“Now that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is up and running what’s your first experiment going to be?” Professor Roach asked his award winning interns Timothy and Teresa.
The professor and his prodigious protégés had been invited to partake in several experiments scheduled to be initially performed using the new giant atom smasher.
All their experiments were related to time, and the possibility of traveling through space-time. The area of time is where Timothy and Teresa shone. They had frozen light waves and inserted energized intelligence into the frozen light and then the light that they hoped to send to another time was beamed into space in the hope the light traveling at its speed would breach the time barrier. So far their time experiments had been unsuccessful, but with the LHC coming on line they hoped this would change..
“I’m going to test Kurt Gödel’s mathematical theory. I think the LHC could create conditions in which time loops back on itself.” Timothy punched numbers into his calculator, “I think it possible to create a time machine using this formula. Tipler showed how an extremely massive and infinitely long, fast-rotating cylinder could create the conditions needed for time travel. I believe the LHC meets the condition put forth. And furthermore Kip Thorne, showed that wormholes, or tunnels through space-time, absolutely allow time travel,” Timothy continued.
“Your right, the LHC may create those tunnels or wormholes needed for time travel.” Teresa said.
Professor Roach let his two interns do all the talking. They were the ones with all the ideas. He was able to get them funding for research and in doing so shared in all their inventions.
“We’re very fortunate indeed to be here for the activation of one of the greatest achievements in scientific history. It took over two thousand physicists from thirty-four countries to build the LHC. Once activated, scientists here hope to find the elusive Higgs boson -- if they can observe the Higgs it’ll confirm the predictions and 'missing links' in the Standard Model of physics,” Professor Roach said.
No sooner had the many scientists working on the collider activated it than a bright deep purple light enveloped the entire facility, so bright and forceful it could have been the energy emanating from a slow motion explosion, but it wasn’t an explosion at all. It was the explosive energized bright purple light caused when a wormhole opened between past and future.
Alarms sounded, evacuation procedures were begun.
“What is it? What’s happening? Teresa asked.
The light penetrated everything, machinery and humans alike were unable to stop it from penetrating. It obviously penetrated because this light cast no shadows. Everything glowed purple and the technicians and scientist who were affected could see through one another as though transparent. As the light coalesced it became brighter and covered a smaller area until it formed a circle twenty feet in diameter. The circle of light wavered in the air and finally settled on the ground outside the building that stood over the LHC.
When the evacuation alarms sounded the Swiss and allied security forces descended on the facility to protect this multi-billion dollar instrument against any attack. All personnel were rounded up to be escorted from the scene.
“Wait -- don’t you know what we’ve got here?” Professor Roach shouted to the officer who seemed to be in command of the evacuation.
“Sorry sir, my orders are to evacuate everyone immediately.” He waved for a loaded bus to go ahead.
“But officer, this is the first and possibly the last time in history that a portal to another time has been given to us.” Professor Roach pointed to the shimmering circle of light that now touched the ground.
“I’ve got my orders. Go on, board that bus over there.” He pointed to a half full bright yellow bus.
“But you don’t understand, these two are the world’s foremost experts on time travel. You can’t find better anywhere in this world,” he pointed to Timothy and Teresa.
The bus the commander had signaled to go ahead was driving past the shimmering purple light when suddenly the bus drove into the light and everyone expected to see it emerge from the light. It never did. The commander ran to the light followed by all three scientists.
“What the hell happened to the bus?” He walked around the circle of light that was only a few inches from front to back. It stood on edge so at the highest point the circle was twenty feet, but it was no thicker than a foot at its widest point.
“I saw it with my own eyes the commander spoke into his military communication device. That’s right. It’s less than a foot wide. The bus drove into it and I waited to see the front emerge on the other side. It looked as though it went into a tunnel. Only there’s no tunnel here. I can walk completely around it. I’m telling you, it’s only a foot deep. Not deep enough for a bus, that’s for sure. Explanation? I don’t have any damn explanation, but hold on -- I’ve got a guy here that says he’s with two of the world’s foremost experts on phenomenon like this.” He passed the device to Professor Roach, “Here, talk to my boss.”
