Laws of Time

by Jeff Yee

  “Okay, so where do we start?” asked Kris.

  Senator Klein unfolded the paper on the table and pushed it to the other end for Sean and Kris to read. “My committee has already prepared the high level points that we intend to address. I’d like to work with you to refine or agree with these points. This is obviously a draft – my scribbled notes. This will not be the language that we use in the bill. The final language will be drafted by legal experts tonight.”

  Sean read the typed note, in short bullet point format.

  LAWS OF TIME

  - A time traveler must apply for a time travel visa with the U.S. government and be approved in advance of travel.

  - Time travel is restricted to U.S. citizens only. Children under the age of eighteen require permission from a parent. Convicted criminals will be denied a visa.

  - Time travel must originate and conclude within the U.S.

  - A time traveler may not bring anyone or anything back from the past or the future.

  - Upon returning to the present, a time traveler may not engage in opportunities to profit from knowledge gained during travels. This includes stocks, bonds, real estate speculation, gambling activities, sports betting and other activities that will be determined by a new regulatory agency dedicated to time travel supervision.

  - Patents, copyrights and trademarks from the future require approval from the author or owning entity and must be registered with the appropriate office prior to being used in the present.

  - A time traveler may not travel to the same time window more than once. The traveler may travel before or after the time window, but may never overlap with a time period that he or she had previously visited.

  “Laws of Time, huh?” said Sean as he reviewed the list. “Sounds rather catchy.”

  “These are just scribble notes,” replied the senator. “Laws of Time will not be the name of the bill that is introduced tomorrow.”

  Pointing to the fourth bullet point on the list, Sean described a potential flaw. “I understand the reason to not bring anything back to the present. I can certainly understand the potential issues and I appreciate that you’ve put this into the bill. But there’s one scenario that I want you to consider. If I travel to the future, and I stay there a while, I might find that I have different clothes on my back when I need to return. If I don’t have access to my original clothes, I don’t want to have to shed my new clothes that I have acquired. You know what I mean…”

  “And return back naked,” Kris added with a giggle, imaging the potential scenario.

  Senator Klein gave a hearty chuckle. “Okay, that’s a good point. I’ll have my team make a few changes in the final draft. Anything else?”

  Sean pointed to the last bullet point on the list. “I don’t understand this one. Why can we not travel to the same time period more than once?”

  “It is there to protect ourselves from a never-ending loop,” answered the senator. “Imagine the scenario where a traveler continues to visit the same time period in an attempt to make adjustments that never succeed.”

  With a puzzled look, Sean pointed out, “I don’t see that happening. I’m not sure if this is something that needs to be in the bill.”

  Kris interrupted. “Dad, we don’t know what could happen. I don’t think this one is a big deal. We’ve got everything else that we need in here. Let’s take it and move on.”

  “I agree with you Kris,” said Senator Klein. “There’s a lot that we don’t know right now. I think this is just the starting point. But keep in mind that this was drafted so that you can get started and that we can all learn from your time travel experiences.”

  Sean smiled with a grin that seemed to extend from one ear to the other. When reading the draft of the bill, he completely neglected the fact that he was now able to time travel. After hearing it directly from the senator, he realized that the path had been cleared. “You’re right,” he replied, “we can live with it. I’d like to get started. When can I submit my visa application?”

  Senator Klein answered, “Not so fast. Remember that the bill needs to be approved by the Senate, House and then by the President. Then you can go. Once it becomes a law.”

  Sean sat back in his seat and kicked his son’s leg under the table as an expression of accomplishment. He knew that he was close to realizing his dream, but he also realized that it was going to be a painful couple of days waiting for the final answer. He had to wait, once more.

  Chapter 52

  Sean tossed and turned in his bed at the hotel. He looked at the clock and its large, digital blue numbers that were illuminating the dresser, only inches from the pillow where his head lay. It was five minutes past two o’clock in the morning. There was a three-hour time zone change between his San Diego home and his hotel in Washington, but it wasn’t the jetlag that caused his restlessness. Sean was unable to sleep because of constant thoughts of time travel and the upcoming vote in the Senate.

  An hour later, Sean was still unable to fall asleep. He thought about calling Stacey, but given that it was midnight back home in San Diego, he assumed that his wife would be sleeping. Instead, he put his phone next to the clock and focused his eyes on the ceiling in hopes that his mind would drift into thoughts other than time travel.

  At four o’clock in the morning, Sean was still awake, restless in his bed and still consumed with the upcoming vote. The congressional debate over the bill that would determine his future was only hours away.

  Buzz. Buzz.

  Startled, Sean opened his eyes and realized that the sun’s rays pierced the cracks between the window drapes. It was light outside and his phone was ringing. Before he answered the phone, he took a quick peek at his clock. It was a few minutes past ten o’clock.

  “Hello,” Sean answered sheepishly.

  The voice on the phone was his son, Kris. “Where are you?”

  “In my room. I overslept. Couldn’t fall asleep.”

  “Slacker,” joked Kris. “Well, hurry up. It’s already started. I’m down here at the hotel bar and I got them to turn on CSPAN.”

