many of them were taking notes, whereas Adam simply listened intently.
Thomas Roh sat to his left, and the attractive, red-haired Noriana Roh – his wife – paid close attention on his right. Across from him was the recognizable wizened figure of the friendly Proteus alien, Noah. “Although we have a pretty good idea what will happen once we make changes in the past,” noted President Kaufield steadfastly, “there will also likely be some unexpected outcomes as well. That’s why it will be critical to record all implant telemetry from the time travel team – why the three of us in fact will be taking along a portable recorder. In the unlikely event that the people who remain here have memories – and history – shift with the changes, we’ll be able to run the mission from the past using Thomas as a temporary Sentinel. After that, we can always put our heads together here and reconstruct everything once we’ve safely returned to the present.”
“You’re certain that you won’t lose your own memories?” mused Noriana thoughtfully. “Moving back through time is no guarantee that you’re going to be unaffected. If you’re still somehow linked to the present, your memories, along with those of the electronics you take with you, could be affected as well.”
“Unlikely,” interjected Thomas firmly. “We’ve run enough experiments to conclude otherwise.” She raised an eyebrow at his confident tone of voice. Usually, the rail thin scientist was more tentative and laid back.
“Everything should work out fine,” Noah added. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “My people have conducted enough time travel missions to accurately predict the results of yours.”
“Really?” Adam studied the humanoid alien closely. “You have deliberately changed your history?”
“Usually we limit ourselves to the recent past,” emphasized Noah in response, his demeanor calm while he sat completely at ease among so many Earth humans. “Since we have so many alien populations living on thousands of habitable planets in our galaxy, major wars and natural disasters take place each and every day. This is particularly true for the penal colonies, where the planetary environments are necessarily more hostile. As you know, we use the tougher living conditions in order to focus the attention of criminals – those who would normally choose evil in other societies – a little more directly on life’s… priorities. We evaluate each disaster carefully, and are generally hesitant to interfere with the will of the governing Universe. However, in the instances where we feel a major catastrophe will result in a vast, overall cultural loss to our ‘living collective’, we sometimes do send teams into the past to avert the trigger event. If it’s a natural event – like a planet quake – then we would simply evacuate the population and relocate them to a new world. This allows those who would become casualties a second chance at a life they would not otherwise have.”
“Some would call that ‘playing God’,” Adam commented.
“I guess it depends upon your perspective,” replied Noah. “We see time travel as simply another tool provided by modern society. Picking up planet-bound residents threatened by a planet quake using shuttles is remarkably similar to rescuing them before the quake occurs.”
“Our mission is designed to go back a bit farther… more than two decades earlier than today,” added Kaufield.
“Yes,” Noah acknowledged with a respectful nod. “You’re about to conduct a mission that will take place at a point much more distant in your history. If the outcome is favorable then your people will receive similar benefits… only on a much greater scale than our own. You will literally save your entire world.”
Adam’s gaze shifted first to Thomas and then to Kaufield. “Any alterations we make to the history already ‘on the record’ will cause a chain reaction that will roll forward to the present.” He exhaled sharply and shook his head. “I’ve studied the data carefully. If successful, our mission will erase everyone and everything human and human-related currently living in the Proteus galaxy, along with the liberated Wasteland. Sure, we’ll have Earth back, along with everyone who was killed off in the war and its bloody aftermath, but we’ll be losing all of the positive things that the Pathfinder’s mission initiated.” His eyes found Noah’s friendly features. “I consider you a friend and your people an ally. It would be a catastrophic loss if we never find you, which is why I strongly vote against this. It bothers me that the decision to do this was made without consulting everyone on our team first.” There was a brief pause in the room as the weight of his words was absorbed by the listeners.
“That doesn’t mean our conclusions are incorrect.” President Kaufield seemed utterly convinced.
Adam glanced for comfort toward his wife and noticed the small smirk on her face. “What?” he asked curiously, and then more forcefully. “Where am I wrong? What aren’t you guys telling me?”
Kaufield chuckled good naturedly at his reaction. “Do you remember the energy ‘bubble’ that Noah’s people generated around the Wasteland’s central star?” he asked inquisitively. “The one that temporarily contained the reaction from that system’s sun after we implemented its quashing?”
“Yes…” replied Adam cautiously. “We needed to slow its destruction so that we could harness its energy while moving the Kuth to their new star system. I don’t really see how that is relevant.”
“It is relevant,” his brother told him firmly, noticeably enthused by what they were about to do. “That kind of spherical shielding can encompass all of Earth’s solar system, once Noah’s people finalize the preparations.” He watched Adam’s reaction triumphantly as the meaning of his words dawned on the elder Roh. “If we add the correct temporal signature to that shield, all time changes on Earth will be unable to roll forward beyond it. We will protect our interests in the Proteus galaxy as well as the freedom your last mission brought to the people of the Wasteland.”
“So,” Adam replied pointedly. “We’ll have Earth back, along with everyone who died in the war. We’ll also have copies of us right back on Earth’s moon, working on the Pathfinder. Except that this time, everything from the beginning of the war, up until present day, will occur differently… hopefully more peacefully.”
“We will carefully evaluate all changes caused by our actions,” Kaufield assured him. “I
t’s especially important to me that we do this, because it’s a unique opportunity to get the original Pathfinder back. We can recreate the modifications that were added prior to its Wasteland mission. Our starship will survive, as a true symbol of what can happen when we do not quit.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Or we may choose to leave it as a colony ship, staff it with a new crew, and send it out into the Aether to fulfill its original mission. If a nuclear war is indeed averted on Earth, isn’t this trip worth some risk?”
“Suppose that a larger conflict breaks out after the averted one and destroys all life on Earth,” Adam ventured. “Do we intervene again? Do we assign permanent caretakers to preserve the human race each time its citizens try to destroy each other?”
“That’s a pretty cynical analysis, husband. Remember, those who survived the original war on Earth and have since moved to the Proteus galaxy will have Earth duplicates,” Noriana pointed out. “The human race has survived and will continue, regardless of what happens here. So why not try to prevent the war? Everything in this solar system will be recreated just as it would have been if the nuclear war never happened, because we will have used time travel to stop it. Since many of the original survivors, now living peacefully on Tranquility, have since married and had children, this will make for some interesting familial challenges. IF Noah’s people keep the transit gates open and continue to allow travel between Earth and Tranquility.”
“We will do so,” the alien nodded affirmatively. “Those doorways will need to be closed down for the duration of the time travel effort to avert the war, but once that mission is complete we will reopen all of them. Then we will need to bring Earth’s many governments up to date on all that has happened.”
The Pathfinder Trilogy Page 85
