The Didymus Contingency

by Jeremy Robinson

  “What? You can’t leave!” Tom was near panic.

  “I’ll be back!” shouted David as he ran down the hill.

  Tom was beside himself with horror. He now completely understood all of David’s fears and reservations. He had violated time in a way that might change every facet of the future he knew. He had gone from a respected quantum scientist to the destroyer of time—his own specialty! Tom was sure that even if they discovered that Jesus was in fact the savior of the world, he would still burn in Hell for what he’d done. Tom’s thoughts were shattered when a strong voice interrupted.

  “Come, Didymus, let me introduce you to the others,” Jesus said, as he led Tom toward a group of men who looked just as wide-eyed as Tom.

  —EIGHT—

  Perspective

  2005

  11:00 P.M.

  Arizona

  David spent an hour walking through the wilderness in an effort to make sure he wasn’t observed by any ancient Israelites. He thought about the ramifications of a man or woman seeing the light and sound show created by time travel and forming a new religion around the spectacle. Until his percolating theory could be proven in the future, he wasn’t going to take any chances.

  After scoping out the area, David tucked himself away in a thick patch of trees and sat down to formalize a plan. The equipment he needed was in LightTech’s Receiving Area Alpha. But it was a small window of opportunity between the time the equipment arrived and when Tom stole the watch. Almost every hour before and after these events would reveal David’s actions to LightTech and possibly worsen their situation with the ruthless Captain Roberts.

  While Roberts wasn’t currently a threat in ancient Israel—he’d actually jumped to the time of Jesus’s death, two and a half years later than Tom—David himself could still be dangerous in his own time. The presence of two Davids at LighTech could trigger a security response before Tom ever got a chance to leave. More than that, David’s actions now could make things hard for the David at LightTech and potentially keep him from following Tom into the past. If his activities were discovered, LighTech would—

  A thought struck David and he smiled. He knew exactly where and when to go because he had already done it! The second time distortion that was detected when Tom stole the watch! David knew it was himself who had caused the second and third disturbances—the supposed ripples— because he was seconds away from creating them. He worked his watch with quick fingers, setting the date, time and exact location for the most technologically advanced theft in history.

  David normally frequented the bathroom several times before events like this, when he was about to embark on something dangerous, but this time he was unusually calm. He knew the outcome. He knew he would succeed—because he already had. He would get in and out of LightTech with the equipment he needed and no one would be the wiser. And then his future/past self would actually advise against researching the event! David was smiling ear to ear. Birds rocketed into the air as David pushed the final button and exploded back to the future.

  With a flash of light, David appeared, and then the receiving area went dark again. The lab had been shutdown for the past few hours and the morning shift would soon fill the premises, not to mention Tom’s theft incident. David fell to the floor and struggled to keep from throwing up. Any evidence left behind would be quickly found and scrutinized.

  The nausea passed and David got to his feet, searching through the room, which was lit only by a dim red light from the control room. He quickly found the equipment he needed, a machine he had learned was a Time Recorder. It looked like a fancy external hard drive and much to David’s delight, appeared to be compatible with a PC serial port as well as a USB port. From what little David read of the notes from his future self, he knew that the Time Recorder worked by recording time. If time was altered completely or partially, the Time Recorder’s storage unit, which was shielded from space-time itself, would remember the way things were. David planned to access the information recorded on the device and attempt to detect the minor, or major, distortions he and Tom might have already created without even noticing. And now that he had found the time recorder, he had to abscond with it without being noticed.

  David paused before typing in a new set of coordinates. He had planned up to this point, but not beyond it. He didn’t know where he was going. David deduced that the most logical place to go was his own home, but when? If he went during the present, he would certainly be found out. Security had been tightened after a series of break-ins three years previous. David’s mind made a logical hop skip and jump to a related topic and he began to see his past and present merging again.

  But there was that time...ten years ago. He had gone on vacation for a month, to Israel, visiting family. When he had returned, he found that his house had been burglarized. His food had been eaten, his fish, Franklin, which he had assumed he would find dead upon his return, had been fed and his computer had been used. David reported the incident to the police, but since there were no signs of forced entry and nothing more than food missing, they didn’t see the point in pursuing the matter. Besides, whoever it was had saved David’s fish. He now suspected that he was that burglar.

  David punched the date and time into his watch, but before he could hit the last button, someone crashed into the room. Clutching the Time Recorder, David ducked behind a table full of equipment. He peeked out and saw Tom stumbling around the room, murmuring to himself about David and Megan, and saying, “I’m not drunk...I’m not drunk! I can drive fine!”

  A heated debate exploded in David’s mind. He could end everything right here and now; he could stop Tom and end this nonsense. Or he could let Tom go and risk altering the past. But David couldn’t stop him, not until he knew for sure if time was being changed. Not until he knew whether or not Tom was who David suspected him to be. David watched as Tom picked up one of the nine remaining watches and strapped it to his wrist. Tom punched in some coordinates and with a bright flash and boom, disappeared into the past where he would befriend Jesus Christ.

