The Cleopatra Crisis (TimeWars 11)

“Why?” asked Steiger, raising his eyebrows.

“Because it would violate temporal physics.” Travers said. “Thisscenario occupies a particular temporal location in the timestream. If theyclocked in Observers in advance. and then tried to clock in their S.O.G. teamback to the initial point of the scenario they were observing after theObservers had finished their task and made their report, then they would havealtered the very scenario they were attempting to observe in its unalteredstate.”

“ You want to give me that again?” said Steiger, looking puzzled.

“It violates the Principal of Temporal Uncertainty.”explained Travers. “Assume they clocked in their Observers first, say to thetemporal locus of the night before Caesar crossed the Rubicon. The Observershave strict instructions only to observe. to do absolutely nothing that wouldin any way interfere with the scenario. In effect, functioning as a TemporalPathfinder unit. We will leave aside for the moment the question of Heisenberg’sPrinciple and assume that they did not significantly alter the scenario bybeing here to observe it. So they complete their period of observation, say upto the time that Caesar is assassinated, go back through the confluence pointthey’re using. wherever the hell it may be, and make their detailed report. Sothen the S.O.G. team is clocked in to effect the disruption, going back towhatever optimum temporal locus point they have selected. Let’s say it’s thesame point, the night before Caesar crossed the Rubicon. Only their Observersare already there. And what they will wind up observing would no longerbe the original scenario, but the scenario as it’s affected by the presence ofthe S.O.G. team! It’s a temporal paradox.”

“Not necessarily.” said Steiger. “They would’ve had toreceive a report of the original unaltered scenario before they sent in theirS.O.G. team, so there would have to exist a space of time in which what theirObservers saw was an unaltered scenario.”

“No, you’re wrong. Creed.” said Delaney, who’d had much moretraining in the complexities of temporal physics. “Logic would seem to dictatethat you’re right, but logic breaks down when it comes to Zen physics. If we’reto assume that’s what they did, then the moment their Observers clocked back tothis scenario, they became a part of it, just as we are now. They altered it tothe extent of their presence here. And maybe what they first observed was thescenario as it had occurred before their S.O.G. team was clocked in. but themoment the S.O.G. team was brought in, then they became a part of the scenarioand-,changed whatever their Observers had originally observed. Travers isright. They would’ve created a temporal paradox. ‘They would’ve changed theirown past. That would have meant risking a timestream split.”

Only they would have risked it in our timeline.” Lucas saidwith a thoughtful expression upon his face.

It suddenly got very quiet.

“Ooops.” said Delaney.

For a moment, no one said anything. Then Steiger broke the silence.

“Of course, it was only an idea. We don’t know that’s what theydid.”

“Ah. but that’s exactly what they did do. my boy,” said anew voice.

Travers jerked around, startled, and found himself lo

okingat a tall, gaunt, dark-hired man with a neatly trimmed moustache, deep-set darkeyes, and a sharp. aquiline nose. he was dressed in a gray herringbone Harristweed sport coat shot through with fine threads of blue and peach: light grayflannel slacks: black kidskin loafers and gray silk socks: a button-down collarwhite shirt of raw silk, open at the neck, and a light blue silk ascot with agold paisley pattern. He was holding a blackthorn walking stick and there was agray. Irish tweed walking hat set at a jaunty angle on his head. Traversblinked. He could see the rolls of books right through him in their cubbyholeson the shelves.

“Oh. dear.” he said weakly. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”

“Capt. Travers. meet Dr. Robert Darkness.” Lucas said. “theman who’s faster than light. And who is. unless I miss my guess, about to makeour lives utterly miserable.”

Suddenly Darkness wasn’t there anymore. One moment, Traverswas staring at him and the next, he was simply gone. Only to reappear aninstant later standing directly in front of him.

“How do you do?” said Darkness, offering his hand.

Travers flinched. “Hello,” he said uncertainly, taking theman’s hand. It felt solid enough, but he could see his own palm through it asthey shook. The man seemed to flicker faintly. “I–I’ve heard of you.” saidTravers. “But I also heard that you were dead.”

“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated, to quoteMark Twain,” said Darkness. “I’ve read your book on Caesar. An outstandingpiece of work. Highly illuminating.”

“But. I haven’t even written it yet!” said Travers,thoroughly confused.

“Ah. but you will.” said Darkness. “Assuming, of course,that things proceed on schedule.”

Travers stared at him as it finally sank in. “My God. You’refrom the future!”

“I am from a future, Mr. Travers. About which, for an entireplethora of reasons. the less said, the better.”

“Then if he wrote the book, the mission was … is goingto be. „successful,” Lucas said.

“That will be entirely up to you.” said Darkness. “I did notsay how the book ends, did I?”

Delaney exhaled heavily. “Jesus, this is it, isn’t it? Thekey point in time. The reason you came back. This is where it’s all going tohit the fan.”

“Only partially correct, Mr. Delaney,” Darkness said. “Thisis one of the key points in time. but it is, or it is about to be, ahighly significant one.”

“You’re saying we blew it the first time around?” asked Steiger.

“The first time’?” Darkness said. “There is no first time.As Delaney was just saying, quite correctly, there is only time. A nebulouscommodity that can be disturbingly fluid and unstable. This moment, right now,is in fact a temporal disruption. I am a temporal disruption. And if thetime-stream has become a sea of instability, we are about to enter into the eyeof the storm. What you are about to do, one way or another, will change thecourse of history. That you will effect a change is unavoidable. That you willeffect the right change is conjectural. But you will effect a change.”