Look, but don't touch...


			Hey, has anyone seem my cat ?
						...Schroedinger

	The water splashed against the old wooden hull of the Santa 
Maria as the ship was making it's voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, 
looking for a short cut to India.  Richard Steckney was lying in his cot 
within the crew compartment, making an entry into his computer 
about how the voyage had gone so far. Richard made his entry by 
closing his eyes, and the screen was projected directly onto his retina 
from the inside of his eyelid. He typed by looking at a small 
keyboard displayed on the screen as well. His entry went:

Nothing terribly interesting happening today. Seems the 
wind has died down somewhat, and we are now at a 
standstill in the middle of the sea.  Capt. Columbus is still 
a mystery though.  Even though he started this voyage 
and hired all of the crew, he seems more and more 
nervous about something every day. Maybe he is 
beginning to have second thoughts about whether or not 
there really is an end to the earth, as everyone in this 
time period believes.  I overheard him muttering 
something about all of us dying and the church being 
right.  It can't be the crew getting on his nerves, because 
our history books are wrong... the crew has not said 
anything to Columbus about turning back.  In fact, the 
crew has not been very talkative at all.

	His daily entry out of the way, he typed in the command to shut 
down the screen for a few hours so he could get some sleep.  
Instantly all inside his eye went dark.  It was so odd that none of the 
crew had tried to talk the captain out of the trip, when the history 
books clearly showed them doing so.  But that was just the sort of 
historical error that he had come back in time to locate.
	Richard was a historian, and a specialist in time travel. He was 
one of the first, from when time travel was discovered in 2341. But 
when the scientists sat down and thought about what they had, they 
wisely decided that the device should be controlled by historians, and 
not by politicians.  They formed a group called "Time Control", and 
tasked it with keeping a monopoly on the technology and who could 
use it and for what purposes.  It was much too dangerous to let just 
anyone go to any time they pleased.  Any change to history would 
change the present and future.  People were specially trained to 
travel in time. 
	It was then that Richard joined the project as their first "time 
agent".  Richard went back in time to clean up details that were lost to 
the ages. His main goal was to witness history in the making, and to 
bring back recordings of it from the various sensors on his body. For 
example, he knew what really happened to Hitler after the Third 
Reich fell. That really floored everyone, especially how obvious it was 
what Hitler had done, once he went back and saw it all firsthand.  
And that was only Richard's first mission, and still what he 
considered to be one of his best.
	But there were many other historical events that he had 
witnessed. There was the wreck of the Titanic, the assassination of 
Ferdinand, the fall of the Russian Czars, the assassination of John F. 
Kennedy... Now that was a fun mission.  He finally got to tell all of the 
other historians what really happened, and to shut up already. He 
was present at the signing of the Magna Carta, and the loss of the first 
space shuttle.  Challenger, he believed it was called. 
	He also saw history a little too close sometimes, like the 
eruption of Krakatoa ( he never did find out whose stupid idea it was 
to send him back in a boat ) and the Great California Earthquake of 
1998.
	Right now, he was acting as part of the crew to settle some 
disparities between different accounts about what happened during 
the voyage. Already there were some obvious differences that he 
could note. Chief among them was the complete absence of fear 
among the crew. Previous records told of their terror and pleas to 
return. Perhaps a little records revision was done by the captain in 
order to make himself look more like a hero. There were, in fact, 
rumors that Christopher Columbus had falsified the logs entirely, 
since he had maintained that the ships were travelling at speeds that 
were simply impossible.  Hmmm.  Richard would simply have to get a 
look at the logs in the captains quarters before long. He would have to 
think up some sort of pretense to get in.
	