“Who am I speaking to?” the professor asked, “Yes Mr. President, I have them right here. Yes that’s right, both of them are the only ones with experience, or at least theoretical experience with time travel. Am I sure it’s a wormhole to another time? What makes you ask that question? Yes that’s correct, it’s a plausible explanation, but if you’ll allow us access to this phenomenon we may be able to ascertain that. That’s right, only me and my two assistants. Okay everyone else will be evacuated. Thank you sir,” he handed the phone to the commanding officer.
“You heard me speaking to the President of Switzerland. He gave us exclusivity with the light or whatever it is. His staff advised him it could very well be a wormhole and he’s worried some future army may come pouring through it. He wants us to determine if it is in fact a wormhole that transcends space-time and if it is, figure out how to shut it off or at least block it so nothing can come through.”
“You’ve got to be kidding, shut it off. I can’t wait to find out what’s on the other side,” Timothy said.
“What’re we waiting for?” Teresa asked. “It may shut itself off before we get a chance to find out anything. Let’s see what the hell this thing is,” Teresa grabbed Timothy’s hand. She led him to the lighted entrance and was about to step through when Timothy stopped her.
“Wait, you know better than to explore without ascertaining the qualities of what you’re exploring.” He picked up a small branch about four feet in length that had fallen from a nearby tree. He poked it into the circle of purple light and the end instantly disappeared as he pushed it in, he inserted three of the four feet of the branch. Nothing appeared on the backside of the circle although it was less than a foot thick. “Wonder where it’s going?” he said.
“Pull it out and put it through the backside,” Teresa said.
He pulled the branch from the circle of purple light and saw that it had been neatly severed to the point where it had penetrated the light circle.
“Wow, I’m sure glad you didn’t allow me to walk into the light,” Teresa said, “Try putting a branch in the other side now and let’s see what happens.”
Timothy picked up another fallen branch and stuck it in the other side of the circle of light to see the same thing happen. No matter that he put over two feet of the branch into the light, nothing came out the other side and when he tried to extract the branch it was again cleanly cut off at the length that had penetrated the light.
“Where’re the branches going, or more importantly where did the bus full of people go after they went through the light circle?” Professor Roach asked.
“Let’s put a video camera into the light and see what’s on the other side,” Timothy said.
He ran to the lab he was assigned to use while visiting the accelerator where there were several miniature cameras. He grabbed two and rushed back. He picked up another branch and knew all these branches were strewn on the ground from the turbulence of the light before it settled down. He remembered he needed a receiver to pick up the camera signals and ran back once again to his lab to get his laptop computer. Once back at the circle of light he connected the cable to the computer and camera then powered both up.
“Can you work the computer Professor Roach while I get the camera ready?” He handed him the laptop and played with the controls on the camera.
“It’s working I see you,” the professor said, his head was bent as he looked at the computer screen.
Teresa held the branch while Timothy pulled a roll of surgical tape from his pocket and attached the camera to it. He took it from her and very slow inserted it into the light.
“I see something. Hold it steady Timothy. Yes, yes, it’s the bus I see the bus,” The professor sounded happy to have found the bus. “They’re all there smiling and waving.”
“Call The President,” Professor Roach shouted to the military men who were standing at a safe distance from the light.
“Hello, Mr. President. Great news, I’ve observed the bus and its occupants that vanished into the wormhole. They appear to be in good health and spirits. Yes we’re working on establishing communication as we speak. As soon as I do, you’ll know.” He handed the device back to the sergeant who had carried it to him.
“If we can see them why can’t we hear them?” Teresa asked.
“The human ear can hear only so many frequencies of sound waves. Maybe the waves are being changed somehow to infrasonic or ultrasonic so it’s out of our range. We can get some instruments to test the waves and redirect them to an audible frequency.” Professor Roach said.
“Look, they’re still waving,” Timothy said and pointed to the computer screen where the occupants of the bus appeared in the same position they were when the camera first picked them up.
“That’s not normal behavior. You’re in a brand new world -- you don’t stand around and wave at the camera.” Teresa said.
“Let’s put something live in into the light and see what happens,” Timothy said.
