10 Minute Tales, Part 2

Aug 29 - Cannot be Undone

The time machine's whirring grew quiet as it cooled down. According to the display, it had successfully brought him back to his time - one minute exactly after his departure, despite being away for hours. He had collected some artefacts to prove the device had worked - only minor items, things nobody would miss. He threw the door open with pride.

"I'm back!" he declared as he exited the time machine. The other scientists were there, but they seemed to ignore him. "I brought some cutlery and a pot from the Roman era, as new as the day they had been made!" He gestured into the time machine, at the goods in question. Still he was ignored. "Uh... guys?" he looked around at them, more confused than ever.

"They will not hear you." a new voice called, one he didn't recognise. He looked over, surprised. The speaker was a woman with incredibly long hair and a dress that sparkled as the galaxies sparkled. "You have violated the laws of time, after all."

"What's going on?" he asked. "Who are you? Why are they ignoring me?"

"You took items, did you not? Using a simple camera could have done the job in and of itself." The woman frowned and crossed her arms, hair flowing with this motion. "Even the most subtle of changes can bring about a terrible fate for the undeserving."

"What do you mean?"

"The pot contained water that saved a person's life. This ripple effect would echo throughout the eons, eventually coming to meet the person that would have come to be in this time."

"This time?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because of your actions, that person no longer exists. You have taken a life by taking that pot. The ripples have come through the ages, eventually reaching you."

"Me?" he looked at the other scientists. They had walked into the machine and were examining the goods.

"These seem authentic." one said, holding a fork up. "And yet... where is he?"

"He had to be inside to use the machine." another commented.

"He has to be in here somewhere, then." the first replied.

"What's going on, guys?" the traveller called out, exasperated. "I'm right here!"

"Only in spirit." the woman replied, shaking her head slightly. "You eliminated a distant ancestor of yours, thus you are removed from life itself."

-----

"Wait, my ancestor? What were the odds?" he did some calculations. "I don't... understand..."

"The tree of life has many branches, but few roots. Your kind enjoyed travelling so much, it would be difficult for you to not eliminate your own line."

"Wh-what do I do now?"

"Technically, there should be nothing you can do. However, you've caught me in a..." she smiled slightly. "Playful mood."

"H-huh?"

"Use the time machine. Get all the belongings back to their rightful place, but only after your departure from before."

"R-right!" he rushed over to the machine, but a gentle hand on her shoulder stopped him.

"Without using the time machine."

"What?!" he exclaimed, disbelieving. "How am I supposed to go back there without it?"

"Use your imagination." she smiled. "You will find your current state has its perks."