A Hard Fork In Time: Tesla's Departure (Part 2)
Thanks for taking the opportunity to check out my post. If you didn't catch Part 1 of the story, you should probably go back and read it before continuing...
Now, without further ado, the conclusion of:
“I never dreamed I would meet the great Thomas Edison!” the familiar voice rang out excitedly from the ether.
“Who said that? Show yourself!” Edison barked into the empty room. “I must be mad. I’m hearing voices.”
“Oh, you don’t see me?” replied the disembodied voice. “Hold on. Let me adjust the frequency on this thing.”
A rather translucent haze began to form in front of the office door. Edison began to notice the form of a man fading in and out of view until all at once a full-bodied apparition appeared in front of him. He stood flabbergasted with mouth agape for a good thirty seconds before either party spoke.
“You’d be surprised at how often I get this response.” The apparition spoke with smooth fluidity, barely pausing between sentences. “Well, you probably wouldn’t, because you have no idea what’s going on, but-”
“It’s a damned ghost!” Edison interrupted. “How can that be?”
“What is it with you historical folks and your obsession with ghosts? That’s always the first conclusion you draw. It could be a million other things: angels, demons, an interdimensional rift-”
“That must be it! I’ve gone mad! I am hallucinating!” Edison reasoned aloud to himself as the apparition rambled on, but he was in such shock that none of the words even registered as coherent.
“-but all anyone ever seems to be able to come up with is ‘ghost’. Just one time I want to be something cool. Why doesn’t anyone ever mistake me for an apparition of Jesus? With my dark complexion and eyes, I bear a striking resemblance to him; although not to the modern depiction that most people are familiar with, I guess.”
The apparition noticed that Edison had fallen silent and was now staring at him--studying him intently. He was experienced enough in these matters to recognize that this was his opening. He stopped his rambling complaint about his job and turned his full attention to his target.
“Well, Mr. Edison, I assume you are just brimming with questions right about now.”
By this time, Edison had regained his composure and was more overtaken with curiosity than with fear. “What are you?” he asked incredulously.
“Has HG Wells released The Time Machine, yet?”
“That’s ridiculous! There is no such thing as time travel, and HG Wells isn’t any inventor that I’ve ever heard of!”
“No! The nov-” The apparition began to growl, but he stopped himself mid sentence. “Apparently not. I knew I should have paid more attention during the mission briefing”, he said to himself. “What year is it?” he asked.
“It’s 1884, of course! How could you not know the year?” Edison exclaimed.
“I have a feeling I’m going to hear that exact question again when I get back.” The spectre continued to ramble, “And, I guess I deserve it. I was off by over a decade! Get your crap together, Breck!”
“So you have a name,” declared Edison.
“What?” The apparition sounded alarmed as his gaze shot up to meet Edison’s.
“Breck. You just referred to yourself as Breck.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you most certainly did!”
“I most certainly did NOT! I am known as Traveller T-05253, and that’s what you shall call me!” demanded Breck. “So, now that we’ve established who I am,” his demeanor changed, and his voice took on a more serious tone, “allow me to address your question of what I am.”
Edison stared back intently.
“I am what you might call a time traveller. My physical body currently exists in January 13th of the year 2108.”
Edison’s brow furrowed. It only just now dawned on him that he hadn’t actually been looking at a physical object, but rather a projection of sorts. Though he could clearly see the entity that he had been communicating with, he could also clearly make out the design of his Edison Machine Works logo intricately carved into the door behind it.
Breck continued, “I work for an underground agency engaged in an ongoing opposition against the government.”
“Opposition against which government?” Edison asked sharply.
“Against the only government that has been in existence since 2073.”
“You truly expect me to believe what you’re saying?” Edison asked rhetorically. “That you are a time traveller from the future?”
“I suppose you have a better explanation?” Breck asked.
