Controlling Time: Book 2

Chapter 6

Controlling Time 6

            BACK IN THE auditorium, Roger Wilcon tried his best to focus on what the people on stage were saying, but it became a losing battle.  He simply couldn’t.  His mind kept reverting back to what the historian Henry Wu said.  Roger had known from the very beginning that Harold Haskell would eventually use his time machine to visit extremely time-sensitive eras, but so soon?  It is probably happening at this very moment, too.  The absence of two of Harold’s graduate students strongly suggested that.

Harold Haskell had taken the front stage now.  Wai had finished her uninspiring speech about how bodies had changed throughout the centuries.  The information was probably interesting in of itself, but she simply failed to convey that.  Roger sincerely believed that Harold should have found someone with more stage presence than her.  This task isn’t too difficult, so had this been deliberate?

“Thank you, Ms. Liu,” Harold said after he stood up.  An applause arose, however slight it might be.  Everyone seemed bored senseless. 

The astrophysicist waited for everyone to retain their ability to pay attention.  Roger wondered where the futuristic Harold is.  The last time the dean saw him, he had disappeared in the hallway.

“Esteemed colleagues,” Harold Haskell began, “as you have heard, our expedition to the past managed to successfully acquire documentation of a person’s image lost to history, due to their society lacking the technology to preserve profiles.”

Roger Wilcon had noticed how the astrophysicist worded that opening remark.  It’s not so much that the entire mission had been a success, but rather they successfully acquired what they wanted.  This remark borders on lying, albeit successfully avoiding going that far.

The gathered assembly started to listen a lot more attentively.  The astrophysicist is clearly the reason why people came here today.  “This mission has given us precedence to continue using the device.”  His eyes glanced towards someone in the crowd, and even though the person sat behind Roger, he suspected this particular individual belonged to the mathematics department.  If this comment had been directed towards Dr. Geoff Goldblum, he chose against responding aloud.

“We have other avenues of time we wish to explore, too.  During our last discussed, this topic arose with great curiosity.”

The dean of physics’ eyes glanced over to the people from the anthropology department and centered on their dean, Andrew Cunningham.  He couldn’t help but notice that this man’s eagerness had perked up.  Someone from that faculty raised their hand to ask a question.  Given the politeness of the gesture, Harold conceded.  “Yes?”

“How will we determine which era to visit?  By voting?”

That wouldn’t work.  Clearly there would be coercion between certain faculties to pick the ones that most interest them.  Not everyone has the same agenda.  On the same token, though, a voting bloc could prevent Harold from exploring religiously-themed eras.  Then again, from what Roger has observed, Harold hasn’t been one to ask for anyone’s opinion regarding how to use his time traveling device.