Free Lens of Time by Saxon Andrew Page B

we miss you Dolly.”
    They tossed the drink back and Chris said, “I do miss her so much.” Jillian reached over and hugged his neck.
    Suddenly Phil sat up in his chair and said, “Well if you miss her so much, go back and get her.” Phil stared straight ahead, his eyes crossed, and then his head crashed back down to the table.
    Chris said, “Shouldn’t we be catching his head?”
    “Nope, the bruises will be a mark of courage.”
    Chris looked at Jillian and she saw his expression. He lowered his head and raised his eyebrows and Jillian said, “There’s no way we can do that?”
    “How do you know?”
    ““You know the effect it would have on the future if we changed that event?”
    “How do you know?”
    “Everyone saw her die.”
    “Did they?”
    “Hey Socrates, how about doing something other than asking questions.”
    “What did they see, Jillian?”
    “They saw Jeff embrace her and then the screen went to static.”
    “So you’re assuming that is when the blast hit.”
    “Isn’t that what happens after a nuclear blast?” Chris stared at her and didn’t say anything. Jillian tried to think and then said, “That’s what happens after the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear blast.”
    Chris nodded. “Do we know how far away the first blast in Sydney happened?”
    Jillian stared at him, “No. No one has gone back to see. The pain would be too much to bear.”
    “We do know that one of the blasts was about thirty miles from the Command center and the second was right on top of it. What if the first blast was the one further away?”
    Jillian was doing her best not to get excited. She said, “Calm, I must remain calm.” She took several deep breaths and said, “Let’s for the sake of just blue skiing this exercise assume the first one hit thirty miles away. How long would it take for the shock wave to arrive at the command center?”
    Chris sat back and said, “There would be an initial pulling of air into the explosion but then the shockwave would rush out, stabilizing at the speed of sound.” Chris paused and thought, “Ummmm that means it would take a hundred and fifty seconds to hit the command center.”
    “That’s two and a half minutes.”
    “Yes but you couldn’t go before the blast happens.”
    Jillian furrowed her brow, “Why not?”
    “There are several reasons, but the most important is that if you’re there before it happens, the electromagnetic pulse will destroy any circuitry in your vehicle.”
    “Not if the vehicle is shielded?”
    “That leads to the second reason.”
    “What is that?”
    “Did Dolly’s death have an impact on what has taken place since?”
    “You know it has. Even our capital is named after her and Jeff.”
    “So if you go back and take her before she’s seen dying…”
    “It will cause a parallel universe and this one will remain unchanged.”
    “And whoever goes to get her will be trapped in the new universe with heaven knows what the impact might be.”
    Jillian thought about the possible paradox and sighed, “Is it even safe to try?”
    “I think that as long as no events are changed by taking her, it’s safe to do it.”
    “I’m not sure what you mean, Chris?”
    “What was the last thing Dolly did?”
    “She died.”
    “So if the event that was recorded isn’t changed, we can take her after that moment.”
    Jillian thought about it and said, “How do we determine if we can do it?”
    Phil sat up again and with glazed eyes said, “Go and see which bomb hit first.” His head started to fall again and Jillian caught it. Chris looked at her and she said, “Two bruises are enough. Besides, that was a good suggestion.”
    Chris looked at Jillian and said, “We will not discuss this with anyone. You got that Phil?”
    They heard a muffled voice from the surface of the table, “I’d nod but I don’t think I can raise my head again.”
    Chris and Jillian started laughing and took Phil to his quarters. Chris looked at Jillian