The Time Bubble Box Set 2, стр. 13
“I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” replied Peter.“After all, when H.G. Wells wrote The Time Machine I doubt whether hehad the government knocking at his door to check he hadn’t secretly built onehimself.”
“Speaking of letting on, I know we all agreed we would neverinvolve anyone else, but after our recent visit to Australia, the time may havecome for that to change,” said Josh.
“Seriously?” asked Hannah. “I thought we all agreed that wenever would.”
Of the team, she had always been the most vociferousopponent of involving anyone else in their secret world. She knew from herdealings high up in the police force that there were certain agencies that theydidn’t want to get even a sniff of what they had been doing.
“I know, but I’ve got a pretty good reason. I know youprobably won’t agree, but since we’re all here, you may as well hear me out.”
Over the next half an hour or so and copious amounts ofalcohol he excitedly explained in detail everything that had gone on inCanberra.
By the time he had finished, Charlie had almost drained hisbottle of wine.
“Let me see if I’ve got this right,” he said. “When we’reold and about to pop our clogs, you can use a combination of your currenttechnology and Henry and Vanessa’s mind transference techniques to send my mindback into my younger body so I can live my life all over again.”
“That’s it, in a nutshell,” replied Josh.
“But wouldn’t that mess up all the timelines?” asked Hannah.“If we all went back in time and lived life all over again, wouldn’t we do somethings differently – or maybe not at all?”
“Good point,” said Lauren. “I wouldn’t have shagged thatbloke who was running the dodgems at Witney Feast when I was eighteen, for astart. I got crabs off him.”
“Lauren!” exclaimed Hannah. “That’s way too muchinformation.”
“Took weeks to get rid of, they did,” continued Lauren,regardless. “I had to use this stuff like head lice shampoo which stank tentimes worse and it didn’t work the first time. I even stayed in the bath for anhour to try and drown them, but that didn’t work either. After that I shavedthe whole lot off and I’ve kept it like that ever since.”
“Exactly what part of too much information didn’t you understand?”asked Hannah, while most of the others were creasing up laughing. The only onewho wasn’t was Alice who had a disapproving look on her face.
“Leaving Lauren’s sordid exploits aside,” said Kaylee, “itdoes sound like there are a lot of implications.”
“Not necessarily,” said Peter. “You’re forgetting about themultiverse.”
“Exactly,” said Josh. “I’m sure I’ve explained all of thisto you all before.”
“Countless times,” said Lauren. “But I forget how it allworks because every time we get together to talk about this stuff I always seemto get horrendously drunk and have such a bad hangover the next day that Ican’t remember anything.”
“You’re not the only one,” remarked Charlie. “I have to saythis red wine is pretty decent by pub standards. It’s a shame there’s no cheeseto go with it.”
“I’ve got Mini Cheddars,” said Lauren. “Are they any good?”
“It’s not quite what I had in mind, but they’ll do,” saidCharlie. “And you’d better get me another bottle while you’re at it.”
Lauren headed back to the bar for the umpteenth time, asJosh continued his enthusiastic explanation.
“The existence of the multiverse means that when we go backin time, we create a new universe which is a direct copy of this one. What thismeans is that you’d be starting your life over again in a new universe withoutaffecting anything you already did in this one.”
“How far back would you suggest going?” asked Kaylee. “Wouldyou go all the way back to childhood?”
“You could go back to any time of your choosing,” said Josh.“And what’s more, you can do it repeatedly. In theory, you could live forever,barring accidents. Statistically you’d be bound to be hit by the proverbial buseventually. But even that needn’t be the end if you back up your brainregularly.”
“And you’re saying anyone can do this?” asked Hannah. “ThisVanessa’s a big businesswoman, isn’t she? Is she proposing offering this to thewhole world? Because there are some huge implications I’ve thought of already,just while you’ve been talking. I would be very concerned about people usingthis for the wrong reasons.”
“Like what?” asked Kaylee.
“Where do I start?” asked Hannah. “OK, how about this? Whatif some man’s wife was murdered thirty years ago and he decides to use hisnewfound ability to go back in time to before it happened so he could unmaskthe culprit? But then, instead of involving the police, he decides to getrevenge by killing the murderer in the other universe.”
“I’d say he got what he deserved,” said Lauren.
“It would be anarchy,” replied Hannah. “If everyone’srunning amok there would be no consequences for anything anyone did.”
“But you’re talking about different universes – not ours,”said Josh.
“Not necessarily,” said Hannah. “What’s to stop people heredeciding to settle a few old scores before they leave for their new life in thepast? It’s hard enough tracking down criminals in our own time and place, letalone trying to chase them through the multiverse.”
“Isn’t there a multiverse version of Interpol for this sortof thing?” asked Charlie.
“You are joking, right?” said Hannah.
“Obviously,” he replied.
“I’ll be honest, I hadn’t thought about your second point,”said Josh.
“That’s right, you hadn’t,” said Hannah. “Do you ever thinkthese things through before you start doing them? From what Peter tells me youbit off a lot more than you could chew on your last jaunt back through time,and you’re meant to be the expert. Are you seriously telling me you think it’sa good idea to have all and sundry playing about in time?”
“What’s she talking about?” said Alice. “What happened onyour last jaunt back through time?”
“Never mind about that now,” said Josh, hurriedly. If Aliceknew the truth she