Doctor Time - Epilogue 1

 

Doctor Time was in the middle of things.

 

He had just finished talking to himself as Professor Time. He realized that with enough random memories and life experience to act on, he could be very different people. He could go along with that route, becoming a noted academic, but that was already done. Or was it?

If he didn’t do it, would that version of him vanish, or would it continue on? He shifted his jacket's colour just to give some mental distance.

He felt in his pocket for his Sonic Pen. “Happy Imminent Retirement Doctor” it said, the sound muffled in the fabric. Who’s voice was it? The Universities safeties nipped at the edges of his mind.

Considering the small paradox associated with it, it couldn’t be Zapp. He remembered he had done the work on the Anti-Null Pulse between classes, but the antenna was University property.

He wondered who did the high level decisions at the University. Zapp and the robots seemed to have final say as to Safe or Not, but he had seen more and more exceptions lately.

Did he really want out of the University, or was there something left to do here?

His mind wandered on the various possible paths that could be taken, then he felt the stirring of an old memory.

He rushed back to his office, which seemed to be closed for an investigation of something. He wandered the halls till he saw a much younger version of himself duck into a room followed by the blue, fancy version of iOi that was normally limited to his office.

/Whir-Click-Tick-Thunk/ It said to him. “Yes. I think I can do this now.”

With that he stepped into the room and introduced himself as Doctor Time. Nathan spoke to his younger self, describing his job, the stories he was doing in his off time and who he knew. He knew that the details were meaningful and meaningless at the same time but kept talking. Other versions of himself would fill in the gaps and talk about the same people in a different light. The stories wouldn’t quite match up, but then they never could. As he got too specific, other memories crowded out what he was going to say, and he’d remember a variation of what happened.

It was like trying to make a model out of water in zero g. Rather than trying to shape something specific, he felt like it was more important to give it a colour. He talked about what they could do with time, and how things built on other things, even out of order.

The robot gave a warning /Tick-Tick-Whirr/ “What do you mean iOi?” said the young version of himself. Nathan didn’t remember that, but he wanted to make sure his younger self didn’t feel stuck in an inescapable series of events either.

/Tick-Whir-Tick/ said iOi more insistently. He got out his Sonic Pen to translate. Something he has seen the Professor do. He should remember how to talk to iOi but things were different somehow.

The boy grabbed it and fiddled with the settings. “Happy Imminent Retirement Doctor” he said into the recorder.

The Universities Safeties squealed and burnt out. iOi and the boy vanished through a Time Door -- off to explore another set of choices.

Doctor Time started to feel his head spin, but talked himself through it. “Just another paradox. Nothing to worry about.”

He grabbed the nearest memories and got himself oriented. It was of him as a young child imagining and being excited about the promise of Time Travel. Being a hero and rescuing people from evil versions of themselves and killer robots.

He went down to the drama room and saw a costume laid out for him. Space Cowboy. On it was a note. “Sorry about the office, but this should make up for it – Jade”

Inside the pocket was the keys to a TimeShip, the Impossible Lightning.

“Shiny” said Captain Time, to no-one in particular.

Jade clicked in through the speakers anyway. “Ah, Captain Time, you’re needed in iteration...” /static/

“Say again Jade. What iteration?” Says the Captain.

“Never mind. Just jump in the ship and we’ll see what shakes out.”