Button in the Fabric of Time Read online

  Religious leaders tell their followers that they must be willing to die to defend their God, but only a complete nut would believe that the Creator of the Universe would need the protection of men. Still, there seemed to be billions of nuts.

  Puzzled and frustrated, I put the radiation protection on and, by using the time-travel button, transported back to the time of the devastation. I then traveled around the globe, trying to determine the extent of the damage. Most major cities and military installations had been destroyed. The agricultural areas of most continents had been spared. Radiation levels had been low enough in those areas that a few people had survived, and they were learning to deal with their problems. Humans were proving to be resilient.

  I talked to anyone who would talk to me, but they were shocked by my strange appearance. I told them that I was a newspaper reporter and that seemed to allay their fears. Most merely shook their heads and walked away, but others spoke freely. They explained that greed and religion had brought about fear and anger, which had escalated into a nuclear war.

  Nations in the Middle East that had felt unable to respond to the overwhelming force of America and its European allies were desperate. These desperate men had a nuclear bomb and, not understanding the consequences, used it. One bomb had led inevitably to many—like the first shot that started the Revolutionary War—and I was observing the consequences.

  * * *

  I failed to note the exact date of the bombing. The things I saw were terrifying, and I didn’t want to go back to determine the date. While looking for places that the bombs had not destroyed, I was pleased to see that the family farm was in a location that had been relatively unfazed. I wanted to check on my family, but first I had to know if humanity could survive. There was only one way to find out and that was by going far into the future—but how far would be far enough? I knew that radiation from nuclear fallout took a long time to diminish, so I decided to go forward a thousand years.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 5

  I checked the items in my backpack and concentrated on the date July 7, 3107. With my heart pounding, I squinted, placed my thumb on the blue section and rubbed. The button; it emitted a high-pitched hum, and immediately, I was standing in a beautiful park. This is not what I had expected! Something must have gone wrong! Nine hundred years ago, this was a city that had been devastated by an atomic blast! Now, green vegetation grew everywhere, and there was not a soul in sight.

  Animals of every type grazed verdant meadows, birds filled the air, and squirrels played in the trees . . . but there was something different about these animals. Lions and wolves were mingling with sheep and cows, and the grazing animals seemed unafraid.

  Prepared to zap out of danger, I walked slowly toward the animals, expecting them to run away. But they didn’t run away, they were running toward me. As a farm boy, I could tell when an animal intended to harm me. But there was nothing threatening about the behavior of these animals. Even though I knew they meant me no harm, it was still difficult to remain calm, with an adult lion running at me. When the lion got to me, it rubbed its head against my leg and licked my hand. Cautiously, I scratched its ears and patted its back. The lion emitted what sounded like a lion’s version of a purr. The other animals gathered around wanting to be petted. These animals were tame and in excellent health, but how were they contained? There were no fences. How could predators and prey live together peacefully?

  A stream of clean water about fifty feet wide ran through the area. That was odd, because this is where my house had sat, and there were no streams anywhere near my house. The climate must have changed!

  I carefully searched for evidence of the great city that had been here at the time I left. Nothing indicated that anyone had ever lived here. While trying to understand how such a major change could have occurred, I sat on the roots of an old tree enjoying the gentle breeze and the fragrance of flowers. I listened to the birds singing, and watched squirrels playing in the branches of the tree. I strained my ears trying to hear a familiar sound, but nothing gave me a clue as to what kind of place I had landed in. There were no noises of any kind. The place was peaceful, almost to the point of being ethereal. It was so different from what I had expected that I was eager to explore.

  When I lived in Los Angeles, people were predicting global warming, over population, and war. My first trip into the future proved that they were right, but what I was seeing now indicated that the people had recovered from the war, and learned to deal with their problems. I wanted to talk to someone to find out how they had recovered.

  I wanted to see what else had happened, so I walked toward the distant green mountains. The land was lush, and white clouds drifted in a blue sky. Everything was magnificent. I saw no caretakers, but someone, or something, was maintaining this place, and doing a good job of it.

  In the distance I saw what appeared to be a transportation device. Curious, I walked toward it, but before I got there, I heard laughter coming from over a knoll. I walked to the top of the knoll and saw twelve young people—six men and six women—swimming in a stream; their bathing suits shimmered in the sunlight. I was surprised to see people swimming in a stream. The streams in the twenty-first century had been polluted.

  Trees and shrubs on the knoll concealed me, so I watched in secret. I felt like a Peeping Tom, but I wanted to learn as much as I could before making myself known. The women were all lovely and about five-foot-five, with light-colored skin, and their hair was all different colors. Their lightly tanned skin glowed with radiant health, and there was not a blemish on them. Some of them had round eyes, and others had eyes that were almond-shaped. No matter their shape or color, they were soft and sparkling. The women had trim bodies with small waists and shapely hips. The nipples on their firm, full breasts stood erect, pressing against their bathing suits. They were so beautiful that it was difficult to look at anything else. Two of them appeared to be identical twins.

