History Shattered

The Time Machine is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells, published in 1895. Wells is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel by using a vehicle that allows an operator to travel purposefully and selectively. The term ‘time machine’, coined by Wells, is now universally used to refer to such a vehicle. Wells had considered the notion of time travel before, in an 1888 short story titled The Chronic Argonauts, which he wrote while attending college. – Wikipedia (The Time Machine by H.G. Wells)

The revelation that there was no Civil War had been particularly shocking to Tyler. Slavery had been such a divisive issue in the country’s formative period. To hear that slavery had been pretty much turned completely on its head and had become a tool for black suppression of disenfranchised and disadvantaged whites was almost too ironic to be believable. His mind was awash in the enormous wake left by his incredibly brief and seemingly innocuous visit to the past. How could his travel to Caffa, where he had probably only had significant contact with less than two dozen villagers and that for only the briefest of times and most altruistic of purposes, have triggered such a massive change in the course of history? At this point, it sounded as if he was responsible for wiping Europe out of the history books for over two centuries. That was a large and extremely bitter pill to be asked to swallow, especially on the heels of the confirmation that he was indeed inflicted with the plague.

“Jasmine, can I just ask some questions?”

“Ask anything you want, Tyler. Just remember that the mission of the moment is to establish our twin historical timelines. Leave the sentimental and debate topics for later.”

“I know you’re right about what we need to do, but what I’m hearing suggests that I haven’t just brushed against history with my trip to Caffa. It sounds like I’ve completely rewritten it. How could I have had that kind of an impact when I was barely there?”

“Tyler, you need to compartmentalize your emotional reaction to all of this. That question you just asked is exactly what we’re trying to answer. Let’s keep working the problem.”

“That’s easier said than done.”

“I know, but you need to put on your scientist hat with me now, Tyler.”

“OK…, I know you’re right. Let’s keep grinding.”

“I want to talk about the period of time around World War I, as you refer to it. You talk about it occurring at approximately the same moment in history as the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. This moment is particularly interesting, because the Bolshevik Revolution did occur in 1917, or I guess I should say that’s when it occurred in our historical timeline. Of all the things you’ve told us from your version of events, this is the only one so far that matches up. I really want to understand this because at the same time, you indicate that there was this big war occurring, again largely in Europe, and that doesn’t match up at all.”

“Yeah, well I don’t know how much help I’m gonna be beyond what I already told you. I never thought for a minute that I really needed to pay attention during all those history courses in college.”

“OK, so you already told us the Bolshevik Revolution was hijacked by the Communists. This was in Russia, but at the same time as what you refer to as World War I, which sounds pretty scary to me. The US joined the fighting in 1917 as well, and this war was mainly a European war, with Germany the aggressor, along with a few allies. You said the war ended in 1919 and something called The League of Nations was formed. Do I have all that right?”

“That’s pretty much what I know. Our president was Woodrow Wilson, and I think there was like a Lord Chamberlain who was the Prime Minister of Great Britain. They were the big players on our side.”

“OK, I think I understand that part.”

“And you’re telling me that neither World War I nor World War II occurred in your version of history…”

“I guess I am, or maybe they went by another name in our version.”

“Adolf Hitler…, Nazi Germany…, the Holocaust…, Pearl Harbor…, all those are events that every school kid learns about. Do any of those ring a bell?”

“Sorry…”

“Come on, Jasmine. Your mother is Japanese. Pearl Harbor…, the Japanese sneak attack on our naval vessels in Hawaii. December 7, 1941; President Roosevelt referred to it as “a day that will live in infamy”. It’s what triggered America’s entry into World War II. For God’s sake, we dropped two atom bombs on Japan…, one on Hiroshima and a second on Nagasaki. Those triggered Japan’s surrender. Surely your Mother must’ve told you about it.”

“Tyler, that was over a hundred years ago…, in your history. There wasn’t a World War II. Germany and Japan and the US are all allies.”

“Well, yeah…, now they are, but not back then.”

“And I don’t know who Adolf Hitler is.”

“Unbelievable! This is freakin’ me out. How could I have changed so much shit? Let’s change the subject before I lose my mind. Let’s talk about scientific milestones.”

“OK, great! Where do you want to start?”