  “Dr. Goodman? Is that you?”

  Eyes wide, David sat unmoving. He recognized Spencer’s voice. He was caught! David whipped around and faced Spencer. He didn’t remember Spencer saying anything about this encounter...but then, he did make that comment, what was it he said? “See you in the past.” It occurred to David that this meeting had already taken place. David grinned again; it seemed he was leaving unintentional breadcrumbs for himself.

  “Yes, it’s me,” David said as he stood up.

  “Do you know what happened? The computers detected a time fluctuation. Did someone go back?” Spencer was wide-awake and full of jittery energy.

  “What are you doing here, Spencer? You don’t have to come in for another four hours.” David said, trying to move the subject to less dangerous topics.

  “I...I never went home. Thought I could get some extra work in while no one was here. I went to go get some coffee and when I returned the computers were...I’m sorry. I should have told you I was staying.” Spencer was growing nervous.

  “Don’t worry about it. You’re ambition is admirable and will take you far, I’m sure,” David said.

  Then Spencer’s eyebrows sank. He was looking at David’s clothes. “Sir, why are you dressed like that?”

  David walked to within a foot of Spencer, took him by the shoulders, looked him in the eyes and said, “Spencer, listen to me very carefully.”

  * * * * *

  The past snuck up on David and grabbed hold. Rather than testing his theory, which if proven, would ease his nerves and clear his mind of impending worldwide doom, David spent the afternoon rummaging through his own house. He explored the pine cupboards, which were now cherry wood and wondered how he had ever lived with the sixties-style linoleum floor. The house smelled differently, but was familiar, bringing back a wave of memories and emotions attached to the events of his life during this time. It was an amazing experience.

  A tw
o-liter bottle of Cherry Coke sat emptied on the counter. After rummaging through the fridge, David had found the soda and became perplexed by it. Cherry Coke? David remembered that during this time period Cherry Coke was the only cherry flavored soda available. It wasn’t his beloved Wild Cherry Pepsi, but it was sweet and David was happy to finish it. David turned his attention to edible food and devoured a large slice of apple pie he had felt bad about leaving to spoil ten years earlier. He fed Franklin enough food to keep him alive for the next week and looked through some photos, which in his future album were faded, but here, in this time, were fresh from the developers.

  He flipped through images of himself and Tom, working hard on their dreams of time travel, posing next to the newly built semiconductor, faces smiling. They looked so young, so eager, so in over their heads. If only they knew how deep they’d eventually get, would they have continued with their work? David wondered.

  David eventually made his way up the stairs and into his sparsely decorated office. The carpet was brown and the walls were covered with dark, wood paneling he and Tom would rip down a year later. The house had changed much over the years, but it still felt like home.

  The room was impeccably clean and boring, David noted. Over the years, his penchant for neatness had taken leave for creative genius and not having time to clean. David pulled out the tower of his then top of the line Pentium I, 200-megahertz PC and installed the Time Recorder. It fit perfectly using the free serial port cable at the rear of the computer. He just prayed the ancient Windows 3.1 operating system would be able to detect and use the futuristic device. As David reached for the power button, he realized he had no idea what would happen next.

  He felt his hands grow clammy. The past days had been filled with so many dramatic discoveries, breakthroughs and close calls, he wasn’t sure he would be prepared for the potential information this device would supply.

  The computer whirred to life as David depressed the power button. David sighed with relief, but before all the air escaped from his chest, he sucked in a panicked breath. The computer screen flashed with vibrant colors and David feared he had fried the computer. Then again, David remembered the computer working fine when he had gotten home from Israel.

  The screen went black for a moment and then a face appeared on the screen. David almost fell over backwards with shock as his own wizened and old eyes stared back at him.

  “David, what I wouldn’t give to see your face when you see what this device proves. It’s changed the way we think about time and will provide you with the freedom to embark on a great adventure,” the voice of an older David echoed from the computer speakers.

  David stared at his face on the screen, wrinkled and tan. Tan? Had he spent time in the sun? Before David could continue his line of thinking, the computerized recording continued its one-way dialogue.

  “I know what you’re thinking, David,” the future David said. “You’ll be spending a few more days in the sun than you’re used to. Remember, I was once you sitting in front of our old computer monitor listening to myself talk to myself. Heh, I could make your life boring and tell you how things turn out, but that would ruin the fun now, wouldn’t it?”

  The image of David leaned in close and smiled wide. “I will tell you one thing, though...”

  David leaned closer to the computer as though he were about to hear a secret.

  “Modern science will make amazing advances in dentistry in the future, so don’t trouble yourself with Tom’s teasing about your soda habit.”

  David leaned back with a smile on his face. He was funny.

  “Enjoy,” his future self said with a wink.

  Then his face disappeared and was replaced by a black screen. Two sets of numbers appeared and began scrolling higher and higher, into the billions. Both numbers stopped at 598,098,982,001. Two jagged lines appeared, labeled True Time and Present Time. The lines stretched across the screen, stopped and then overlapped. They were identical. A number labeled Time Variance, in the bottom right of the screen, began to scroll backwards from 100. David watched eagerly, waiting to see his theory be proved by machinery created by his future self. The number stopped at 0.00000000000. David smiled as the message, “Time Variance Not Detected—Time Stream Intact,” appeared on the screen.

