To Fix the Past

“Don’t do it, my son. Don’t send the message.”

“I’m about to change history, Reverend. Change life as we know it! And you ask me to refrain. Why?”

“We learn by faith or we learn by experience. And faith is quickly fleeting. If you take experience away, no one will learn. No one will grow. Life will mean nothing. Mankind will become nothing more than animals, driven by their base desires.”

“Forgive me, Reverend. But that’s absurd. And this means too much. To me. You know it does. With a single message to the past, I will save my little Anna. I thought you of all people would understand. Wouldn’t you want to see your Kate again? Wouldn’t you want to spare yourself all that pain?”

“But I will see Kate again. And that pain had purpose. If you deny the world misery, my son, you deny the world joy.”

“I don’t have time for this. I’m sending the message. Do you want to stay and share this moment with me? Or shall I do this alone?”

“Alone. I can’t stop you. But neither will I witness mankind’s end.”

“As you say. I’ll see you out.”

Doctor Rogers walked Reverend Lehigh out of his laboratory, down the hall, through the grand main entrance of the Rogers family penthouse, to two massive doors. As they did so, they walked past many an ornate window that looked down upon the glistening New York skyline.

“Goodbye, my son.”

“Farewell.”

Rogers’ response thundered with disappointment. He shut the door, then hastened to his lab. To his machine. Long, determined strides. His soul yearned to press the final button.

“One button . . . one message . . . then I’ll have my Anna back.”

Rogers struck the key with a single, trembling finger. The computer whirred. The machine buzzed. The doors banged.

“Who the hell is that?”

Roger’s voice was sick and hoarse. He shuffled back to the double doors, coughing all the way. As he did so, he passed one shattered window after another, each looking down upon the oxidized rubble below. He opened one of the dilapidated, dirty doors.

The barrel of a gun greeted him.

Then a flash.

Then darkness.

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