2TecTom's Journal: Sci Fi Short: Back In Time

Doctor Durat really wasn't feeling that comfortable. "You see", he explained, "everything 'vibrates' at a subatomic level or rather it's energy signature radiates as a wave. Other objects then receive these 'vibrations' and react, so, in a sense, they record these impressions, much like records do." He paused and looked down, as if to consider whether to continue and then looking up, he went on, "We've ... well, we've discovered a way to ... ah, playback these impressions or recordings, if you will." He looked up and a little nervous as if he was expecting laughter. The reporters waited for him to go on, then after a moment, a tall, lanky fellow from one of the national papers said, "Hey doc, are you saying you can listen ... back in time?"

"Yes, I suppose that's exactly what I'm trying to say, thank you." said the doctor, looking greatly relieved.

At this all the other reporters started yelling at once. The doctor raised his hand for quiet and pointed at John Jamison, a local newspaper reporter he recognized. Jamison stood and looked around the room at all the other reporters with a wide grin and then back at the doctor and said, "Are you kidding? Are you really trying to tell us you can play back what it sounded like here, say yesterday?"

"Well yes, I think we can, in fact, we've arranged a small demonstration, if you'd care to see?" asked the Doctor.

"Sure, absolutely," replied the reporter with a chorus of agreement from the room.

"Excellent, come this way if you please," Dr. Durat called out, motioning to the door behind him.

-

When everyone had reassembled in the next room, Dr. Durat pointed at a small platform surrounded by massive equipment in the middle of the room.

"That is our, the, time player, if you will" he said, with obvious pride.

He then held up the coffee mug that he'd brought in with him, and walking over, he placed it on the platform. He nodded to one of the other assistants, who nodded back and started quickly typing at one of the numerous PCs. The racks of equipment came to life with a low hum and for a few moments there was a slight ozone smell. Then, directly from a small speaker in front of them, came a vaguely familiar gibberish.

"That's the sound we get directly in the order the receiver records it. Now, we're going to play it backwards." He nodded to the assistant again and this time what they heard was just slightly fuzzy but a clearly recognizable, "We've ... well, we've discovered a way to ... um, playback these impressions or recordings, if you will." and then "Hey doc, are you saying you can listen ... back in time?"

The room erupted with questions. He held up his hand for silence again and pointed at Jamison again. The reporter thought about it and said, "So, how far back can you go?"

Dr. Durat looked at him and said, "Usually right back to when an object was first fashioned."

"You mean to tell me that you can hear everything that coffee cup has ever listened to?" Jamison asked.

"Basically, yes." the doctor replied. "We've gone back, oh ... " he looked over at another assistant, and said, "about a hundred years or so. You see it depends on the age of the object. The oldest one we've worked with so far is really not that old."

"So, why are you telling us this doc, why just reporters and not other scientists?" asked Jamison, suspiciously.

Dr. Durat suddenly looked even more uncomfortable.

"Well, you see, it's because of what we've just discovered." He looked down and then went on little bit slower, "You see, Daly Plaza is not far from here, and one of my assistants..." at this he looked over at the third assistant, who quickly looked down. The doctor continued on saying, "made a recording of the third floor storage room of the School Book Depository that captured the entire events that transpired the day President Kennedy was shot."

At this the room fell silent. A second went by and then pandemonium struck. The doctor held up his hands for silence, but the noise continued for some time.

The doc looked at Jamison, so the reporter also held up his hands and the room suddenly became quiet.

He asked, "So doc, what happened?"

The doctor looked down quietly and said, "We're not sure, they weren't speaking any known human language."

Copyright Tom2tec 2003