Teresa ran and soon returned with two caged rats. Timothy used surgical tape to affix the first rat in a stretched position so he could slowly put it in head first. He taped the other rat, but in a reversed position so he could put it in rear-end first.
“Okay Teresa, here goes,” he slowly shoved the cage in with the rat’s head entering first. He used another broken off branch to push the cage. Once the head went through the edge of light it disappeared. The body remained alive without its head until timothy pulled the body away from the circle. As soon as he did that the blood spurted from where the head used to be.
“Apparently the animal remains alive while half in the light and half out. The part of the animal remaining in our world functions, until we pulled it away from the light. And when we did the body was severed from the parts of it that went through the light.”
“Exactly,” replied Timothy, “and I think we should take this little guy,” he picked up the cage with the squealing, terrified bound rat, “and put his rear end in first, then we can observe if it’s experiencing any pain. Also we’ll get to see if it’ll live indefinitely, half in and half out.”
All three returned to their assigned lab to gather equipment for further testing. Timothy gathered some sound equipment that could measure higher and lower frequencies. He’d use this to see if sound was coming through on a different frequency.
The rat lived four hours. While observing it, they worked with the frequency modulators and were unsuccessful. They also attempted to determine the electrical frequencies of the portal and tried to capture some of its energy to measure its atomic structure, Everything they used to penetrate the purple light stayed in it. Timothy and Teresa took a few minutes for coffee and a bathroom break. Professor Roach was supposed to keep an eye on the specimen, but he fell asleep at his post. Once they returned they saw the rat had somehow chewed through the tape holding its front paws to the cage.
“He must have scampered to the backside of his cage that is inside the light,” Teresa said. She extracted the cage that was cut neatly at the point where it had penetrated the purple light.
“I don’t know about you two, but I’m tempted to step through that circle just to see what’s on the other side,” Professor Roach said.
“Don’t be silly. We can see what’s there with our camera. You know once any object goes into the light it’s not coming out again.” Teresa said.
“You’re right of course, I’m being impetuous,” The Professor said, “but I need to write everything that’s happened and what’s spoken in my journal for future reference. Hold on a minute, maybe we can get my cousin to write a documentary of this historic event. He’s a great writer. Then I won’t have to be bothered with writing everything myself.”
“I didn’t know you had a writer in the family,” Teresa said.
“Yeah, Dr. Kline is one of those scientist/writers.
“What’s he a doctor of?” Timothy asked, and got a grunt for a reply.
“Next time I talk to The Swedish President, I’ll ask if he can send for Dr. Kline,” Professor Roach said.
A truck pulled up and scientists they all recognized poured from the rear.
“It’s been decided by an international committee that this is too important an occurrence to be allowed to be managed by so few. As of now Dr. Golden is in charge of this project.” The Swiss military commander told them.
Dr. Golden, the preeminent physicist in the world, set up his headquarters in the building above the atom collider and requested a thorough review of everything that has happened. All three, Professor Roach, Teresa and Timothy went to his headquarters to bring him up to date Once they briefed him on the entire situation, Professor Roach asked if his nephew could be sent for immediately to record everything that has and is about to happen concerning this event.
“Sure, as long as your nephew has a security clearance he’s welcome to come.” Dr. Golden said.
Fortunately Professor Roach’s nephew had written a screenplay that involved many secret government organizations and had gotten a security clearance to access these agencies.
“Do you think the tunnel will close up and disappear? And what caused it to appear in the first place?” Dr. Golden asked.
“I’m going to make a wild guess,” Timothy said, “according to my calculations. What happened was a worm hole opened between our time and the future. It’s being kept open by an inherent push in space-time that possibly can keep the mouth of a wormhole open indefinitely, of course I’m more or less guessing.”
“But you say whatever goes through the light remains alive?”
“That’s correct, but once in it the living thing can’t come back,” Timothy said.
“And you have video, but no sound is that correct? And when’s the last time you checked the video?”
Timothy opened his laptop and showed Dr. Golden the video now on the screen. Two of the male technicians who were aboard the bus held a sign that said, “We know you can see us. It’s in the history books here in this time. The book said you’ll send us a networked computer so we can communicate,” they dropped the sign as if they knew we had just read it.