  David leaned back in the chair, relieved because he finally knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, time could not be changed. But then his stomach sank. He knew the truth. He knew the inevitable outcome of Tom’s past and future. He knew when, where and how Tom would die, and telling him wouldn’t do any good. It was set in stone, recorded in history; Tom was going to die thousands of years in the past.

  * * * * *

  Tom was beginning to wonder where David had gone. David left more than five hours ago and time wasn’t an object. If he stayed away for a year, he still could have come back just seconds after he left. Tom worried that something might have happened to David—maybe some kind of malfunction with the time travel devices or maybe David needed his help.

  Tom’s thoughts were crushed by the loud laughter from the men around him. Jesus was to his right and the other men around the table were just a few of the other eleven disciples Jesus had appointed earlier that day. Tom formulated a plan and was about to excuse himself when David entered the tavern.

  “Tom!” David said excitedly, as he moved to the table full of men, “Tom, can I talk to you for a minute?”

  “Is this a friend of yours?” Matthew asked. He was a rotund yet muscular man sitting across from Tom.

  “I don’t go anywhere without him.” Tom turned to David. “Isn’t that right, David?”

  “Ha Ha! Welcome!” Matthew shouted to David, and then more loudly to the barkeep, “A drink for our friend!”

  Matthew expertly flung a coin to the barkeep, who caught and pocketed it. David was about to try to speak again, but Tom wouldn’t give him the chance. “David, I’d like you to meet, Matthew.”

  “M—Matthew?” David would later realize how stunned he must have looked. Here he was, meeting one of the disciples and future authors of the Bible. David’s jaw was wide open. Not that Matthew seemed to notice.

  “Fine to meet you!” Matthew shouted, as he gave David a firm whack on the back that nearly knocked all the air from David’s lungs.

  Matthew leaned back as best he could and revealed a small mousy man sitting behind him. “Our shy friend here is Judas.” Judas gave a little wave.

  “Judas? Him?” David couldn’t believe who he was meeting and the look on his face said it all.

  “You have a look of knowledge about you. Perhaps you have met Judas before?” Jesus asked David with a suspicious look in his eyes.

  “No...No, I haven’t,” David replied.

  The man sitting next to Jesus extended his long, skinny arm to David. “I’m Peter.”

  David tried harder to repress his shock this time around, knowing it was bound to happen at least eight more times. “Hi, hello...” David said, as he shook Peter’s hand. “Tom, we need to talk. It’s important that you know this.”

  “You’re among friends here, David. You have nothing to fear from us. Speak your mind,” Jesus said.

  “Yeah, what’s so important?” Tom added.

  David was in a corner and struggled for words. “I, uh, I just wanted to congratulate you on becoming one of the twelve apostles—uh, I mean disciples! Disciples I meant.”

  “Bartender, cancel his drink,” Matthew shouted, “He’s had too much to drink already!”

  Tom smiled and said, “Well thanks for stopping by...hey, we’re heading out to the Sea of Galilee tomorrow. You want to join us?”

  David was on the spot and could see Tom was enjoying it. Everyone’s eyes burrowed into David, urging him for an answer. David smiled. It was time to turn the tables on Tom. “Yes, of course.”

  Tom’s facial expression went blank.

  “Excellent!” Matthew said.

  David turned to Jesus and said, “Is it...would it be
all right if I traveled with you? With the disciples?”

  Jesus mulled over the question briefly and then replied, “You may travel with me and the twelve, but some of my teachings you do not need to hear. Do you understand?”

  Butterflies filled David’s stomach as he realized that this was Jesus, the man he believed to be God. Surely, Jesus knew who he was, where and when he was from. Was that comment, that question directed toward David as someone who knew what was going to happen in the years to follow, who already believed? “I understand,” David replied.

  “Good,” said Tom, “The walking will do you good. You need to give those flaccid, old muscles of yours a workout!”

  The group burst out laughing. Even David, no longer held captive by fears of catastrophic time alterations, was able to find the humor. He chuckled with the group.

  “Be nice,” Jesus added, “He’s in excellent shape...for someone his age!”

  The group laughed again and David’s laughter was among the loudest. Tom was laughing too, but his was a skillful ruse, deployed so that no one would notice the fear in his eyes. He had heard and seen enough to know that life here in ancient Israel was no picnic. He had begun to reconsider his plot to stay. Maybe it was too risky? Maybe they would change the future? Tom cursed himself for not talking to David when he had asked. He fully expected David to throw a fit, drag him outside and demand that they leave. What did David know, and why did he agree to stay?

  Tom couldn’t make sense of anything since Jesus appointed him the twelfth disciple. The only thoughts Tom could hold onto kept repeating in his head, How the hell did this happen? And why is David suddenly making things worse?

  —NINE—

  First Steps