Click here to read the plot summary (spoilers alert!)
People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubborn, persistent illusion.
Albert Einstein
END
This is Leon Chen, chrononaut 87H-1B, sending my report from the year 2120, according to the computer. As I’m recording this, I just witnessed the exact moment when the sun first flickered for the 10th time. The mission has failed. Going back to the year 2135.
***
This is Leon Chen, chrononaut 87H-1B from the year 2120. The sun flickered as usual for the 165th time. Even though this time it was a little late, it hasn’t changed the fact the sun will die at some point. Going back.
***
I saw my sister playing with her Barbie on the main road outside of our house. I called her. She turned to me, puzzled. Of course, I’m a creepy old man to her. I walked up and offered her favorite snack: Twinkies. While she decided to ignore me and turned away, a motorbike sped by the spot she was at before I called her.
I waved goodbye to her.
Hopefully, this time it will work.
***
I pushed her out onto the main road. A Honda nearly ran her over but I pulled her back. She hugged me like she used to.
***
This is Leon Chen, traveler 87H-1B, speaking from the year 2116 as I was appointed. This is my first trip, and I know this is unnecessary, but the sunlight is FREAKIN AWESOME. I mean, seriously, I thought I remembered how it felt, but it feels so different when you stand under the sunlight. I was almost blinded when I first opened my eyes in this timeline. No more artificial light.
(Cough) I’m sorry. I got carried away. I saw myself from across the street flooded with petrol-driven automobiles. The world reeked of polluted gas. He (I?) was supposed to meet a girl I used to date. With my mask on, I asked a florist to do me a favor: give him the bouquet I bought. The florist was shocked that I paid a thousand dollars for a bouquet of roses. Roses are this expensive on our timeline.
He would need it. I would need it to win the girl back.
He looked around when he received the bouquet. Don’t worry. I stayed out of sight. He shrugged and walked into the girl’s apartment.
I wish someone could have done the same for me.
I know I have to leave as soon as possible before gravity snaps me into shreds. If only I could stay longer…
***
Something’s been interfering with the results. I’ll look into it.
***
He saw me. It was an accident. My timer went off just in time while he was running towards me. When I got back here, I realized I was five minutes late. Roger took my timer away for diagnostic purposes. I went through the most thorough medical examination I’d ever had to see if the prolonged stay in the past harmed me in any way, physically or mentally.
***
This isn’t supposed to happen. All the chrononauts have made so many attempts, but we still cannot find a reason for the sun’s death.
None of the altered timelines averted the ending. This is my 579th chronojump and probably my last. Honestly, I hope we can share our findings with each other so that we aren’t as confused, or perhaps we can work together.
***
I’m sorry I didn’t hear the timer. I’m fully aware of the risk I’m putting myself under.
I wrote him a letter. I told him everything about the future and how desperate humanity would be. I told him; eventually, he’ll get married to a woman named Charlotte and have a son named Lucas, but Lucas would die of leukemia at the age of five, and his marriage, our marriage would fall apart.
I slipped it under the door. This place where I used to live had been demolished. On my way up here, the landlady thought I looked familiar. I gave her a hug and told her she looked beautiful. I didn’t get to tell her this before she died, alone in her room.
This could be our only way to break this cycle.
Meeting someone I know. Meeting myself.
Create a paradox.
***
I have something to confess.
The previous time when I was in the machine, before I jumped back into time, I had a vision. It was bright light at first. It was soothing. Something was touching me. I heard a conversation behind it but couldn’t tell what it was about.
I hope this is helpful. Maybe something will change after my encounter with this.
***
I’m surprised I still get emotional when I see the world fading into bone-chilling blue.
Five years of staying on this timeline sometimes makes me want to forget about the future and relive the past. I haven’t decided when to return, but I promise I will.
The life-supporting equipment doesn’t work anymore, but I am still alive and kicking. I no longer need it. Maybe this weird resistance has gradually built up inside me over the years of chronobending. Roger, I hope you were here to tell me that. God, I miss talking to you so much, my friend. I tried looking for you in this timeline, but you seemed to have immigrated to Russia.
I got myself another first pair of anti-gravity boots. I started to feel myself losing hold of the ground from time to time. A little disoriented when I put them on. The second version of them is coming next fall. I’ll have to bear with these.
Every night, in my dreams, I see events with infinite variations happening in multiple universes. I don’t know if they were real or just random dreams, but I hope they didn’t actually happen. Because every single one of them had the same ending.
***
(Incomprehensible language)
***
isawrogerhewasrightherewithmebuthecouldntseeorhearme
isawcharlotteshewaspregnantandlucaswasstandinginfrontofhergrave
thesunisgonecompletelygonepeoplearefrozentodeaththegravityreversedandidontseeanythingelseanymore
LIGHT
IHEARTHELIGHTSCALLING
whatishappeningwithmewhatthefuckishappeningwithme
***
We’ve repeatedly witnessed the end of our solar system, yet we still hoped that the universe would fix the mistake itself. How funny?
***
I’m dead. I mean, the one in this timeline was dead. I died of cancer.
How am I still here?
***
We finally met face-to-face after years of passing by each other. We had a talk at my place.
***
Leon Chen, chrononaut 87H-1B, speaking from 2125.
I am paraplegic in this timeline.
No way.
***
Leon Chen, chrononaut 87H-1B, speaking from 2129.
The sun flickered. I saw myself being packed into a body bag. Suicide.
(Incomprehensible language)
***
This is the threshold, the critical mass humans must go over to break this loop.
The purpose lay still on the other side, the other dimension, where time didn’t exist. A place where I never existed.
***
This is Leon Chen, chrononaut 87H-1B, speaking from the year 2107, as I was appointed. This is my first chronojump, and I know this is unnecessary, but the sunlight is FREAKIN AWESOME.
END
