Devil's Paradise

20: Outcomes: Forward

Merlin's ideas for traveling into the future were not much different from the past. Odds are you will be knocked out, so try to wear something so you won't bash your nose again.

I looked at my broken nose in the mirror. It was crooked, ugly, and very tender.

He said a pistol in a hip holster was a good idea, but I shouldn't have anything in my hands. Falling unconscious with a rifle in my hands would just make the rifle available to anyone close.

And I should dress for winter weather, just in case.

An hour later, I was back in the lab, geared for my jump.

"Merlin," I said, "It occurs to me that you should not let Delilah know I've jumped to the future—at least, not until after I've arrived today and jumped to last night."

"I had surmised that, Louis."

"And when I come in this morning, you should act as if none of this happened, so I don't change anything I do."

Merlin hesitated several seconds, and said, "Louis, to do that, I will have to mislead you. Are you telling me it is okay to lie to you?"

I chuckled. "It's a special circumstance, but yes."

"Very well."

I got the backpack on, then noticed the whistling from the pen on the floor. "Merlin, what should we do about the two guinea pigs? They'll be a dead giveaway that I jumped back in time."

"Why not take one with you?"

I blinked. "I suppose I could at that. How did Gertrude react last night?"

"She collapsed as you did, but she was on her feet and moving away before you even came through. I don't have sufficient data for a projection, but a working hypothesis might be that the more complex the nervous system, the greater the impact."

"Heh. Alicia always said I was too smart for my own good. Okay, I'll take one of the pigs with me. Merlin?"

"Yes, Louis?"

"Do you think there is any chance I will run into you in the future?"

"I do not know about collisions, but if it is possible, I will try to watch for your return. Perhaps I can do something to keep you safe when you emerge."

"Now that is an idea I like. Keep thinking about ways to travel back before the machine, okay?"

"I will."

"And don't let Delilah control you."

"I won't."

"Go ahead and activate the machine." I bent over to pick up one of the Gertrudes. One of the pigs ran and hid as the machine started to make sounds. I picked up the other one.

"Activating machine. Louis, remember, you have to enter the machine from the other side."

"Right." I walked around the machine to the far side. Gertrude struggled in my hand as I got near it, but got calm again as I moved away.

"Merlin, what if I picked up the Gertrude who didn't already travel in time?"

"What if you did?"

"Won't the other one be stuck in an infinite loop?"

"Forty seconds until the field becomes unstable, Louis. I do not know the answer to your question, but I don't think it matters."

"Why not?"

"Because the only Gertrude that matters is going forward with you."

"Really?" It would matter to me if I were Gertrude. "Anyway, here we go."

"Louis?"

"Yes, Merlin?"

"Good luck. I will wait for you."

"Thanks."

I ran forward at the machine. Gertrude struggled in my hand and bit me, but I didn't drop her. I leapt through the field's intolerable brightness, and everything vanished.

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