TEMPUS CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation — either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.
Martin Luther King Jr.
He boarded the Ascalon and headed off for the Canary Islands for the 2014 Starmus Festival. At the festival, he managed to get a few seconds alone with Stephen after his lecture using some stolen fireworks and quickly made a timer using a cigarette.
“Stephen, do you remember me?”
“You are the janitor, Cristian Wolf. Who never worked for Cambridge? I looked for you.”
“I am your time traveller and I can take you to a Kerr hole, and I can get you out of that chair permanently. All I need from you for the moment is trust.”
“I will go with you.”
“Good, bow out for the evening and go back to your room. Have your helpers leave the balcony open and dismiss them. I will pick you up there in a half-hour. I can return you before anyone is aware of your absence.”
“Are you for real?”
“I gave Albert a copy of this formula to convince him. He will be attending a gathering. I am hoping you will attend.”
He took the formula and held it up for Hawking to look at.
“You solved it. I knew that was possible. Albert who?”
“You did better than Einstein, he disbelieved the formula until he recognized his own handwriting. You will help him solve this.”
“I will see you in thirty minutes?” he answered using his computer’s voice synthesizer.
“Watcher this will be tight, his balcony is just big enough. He will need an interface capable of communicating with me.”
“No problem, the nanobots can repair the damage from his disease. It will take time.”
Cristian pulled the Ascalon up to his balcony. “His room is empty, you can park the ship”. He parked the ship, so the opening was at the open door.
“Stephen, are you ready?”
“I am a little afraid, Cristian, but I am ready.”
“Good, I am a little afraid too. I am going to put my pocket watch in your hand. It is my computer, he will inject you with an interface, so we can communicate while we travel.”
He felt a small pinprick in his hand. In a second, he was talking to Cristian. “This is incredible I can speak as fast as I can think again.”
“Stephen meet Watcher.”
“Hello, Stephen, trust Cristian he means you no harm. I have injected you with nanobots, they are repairing the damage from your disease. Our ship is on your balcony.”
“Who was that Cristian?”
“Oh, my pocket watch.”
As he turned his chair to the balcony, Cristian thought the ship visible for a few seconds, so he could see it.
“Shall we go, Stephen?”
“Yes, please help me into the ship.”
Soon they were in space. Cristian circled the earth a couple of times, so Stephen could see it. He looked over at the tears that were rolling out of his eyes.
“Thank you, Cristian, I have waited a very long time.”
“Stephen, it was my pleasure, shall we visit a few planets on the way out?”
“Yes please, Cristian.”
“He took Stephen to Mars to show him his handy work, and he told him it was made with bricks from 1889.”
“A peace sign, Cristian, that is too funny.”
“I thought it was. No one heard about it.”
“How will we travel to the Kerr Hole?”
“I am not sure how it works, I am just the driver.”
“I think the ship uses small singularities to fold space. Maybe Watcher can tell you more.”
For what seemed like an hour, Hawking and Watcher discussed things Cristian would never understand. He wasn’t a scientist, and he didn’t pretend to be.
“We are here, Stephen?”
“It’s beautiful.” They were near the event horizon.
“We are going through it. Watcher tells me it is better that we are not awake for the next part of the journey.”
“No, I don’t want to sleee……..”
“He is out Cristian now it’s your turn.”
“Watcher wake us on the other side, so Stephen can enjoy the trip.”
“Will do.”
They woke up on the other side. Stephan’s body was starting to straighten, and he was getting strength back in his arms and legs.
“Cristian, I can talk out loud.”
“Yes, Stephen.”
“Tell me about the gathering, Cristian.”
Cristian went into great detail and told Stephen about the Elders and the things they were responsible for in history and the control they had over the media, oil, the government and more. He wasn’t surprised at all. Then he told him of the plan to weaken their grip.
“Cristian I am in, I am more than grateful to you for taking me into space and repairing my body. I perhaps would have helped just for those reasons. I really dislike what these people represent and what they have done, is it all true?”
“Watcher, do you lie?”
“No Cristian.”
“Is everything we told Stephen Correct?”
“It is true but incomplete, there is much more they have done and are still doing to harm humanity.”
“Such as Watcher?” asked Stephen.
“The climate should give you the answers. The climate is changing drastically.”
“Watcher, is Stephen a future baby?”
“Yes, Cristian, he is.”
“Disable his ability to receive communication through the interface.”
“Done.”
“Watcher, I need to black out external views and still be able to fly.”
“No problem Cristian.”
