Doctor Time - Prologue

The robot had a few versions of how this encounter would go in it’s processor. It had crunched the simulation of the events, and determined the likelihood of a paradox was high. 

 

Nathan, a Time Pilot after three years at the Time University stepped toward the TimeShip. The robot flew out, square and nondescript except for a screen on the front that could display Time Neutral syntax.

“I remember something like you from when I was a kid. It was why I wanted to get into Time Machines. Did you kidnap me when I was younger?” Nathan asked the robot.

It’s internal CPU got stuck in a loop. Yes/No, Yes/No. It didn’t like either answer. It had requested a Time Scout and Jade showed up. She arrived with a small upgrade board that she plugged into a port on the outside.

One loop later and it was there again, the board integrated into it’s design and it’s screen was offloaded into the ship, which could have a different Time/Space reference than the robot. 

 

The basic safeties in the robot didn’t quite process the logic, but thought it was for a good reason.

This time when Nathan asked the question it docked with the ship and it spat out the answer instead. “Partially Integrated.”

Jade looked at the display and thought it could do better. She jumped out of the loop and grabbed a board from Doctor Time as well, and went back to the same Time and Space coordinates. The previous meetings had since fallen into a Time fissure, real, but not contributing to the true timeline anymore.

“I remember something like you from when I was a kid. It was why I wanted to get into Time Machines. Did you kidnap me when I was younger?” Nathan asked the robot.

/Whir-Clunk-Thud/ said the robot.

Jade looked puzzled, but Nathan just smiled.

“He’s saying ‘Maybe later’ – it’s the same noise the robot made in the past, when I asked if I could stay in the future with it. At least, that’s what I figured it meant. The robot I remember was a bit different. Cooler looking.”

The robot hummed. Internal Logic Check – Passed said the screen on the Time ship.

Jade took the robot aside as a screen in the ship showed an incoming paradox. “Let’s get you a makeover”