“I made a list. I’m not sure about dates exactly, but I’ve put ‘em in chronological order as best I can. I’ll start with Galileo, an Italian astronomer and physicist, who is considered by many to be the father of modern science. He was an Italian who had the balls to suggest that Earth was not the center of the universe, and that it actually revolved around the sun. As you might imagine, that view was not popular with the Catholic Church. I think he spent the last several years of his life in prison.”

“And when was that?”

“Crap…, I’m thinkin’ the late 16th and early 17th century, but that’s really just a guess.”

“OK, Galileo…, who’s next?”

“Sir Isaac Newton…, a Brit who discovered gravity and who was actually a mathematician who pretty much invented calculus.”

“And his timeframe?”

“I dunno…, late 17th century maybe.”

“Tyler, don’t get frustrated. This is just a process we need to go through. I’m gonna ask for dates regarding everything you tell me. That’s the only way to reasonably align the different histories.”

“Yeah, OK…, I just hate not knowing answers to questions.”

“You’re doing great. What’s next after astronomy and gravity and calculus? God, I hated calculus!”

“The invention of the steam engine. That was 17th century and was kind of a departure point for the Industrial Revolution, the beginning of a shift from a largely agrarian economy to a manufacturing economy and a shift from a mostly agrarian population to an urban society. I don’t know who invented it.”

“That’s OK…, keep going.”

“Let’s go with Ben Franklin, one of our country’s founding fathers. He was a philosopher and discovered electricity. That would make him late 18th century.”

“So he’s American, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“So is everyone else going forward American?”

“No…, in fact the next scientist on my list is Charles Darwin, a 19th century Brit who put forth theories regarding evolution, natural selection and survival of the fittest. By arguing that creationism was incorrect and that man evolved from apes and other lower life forms, he wasn’t particularly popular with the church either. Debates raged in American public schools all the way into this century about how to handle teaching science as it relates to evolution versus creationism.”

“That debate’s pretty much run its course. Creationists now pretty much concede that most of the Bible in connection to the creation of the Earth and man being placed here is allegorical. Only the most fanatical of the religious right maintain that the Bible should be taken word for word.”

“Never argue religion or politics…, or whether a dress makes the woman look fat. All guaranteed losing propositions.”

“You’re far wiser than I’ve often given you credit for, Tyler.”

“Maybe I got more stupid as I got older.”

Monica chimed in, “It’s possible! Keep going, Tyler, unless you need a break.”

“I think I can make it through my science list. Next up is Alexander Graham Bell…, American, late 19th century and the inventor of the telephone. He and our next contributor, Thomas Edison, were both born in 1847. Do not ask me why I know that, because I have no freakin’ clue. Mr. Edison is responsible for the invention of the incandescent light bulb and the phonograph. He also invented the telegraph and was the founder of General Electric. In my history, GE is a giant multi-national corporation.”

“Yeah, it still is. I have no idea who founded it, though, but that can’t be too hard to find out. Who’s next on your list?”

“The Wright Brothers…, Orville and Wilbur, bicycle makers from Dayton, Ohio…, they successfully built and flew the first manned aircraft at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903. Here’s a bit of trivia for you. Neither Wright brother was ever married.”

“Fascinating, Tyler. It’s strange to listen to the bizarre little bits of trivia you’ve collected, but it also adds credibility to your timeline. Please, tell us more.”

“OK, I will. The next featured scientist is Marie Curie. The name sounds French and she became a French citizen, but she was originally Polish. She worked a lot with her husband and is credited as the inventor of the X-Ray. She was also the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. I’m a little fuzzy on her dates, but if I had to guess, I’d say she was early 20th century because I don’t think the Nobel Prize existed before then.”

“How many more scientists on your list?”

“Just three. Next is Albert Einstein. He is probably the preeminent physicist of all time. It’s only because of his Theory of Relativity, theories really, as Monica taught me, that I even know what a wormhole is or anything related to space-time.”

“What’s his timeline?”

“Does that mean you haven’t heard of Albert Einstein? I’m not even a physicist, and I’ve heard of him. Every school kid learns E=MC2, even though none of them can explain it.”

“Just answer the question, Tyler.”

“I’m guessing mid-20th century.”

“Thank you…, two to go.”

