Life on Mars

Chapter Eleven

Doctor Touchreik had morphed from a man obsessed with history to a man possessed by it. Each night being driven home in a trance until the transporter pulled up at his sector. Every conversation with the caveman changing the romantic image of pre-shutdown life he'd created over the years. A combination of denial and confirmation pertaining to established thinking. It was like taking a painting, the one he'd created of 21st-century life and having to rub out elements and redraw others. Being consumed and incredibly grateful to be included in the project; grateful to whom and for what he thought? 

The undeserved credit for it fell on his older self, although it would have happened anyway. According to the professor, it had already happened, a fact he was reminded of after the initial meeting. It never occurred they wouldn't combine their findings and knowledge to accelerate their overall understanding. Ideas he'd harboured of collaboration and shared experience were soon shattered. He wondered how he could ever turn out like the unpleasant and ignorant character he was forced to share his life with now. Touchreik floated up the stairs two by two that evening and burst through into the accommodation, running from room to room. 

Throwing his tablet on the chair and running around until he found the professor. "I met him," he cried. "I kept myself calm, was it the same for yo..." he'd thought they would spend the first night comparing notes, dissecting the tapes and the conversation.

The professor appeared from his room and pushed out his palm.

"No," he'd said, stopping the doctor in his tracks. "We can't discuss it, I was there?" pointing a finger at his lips, the professor continued. "I've experienced it, if we discuss it and I influence your work it could change his attitude or yours. There will be time for that later."

He turned and slammed the door to his room. At the time, he'd assumed he meant 'time later' for discussing, not a 'time later' for changing attitudes. How wrong about that he was and he'd be wrong about a great many things before this was over. Shocked and hurt by the wasted opportunity, he withdrew into himself and pushed deeper into the project, with no way of knowing if his conclusions reflected those of the professors. If that was how he wanted it, then fine, he'd push on regardless. After what felt like seconds in the transporter, the door opened and the chilled air broke his reverie. In such a short space of time, barriers were being broken and bonds strengthening between himself and the subject. What had started as a delicate manipulation exercise had become natural, dare he say a feeling of kinship with the sample.

The communication channels with Nova had exceeded expectations, which was both illuminating and encouraging. There were bumps in the road, cultural misunderstandings, but that had been the point, to probe pre-shutdown culture.

The 21st-century life Nova described was very different from the one the doctor had known and grown up in. He'd described in vivid detail billions of people all mixing, touching and walking the streets. Not just of one city but thousands, all over the globe. Given some adaptation, almost the entire planet was habitable back then. In the 21st-century, humans interacted, shared space and most interestingly enjoyed physical acts of sex and love. This was no surprise; physical relationships were a necessity in his time. Male and female formed bonds and produced offspring with random DNA in the same way animals do now. 

Back then, there was no Mother to produce young or manage the DNA pool. Studying ancient history was one thing, but to actually have it confirmed by an actual ancient man was another. Touchreik wasn't alone in his tastes, but he and anyone who harboured physical desires were wise to be discreet. He missed Ramona, but since that night, he dared not see her, the professor being around was a further distraction and with this new position, it was even less likely. She'd understand, but imagining the scandal it might cause made him shudder to the bone, he could kiss the project goodbye.