  “Slacker? I’m not the one sitting at a bar in the morning.”

  Sean jumped to his feet, quickly dressed and took the elevator downstairs to join his son. There, he found Kris, sipping on a glass of orange juice in the corner of the bar, facing towards a television.

  “Good morning,” Sean said as he took a seat next to Kris. “What have I missed?”

  “It’s just getting started. This senator from Wyoming – I don’t remember his name – is against the bill. He’s been talking for the last ten minutes. But his points don’t make any sense. He really needs to just sit!” Kris waved his arms emphatically as if he was at the Senate building personally motioning to get the senator to take his seat.

  “Hmm… not a good start, I suppose,” replied Sean, expressing less emotion than Kris.

  During the first hours of the debate, a handful of senators opposing the bill voiced their concerns. They went on record with their conservative arguments that time travel was unnatural and that it should be unlawful or that it should be controlled by an unbiased government agency. However, by the afternoon, it became clear that there was much stronger support than opposition. Senators in favor of the bill began to voice their opinions and gain support before the final vote.

  At mid-afternoon, the Senate was finally ready to make a decision. The politicians had stated their cases. With the vote about to begin, Sean and Kris ordered their first alcoholic beverage of the day. Regardless of the outcome, they decided they would get drunk. It would either be a celebration or they would drink together in misery.

  They watched as the votes were compiled electronically, released to the networks in real-time and then broadcast across television screens and monitors around the world. There would be no drama; the suspense was short. It was clear within the first two minutes that there was enough support for the bill to pass. When all of the votes were tallied, seventy-two senators chose to pa
ss the bill in its current form.

  Sean leaped from his chair. “We did it!”

  Kris rose to his feet and uncharacteristically gave his father a hug. “Congrats, Dad! It’s been a long time coming.”

  Filled with emotions, Sean knew that it wasn’t the final decision and that he had to control himself. “Well, let’s not forget that we still have to get past the House. But with such a strong vote in the Senate – seventy-two of them – I would imagine that we’ll get past the House too.”

  Buzz. Buzz.

  Sean’s phone was ringing again. It was a number that he did not recognize.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello Mr. Harrison, this is Ramey Hall. I work with Senator Jacob Klein.”

  “Yes, Ramey. What can I do for you?”

  “The senator wanted me to call you immediately after a vote on your bill. I wanted to inform you that the measure has passed.”

  “Yes, I’m well aware of it,” said Sean. “We’re watching it live right now.”

  “Good. Guess I’m not surprised. Well, the senator also wanted me to let you know that the House is ready to review the bill tomorrow. If it passes, the President will be able to sign or veto the bill immediately afterwards.”

  “Thanks, Ramey. That was my understanding as well. I appreciate that everyone has helped to move this bill along so quickly.”

  “You’re very welcome. I look forward to getting all of this behind us and to move forward again.”

  “Ramey, one of the requirements in this bill is that we’re required to submit a visa application to time travel. Do you know how I go about doing so?”

  “I spoke with Senator Klein about the visa this morning. We don’t know what agency will approve visa applications in the future. In the absence of this organization, we’ve crafted a special visa for you that will go to the President for his approval along with the bill when it is ready. The only thing that I’m missing is the dates of travel.”

  Sean put his hand over the phone’s speaker and whispered to Kris, “They’re submitting the travel visa to the President.” Sean was so excited that he did a little dance in the corner to celebrate. Then, after collecting his thoughts, he responded to Ramey on his phone. “It will be me. Immediately. As soon as tomorrow assuming all goes well and the President signs the bill. It will be a test run - one day into the future. For the purposes of the visa, let’s say that we begin travel tomorrow and return on Friday. If you can make the dates even more flexible in case we run into issues, that would be great.”

  “No problem, Mr. Harrison,” replied Ramey. “I’ll draft your visa application and have it ready for the President if the House passes the bill tomorrow. Good luck. I wish you the very best.”

  Sean ended the call and placed his phone in his right pant pocket. Beaming with enthusiasm, he pumped his fist and said to Kris, “Let’s get Betty ready. It could be as early as tomorrow.”

  “Really, tomorrow?”

  “Yes, let’s go immediately before something else prevents us from going.”

  “Okay,” said Kris. “I’ll make the call. Hold on.”

  Kris retrieved his cell, which just like his father’s phone, was stored in the right pocket of his dress slacks. He placed a call to San Diego.

  Sean turned his attention back to CSPAN to catch the wrap-up commentary, but the conversation that was most interesting to him was the one taking place behind him between his son and his company.

  “We’re past the Senate,” Kris said excitedly, talking into his mobile phone. “If the House approves tomorrow, and the President signs the bill, we could go as early as tomorrow afternoon.” After a quick pause to acknowledge a response from the other end, he continued, “Yes. Tomorrow. We’re taking the jet home now. We’re not going to wait here for the House to vote. We can watch it together back in San Diego.”