	He had only just begun to doze off when he heard an annoying 
beeping sound to his right.  It was a familiar sound, and not alarming, 
so he didn't concern himself too much with it. In his half-asleep state 
he finally recognized the sound to be the alarm on a wrist watch.  Not 
his problem, Richard thought.  He wasn't wearing a watch.
	It took several seconds to realize that no-one should be wearing 
a watch at all! Any devices which would stand out in a timeperiod 
were strictly forbidden! And an electric wristwatch was still half a 
millennium away from now! Richard was fully awake now, and 
quickly orienting on the sound. Jumping from his bunk he localized 
the sound in a bunk closest to the bulkhead at about head level.  In 
the bunk another crewmember was fast asleep, and there on his left 
arm was a gold wristwatch.
	Richard quickly rushed over to the young man in the bunk. The 
kid couldn't be more than 20 years old. Richard yanked him rudely 
out of bed and into a heap on the floor.  The kid looked more than a 
little surprised, and raised his hands to defend himself. 
Understandable, Richard thought.  After all, he was being pulled out 
of his hammock by only God-knows-who.  But Richard quickly calmed 
his voice and spoke quietly... " I believe you and your casio had better 
come with me". It was the safest thing for him to say, since most of 
the crew was asleep, and those who were awake wouldn't know what 
the hell he was talking about.  Richard quickly took the watch off the 
kids arm.
	The kid just looked at him.  Then with only a slight tremble in 
his voice he said "I... I don't know... what you are... are... " Then 
suddenly his eyes lit up, and he spoke in a loud voice,"Hey, how do 
you know what a Casio is?!"
	"Quiet!" Richard hissed. "You and I need to talk, now! And I 
don't need the entire crew in on it, you idiot." Richard was beginning 
to loose his temper.  "Keep your voice down and come with me." 
Richard began pulling the kid up while pocketing the watch into his 
vest pocket, but he began to notice everyone else's murmuring.
	He was becoming worried about the growing interest by some 
of the crew.  If the crew thought he and the kid had a treasure, if 
they got to the kid's watch before he could throw it overboard, then 
he would have a serious problem on his hands.  He could not allow 
anything to change the course of history.  Anything!  And  a watch  
which was 500 years ahead of its time would certainly change 
something.  Literally all hell would break loose.  There was no telling 
what the result would be.  Richard did not intend to find out now.
	But then one old crusty sailor in the bunk above the kid looked 
down and smiled at him saying "You know, Casios really suck kid. You 
should get a Rolex if you are going to hop around... they hold their 
resale value better ". The entire crew seemed to be looking at each 
other now, and some were laughing. Slowly Richard could hear the 
crew making remarks to each other...
	"Rolex is over rated. Now Timex... I'm a Seiko man myself... 
Nothing beats a Boss... I've had a Swatch since 2355 and it's still 
ticking... Now why would you want such a piece of shit?... Lorus kicks 
butt... Has anyone seen a genuine mickey-mouse watch recently... Not 
since two missions ago... I don't suppose anyone here ever heard of 
Hewlett Packard... HP never made a watch! ... and when the hell are 
you from anyway?"
	Richard was shocked! How could all of the crew know so much 
about brand names of technological devices that would not be 
invented for hundreds of years? Unless... No.  It couldn't be.  Still, it 
was the only possibility. Letting go of the kid he asked "Wait a 
minute.  All of you here know what all those names stand for ?"
	Everyone was really laughing now. "Well, what do you know. 
We have a regular Time Traveller convention here! " Not one person 
in the room was puzzled or sleeping.
	"How many of you here are from out of town ?" Richard asked, 
still trying to use the obscure wording to mask the truth from those 
who were not time travellers, if any such people were on the ship to 
begin with. It was beginning to look like the entire crew had been 
replaced with historians gathering data. And as he listened to the 
responses around him, it became clear that such was just the case.
	" Me, I'm from Ohio, and I am working on my Dissertation... I 
came to finish my book... My colleague here and I are trying to settle 
a bet... I am taking notes on the nutritional intake of the crew... I am 
field testing a new recording mechanism... I was sent by the 
Government, they didn't tell me why..." and numerous other 
sentiments he found throughout the cabin.
	"So how many travellers are there on the ship as a whole?"  
Richard asked.
	"Near as I can figure out, the entire ship is manned by 
travellers." the old man in the bunk replied.  "This isn't the first time 
someone slipped up this trip. Seems everyone on board except the 
captain is from 'out of town' ".
	The only one who was quiet during this discussion was the kid 
whose watch had beeped in the first place. "Well kid," Richard asked 
"Suppose you tell us all your story as well." The kid looked scared as 
hell.  Good, Richard thought.  At least he has an appreciation for what 
the hell was happening and what the consequences could be.  A 
hundred or so time travelers attending, say, the assasination of Abe 
Lincoln, wouldn't affect much.  But in the limited space on the ships, 
the travelers had actually replaced the real crew.  
	"Actually, I am only a college freshman." the kid replied.  "I am 
trying to get into a fraternity, and this is my initiation. I will return to 
one minute after I left, and then others will go to different times for 
their initiations."  He began to look embarrassed now. "The fraternity 
president is in the History department, and he made a extra set of 
keys."
	Damn! A stupid prank! This is what they called Time Control? 
Anyone and everyone from the future seemed to be on this ship, like 
it was some fucking pleasure cruise for historians.  And for a kid with 
no training at all to be here was not only criminal, it was suicidal.  If 
anything should disrupt the natural flow of things...
	The door flew open with a bang.  Diego de Harana came into the 
room ringing some stupid bell. "All right you scum! Everyone up on 
deck! The Captain has an announcement to make! All you stinking 
scurvy knaves to the deck for an announcement from the captain."
	Always a beacon of sunshine, that Harana.
	
