A scientist believes she has invented a time machine. Her best student agrees to enter it for a test, to better humankind. The student will absolutely not to a bunch of sports betting to get rich. No sports betting. Absolutely will not get rich using the time machine to bet on sports. -- Anon Guest
The rules of time travel are not written anywhere, though one of them might be to never go to Cambridge University on the 28th of June 2009.
An advisory for time travelers is to make absolutely certain that they've had all their vaccinations. And maybe pack the really good antibiotics. So much of the past is extremely hazardous just because of the things that no longer exist. But if you are going to make a paradox - go for the closed loop variety. Please. You don't want to know what happens if you break causality. It also helps if you know chemistry and interesting corners of science and medicine.
All things you might have access to while helping create a time machine.
Ragoczy Montferrat checked the readings on her machine. It should be working. The street mutt she passed through turned up in her backyard just like she remembered. Good old Doria. Best mutt ever.
San made sure ze had all the vaccines ze could get, including making certain ze had cowpox before stepping through the portal.
"Absolutely no sports betting. That would completely disrupt the economy and gain too much notice."
"No sports betting. Cross my heart," agreed San. "No football, tennis, jousting, horse races, boxing matches, or anything where anyone is putting money on something winning. Not even for fun. No solving unsolved mysteries, no saving lost art. I know the deal."
That was a very specific denial, but Ragoczy had to make certain it would work for cogniscent life. Pets were well and good, but... there had to be a really good use for time travel. Like... ending some global evils before they could turn the world rotten.
Something... glitched when San went through. The target time and place was suspiciously vacant of San in her scope. A cross-time search eventually revealed that ze had arrived in... pre-industrial Europe? Why was Undergraduate San German in Europe?
San... German. Oh no...
On the plus side, ze was adaptable. Also, this explained a lot about history's mystery man. On the minus side, San was bouncing around between locations and centuries. But never Cambridge in 2009. It was like that year and location was shielded against time travel.
She finally got hir back after all of "Count St. Germain" appearances were accounted for. A fully closed loop. Ze arrived, slightly abashed, in a rather extravagant satin suit with lace cuffs on hir shirtsleeves.
"Count St. Germain," deadpanned Ragoczy.
"I panicked, okay? On the plus side, the funding is sorted."
"The funding."
"Yeah. Remember when you were wondering who the hell the Soltikov Society was? I... might... have set that up."
Time loops. They always result in headaches.
[Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash]
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