A material object or process can be described on increasing scales:
subatomic/quantum
atomic
molecular
macroscopic
Manson Everard reflects on two levels of description of "...changes in time..." (p. 399):
complicated interplaying quantum functions
chains of cause and effect, including human motivations
In either case, a complete account of the lowest scale level, even if possible, might not be enough to enable a prediction of macroscopic causality.
In the Alpha timeline, Lorenzo de Conti kills Roger II at Rignano and thus prevents the birth of Roger's grandson, Frederick II, whereas, in the Beta timeline, Lorenzo marries Ilaria di Gaetani, thus preventing the birth of Gregory IX and also becoming the great-grandfather of a powerful adviser of Frederick II. The Danellian timeline needs both Frederick II and Gregory IX.
8 comments:
I thought the method they used to nullify Lorenzo's influence was unnecessarily complex and far too fragile.
Why not just wait until he's alone, hit him with a stun beam, condition him not to do what they don't want him to do, and drop him back an instant later?
Eg., roughly what they did with the rogue Conquistador in "The Year of the Ransom".
And if the first attempt doesn't work properly, then observe what goes wrong, hop back, stun and abduct him again 10 seconds after the first time, and repeat with refinements.
Well, now that you put it like that...
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
The simplest explanation for why Anderson did not adopt something similar to what you proposed here would be that he had not thought of it.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: well, he did for that conquistador in Peru. Apparently the Patrol does that sort of thing all the time. Why not here?
The first time they could have shanghaied him and implanted "don't go to fight against Roger of Sicily". The second time, "don't marry Illaria".
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
One response I can think of for why Anderson handled Lorenzo de Conti as he did in "Amazement of the World" was because it gave him the chance of examining the alpha and beta timelines. What kind of world might have come if the Church had become dominant over the state or if the state had dominated the Church.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: they could still have had that in my scenario. Of course, it would also be much duller that way on the page!
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
And that might be why Anderson wrote the story as we have it: it was more interesting that way.
Ad astra! Sean
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