	"I've called you together to thank you for all your bravery and 
hard work for the past month." Columbus began. He was standing on 
the front podium facing the crew. He looked scared and small 
standing there, looking towards the front of the ship. "You have been 
courageous, leaving all you know and setting out for what you have 
been told is certain death... falling off the end of the world.  None of 
you have said one word to me of your fear. But I know it is there... 
growing daily. I can smell it in the air. I can read it in my bible..."
	Richard just then noticed Columbus was clutching an old bible 
tightly.  He would have to make a note of that.
	"I can feel it in your souls.  Since none of you have spoken to 
me of your worry, I have had to ask for God's advice on what to do 
next. And I have heard his voice. He has told me that we are 
perilously close to the end of the earth!!"  Columbus was visibly 
shaking now!  "And since I do not want to be responsible for all of us 
falling off the earth in down to the fires of hell, I am now cancelling 
this foolish mission.  I have decided that everyone else is right, and 
that there is no route to India going west.  Nothing will be gained 
from our deaths by falling off the end of the earth. We have found 
nothing, and I will not allow my arrogance to damn us all.  We will 
begin preparing to return to Spain in earnest! ".
	The entire crew was silent. Richard was mortified. The absolute 
worst thing that could occur just took place in front of him.  History 
had just changed!  And all events that were history to him would now 
never take place!  Certain wars would not be fought. Inventions 
would not be made. And more importantly, everybody ever born in 
the Americas would now never exist. Entire families were now 
nonexistent. That included everyone around him.  They all knew it 
too. 
	That included himself!
	And if none of them ever existed, how could they have come 
back in time to change history? And if they didn't exist to change 
history, then history didn't change, and they existed to change it! Oh 
shit... Paradox!  The worst trouble possible for time travellers!  All the 
observers replacing the real crew had changed the influences on the 
captain, thus changing the captains actions.  Richard had to figure out 
something to set the actions of the captain right. And since the 
records Richard had read before the mission showed that the wind 
would be pushing the ship toward Spain tomorrow, he had only 
tonight to do it in! 
	Most maddening of all was that Richard had no idea what to do.


Part II

	
	The thought consumed him for most of the evening.  For now, 
there was no wind and there would be no turning back.  But his 
records clearly showed that there would be a headwind tomorrow.  
Perfect timing for the captain to turn tail and return to Spain.  He had 
to figure out some way to stop Columbus from retreating.  Otherwise 
nobody on this ship would ever go home... none of them would have a 
home to return to.  Everyone and everything he ever knew would no 
longer exist.  He would be trapped in one of the infinite number of 
parallel dimensions,  those with common presents and varying 
futures.  
	And right now his future in America was in serious doubt.  
After all, now there would be no America.
	So Richard wondered what to do next.  He could lead a mutiny 
and take the ship the last few days of travel that were left, but that 
also would change the course of history.  No help there.  The only way 
to correct things would be to get the captain to go on, and then falsify 
the records back into the form he knew.  Now, how was he going to go 
about that ?
	Like any other field of endeavor, Richard thought, the first thing 
to do is to gather information.
	