Edison lunged across the desk to touch his apparition, but his hand swiped right through as if nothing was there, just as he had feared. He righted himself and stood up in front of Breck. “So am I to believe that you can tell me what my future holds?” he asked.
“Well, it doesn’t exactly work like that. You see, my very presence here has created a hard fork off of the original timeline.”
“A hard fork?” Edison inquired.
“Um.” Breck sighed in frustration. “Think of it as a branch off of the old path that will now run parallel to it. Everything that has ever happened in my timeline remains the same for me. I’m stuck in this mess. But you, Mr. Edison. You represent the beginning of a new, possibly different and hopefully better future for your new timeline!”
Edison thought for a moment. It was true: he had no better explanation for this force majeure. He knew without a doubt that he was awake and lucid. He had not imbibed, though he would definitely do so once all of this was over. What else could it be?, he thought to himself.
“Breck,”
The apparition shook its head fiercely. “Traveller T-05253,” he amended sharply.
Edison continued without correcting himself, “let’s assume that I am able to suspend my disbelief for a few moments. Why are you here? In my office? At this particular moment? Is this some sort of pivot point in time?”
“Already catching on!” Breck exclaimed.”Mr. Edison, you are every bit the genius that the future makes you out to be. If my timing is correct, you just had a meeting with one Nikola Tesla, am I right?”
“You would be correct. Tell me, does he make good on his promise to have those machines working?”
“Yep! And with time to spare, just like he said.”
“Splendid!” Edison replied.
“Not so much,” Breck retorted.
“What do you mean?”came the reply.
“In my timeline, events unfold just as you hope they would. Tesla finishes the job. You pay him his bonus. The two of you become inseparable friends and business partners, multiplying your $50,000 investment exponentially.”
“Where’s the problem?” Edison seemed confused.
“There won’t be one until long after you and your counterpart are dead and gone. The company that you two create will be passed down through the generations, equally shared between the families, becoming more and more profitable and powerful. That is, until one from Tesla’s tree makes a deal with the devil that will be paid out in the blood of the innocent, beginning with the last of your lineage, Mr. Edison.”
Edison’s eyes widened in dismay. “How can that be? Explain yourself!” he demanded.
Breck began to elaborate. “I alluded earlier to a single government that would take power in 2073.”
“Yes.”
“That cou d’eta will be brought on by none other than Tesla.”
Breck noticed the puzzled look on Edison’s face and immediately realized his mistake. “Not your Tesla. Tesla’s ancestor. I hate trying to explain what’s going on in all of these different timelines. I always muck it up!”
“Anyway!” he continued, “Tesla’s ancestor gets an under-the-table offer from a very powerful individual who wants to buy some of your…” Brecks eyes roll. “... their tech for use in offensive military weapons."
Ever the pacifist, a visage of outrage possessed Edison's face.
Breck continued, "Well, the company has a long-standing rule that forbids the use of its technology for any military purposes other than defensive capabilities, so the only way that he can accept is to rid himself of the Edison half of the company, who is as staunchly opposed to violence as you are; an act he promptly carries out in gruesome fashion.”
“Stop right there. You’re getting a little vague. I need names, man! And lineages! I'll ensure none of them ever see birth!” Edison interjected.
“I can’t give names. This encounter represents a deviation from the original timeline. Who knows what your future holds! It may contain many of the same characters that are present in my timeline, but they may be totally different people in completely different circumstances. An antagonist from my timeline may end up being one of the most important protagonists your timeline will ever see! If I mention any names, it could create a bias against them that could hinder their potential and change your course in ways we never could have anticipated.”
“I see,” Edison mumbled. “Then, tell me about this weapon.”
“Weapons in the plural sense, I’m afraid. Your inventions, along with Nikola Tesla’s have the potential for great good! The two of you combined will provide power to the entire world! People will be able to talk to and even see their loved ones all the way from the other side of the globe! Breaking news will be able to circumvent the planet in mere seconds! All of this, Mr. Edison, because of you.
Thomas Edison postured proudly.