“J. Robert Oppenheimer headed up something called the Manhattan Project. It was top secret work by the US Government to develop the atom bomb. It was in response to information received from Albert Einstein…, you know…, that famous scientist guy you haven’t heard of, and other scientists that Hitler’s Nazi Germany was attempting to develop the weapon.”

“And the US developed it first?”

“Bingo. His work laid the foundation for lots of nuclear research going forward.”

“I guess we should assume this was in the 1940s during your World War II?”

“That’s what I’d guess.”

“OK, who’s your final scientist?”

“It’s not so much a ‘who’ but a ‘what’. NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in response to a challenge from President Kennedy before he was assassinated in 1963, in Dallas I might add, to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade, did just that. In 1969, Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. His words upon doing so were, ‘One small step for man, a giant leap for mankind’. Pretty fuckin’ cool! That was one of the things I learned in school that made me want to become a scientist. So I could be part of something like that. I guess that just shows you really do need to be careful what you wish for. Shit…, now I’ve time travelled and contracted bubonic plague and maybe wiped out a few billion people and changed the course of history. That wasn’t exactly what I thought I’d be a part of.”

“Yeah, well nobody here woke up the morning of the particle collision test expecting to be doing any of this right now. Science can be messy sometimes, and this is definitely one of those times.”

“Yeah, no shit. Guys, can we take a break for a little while. I’m exhausted. It feels like my fever is up, and I feel nature calling again. I don’t think I should’ve tried to eat that MRE.”

“Yeah, of course…, why don’t you take care of business, and then try to nap for a little while. We’ll have someone monitor your comm link, so when you’re back on line, we’ll resume our little chat. In the meantime, we’ll try to begin making sense out of this historical jigsaw puzzle you’ve just dumped in our laps.”

“I feel so bad I’m not even gonna respond to that, Jasmine.”

“Wow…, you really are feeling bad. Get some rest then. We’ll talk later.”