	It was well after dark as Richard snuck into Captain Columbus's 
chambers.  He had had to wait several hours for the captain to leave.  
Richard did not know how long he would have.  He first looked 
around the cabin to see if there was anything noteworthy.  Naturally 
he kept the cameras rolling the entire time.  Nothing out of the 
ordinary grabbed his attention, so he went straight to the captain's 
log.
	Richard began turning the pages quickly.  He really didn't know 
what he was looking for.  He figured whatever clues he needed to set 
things right would be found in this book.  In the dim lamplight the 
words almost looked alive, sinister even.  As if the writing on the 
pages knew he fate and was amused by it.  The pages went by 
rapidly, revealing only a little of their creator's thoughts.
	Gradually as he glanced at the entries he began to notice a 
pattern of self-doubt emerge.  First the captain's concerns were 
vague... a  nagging voice in the back of his head.  Then he began to be 
concerned that the entire crew had given up on their survival and 
now were just going through the motions, saying nothing of the 
journey.  Apparently the captain was suffering from a case of 
stagefright combined with a concern for his crew.  
	The next few pages were mostly logistics information.  The 
ships were using the water supplies quite rapidly it appeared.  At the 
current rate of usage that Richard saw the crew would be out of 
pottable water in less than...
	"I have no silver for you to take, seaman !" a voice boomed from 
behind him, across the room.  There standing in the doorway of the 
cabin was Captain Columbus!  Richard had stayed too long.
	"I have little of value at all", he continued.  " In fact, when we 
return to Spain, I will be a broken old man.  I may even spend the 
remainder of my life in prison.  But if you wish to rob me, then by all 
means,  let me give you some steel!" 
	With that Columbus unsheathed his sword and closed the door.  
Richard had no weapons at all.  Glancing around he found none at 
hand, and he couldn't allow himself to kill the captain anyway.  
Columbus began to walk toward him, the sword in his hands 
uncomfortably steady from practice.  The closest thing Richard had 
used to a sword was a butter knife.
	"So varlet, you wish to pad your pockets at the expense of the 
doomed, do you?"  With that he swung.  Richard ducked under the 
table as the blade sliced above him.  Rolling under the table he put it 
between himself and the furious Columbus.
	"I have no wish to rob you or anyone else on this ship!"  Richard 
yelled.  He stood up to face the captain on the other side of the table.  
"I doubt there is enough wealth on this ship to satisfy even a beggar's 
child anyway!"
	"Then explain what you were doing in my cabin so late at night.  
Perhaps you were plotting to poison me then.  No matter.  My sword 
will be happy to listen to your pleas."  With that Columbus leaped 
over the table, very agilely for an old man.
	Richard had no cover to run for.  He grabbed a chair and tried to 
parley the sword away from his head.  The chair shattered as the 
blade swung hard into its legs.  The wood fell to Richard's feet.  Before 
he knew what had happened Richard had the Spanish blade at his 
throat. 
	"Any last words before I pass sentence on you for trespassing?" 
Columbus said, his face now calm and without expression.
	Richard had failed.  He looked down at the pieces of the chair 
and said the first thing that came into his mind.  "Well, the chair trick 
works in the movies".  He closed his eyes and steeled himself for the 
final thrust.  His heart was pounding.  He would never see his home 
or family again. They never would exist now.
	But the lunge never came.  He opened his eyes to see a confused 
man holding the sword.  "What,"  Columbus said,  "is a ...  moovee ?".
	"It is a form of entertainment in which pictures move on a large 
wall so many can see it.  It is not something you have seen before."
	"How can paintings move?" Columbus demanded.  "Ridiculus".
	"Actually, there are no paintings involved" Richard said.  "If you 
think it is ridiculous, then look to the wall there."  Richard pointed to 
the far wall, where their shadows fell from the lamp.  "There is a 
movie of a primitive sort, of two men locked in mortal combat."
	Columbus looked and saw the "movie".  Then he raised his hand 
in a dramatic pose, and admired the shadow.  Apparently he liked the 
novelty of it.
	"It is a pity that there now will be no movies." Richard said.
	"And why will there be no more movies then?"  Columbus 
asked.
	" I didn't say there would be no more  movies.  I said there will 
never be any at all.  Period." Richard explained.  "I know this because 
movies will be discovered in the lands you are about to explore.  And 
you are now giving up and going home."
	Columbus seemed angry again. "Yes, we are going home! There 
is no sense in all of us dying by falling off the end of the earth." The 
sword seemed more bloodthirsty all of a sudden.
	Richard forced himself to stay calm and keep his hands in the 
air.  "Captain, we have traveled for months now.  Surely, we are 
farther than anyone ever thought the edge would be.  I still believe 
that you were right when you said that there was no edge of the 
earth.  Truth be told, I know for a fact that there is no edge to the 
earth, since I am from the lands you are about to find..."
	Columbus lowered the sword a little bit.  "That is absurd.  No-
one, but no-one, has traveled this far before.  There is no way you 
could have journeyed to Spain this distance and not be heard of."
	"Well, that part is true." Richard said.  His mind raced for a way 
out of his predicament.  Richard decided to confide in the captain, 
breaking one of the cardinal laws of time travel.  "You see, I do not 
come from this time and place. I come from a far future time."
	"That is the worst ploy for mercy I think I have ever heard!" 
Columbus bellowed.  "How could you truly think for a moment that I 
would believe such a story!  You are either sincere, or you are quite 
mad.  If you are telling me the truth, I shall spare your life.  If you 
are mad, then I will end your life and spare you any further 
madness!" The sharp point of the sword was once again pressing 
against Richard's neck.  "Now then,  future man.  Prove to me, 
somehow, that you are indeed from a different time and place!"
	Several seconds went by.  Then a high beeping sound came out 
of Richard's pocket.  The watch he had confiscated!  Of course!  He 
slowly reached into his pocket and took out the gleaming piece of 
beeping metal.  The holographic computer controlled hands seemed to 
hang a foot in front of the watch's faceplate.
	Columbus dropped his sword with a metallic clang.  Richard 
offered the watch to him, and Columbus took it with awe.  He 
examined the watch front and back, trying to figure out what made it 
work.
	Amazed, he asked "How,  how is this possible?  Sound and light 
from a watch, and such a small watch at that.  It must be very 
expensive indeed sir."  Columbus offered the watch back to Richard.
	"Actually, this kind of watch is quite common." Richard 
commented as he took the watch from the captain and put it back in 
his pocket.   "It is rather cheap.  Everyone where I come from has one 
similar.  But whether or not such things ever exist, now rests with 
you."
	Columbus walked to his plush chair, and sat down, gesturing for 
Richard to relax on the coach beside him.  "Come be seated, and tell 
me some of what the future holds, and what I have to do with it... or 
it with me... "