“But, for all of the good that your inventions will do in the world, they will have an even greater potential for evil. Once the great dictator gets his hands on those combined generations of technology, he will prove unstoppable. Millions will be slain for attempting to revolt and millions more simply for sport. I have been sent here to this very moment so that I might convince you to change this new path, hopefully for the better.”
Edison sat for a moment in deep thought. “What can I do to change such a dismal future?”
“I don’t know.” Breck paused in thought. “I truly don’t know. I can say that the events in my future are brought about by one of Tesla’s ancestors. Perhaps, if the partnership between the two families had never formed in the first place, he wouldn’t have been in a position to sign away the technology. But, who’s to say?”
“I’ll go at once and fire Nikola!” Edison began toward the door.
“Hold your horses there, cowboy. We can’t go making any hasty moves without thinking about the future consequences. Those machines that you have him working on are extremely important to your timeline’s future.”
“But, you said Tesla’s involvement leads to destruction!”
“I said the Edison-Tesla partnership leads to destruction. Ideally, we would find a way to dissolve that partnership before it even begins without disrupting the technological advances that come with it.”
Both stood there contemplating the situation for several minutes.
It was Breck who finally broke the silence “What if you just didn’t pay up? Let him finish the job and then make up an excuse to not give him the money.”
“Holding out on $50,000? I’d say that would do the trick!” Edison sounded appalled at the idea. “But, I gave the man my word.”
“The future of your world is at stake, Mr. Edison. Some things are more important that one man’s word.”
Edison sat for a moment with a disgruntled look on his face. He didn’t like the idea of breaking a deal, but what choice would he have? Then, it hit him like a jolt of electricity. “Why didn’t we think of it before? I’ll pay him the $50,000, but then I’ll cut all ties with the man!”
Breck sat silently for several moments as if waiting for something. “Nope! Not gonna work!”, he finally erupted.
“What do you mean it won’t work? How can you know that?”
“I’m still here. The technology that went into the machine that allows me to communicate with you through time and space came out of the Edison-Tesla partnership. Since I’m still here, that means the technology still exists. I can only assume that you’re still on a track that leads you to work with Tesla. Edison, you can’t give him that money!”
“How am I supposed to get out of it? I gave the man my word!”
“I don’t know! Tell him it was a joke!” Breck laughed sarcastically. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
“Tell him it was a joke.” Edison repeated bitterly. He turned and meandered to his window, thoughts rolling through his mind. “Tell him it was a joke,” he half whispered to himself. The thought seemed to be growing on him. Besides, he didn’t have any other ideas. He stood there watching the people below for several minutes. "Tell him it was a joke." he repeated one last time.
Finally, he had made his decision. “Breck,” he stated resolutely. “I’ve made up my mind,” he said as he began to turn away from the window. “I will-,” he stopped mid-sentence.
Breck was no longer there.
Edison jolted around his desk to the spot where his apparition had stood. "It can't be!" he exclaimed as he frantically began a search of his entire office for the specter that he had just spent the last half-hour consulting with. His inspection failed to turn up even the slightest hint of Brecks existence. Edison tried to convince himself that he had, in fact, gone mad; that the whole episode had been some sort of hallucination. But, deep down, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he alone now held the keys to the future. He slowly walked back to his desk, poured himself a neat scotch, and sunk into his chair. He could never tell anyone of the evening's events, lest he be dubbed a mad man, but he knew what had to be done. Tesla would never see that money!
I hope you enjoyed A Hard Fork In Time: Tesla's Departure. Please, let me know what you think in the comments! But be gentle! This has been my first attempt at fiction.
Also, if you think your followers might enjoy the story, give it a ReSteem!
Some of the source material that I used for inspiration:
The Oct 1 episode of The Conspiracy Show w/ Richard Syrett
Nikola Tesla's Autobiography, My Inventions
This LiveScience article.
This article from Open Mind
useful post . thanks