Time travel, without paradoxes? A science fiction story from Fantasy 2000 issue 5
strong>by Frederick Brown
"The first time machine, gentlemen," Professor Johnson proudly announced to his two colleagues. "True, this is an experimental model on a small scale. It only works on objects weighing less than 16.5 kilograms, and is only able to take them up to 12 minutes into the future or the past. But it works."
The model looks like small scales - postal scales - but it had two indicators in the part below the top panel. Professor Johnson held a small metal cube in his hand. "Our experimental object," he said, "is a cube of copper weighing 673 grams. First I will send it five minutes into the future."
He bent forward and adjusted one of the indicators on the time machine. "Look at your watches," he said. They looked at their watches. Professor Johnson placed the cube gently on the machine board. she disappeared Five minutes later, exactly one second later, she appeared again. Professor Johnson picked her up in his hand. "Now five minutes into the past." he aimed the second indicator. Holding the cube in his hand, he looked at his watch. "It is now six minutes to three. I will now activate the device by placing the cube on the board exactly at three o'clock. Therefore the cube should disappear from my hand five minutes before three o'clock and appear on the board five minutes before I place it there."
"Then how can you put her there?" asked one of his colleagues. Exactly at three. Pay attention, please." The cube disappeared from his hand. It appeared on the board of the time machine.
"See? Five minutes before I put her there, she's sleeping there!". One of his colleagues frowned as he looked at the cube. "But, said he, what would happen if now, after she appeared five minutes before you put her there, you change your mind and don't put her there at three o'clock? Don't you wake up here
Some paradox?"
"An interesting idea," said Prof. Johnson. "I hadn't thought of that, and it would be interesting to try. Very well, then I won't put her down..."
There was no paradox. The cube remains. But all the rest of the universe - the professors, the room and everything else disappeared.