“Get a computer in there right away,” Ordered Dr. Golden.
Professor Roach called his nephew who luckily was visiting France and could be on the site within a few hours. He arrived just in time to record the first two way communication between past and future in human history. Luckily for him the technicians had pushed a computer through the portal that they had configured to a wireless router and it took hours before they consulted Timothy.
“We had problems with audio, and used frequency analyzers to detect why. They didn’t help at all, but we used cables to hook the camera to our computer and received a video signal. I recommend you use cables to attach a router for your network.”
Once they configured a network using cables the networked computer was pushed through the portal and soon instant messaging between past and future became operational.
Dr. Golden sent a message, “When can we expect you to return?”
A large monitor was set up so all could see what was being transmitted back and forth. When the totally unexpected answer appeared, “Never,” This word surprised all who watched the monitor. It was soon followed by these words, “This future is an unimaginable utopia. There isn’t any disease that can’t be cured, a life span of hundreds of years, and treatments to maintain youthfulness throughout those years. We have good and bad news. Let me start with the bad first. One hundred years ago, 2,899 to be exact, there was a war that diminished Earth’s population to a fraction of what it was in the year 2,000.
And now the good news, The Unified Planetary Government of Earth invites any and all Twentieth Century Humans to emigrate here. To be welcomed with a government subsidized home and immediately receive a cure for any disease they may have and they’ll all receive anti-aging treatments so that every immigrant here will live an extended life. The work-week for many here is a mere four hours. Plentiful food, and wide open spaces. Welcome, one and all from the UPGE. We’ll be waiting for your arrival.”
Timothy thought the silence so silent it roared. He could hear his eardrums pounding as everyone speculated on these words. One soldier from the security detail ran through the complex, intending to run through the light. He was wrestled to the ground. “Do you believe everything you read?” Dr. Golden asked the struggling soldier, “You were going to go through the light wearing all your battle gear. Didn’t you stop to think that may be what they wanted? To get their hands on our weapons so they can study the level of our technology. I want the entire area around this light sealed off. Anybody approaches without my personal O. K. shoot to kill.”
“But Dr. Golden, we can see our people alive and well there. We’re in communication with them. Why are you so suspicious of them?” a man asked.
“Are you a scientist?”
“No”
“I didn’t think so, If we’re their ancestors they already know exactly what we’re going to do and there’s nothing we can do to change that. Every move we make is history to them. But on the other hand, maybe this so called wormhole doesn’t connect to future Earth, but to another place.” Dr. Golden turned and walked toward his headquarters.
Professor Roach overtook him. “We’re going to have to figure this out fast. If it’s a legitimate offer, and things are like they say they are, what a blessing for our world, I’m guess-timating we could pass thousands an hour through the light.”
“Not one person goes through the light circle until I say so, understand?”
“Yes sir,” Professor Roach said.
Word soon leaked out about the offer and the facility was soon surrounded by thousands and thousands of people wanting to emigrate to the future. Additional troops were called in to barricade the facilities, and France sent two divisions to help.
“Ask those people who went through the light circle if they can return temporarily. Tell them we only want to confirm their well being before we send millions of our people there,” Dr. Golden told his computer operator.
The reply was almost instantaneous. “The existing wormhole is one way, past to future. The Unified Planetary Government of Earth used vast resources to build it. As soon as enough workers immigrate they’ll gather the resources necessary to build a wormhole that will lead from future to past. Once that is accomplished any and all who should want to return to the past can freely do so, but without any future technology. That would change the future and that is not allowed under any circumstance. None of the future inhabitants can ever return to past Earth, because physics doesn’t allow for anything to exist before it existed.”
“Ask them what kind of war decimated the population so greatly,” Dr Golden ordered.
“Racial plagues were the cause of billions of deaths.”
“Tell them we want to see one of the future inhabitants.”
“They’re standing right here beside us. You can’t see them because they don’t exist yet in your time.”
“Ask them how it is they’re visible in the future and the future inhabitants aren’t.”
