Imagine if you will: The year is 2025. The possibility of time travel has been theoretically proven and is accepted without question by the scientific community at large, although it has yet to be demonstrated by actual experience. The world is standing on tiptoe.
Today is Monday, June 2nd, the date set for the annual meeting of the World Scientific Society. This particular meeting is destined to be different from past meetings. Its outcome will affect certain of the society’s members in ways that they cannot now imagine. The revolutionary events detailed here will all happen as a direct result of a simple question which is about to be asked by the chairman Mr. John Sterghean of Switzerland. After the group has chatted idly for some time about various diseases, illnesses, and problems, he suddenly strikes the gavel on the table and cleared his throat. When everything is silent, he speaks.
"Gentlemen, we have been discussing various individual diseases, illnesses, and problems. But let me set before you a question which is crucial to them all. Gentlemen, what do you see as the main cause of disease and evil in the world?"
The members sit in silence, each one pondering the answer to the question. The group includes Walter Bryant, from Germany, William Nifang, from Japan, Kerry Nadine, from Saudi Arabia, David Sung, from China and Allen Daniel Cohen from the USA. All of them have given their lives to the betterment of mankind through scientific pursuit.
It is Cohen who finally speaks. "It seems to me that the main cause of disease and evil in the world is sin."
"And, just what do you mean by 'sin'?" asks the chairman, smiling. "Please define your terms."
"By 'sin,’ I mean a failure to conform to the law and precepts of Almighty God."
"I’m sure we would all agree with that, responds the chairman. "We all believe in a God, although we may call him by different names. To you, he is JHWH, to Kerry, he is Allah, to Will, he is Buddha, and to David, he is Confucius. So then, my friends, we all agree with brother Daniel’s proposal do we not?"
All nod in agreement.
"But, objects Walt, "This is a scientific gathering, not a theological one. I’m sure you have a point."
"I do, affirms John, "and a very poignant one, if you’ll just bear with me. But, where did this failure to comply, this 'sin' as you call it, originate?"
Mr. A. Daniel Cohen thinks for a moment and then reaches his hand into his coat pocket. "Gentlemen, if I may,--.” He pulls out a pocket edition of the Hebrew Torah. "Allow me to offer a rough translation."
John nods in approval and Daniel begins translating:
"Now the serpent was the smartest of all the beasts. And he said to the woman, 'Does God really say you should not eat of every tree in the Garden?' And the woman said to the serpent...'of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said we shall not eat of, neither touch it, lest we die.' And the serpent said to the woman, you shall not surely die for God knows that in the day you eat of it you’ll be like gods...And the woman took the fruit of the tree and gave also unto her husband and they ate."
As Daniel translates, John notices the light of recognition dawning on the faces of the others.
"Ah yes, affirms Walt. I remember that. It's part of the E document, I believe."
"It’s from ‘In the beginning’," asserts Kerry.
"Ah! We have some sort of story like that in our ancient Japanese literature,” says Will.
"Chinese likewise," agrees David.
"But, the point?!" objects Walt.
John smiles broadly. "The point, my friends, is simply this: What do you think can be done about the situation?”
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, do you think, in the light of our present knowledge, that we could possibly do anything to change the situation?"
There is a brief moment of silence, and then David speaks
"Well, in the light of our present knowledge of time travel, I suppose we could possibly attempt to go back to that time and warn the people involved, so they never make the fatal mistake. And then, everything would be different."
"Exactly!" exclaims John.
"But, protests Daniel, "time travel has not been fully proven as yet—-that is, it hasn’t been tested."
"Perhaps," suggests John, "because there hasn’t been enough of a motive, yet."
"But," objects Walt, "even if it is possible to go back in time, we don’t know how far back we could go, or even if we could control our landing point. Suppose we land just after this fall you read about and can’t go back to the time before it."
"My friends," affirms John, "The question of controlling the local destination of time leaps is what I’ve been working on for the past five years; and I believe I’ve finally gotten it pretty well figured out. You simply vary the intensity of the horizontal thrust in accordance with the calculated rotation of the earth in relation to the time platform. The temporal locator works pretty much the same way. But, so far, with our present thrust capabilities, it seems it would only be possible to go back 200 years more or less in one leap."
"So," observes Will, "we’d have to go back in leaps of 200 years each, and, at the next to last jump, we’d make the calculations, and set the coordinates in order to arrive at our exact destination point."
"Exactly! And with the right calculations and the right settings, the time and location could be controlled within a few days and a few feet. By setting the dial enough ahead of our desired time goal, we’d give ourselves a good margin of error."
"Sounds like you’ve really thought this thing through,” observes Walt.
"I certainly have. I’ve been waiting for this meeting to present this idea."
"But, even if we test it and we find it works," asserts Kerry, "if we were to send someone back in time, there’s a good possibility they might not return. We should all be aware of that."
"The question is, my friends," John’s voice rings out loud and clear, "whether we see the goal as being worth the risk. Think of it, my friends! Think of being able to change the course of world history--being able to eliminate all sickness, disease, and evil--to make it as though it never happened."
"Do you really think we could do it?"
Again, John’s voice is strong and assertive. "If there is a chance that it can be done, wouldn’t it be worth trying?"
"It would be like ushering in Paradise!"
"Well, I guess it does deserve a try."
"But where would we get the money for such a project?" asks Walt, who has been waiting for a break in the conversation to insert this matter of practicality. "We could each contribute something, but how far would that go?"
"We will have to find some financial backing from somewhere." agrees David.
Daniel’s face, which had been drawn in thought, suddenly lights up. "How about that wealthy financier, Mark Lewis? He’s interested in matters of this sort."
"But do you think he’d be willing to back such a project as this?"
"We’d have to do our best to connive him of the usefulness and feasibility of our plan."
"Well then," John strikes the gavel again. "Let’s try to work out the details first, and then adjourn to the home of Mark Lewis."
All agree.
After several hours of concentrated effort, they have a fairly workable plan in hand.