  The men were all about six-feet tall, lean and muscular, with wide shoulders and narrow hips, but they were darker than the women. Fascinated by how the men and women related to one another, I watched before making myself known. They didn’t seem to be pairing off. At first, they seemed to be relating in a normal way; then I noticed that each man flirted with each woman, and that the women responded equally to the attention of each man.

  It would have been difficult to choose a particular woman as a companion because they were all so beautiful. As a group, they reminded me of a flock of doves. The men were the aggressors, but the women did the choosing—it was simple yet beautiful.

  At first, I couldn’t understand their language, but after listening for a while I began to understand a word now and then. Hoping to make myself understood, I stepped into the open. My sudden appearance startled them. After a slight hesitation, one of the men came forward. I extended my hand in a gesture of friendship, and asked, “What is this place called?”

  He responded with words that sounded strange, yet were perfectly understandable. “This is Alpha Bravo 325,” he said. “From where did you come? Are you lost?”

  I thought for a moment and decided it would be best to answer as plainly as I could. I replied, “No, I’m not lost, but I’m in a place that is unknown to me. I am a time traveler. I hope I have arrived at the same place I left; only the time should be different. I left on July 7, 2007. If my traveling device has worked as I hoped, the date now is July 7, 3107.”

  “The date is right, but your story is strange. How could you come from the past using technology unknown to us? Our scientists tell us that time travel is possible, but we’ve been unable to develop the technology.”

  “I can see why it would be hard to understand, and I’ll try to explain, but it’ll take time,” I responded.

  “Why are you here?” the man asked.

  “I want to learn about your way of life, your technology, and your culture.”

  “I can’t reveal that information,” the man said. “Earth
is under surveillance by beings from a planet in another galaxy. We don’t know how they get here; all we know is that they come and go at will. I’ll take you to security, where they’ll verify your story. If it’s true, you’ll be able to help us more than we can help you. How are you called?”

  “My name is Gus. I have identification in my wallet.” I produced my driver’s license and handed it to him.

  He studied the card, then shook his head and said, “This is interesting, but it means nothing to me. Your clothes tell me more than the card. Your shoes are made from skin of animals, and your clothes are made from spun plant fibers. That tells me that you come from a primitive culture, but I still must take you to security. They’ll examine you more closely.”

  The others were getting out of the water and putting on flowing robes that appeared to be made from fibers of spun-gold. The robes glittered in the sunlight. After donning them, they moved about talking quietly.

  One of the identical twins attracted my attention. She was something special, walking as gracefully as a doe, and moving so smoothly that she seemed to glide. Beauty radiated from her like the first pink glow of a sunrise.

  “Do you mind coming with me?” the man asked.

  His question startled me. I had been so drawn to the beautiful woman that I had forgotten him even though he was standing right beside me. I answered, “I’d be pleased to go with you, and I’ll share the information I have, but I doubt that it will add to your knowledge. . . . What’s your name, and where will we go? How will we travel?”

  “I am called Roc-2. We will travel by keri to our capital city, Alpha 1. A keri station is only a short distance away.”

  “What’s a keri?” I asked.

  “Keri is what we call the compartments we travel in,” Roc-2 replied. “We can go fast or, if you prefer, we can travel more slowly, allowing you to see the country.”

  “I’d like to travel slowly. I’m an engineer, and I want to see how you have built your cities.”

  “I thought you would want to travel slowly,” Roc-2 replied. “We’ll take a keri with a view plate in the bottom that will allow you to see the countryside as well as the cities. We’ll go through two other cities before we reach Alpha 1.”

  * * * * *

  Chapter 6

  The stunningly beautiful twin whispered to Roc-2. He listened intently, then turned to me and said, “Jan-3 is an anthropologist and a historian. She hopes you won’t mind if she comes along. She wants to learn about the time you came from.”

  “Mind! How could I mind? Would you introduce us?”

  With a quizzical look Roc-2 asked, “What do you mean, introduce you?”

  “Tell her what you know about me, and tell me what you know about her, so that we can have a basis from which to begin a conversation.”

  Smiling, Roc-2 remarked, “What a quaint idea.” He turned to Jan-3 and said, “Jan-3, this is Gus. He has come from a time in the past and wants to learn about our achievements. I’m taking him to Alpha 1, where security will examine him to verify that he is who he says he is. The examination should take only a few minutes. Then you’ll have time to talk. . . . Gus, this is Jan-3. She wants to know what it’s like to live in the twenty-first century. You each have information the other wants; perhaps you can help one another.”

  Jan-3 moved toward me, her robe flowed around her exposing her slender legs. Her features were clearly defined. She had large wide-set eyes, a slightly upturned nose, a small, delicate mouth, and lightly tanned skin with a flawless complexion. Her cobalt-blue eyes seemed to penetrate my very soul. I was mesmerized. I extended my hand for the traditional handshake. Not recognizing the gesture, she looked questioningly at me, then took my right hand and placed it on her left shoulder, and placed her right hand on my left shoulder. Smiling, she said in a soft, clear voice, “I’m pleased to have this opportunity to experience your life force.”

