Part One: Killing Hitler Read online

fuzzy.

  Burt asked, “I am totally in your control, aren't I?”

  Lindsey said, “Of course silly, let’s go.”

  New York

  July 28th, 2015

  Even Later Still

  Uncle’s Garage

  They had driven out of the city and into a suburban row of houses. Martin unlocked the garage and looked around.”If my uncle catches us we will be in big trouble.”

  They walked into the garage, there was practically no room to stand with all the boxes and miscellaneous junk cluttering the place up, it reminded Burt of his apartment. Burt spied a large blue rectangle with Police Box written on the inside of it. “It’s the Tardis.” He said. “You really do have a time machine.”

  Martin said, “That’s not it, and a good thing too, otherwise you would never fit.”

  Burt said, “Hey, I’m not that fat, I’m just big boned.”

  Lindsey walked over and pinched Burt’s cheek, “Even with a little chub, you're still cute.”

  Burt felt the heat rushing to his face and leaned against a stack of boxes, which fell over.

  Martin whispered, “Be quiet, he’ll hear you.”

  Lindsey said, “I thought he was in Philadelphia.”

  Martin said, “That doesn’t matter.”

  Burt looked over the junk, there were several devices that looked like time machines from science fiction movies, one looked like a sled with a satellite dish on the back. “That one looks like the time machine from H. G. Wells ‘The Time Machine.’”

  Martin said, “Yes, my uncle collects time machine memorabilia, or used to until he invented his own.” Martin removed a cloth from a box about two feet square which had four cables running from it and an electric cord which Martin unplugged from the wall. He tugged at the front of the square and a panel opened to reveal a simple operating console. It had a dial to control the numbers a next button, a start button and a series of numbers formed bright red lines. The numbers were labeled longitude, latitude, year, month, day. Martin tugged at the cords and at the end of each was a plastic handle formed to be held in a person’s hand, like the top of a ski pole. Martin handed one to Burt and Lindsey and also he held one in his own hand.

  Burt started to ask if this was the time machine, but he felt a shock in his hand and tried to throw away the handle. It was stuck to his hand and he realized that he felt weightless and woozy. He felt as if he were no longer solid, but then all of a sudden he felt like he hit a brick wall and everything was normal again other than he felt disoriented. He was, however, in the city again. It was daylight, the old brick building in front of him was familiar, he had looked at the cracks running up the sides of it every day as he walked out of his apartment, wondering if they affected its structural integrity.

  Burt heard Martin say behind him, “We should hide, otherwise you will see yourself and since you don’t remember seeing yourself, this will create an alternative reality or a paradox or something.”

  Burt wondered about this and said, “No, I have to meet myself, otherwise how will I really know it’s me.”

  Martin said, “Oh come on, no one can just trust me.”

  Burt said, “You are talking about a time machine, would you really just trust someone who you didn’t know. If I don’t meet myself then it could just be someone in a disguise, this way I will remember.”

  Martin said, “I just know something bad is going to happen.”

  Lindsey said, “You are always saying that. We have made dozens of alternative realities.”

  Martin said, “It's more like six or seven, and the only time it was better was when we saved Hitler’s life, but then Hitler was still his old self, killing Jews and invading Poland and all of that.”

  Lindsey said, “Remember uncle said, after he told us to never use the time machine, that if we ever did not to go back very far so that nothing important will get changed. In this instance only Burt’s life would get changed, that couldn’t affect anything too important.”

  Burt said, “Hey, I’m insulted by that.”

  Martin said, “Oh Burt she doesn’t mean it like that, I mean Hitler got killed, other people who were military personnel, politicians or scientists who were important in shaping world events got killed or their lives changed. You are a security guard who got fired two weeks ago.”

  Burt said, “How did you know that?”

  Martin said, “Because we have met you before, remember? We’re going to create another reality by doing this; I think it is a mistake. We might end up with two Burts, one from each reality.”

  Lindsey said, “Oh silly, that doesn’t even make sense.”

  Martin said, “Yeah, but when we created different realities we were still there, wouldn’t he still be there and the new Burt too?”