It was all Monica could do to resist inserting her own sentiments in the conversation, but she successfully fought the urge. The situation had changed. Tyler was no longer her colleague and lover. He was no longer eleven months older than she was. He was now someone who was a quarter century younger than her. Furthermore, this Tyler was apparently living and working in a world which she didn’t recognize. Whatever their relationship had been, it could no longer be that. She needed to stay focused on her role as Director. Whatever personal sentiments she was experiencing, she needed to sort through them on her own. They all needed to continue to work the calamity in front of them for now.

~~~~o~~~~

Jasmine’s History Team was looking at the information they had received from Tyler. Her first question to the group was to ask everyone if they believed what Tyler was saying was factual. She was actually hopeful that someone would contend it was still part of some elaborate delusion. She wanted someone to be arguing the other side as a key ingredient in the scientific process. Unfortunately, there were no takers. Each member of the team was convinced that Tyler’s version of history was legitimate. With each new nugget he had shared with them he was just building the wall higher and stronger. They knew there were large chunks of history unaccounted for, and the discussions thus far had been completely one-sided. That was how the process must unfold for now. The political scene, aside from the wars Tyler had elaborated on, was still largely a blank page. They had completely skipped the American Revolution in this most recent session. Similarly, the topics of art, architecture, medicine and religion had not been given their respective moments in the spotlight. As scientists, they had gravitated to an arena where they all felt comfortable. The scientific timeline was filling in nicely.

While they waited for Tyler’s condition to rebound sufficiently to resume their dialogue, Jasmine broke her team into two smaller pods. The first set about documenting the wars Tyler had mentioned. The second focused on the scientific timeline. Tyler’s version of history had shown virtually every significant scientific advancement coming from either a European or American source. Based solely on the names he had provided, and their largely European origins, she knew his timeline would have little correlation to their own. Still, it was utterly fascinating to her scientific mind that these two seemingly disparate histories had apparently been completely in alignment just two days ago. That she had apparently been one of the youngest scientists at PD, in her late twenties when Tyler’s version of the test had ostensibly occurred was even more interesting. If she already knew as much then as she did today in terms of research and scientific advancement, then how much more would she know right now than she had previously? How much smarter or wiser would or should she be? How much would science have advanced in the past quarter century? She knew it wasn’t time to ask questions yet, and that those probably weren’t the proper questions anyway, but she couldn’t turn her mind away from the possibilities.

Monica had asked Pat’s team to resume its work on resolving the apparent failure of the electromagnets charged with containing the massive release of energy triggered by the particle collision. All his previous work on the subject had been theoretical, since the amount of energy needed to produce the failure was unachievable anywhere in the world but at PD. They were spending most of their time analyzing the reams of data produced by all the monitoring equipment. That was a painfully slow process, even though they had focused in on just a handful of the different streams of output data. Pat desperately wanted to talk with Tyler to learn what the energy field had felt and acted like inside Station 28, but he knew no such opportunity would be provided to his team until the historical team had finished their investigative efforts. He prayed Tyler would remain alive and coherent for long enough for such a dialogue to take place.

Elsewhere within the facility, Colonel James was meeting with the senior members of his own staff. Their discussion was quite different from any other taking place inside PD. One of his senior advisors was particularly vexed.

“Colonel, we’ve got a major catastrophe on our hands here. Even if I choose to ignore the military implications, we’ve got a potential lethal outbreak of a deadly contagion. I don’t mean to discount the importance of the roles all of those eggheads over on the other side of the building play, but they almost universally fail to consider the common sense and military implications of anything they do. That’s why they’re in research in the first place rather than implementation, and it’s also why there’s a military presence overseeing this facility’s operations.”

“OK, Beau, let’s not turn this into an opportunity to bash our civilian coworkers. We’re all in this together, and every one of those ‘eggheads’ as you so indelicately put it, is a PhD with top secret security clearance. I’d be more concerned about some kind of information leak coming from some of our troops than I am anyone in that room.”

“Colonel, I meant no offense. It’s just that there’s an intellectual disconnect between a lot of the work they do and the practical implications of that work. They don’t have a proper appreciation for what they appear to have stumbled upon.”

“Beau, they could be saying exactly the same thing about all of us. We don’t know shit from a hole in the ground about the scientific issues we’re facing. We’d all be standing here holding our dicks in our hands and wondering what in the hell was happening. We’re lucky as Hell that they’re all here, working the problem. And beyond that, we’re lucky they’re on our side.”

“OK, maybe I was overly harsh, but that doesn’t change the issues. There’s now an internal threat to the facility. Maybe I should say threats plural, since beyond the potential implications of an outbreak of the plague, we also have no idea what structural damage the botched particle collision had on the accelerator itself or what the anomaly might have done to Station 28. Because of the quarantine issue, we can’t even get inside 28 to evaluate the damage. Again, this is basically just the tip of the iceberg.”

“Well, we’ve got the best scientific minds available attempting to assess what did and didn’t work during the particle collision. I’m not sure we can label it as botched. We just got unexpected results. We need to be prepared to effect repairs if any structural damage is detected, but we haven’t been so tasked as of yet. Doctor Edmiston will let us know what his team finds regarding the apparent electromagnetic failure. As for what’s going on inside 28, we need to recognize that the unique nature of that particular monitoring station, with the characteristics of a self-contained bomb shelter that was already designed to handle potentially dangerous pathogens, really works in our favor. Anything we might otherwise be doing in terms of containment is already being accomplished by 28, itself. As for 28, we have re-established all of the comm links and data feeds, and we also know that regardless of what else the anomaly is or does, at least it allows human life to exist. I know we need to be prepared for the worst possible scenario, but let’s not get overly dramatic at the get go. The objective for this meeting is simply to identify as many of the potential military concerns we may have as possible in addition to identifying any threats to the facility.”

“OK, then without attempting to be overly dramatic, Sir, let me suggest that there may be weaponization opportunities associated with both the plague virus and with the anomaly. If time travel is actually an unintended result of the particle collision, then we need to figure out how it was actually created and how it could be utilized as a military tool.”

“Beau, I won’t argue with either of those points, but I think, given what seems to have happened to Tyler, and perhaps to human history itself, maybe a larger question regarding weaponization should be IF it should occur rather than HOW it might occur. Time travel could definitely be the ultimate weapon, but if it couldn’t be controlled, or if it was in the wrong hands, or if directed by misguided leadership pursuing a questionable ideology, the implications are almost too frightening to consider. This may be closer to the opening of Pandora’s Box than even the threat of nuclear proliferation was. We may have just witnessed the biggest ‘Oh, Shit!’ moment in human history…, regardless of which version we believe in.”