  This was so much better than shaking hands, and there did seem to be a force passing between us that was disturbingly strong. Struggling to regain my composure, I asked, “Why do you have numbers following your names?”

  Roc-2 answered, “The number indicates how many people have copied the DNA of an original. Jan-3 is twenty-four years old.” Then, pointing to the woman I thought was Jan-3’s identical twin, he said, “That is Jan-1. She is 130 years old.”

  “How is that possible? She has the body of a teenager.”

  “The human body is a perfect machine,” Roc-2 explained. “It replenishes itself, cell by cell, repeatedly. If it is maintained in perfect health, it reproduces itself perfectly.”

  Fascinated, I asked, “How long can that be continued?”

  “We don’t know,” Roc-2 replied. “The method of maintaining the body in perfect condition was discovered only 180 years ago. Until now, no one has died of what was called natural causes.”

  “How do you handle the problem of overpopulation?”

  “We don’t have that problem. The earth, if properly used, can supply the needs of an infinite number of people.”

  “Do you control the number of children a couple can have?”

  “Some people marry and have families, but most just make new copies of themselves and select a new mate from time to time.”

  “Is that a satisfying lifestyle?” I asked.

  “It’s satisfying to most,” Roc-2 replied. “Individuals decide what kind of person they want to be, and then becomes that person, by altering their DNA. They choose the size and shape they want to be, determine the texture and color of their hair and skin, and even the shape of their eyes.”

  “Sometimes a person has a body that others think is ideal. People can look the same as their ideal by duplicating the DNA of their ideal. Then they take the name of the person they’ve duplicated and add a number to indicate how many people duplicated the original DNA. The number also identifies them as being a separate person,” Roc-2 explained.

  Then he continued, “The second or subsequent persons are not truly the identical of the original, because their life experiences are not the same. Each person has individual emotions, feelings, and thoughts. That gives them different personalities. Those who copy others are more like the person they copy than they would be if they were the child of that person, but it isn’t the same as being their child. Each person records his or her DNA, and records are kept to prevent confusion.”

  “Well, it’s confusing to me,” I said. I looked at the other people who had gathered and was keenly aware that they were smiling, watching, and listening. They weren’t joining in on the conversation, but their expressions showed the intensity of their curiosity.

  Roc-2 and Jan-3 said goodbye to them and led me to the transporter. The transporter is what I had seen earlier, and was walking towards, when I heard their laughter. The station was a glass enclosure attached to a glass tube that had an opening in the side.

  Roc-2 pressed numbers on the surface of a pedestal, and a cocoon-shaped glass compartment appeared. We got in, and Roc-2 pressed another set of numbers. The door closed, and we moved silently and smoothly away. Only the changing view indicated that we were moving. The temperature in the keri was perfect, and its softly textured seats felt wonderful.

  “How did you manufacture a machine that operates so silently?” I asked.

  “It is silent because there are no moving parts,” Roc-2 replied. “The keri generates and travels in its own magnetic field.”

  “How do you prevent collisions?”

  “There’s no possibility of colliding,” Roc-2 replied. “All keris travel in their own positively charged magnetic field. It works the same as two like-charged magnets. They repel one another.”

  “That’s remarkably simple, but how do you propel them?”

  “That’s equally simple,” Roc-2 said. “Like-fields of magnetism repel, and unlike fields compel. The operator controls the magnetic force by directing it to compel in the direction he or she wants to travel, and they control the speed by controll
ing the strength of the compelling force. We travel at extremely high speed in only special areas.”

  “How fast can the keri go?”

  “Theoretically, it could travel at the speed of light, but some undesirable things happen when we approach the speed of light, so we don’t go that fast,” Roc-2 explained.

  I looked down and saw what in the twenty-first century was called California. I had flown over this terrain many times, and the outline of the mountains and valleys was the same as I had remembered, but the canyons once dry and ugly, were now flourishing and resembled a magnificent park. Bright clear streams ran through the canyons and flowed to the sea. Wildlife was everywhere. The countryside was clean and orderly, with no evidence of animal or plant waste.

  “How do you keep everything so clean, and what do you do with the waste?”

  “Thousands of people clean the land daily, and there is no waste. We discard nothing. Everything is collected, processed, reduced to its elemental components, and then converted to other uses,” Roc-2 explained.

  “What do you mean; you reduce it to its elemental components?” I asked.

  “As an engineer, you know that all matter is comprised of elements,” Roc-2 explained. “Most of what you refer to as waste is carbon-based. Our historians tell us that in your time you burned or buried it. We use solar energy to incinerate it at temperatures in excess of five thousand degrees Celsius, which reduces it to carbon, metal, and gasses. We use the carbon and metal in many ways, and then release the beneficial gasses back into the atmosphere. We reduce the harmful gasses to their elements and either reuse them or return them to the earth where they become plant food.”