“It’s very simple, we existed in your time, they didn’t and never can, but we can exist in their time because time flows forward and not backwards.”
“Exactly what has been theorized by some of the best scientific minds in the world,” Timothy said, “but I disagree. I believe it possible to go back in time.”
Two days had passed since the invitation to migrate to the future had been made. The promise to cure any and all diseases prompted many with terminal illnesses to rush to Sweden to be on hand when the migration started. Emergency shelters and soup kitchens were set up for the hundreds of thousands showing up for migration.
“They put me in charge and said my word was law,” Dr. Golden told Professor Roach, “now every government on the entire planet is pressuring me to let the migration start.” He sat at his desk with a distraught look on his face.
“Simple economics doctor,” Professor Roach replied.
“That’s right,” Dr.Kline chimed in, “the majority of those lined up to migrate are elderly or sick. Imagine what an economic boon it’s going to be for governments around the world to get rid of all their sick and dying. I’ll bet they’re not even concerned what’s going to happen to them once they get there. As long as they’re gone one of the biggest expenses any nation has will disappear. Maybe once the working age people start to migrate they’ll inhibit it somehow.”
“I think we should allow anybody with a terminal illness to migrate right away,” Professor Roach said, “what’s the worst that can happen to them? They might die! We know if they don’t go there where there’s a good possibility of them being cured, they going to die and die soon.”
Dr. Golden agreed with this thinking. An emergency meeting held at The U.N. decreed that anyone with a doctors certificate stating they had any type of terminal illness would be allowed to walk through the purple light into the utopian future.
“This is the end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI),” Dr. Kline said.
“Why do you say that?” Teresa asked.
“Obviously no one’s going to end up in a nursing home, and saving for retirement is going to be a joke. When retirement age comes all one has to do is walk through the purple light and basically they’ll be reborn again.”
“It sounds too good to be true,” Dr. Golden said, “and you know the old saying, if it sounds too good …”
“I’m concerned about the flow of information,” Teresa said, “If I text message one of those who passed through the light and ask them to read my history, why I can find out when I die and who I marry and if it was successful, what history says about me, if anything. I can find out about any of you, or what horse is going to win what race tomorrow. In fact by querrying the future we can probably prevent the war that decimated the human race.”
“But if we did that, we’d be depriving all these terminally ill people of their salvation,” Dr.Kline said.
“I’m concerned this is the start of dysgenic growth for the human race.” Timothy said.
“Why do you say that?” Professor Roach asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? We’re sending nothing but sick and disabled people to the future -- their progeny are bound to be inferior.”
“Normally I’d agree with you, other than all who migrate are promised to be cured of any ailments.” Teresa said,
“They may be cured, but they’re still passing on defective genes.” Timothy said.
“Well that’s debatable,” Professor Roach said, “but we can’t make any conclusions until we learn how they’re cured. Perhaps in the future they know how to detect and repair any defective genes. I think we need to concentrate on our immediate concerns.”
“I agree wholeheartedly,” Dr Golden said, “let’s do a little brainstorming and see what conclusions we can come up with.”
“What if?” Dr. Kline said, “what if they didn’t have the war they claim to have had? If there was no war, what would the population of the world be in year 3,000?”
“The planet would be wall to wall people,” Dr. Golden said.
“Exactly my point, if they’re lying about the war, then they’re lying about everything else.”
“Why would they lie?” Teresa asked.
“Food,” Dr. Kline answered.
“That sounds like one of your Hollywood horror movies. I don’t think that’s a valid statement at all,” Professor Roach told his nephew.
“Look at it like this, the planet is overrun with people, there’s not enough land to grow an adequate food supply for the population. How many simple solutions are there? I’ll tell you. Absolutely zero, there’re no simple solutions. But if you build a bridge to a past time that’s teeming with life, and all you have to do is promise a utopia, and suddenly your food supply walks willingly into your slaughterhouse.”
“But our people are there telling us it’s all right,” Teresa said.
“Judas Goats,” Dr. Kline said, “notice there’s only two guys left on camera. They want you to think the others are out having a good time, but they probably have all been eaten already. These guys waving us on know if they don’t, they’re next on the menu.”