  Chapter 53

  It was noon on Thursday when word spread across the Tace Technologies campus like wildfire. The House had approved the time travel bill! Although cheers could be heard in every building on the campus, the loudest roar erupted from the team gathered in Building Twelve. Sean and Kris had returned home the previous evening and were present to share the excitement with the team that had developed the amazing time travel technology. The bill was now through Congress and only one step remained in the process. The bill would need to be signed into law by the President of the United States. Regardless of the remaining step that was required, the celebration had already begun at Tace Technologies. Cheers were accompanied by the popping sound of champagne bottles, echoing throughout the lab as they were opened.

  “Not so fast,” Kris reminded his team. “Remember that the bill still needs to be signed.”

  “Bah humbug,” smirked Ryan Graves. “We all know that it will be signed. After all that we’ve been through, he owes us as much.”

  “You never know,” Sean added to the conversation. Deep inside, Sean was as thrilled as a little kid on Christmas day. But he knew that he had to temper the excitement within the company that he founded. “We’ve seen a lot of strange things over this past month. You never know what will happen until it’s done.”

  The monitor in the lab, normally used to report the status inside the time machine, was tuned into a live news feed from Washington. Shortly after the House vote, the broadcast switched to split screen view, with the news anchor occupying the left screen and an empty Oval Office in the other. The President was noticeably absent from his desk at the White House.

  Stacey Harrison walked towards her husband holding two glasses of champagne. She offered a glass to Sean and then a big, congratulatory hug.

  “Thanks for the bubbly,” said Sean, “but I think I’ll want my wits about me if I’m about to enter the fifth dimension.” Sean then put his glass on the nearest table.

  Overhearing the conversation, Ryan Graves was quick to point out, “I don’t think you’re going to notice the fifth dimension. I guess you’ll be the one to tell us when you return, but I don’t think energy is a visible dimension. As best as I can tell, you’ll be in-and-out without knowing that parts of you were even there.”

  “Thanks Ryan,” responded Sean, “but it’s a visual that I don’t need right now. I just want the comfort of knowing that I’ll be back.”

  Stacey tugged at her husband’s shirt to pull him aside. Dragging him to a quiet corner, she told him, “Sean Harrison, I need you to tell me that you will be back. I don’t want to hear any of this nonsense.”

  “Of course I will.”

  Her smile dropped and her eyes began to water when she said, “You dragged me here to this time where we hardly know anyone – not like we used to. You can’t leave me here. If you have any reservation that this might not work, you need to seriously reconsider. I don’t want to lose you.”

  “Stacey, you’ve seen the tests and we’ve done how many experiments. We’re confident that it’ll work.”

  “You can’t be that confident. There’s one that failed just last week.”

  “True, but we know the root cause of that issue,” said Sean, acting strong. “We’ve got it all worked out now and everything will be fine.” He embraced his wife, and after a sweet kiss on her lips, Sean whispered into her ear, “It will be just fine. I promise that everything will be fine.”

  A commotion in the lab drew Sean’s attention. The team was suddenly focused on the monitor and the activities in the Oval Office. The President had just walked into his office and was seated at his desk. Krishna turned up the audio so that the anchorwoman’s voice could be overheard amongst the noise and conversation in the lab.

  This is Melissa Long from the news desk at CNN, Atlanta. Moments ago, the House approved the time travel bill which provides the necessary laws to govern the travel through spacetime. As you can see, the President has now entered his office, where he has received an electronic copy of the bill that has passed both chambers of Congress.

  As Melissa Long spoke, the split screen view of her
desk changed to a new, live video feed of the Tace Technologies campus. In the left screen split view, a camera outside of Building Twelve captured the reaction of the crowd gathered at Tace. In the split view to the right, the President was busy reading the bill in his office. Tensions mounted as viewers listened to the narration from CNN while simultaneously watching the President in Washington and hundreds of people waiting outside Tace Technologies in San Diego.

  It was an agonizing ten minutes of dramatic CNN narration while the President studied the bill. Then, cheering began immediately as he picked up his pen. With large strokes of his hand, the President’s signature was firmly recorded onto the bill. Then, looking at the camera, he raised one thumb from his fist and walked away from his desk and off screen. The lack of audio didn’t matter. If the President had prepared a speech, it wouldn’t have been heard anyway. The Tace Technologies campus was rocking. There wasn’t a single employee on the campus that was not aware of the momentous signing of the bill and the impact it would have on their company. The raucous ovation echoed from building to building. It could be heard for miles. Outside of Building Twelve, CNN and the many news crews that had gathered at the perimeter of the building were capturing the historic moment.

  Sean waited a few minutes for the celebration inside Lab Murray to subside. There was too much excitement to begin a victory speech while the team was dancing through the halls, popping the remaining champagne bottles and giving hugs and high-fives to anyone that they could find. It was a major accomplishment and Sean savored every moment of it. Then, it was time for his speech.

  “Listen up folks…” Sean said and then waited a moment for the crowd to settle. “Maile, do we have the camera ready?”

  The public relations specialist prepared a private video feed that was to be broadcast to Tace Technologies employees around the world. She turned the camera on and gave Sean a nod.