  Burt said, “How else will I know it's not an elaborate hoax, they have those TV shows nowadays.” Burt turned and looked at his old apartment building. The cement blocks all looked a little dirty, but there were four or five that were stained a brown color for no apparent reason. Why was it only those particular blocks, but none of the surrounding blocks? Burt thought about things like that sometimes. Somewhere behind him there was someone yelling about twins, that was the thing about being in New York, there was always some idiot yelling about something.

  Lindsey said, “Hi Burt, we found you again.”

  Burt said, “What,” and turned around. He stood behind himself eating an ice cream cone.

  The new Burt said, “Are you my long lost twin? I hope you don’t want money.”

  Burt said, “No I am future you, so I do want money, but I know better than to ask you for it.”

  The new Burt said, “I thought I had some family, someone I could talk to about stuff.”

  Lindsey said, “I didn’t know you didn’t have any family, I am an orphan, but I got reunited with my brother after being alone for a long time.”

  Martin said, “Our uncle couldn't handle raising two kids. He really has a hard time looking after himself to tell the truth.”

  Burt said, “But he built a time machine, he must be amazing.”

  Martin said, “He is crazy smart, but you see all the brains he has for astrophysics diverts the brains he needs to do things like cooking toast.”

  Ice cream cone Burt said, “This is a very confusing conversation to be getting into. Can someone tell me what’s going on?”

  Martin said, “It's probably better if you don’t know. If we are in a different time loop this could mess with you for years.”

  Lindsey said, “Martin you’re being mean.” She pointed to the old Burt, “You, as in him, didn’t believe that we had a time machine, and the only way he would believe us is if we went back in time and met himself. Does that help?”

  Ice cream Burt said, “Not much.”

  The old Burt said, “Say, why don't I remember meeting myself, shouldn’t I?”

  Martin said, “Well you see Burt, the past, or the present, or really wherever you would call right now, is very funny. I would like to give you some sort of detailed explanation of how this all works, but I can only tell you so far all of it is just crazy.”

  Lindsey said, “Space-time is very delicate, it ebbs and flows like the mighty ocean. It is not as hard and logical as one might expect it to be, but it is more like a wave and as such it is pliable and accommodating.”

  Martin said, “Accommodating?”

  Lindsey said, “Yes, haven't you listened to uncle at all? He was very clear about it.”

  Martin asked, “Clear about it, there was nothing he ever said that was clear. Oh no, you are the smart one after all.”

  Lindsey said, “Now don’t be hard on yourself. The nuns were very thorough in my education.”

  Martin said, “I don’t even understand how you were raised by nuns when we’re Jewish.”

  Lindsey said, “It’s really quite an extensive story, I don’t think we have the time to go over it.”

  Martin said, “We should get back.�
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  The new Burt said, “Woman, I have never seen anyone as pretty as you, please take me with you. I feel as if our destinies were intertwined, I would do anything to be with you.”

  The old Burt said, “We have to be in some sort of twisted alternative reality, I would never have to guts to tell a girl as, “and he mumbled a word that might have been beautiful, “as Lindsey something so direct and open. We have to get out of here. “

  Martin said, “We have been here too long, let’s go.”

  They started walking all together with the new Burt in tow. They all took a paddle from the time machine.

  The old Burt said, “Don’t let the other me come, please.”

  Martin said, “I think it will be alright and I don’t think we could stop him anyways. If we end up with two Burts we’ll figure it out.”

  Burt felt the shock again and the sensation of weightlessness and then hitting something like an iceberg. It was kind of bad, but really, it would be worth it, depending on where your destination was. And they were back in the garage, and there was no other him. He was glad for a second, but then he realized that there would never be anyone else he could be as close to as himself and an unexpected sadness overcame him.  

  Martin asked, “Lindsey, how did you know there would only be one Burt?”

  Lindsey smiled, turned and walked out the door.

  Munich

  March 8th, 1932

  University

  The man in the white lab coat pointed at the sandwich and yelled at Oppenheim, “The essential thing that makes a peanut butter sandwich is the PH balance, why can’t you see that.” The rest of the people in the cafeteria ignored them, this had