“Why didn’t we do this sooner, Watcher? I can see through the fog, trees, and buildings and I can see further than I could with my own eyes. I can see everything.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“Watcher make sure that the guests have limited access to the cave and secure the outer doors. Is Stephen carrying any electronics?”
“No Cristian.”
“Sorry, Stephen, the blackout is necessary. Our meeting location must remain secret.”
“I understand.”
Cristian took the long way in to prevent any chance Stephen was trying to calculate distance. They entered the cave and Stephen got out of the ship on his own power. He was a little shaky, but he was walking. There was a familiar wheelchair with a computer near the ship.
Stephen looked at it with a little disdain.
“It was there in case the damage had not been repaired enough for you to walk.”
“Thoughtful, Cristian, but not necessary.”
“Stephen Hawking, Lorelei, my wife.”
Unsure of the movement, he held up his arm slowly and shook her hand.
“Nanobots, useful little things,” she said.
“Yes.”
“Stephen, this is M1. He is part of my team. He is a mechanical.”
“Remarkable” he shook his hand. “He feels warm.”
“M1 take Stephen to his quarters.”
“Will do Cristian?”
“Stephen, tell M1 of your clothing needs, and he will get them ready for you. Please feel free to join us after you have settled in.”
“Thank you, Cristian, Lorelei.”
“One down and a lot more to go.”
He walked over and kissed his wife very hard.”
“Whew I need a cold shower, Cristian.”
“I will be back soon, sweetie.”
“Who is next, Cristian?”
“Albert, of course, they will be sharing a room.”
“Albert and Stephen, that will be interesting.”
It seemed like five minutes and Cristian was back with Albert.
“That was fast,” said Lorelei.
“Not for me, he had many questions and I had to take him through the scenic route and listen to Watcher explain folded space and singularity drives, Rotating Black holes and white holes. The same as we did for Stephen.
“Lorelei, please take him to his room and introduce him to Stephen.”
“I will see you soon.”
Another five minutes saw him arrive with Nikola.
“Cristian, are you getting any rest?”
“Yes, Lorelei Watcher has been allowing me to sleep through most of the trip. I could use a few more sandwiches, though.”
“I will get them ready.”
“Lorelei, it is good to see you.”
“Always a pleasure Nikola, come with me, I will take you to your Quarters.”
With sandwiches in the cooler, Cristian headed off again. This time he arrived with Michael Faraday.”
“M1, please bunk him with Nikola.”
“Michael, this is my wife Lorelei.”
“Pleased to meet you, Lorelei.”
Cristian would soon bring solar pioneers Auguste Nouchoute, William Adams, Charles Fritts, Frank Shuman.
Then came the battery experts Akira Yoshino, Kaname Takeya.
Thomas Parker. Stanford Robert Ovshinsky. There were others.
Lorelei was busy with Dorothy in the cafeteria, making meals for everyone. He had gone back and picked up Arthur and his wife, so they could be a part of this. Their kids would be watched by a relative. They offered to help Lorelei in the kitchen, which they were happy to do. Arthur had his sleeves rolled up wearing a plain white apron, was serving up meals. Dorothy had become the Chef’s helper.
He watched his wife working hard in the kitchen, he was so proud of her. Every once in a while, she would look over and give him a quick wink.
Cristian walked around the tables, listening to the conversations. Faraday, Tesla, Einstein, and Hawking sitting at the same table. The solar men are at another table. Battery men in the deep discussion sharing knowledge and ideas.
All those egos in the room and not one argument.
“Gentleman, do you have everything you need?”
“Yes, Cristian, thank you. We could use some paper and pencils.”
“I will arrange for that. How was the meal? Watcher?”
“M1 is already on his way,” said Watcher.
“The meal was excellent” answered Albert.
“Then you know what to do.”
All four of them got up at the same time, went to the counter with their dishes and thanked the ladies and Arthur for the meal.
“Other tables watched the four and did the same.”
“Man, if the world could see this going on Watcher.”
“That could be arranged.”
“Go ahead, record and watch for security breaches.”
“Gentleman we will be meeting in the lecture hall in twenty” He saw the look on their faces “Thirty minutes”.
The faces relaxed and were satisfied with that.
“Arthur, Dorothy, I didn’t mean to bring you back here to be servants.”
“Cristian, we are proud to do what we can. This is so amazing seeing all these men working together” Arthur said.
“Besides that, I am happy to see Lorelei, Cristian.”
“Dorothy, I am sure she is just as happy to see you.”
“All true Husband.”