| Chapter 4: Paradox Oh, they knew it to be the Earth. Rudimentary continents and oceans, recognizable features, but very, very old.... or, more correctly, new features. They knew, because of the scouting expedition sent down just yesterday. They had not encountered the World President, but instead, ?Ugghh? the caveman. It would seem their knowledge would go to waste. They had blasted off in anger, setting several trees alight. No matter. It would burn down soon enough. Jones called a ship?s council. ?I want to have a brainstorming session,? he said severely, looking out at the grave faces around him. ?Any idea, no matter how ludicrous, must be said so we can get this information back to our modern times. We cannot stay here permanently, because though it would be a great way to live out the rest of our lives, we would know too much and forever alter the course of history. Besides, there are unknown diseases out there, and we would probably not last a week. Any bright ideas?? There were many suggestions. Bean was all for attempting to go through another black hole and trying to find our way back to Earth, but Jones ruled that out. ?We could end up anywhere, anytime, and there would be no guarantee of this stuff ever getting back to Earth.? Ranz wanted to bury the ship somewhere on Earth. Even before Jones could consider it, Johnson ruled it out. ?One, we couldn?t dig it deep enough,? he told the flustered Ranz, ?two, we couldn?t be sure they would ever find it, and three, even if they did find it, they could find it anytime and it would create severe paradoxes.? Lancaster had wanted to become Tarzan down there, so was quietly pouting. Jones couldn?t come up with one either. It fell squarely on Johnson?s shoulders. You could see him talking to himself, whirring that computerized brain of his away. ?EUREKA!? he shouted. ?What?? said everyone else. ?All right. You know how, just before we left, they were going to send up a manned probe to the far side of Pluto?? There was nodded assent. ?Well, all we need to do is fly there, seal our notes and recordings in a ?time capsule?, and then it will be found just after we left for Cygnus.? ?Of course,? he added, suddenly frowning, ?we would have to euthenize ourselves, because as we didn?t bring any suspended animation pills with us, we would die well before sixty thousand years are up.? He paused, a look of intense concentration upon his face. ?But maybe, just maybe, with some components harvested here from these plants on earth, what we have on the ship and Pluto?s chemical makeup, I could create some. And, ? he said with a wry grin, ?if I can?t, and we mercy kill ourselves in some quiet way, maybe they could bring us back to life in the future.? He turned from crewmember to crewmember, who each nodded assent. ?Well, then,? said Jones, a grim smile on his face, ?let?s get cracking.? The crew began to busy themselves with the task of survival at hand. |
| Epilogue -> |