Black to the Past

Chapter 22

They followed the older man into one of the private classrooms off the main lobby of the library. Fortunately for them, it was not in use. There was a large circular table situated in front of a white board. They took seats facing the white board since the older man had positioned himself with a dry erase marker in his hand and was standing at the board.
"My name is Professor Harold."
"And is Harold your first or last name," Halle wanted to know.
"That's immaterial. But for you, it's my first name. It's what I've always been known as. My last name is not important."
"Or maybe, it's so important that you don't want anyone to know," Meredith muttered under her breath.
"Shh, Meredith," Wilson said, glaring at her. He simply wanted to hear what the old man who called himself Professor Harold had to say.
"I heard you all upstairs talking about your project. I became instantly intrigued at the young man's idea. Tell me about the project," Professor Harold inquired.
"We have to answer the question - If you could go back in time, how would you warn Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to avoid assassination and would he listen to you? Why or why not?" Wilson explained.
"I see. And how would you warn him? What exactly would you say and how can you know if he would listen to you or not?"
The Professor was asking them a very genuine and thought provoking question. It was exactly what Halle had asked herself.
"Furthermore, children, what would the consequences be if you warned him?"
"What makes you think there would be consequences," Jalen asked. It was something he had never thought about.
"Oh, if you change just one event in history, there will be consequences. I learned that the hard way," Professor Harold explained as if he'd somehow affected time.
"Yeah, right. Come on you guys," Meredith was staring at the old professor with serious disbelief in her eyes.
"No, wait. You mean, if we did go back in time, and we were able to warn MLK then you're saying that his reaction or response could have consequences that changes what has already happened in what we know of as the present?" Jalen wanted to know seriously.
"That is exactly what I am saying young man," the professor said looking deep into Jalen's eyes.
Here was an intelligent young man the Professor thought.
"And you're saying consequences? Like as opposed to what? What if we warn him and he lives and the future still turned out the same, like the way it is now?" Wilson wanted to know.
Another intelligent kid, the professor thought to himself.
"It is impossible for you to change an event and the effects not to have consequences, good or bad, or good and bad which is what is most likely to happen. What your teacher is suggesting to you all with her questions is that if you could get the great doctor to believe you, that he will be killed, assassinated even; and the doctor heeds your warning and therefore his death does not occur, all the events that followed as a result of his death would never occur. You must ask yourself this question: what would the world look like had Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never died?"
Professor Harold stood at the white board and let that very thought-provoking question hang in the air.
"Let me paint you a picture," he took up the marker and started to draw a timeline.
On the timeline he put several years starting with 1821. The next year was 1832. Next came 1854, 1866, 1869, 1875 and a few other years were listed. Both Jalen and Michael were beginning to see a pattern.
"Those are all years that were significant to what we now know is the modern computer," Jalen said.
"Yeah, either a company, person, or some concept that is now a part of computers was developed in those years. But you could have gone back way farther than that," Michael added.
"I could have, but you get my point. What if I wipe out just one of these years? What if Tanaka Seizo-sho never merged with shibaura Seisaku-sho to create Toshiba in 1875?"
"What the Size-oh-seis-asho is this asshole talking about," Meredith cried out in frustration. "What in the world does that have to do with time travel and what does any of it have to with our MLK project? You guys, we're wasting valuable time!"
"Let me finish," Professor Harold asked her quietly. He waited for her to acknowledge him.
"Fine," Meredith said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"If any of these events had not taken place, we might not have the modern computer. Or if one of the events that took place were altered, it would have at the very least altered the timeline of the modern day computer which, as these gentlemen know, took centuries to come about. If you go and change one aspect of the life of Dr. MLK as you all call him, you will change history. In order for you to have a thorough well thought out project, if the doctor takes heed of your warning and saves his own life, you'll need to analyze the cost of that decision as a part of your project. What better way to test your theory than to travel through time, warn him, then come back and find out what happens," the professor paused and looked into each of their eyes slowly for dramatic affect.
"I can see you all don't believe this is possible," Professor Harold said to them.
Jalen's mind was blown. Here was an older man, a "professor," stating that time travel was possible. "How do we know what you're saying is true?"
"You don't."
"How is it possible?" Michael asked.
"I own the machine," the professor stated simply. "I've been back in time many times. I have one more trip left in me but I need to pass on my technology to someone."
"Why not the government?" Halle asked.
"I don't trust the government," the professor responded honestly.
"Hmm," was all Meredith could add to the conversation. She was looking at Wilson. She wanted to know if anyone could relate to the incredible disbelief she was feeling.
"Where is it?" Jalen wanted to know.
"There's a building. I'm sure you've passed it many times. It's private property. My private property. Of course, if you agree to come to my home, learn my setup, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Nothing comes without a price, right," Meredith pointed out.
"No, it doesn't. But what I need in return from you is considerably smaller than what you will be receiving from me," Professor Harold promised.
"I don't know about all this," Wilson said standing up. His idea was a gag. Black to the Future, a funny story that would be creative enough for their teacher to realize that they'd given the assignment serious thought. But now this! A man in front of them telling them that time travel was not only possible, it was something he had done before.
"Young man, what is your name?"
"Wilson."
"Wilson, this was all your idea. Are you saying that now that you have the opportunity, you don't want to explore it?"
"My idea was a joke. I was being funny, okay?"
"But it's not a joke anymore. Do you have the balls to put out?"
"You don't have to test me! I've never heard of anything like this before, except in the movies. You look like that quack professor in the movie, that's for sure. But who's to say that you're not trying to lure us to your house to kill us or something?"
Shaking his head the professor hung it low, "it's a sad state of affairs when the children of the world aren't able to trust their elders." Looking up he felt defeated. In all the passing years he'd not once found a group he trusted to take on the task that he would need from this group of young people and he wasn't getting any older. In fact, he was dying. He wanted to take one last trip before he left this earth for good. All the time travel in the world hadn't found him the one thing he'd been looking for - the fountain of youth.
But maybe, here is what the fountain of youth truly was. That life goes on. And we have but one thing to do which is to share our knowledge with the next generation so that life could go on.
"I'll tell you kids what," the professor continued. "It's a lot to digest. You still have a lot of research. Figure out what point you would go back in time to in order to most effectively warn the great doctor. And I want each of you to think of a time in history that you could go back to and just be an innocent bystander. Think about if you could go back in time with me. If you can, meet me here in three days. That's Friday. Three days. I'll see you all then," the professor said and left their lives as quickly as he'd come into it.