NationStates Jolt Archive


Back to the Future

Hagbard
19-05-2005, 13:18
"So, how does this work again?"

The technition sighed, rolling his eyes, "Do you want the easy explination or the technical one, ma'am?"

Maris pondered the question briefly, "Let's start with the easy one."

"Essentially, it's a controlled temporal fall. The device manipulates strings to 'drop the floor' out from under the team, causing them to move backward in time. Moving back forward is... rather more difficult."

Maris nodded, not even thinking about asking for the technical explination, she barely understood the 'easy' one. "But... we'll be able to get the back, right?"

The tech smirked, "In theory, ya." He shrugged, "Of course, time's a little goofy like that, ya know? It could take us thirty years to figure it out and still send them to when they're supposed to arrive at." He chuckled as Maris' face twisted in utter confusion, "Celine will be thrilled, ma'am. This has the touch of Eris all over it."

Maris quickly nodded, "No doubt."

---

The three men and two women stood in the chamber, looking around nervously. They weren't sure what to expect, they couldn't know what to expect. The wore gaudy silver jumpsuits with small golden apples on their left breast; not for any scientific reason, of course. The techies just liked making them look foolish, and the 'Temporal Sojourners' were in no place to argue. A long checklist was reviewed several times, some of the items of dubious import, but nobody complained. Finally, the countdown started, following a completely disjointed pattern. From what anybody could guess, they were using irrational numbers on this particular day.

When the screen displayed "KALLISTI", a low hum filled the room; the techies seemed calm enough, but the Temoral Sojourners looked utterly terrified. They were starting to have second thoughts and one was just about to raise his concerns when they all disappeared.

"That's it?" Maris looked a little perturbed. "I mean, no smoke? No light? No flashes? Just... poof?"

"Well, technically, there wasn't a 'poof', either. But what did you expect? They went through time. I mean... this ain't some dippy sci-fi movie."

Maris blinked and shook her head. She turned on her heel, her black boots scuffing the floor slightly, "Let me know when the get back."
Hagbard
20-05-2005, 14:42
George looked around in surprise. He'd been expecting something to happen, but there had simply been a slight sinking sensation and then the world changed around him. He wasn't sure if he'd really expected to see everything rewinding before his eyes, but he really had thought there'd be something.

"Flaxounce for your thoughts, George?"

"Hmm? No... just a little disappointed, I guess." He smiled at Elaine, one of the two women on the team.

She smiled, "You watch too many bad sci-fi movies. The eggheads never said anything about a show."

"Well, yeah," George shrugged, "Still... you would have thought there'd be something. I mean, this is making time travel seem... mundane."

"Ah, quit bitching," Hank piped up. "Look, we're back in time. What more in Eris' name to you need, man?"

"I dunno? Some lights? People walking backwards? I mean, look," he pointed to his watch, "it didn't even budge!"

Elaine blinked, "Of course it didn't. We didn't rewind, we fell back."

"Yeah," Hank added, "it's not like your watch is tied into some Universal Time Constant or anything." He shook his head, muttering, "Next he'll be rambling on about the 'Space-Time Continuum'..."

George shot him a dark look, "I heard that. Come on. Let's just get a fucking newspaper and be done with this."

"Ya know," Ralph mused, "seems kinda odd to send five people just to get a newspaper."

"I'm sure they had... have... will have? their reasons," George replied with little conviction. He was getting confused already.

"Hey! I've got an idea!" Susan had been quiet the whole time until now, "Why don't we buy some stuff. Oh! Or bet on some races!"

"We can't do that!"

"Why not? Inflation means our flax is worth more, and we already know who's gonna win."

George shook his head, "No betting. But... well... I guess some souvenirs couldn't hurt. Just try not to go nuts, okay?"