	Richard spent until dawn telling Columbus some of the wonders 
and discoveries that awaited.  He told of man travelling to the moon.  
He embellished that story by saying the men on the moon would spit 
on the earth for fun.  Columbus found that hilarious.  Richard also told 
of the huge ships on the ocean, and of the flying machines more than 
twice the size of the Santa Maria.  He told of some other wonders of 
technology, including movies, that would come about from this 
voyage.  Columbus listened closely, like a child enjoying a new story.
	And finally Richard noted that they did not have the food and 
water to return anyway.  On this point Columbus had to agree.  The 
entire fleet would be dead of dehydration long before arriving.  So 
when Richard guarantied the success of the voyage, and its crew, 
Columbus agreed to press forward. 
	Richard thanked him for his wisdom, and said that he would tell 
everyone of Columbus's concern for the crew.  He also advised that 
Columbus 'modify' the logs so that the captain would appear braver 
and more stoic.  It would allow him to increase his wealth quite a bit.  
Columbus was pleased with the change in his fortunes.  Only a few 
hours before he had given himself up for dead.  Before leaving the 
captain's quarters, Richard asked for a small memento to keep and 
return with: a small pistol.  The captain was a little suspicious about 
Richard's motives, but gave up the single shot weapon to him.  
Richard said that in his time, he was a collector of rare weapons, and 
that the pistol would be his most valued piece. 
	Actually, Richard had another plan for the pistol.
	
	That morning, Columbus announced that they would continue 
on.  The entire crew applauded and cheered.  They didn't know what 
had caused the change (and probably it was just as well) but they 
were certainly glad for it.  It meant they could return to their homes 
and families.  Actually, it meant that they still had a world to return 
to.
	As for Richard, as he was thinking about how out of control the 
time-travel projects had become, he compared it to the atomic bomb 
projects of the past.  Certain areas were still radioactive from the 
"holy wars" brought about by religious zealots in the middle-east.  
There had been some talk about using time travel to destroy or 
sabotage the bomb projects to keep it from being invented.  But the 
idea was shelved,  since such an action would change history and the 
future.  It was decided to leave the course of history alone, no matter 
what.
	Well, the loose controls on the time machines were allowing 
people to change history.  It was painfully clear that Mankind could 
not handle certain kinds of power.  Even after all the effort the 
governments of the world had used to control nuclear weapons,  they 
still grew out of control.  And millions died as a result.  But with a 
time machine,  it was possible to simply 'erase'  a future from ever 
happening.   For example, what if someone bumped into Lenin in a 
bar in Paris before 1917, and killed him?  How many Billions of 
people would cease to exist?  What would become of their souls?  
Would they feel anything?  Or would they continue to exist in a 
parallel time line?
	It was too much power to allow men to use and abuse.  So 
Richard planned to return to a date before the time machine was 
invented, and explain the situation to the inventor, Dr. Samuel Dougs.  
Richard had all of the recordings from the ship as evidence.  Richard 
would try to convince the scientist to abort the project before 
completing it.  But Richard didn't think the good doctor would 
willingly give up his glory.  That was why Richard brought the pistol.  
One shot, and the time machines were no more.  Of course this meant 
that he would have to find other work, but that didn't matter.  One 
way or another,  he was going to maintain the flow of history.  The 
life of one man didn't matter much in the great scheme of things 
anyway.
	Or did it?  Richard wasn't so sure anymore...