This chapter, headed 1137 A. D., is followed by another headed 1137alpha A. D. because the temporal alteration to which the Time Patrol is responding occurs later in that year. The text uses the Greek letter, "alpha," which is not on my keyboard.
In 1137, at Patrol milieu HQ in the city of Mainz in the Holy Roman Empire, Manse Everard informs two other agents about the imminent temporal alteration: the director, Otto Koch, who addresses Unattached agent Everard as "'Herr Freiagent,'" (p. 312), and Karel Novak, a temporal policeman who will accompany Everard into 1137alpha as his backup. No one else is to be told because no one else needs to know. If anyone else did know, then their knowledge could cause "'...unnecessary sub-effects...'" (p. 315) of the alteration. As far as possible, no one else will ever know even that there had been a temporal alteration.
Novak says that, while he is "'...in the wrong world...'" (p. 316), he will know that everything that he does, sees and thinks "'...will become nothing...'" (ibid.) Not in that timeline, it won't, but I have taken issue with this aspect of Time Patrol theory often enough before.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul! You have argued, convincingly, that "deleted" timelines simply become inaccessible to time travelers from the universe guarded by the Patrol. Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment