Paradox (NYC)<br/>(http://forgetomori.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/viajantes.jpg)<br/><br/>---<strong>N-Space</strong>---<br/><br/>Time is an Illusion, if a very persistent one. J7 knew this. Hell, it was a commonly known fact in 2284- what a human being perceives as Time is merely a side effect in how a 3D projection of the 2D Info-Space of the grander N-Space lattice perceives it's true surroundings. When reality itself is a hologram of a shadow, things like Time just kind of happen. Which was fine really, who wants to try to process something with N spacial dimensions where N was the number of configurations in the 2D info-space in which all subatomic particles in the universe could be arranged? How many that was really was hard to say, but it was finite- that was important for how the machine worked.<br/><br/>Time Travel. Maybe it was impossible in normal 3-Space but in N-Space it was a simple matter of playing with a few name tags. Go to N-Space, imprint a new pattern into the 2D Info-Space, then reenter 3-Space. If you can manage that anywhere in Space and Time was at your finger tips- though the calculations could get to be a bugger, even with Femto-Quantum Computing.<br/><br/>J7 sat at the helm of the machine, for lack of better N-Space terms. He always liked the view. Being immune to atomic radiation may be a lackluster power in 3-Space but N-Space had radiation in abundance. As a result, he was the only person from his home time of 2284 who could survive long enough to see this view- and it always took his breath away. Every single time.<br/><br/>This trip had been a simple one. A quick errand to 2061, to subtly tip the research of a budding physicist a different direction. Hopefully, the Quantum Bombs dropped in 2077 would be less powerful as a result- meaning more people in 2284. A gamble, but one worth a try.<br/><br/>---<strong>3-Space, Complex 4, Former Cite of New York City, Day 192 of 2284</strong>---<br/><br/>The ship slips into 3-Space like a knife through butter. Just like it should, noise was a sign of a rough transition that could bring in energy from N-Space. Something that wasn't a pleasant thought.<br/><br/>"<strong>Complex 4, this is the H.G. Wells, requesting historical data sync, over.</strong>" he broadcasts. Speaks is the wrong word, he doesn't actually say anything. A nano-technological colony resting in his speech center catches what he was trying to say and says it for him, feeding it to his clothes for a signal gain, then to the ship, then outward. Technological telepathy, as easy as one ingested capsule.<br/><br/>Nothing. Nothing over the comms. 3-Space engines working fine, he starts exploring the surroundings. Why wasn't Complex 4 answering? The hovering ship crosses a hill of ruins to see. . .<br/><br/>"<strong>Where's Complex 4?</strong>" J7 switches to wider bands, the historical sync coming automatically when he does. Wait- no it's not, this is just general Network noise. The computer on the H.G. Wells is improvising a history data sync from it.<br/><br/>"<strong>Unidentified ship, this is Complex 3- please identify ship and crew.</strong>" someone else sends out to the ship, he receives it directly in his head.<br/><br/>Complex 3? J7 knew from experience that they were from where Toronto used to be. What happened to Complex 4?<br/><br/>"<strong>I'm J7, my ship is the H.G. Wells.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>I've never heard of an H.G. Wells. And the only J7 we have on record died 3 years ago in the Complex 4 Disaster. Who are you?</strong>"<br/><br/>WHAT?<br/><br/>The computer finishes the historical sync with a satisfied beep. What it reads out is nothing short of a nightmare. The physicist's new direction did make the quantum bombs less powerful- but they just built more of them. Worse, the work of the physicist had in this timeline fascinated R9 with Quantum Phase Technology. As a result when they were building the H.G. Wells R9 was somewhere else, and as a result the prototype exploded and took all of Complex 4 with it.<br/><br/>But if the H.G. Wells was never invented in this time-line. . .<br/><br/>"<strong>Wells, check for Chronal Degradation.</strong>" he thinks loudly to his ship.<br/><br/>"<strong>Checking. . .Chronal Degradation present and at 2%.</strong>" it sends back.<br/><br/>"<strong>Wells! Emergency Jaunt, Fire the N-Space Refractor!</strong>" he thinks in a panic.<br/><br/>"<strong>Affirmative, destination?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Just start going backwards. I'll work it out as we go.</strong>" J7 replies hurried. Backwards may not have real meaning in N-Space but the computer knew what he meant. Slipping back into N-Space, the readouts start peeling away dates, sliding from days to months.<br/><br/>"<strong>Warning, Chronal Degradation at 7%, pattern of degradation suggests forced 3-Space landing by 3-Space coordinates year 2150. Odds of an N-Space explosion 42%.</strong>"<br/><br/>An N-Space explosion, not good. An explosion not in 3-Space but up here in the true reality. What would result would make a Black Hole look like a sneeze.<br/><br/>"<strong>Not good enough, how far would I get if I diverted all power to the Info-Drive except life support.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Calculating. Forced landing at 2079. Odds of N-Space Explosion, 61%.</strong>"<br/><br/>Two years too late? Are you kidding?<br/><br/>"<strong>What about with Life Support?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Data suggests you'd crash into the 2012 Barrier. Odds of an N-Space Explosion, 89%.</strong>"<br/><br/>The 2012 Barrier? That's . . . perfect actually. A crash landing was less then ideal but it was far enough back. Without a time machine he had to make one more gamble- something far enough back to save the human race. 2012, The First Awakening. 3-Space's first recorded Class Red N-Space shift, though nobody knew what it was exactly at the time. But the people in 2284 knew- it was the first time the rules of reality would be changed forever. It had set up some sort turbulence in 2012 and if J7 played his cards right it would be like running aground on a sandbar- most of the landing systems would be unnecessary.<br/><br/>Working feverishly, a plan starts to form in his head- being sent out as soon as he can get it presentable in a way the computer can understand.<br/><br/>"<strong>Do it,</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>N-Space Explosion, Probability 84%.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>I know, I'm programming in the instructions for the last info-drive burst, then to jettison itself, and shunt to 3-Space before it explodes. Just do the calculations for a 2012 crash landing.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>But without life support. . .</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>I'LL HOLD MY BREATH, DO IT!</strong>"<br/><br/>---<strong>3 Space, New York City, 2012, The First Awakening</strong>---<br/><br/>The 3-Space controls had stuck before they even got out of N-Space. The Chronal Degradation was just too much. Now the H.G. Wells was little more then the cockpit, crashing into 3-Space and streaking across the sky like a shooting star. The stick was fine though, and J7 thanked whatever was out there that he had logged so many hours in simulators.<br/><br/>The streak of fiery light would be seen in the night sky like a beacon, low enough that people were worried about it hitting some of the taller buildings. Worries of another terrorist attack sound, but those that saw it. . .well, no idea what to make of it. It definitely wasn't a plane, but it was definitely artificial.<br/><br/>The crash itself seemed to be over before it started. The grass under his back told him that he had made it outside of city limits, casualties would be minimal. He'd be surprised if he wasn't the only one. The pain was incredible, but told him he was still alive- the H.G. Wells, a good ship to the last.<br/><br/>"<strong>Wells, you did good.</strong>" he sends out before the ship completely disappears, the universe preventing a paradox.<br/><br/>"<strong>Thank you si-</strong>"<br/><br/>He chuckles a bit. Chronal Degradation takes the last bit of the H.G. Wells as he watches, and the engine- despite leaving N-Space "first" would not be seen for about 2 weeks- as an explosion the size of Earth's Moon just outside the orbit of Mars.<br/><br/><em>Hello, people of 2012. I represent the people of 2284. We have a long talk ahead of us.</em>J7 inwardly chuckles as he passes out, with a smile on his face as the radio-telepathy link goes dead.<br/><br/>---<strong>NYC, Today</strong>---<br/><br/>The first thing he can distinguish after waking up is the date and the time. No surprise there, the nanite tech in his brain interfacing with nearby computers was what they were supposed to do. For a moment he panics when he realizes what it means though. Two weeks? What happened to the last two weeks!<br/><br/>Reaching up, he feels tubes going down in his throat. 21st century medicine, absolutely barbaric. He pulls them out quickly and sounds start to beep. The only good news is that they seemed unable to figure out how to take off his clothes.<br/><br/>Which made sense when he thought about it. Some serious technology went into them, to the people of this time it would seem like something a runner would wear but with no visually apparent way to take them off and tougher then steel.<br/><br/>The hospital room is abuzz with noise, but J7 becomes oddly serene when he sees out the window.<br/><br/>"<strong>Complex 4?</strong>" he seems to ask the City that Never Sleeps. No, that's not what they called it in the 21st century. New York City. The sky was blue. . .he tears up when it occurs to him that this is the first time he's really taken a moment to stop and look at it. Oh sure he's seen it- but he was always on a mission before. Now he has a chance to just stop and appreciate it. The Sky. It's Blue.