“Come on now Joe, that’s pure speculation. You don’t have an iota of proof that anything you said is true,” Professor Roach said.
“OH yeah, look at the computer screen, what do you see?” All eyes turned to the monitor and the same two technicians were waving and smiling. “Looks to me like they recorded them and that’s what we’re seeing now. Notice the scenery hasn’t changed and they’ve been in the same spot for two days now. Don’t they sleep or eat. I tell you they using us for their food supply.”
“Why don’t we send recording devices with those going through the light so we can see where they end up,” Dr. Golden suggested.
“We can do that, but we’ll be limited to only seeing as far as the connecting cable extends,” Timothy said.
Professor roach fitted two healthy looking seniors with wearable computers with built in cameras and they were networked. They waited for the signals to come through. The line of terminally Ill scuffled past them four abreast. Dr. Kline figured even with their slow shuffle at least a thousand an hour went through the purple light. That’s 24,000 a day times 365 = over 800,000 a year. Already a railroad was under construction that had disposable topless cars with benches that could hold two hundred in each car. Each train would be one hundred cars long and by using this, the numbers going through the portal would be increased tremendously. The train would be propelled through the portal by magnetic rails. Once the train ran it would only take a few years to make a dent in Earth’s population. Once the train started making trips every few minutes it would be a heck of a food supply for a hungry planet. Who knew how many other wormholes they had going to other times with the same promises. He knew something had to be done.
All the cameras on the two computers carried by the seniors showed was the desolate landscape on the other side of the portal, and the bus with the two technicians still waving.
Dr. Kline took Dr. Golden’s hand and steered him into a corner. He talked low so no one else could hear. “I don’t want anybody to overhear what I’ve got to say. You’re aware anything that’s recorded will be accessible to future generations. If they know what we’re doing they’ll stop us somehow. But if we keep it between us, they’ll never know what we planned.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“They’ll find out what we did to thwart them. All they have to do is read their history books. I’m thinking that we need to stop them from taking any action at all.”
“How do you propose we do that?”
“I’m not exactly sure, maybe send a neutron bomb through the portal, or destroy the portal with a tactical nuke, but I know it can be done. If we don’t run the LHC again they’ll never be able to establish another. Dr Kline said.
“We need to discuss this with a higher authority,” Dr Golden said.
It seemed like only minutes had passed when the soldiers came and rounded up all the scientists under Dr.Golden’s command. They were taken to the auditorium for a classified workshop on the pros and cons of destroying the gateway to the future. The workshop was conducted by a Mr. Jones, who represented the U.N.
Dr Golden stood and voiced their concerns
“What if you’re’ wrong?” The U.N. representative asked.
“What if we’re right? Are we willing to be used as cattle for some future generations food supply?” Dr. Golden said.
“But won’t they be eating their young in theory. If they decimate us over time by using humans as a food supply, won’t they in effect be killing themselves?” Mr. Jones asked.
“No, think about it. They promised to heal the sick and extend life, so they know the aged and sick will be the ones to use the portal. As only a limited number are able to access it, not only are they getting a food supply, they’re strengthening themselves by culling all their sick ancestors. Eugenics with a twist,” Dr. Kline said.
“Aren’t we going to benefit by this too?” Mr. Jones asked.
“Of course the present generation is going to benefit tremendously. Not only is the financial liability of an ageing society being eliminated, the human race itself will benefit by sending all our genetically flawed members to the future to be cured, or killed. We don’t know which yet, but either way, we benefit tremendously.”
“In that case why do you want to destroy the portal?” Mr. Jones asked.
“I think that’s the only morally responsible thing to do. We have to find a way to stop this from happening,” Dr Golden said.
“Stop and think of what you just said. As a scientist, you want to stop the human race from bettering itself by culling all its sick and aged. As far as anyone knows, they’re being sent to the land of milk and honey. True or not, my concern is with the here and now. Unless you can give me a morally strong reason to discontinue this exodus of used up humans, I’m going to recommend it continue as long as possible. Do any of you have a strong enough reason to stop it?”
He waited a long time, “Maybe they’re really being cured and . . .” someone rationalized.