Read Online Now & Again by E. A. Fournier - Free Book Online
Authors: E. A. Fournier
Tags: thriller, Science-Fiction, Artificial intelligence, alternate reality, alternate worlds, parallel worlds, Nanotechnology, rebirth, many worlds theory, alternate lives, quantum mechanics, Hugh Everett
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believe in parallel universes.”
Kendall leaned back in his chair, newly uninterested. “Oh great, what are we now, Dr. Who?”
“Just listen to me, will ya? I’m tryin’ to explain how I found this stuff. Gimme a minute and I’m tellin’ you, it’s gonna sound like what happened to us. You’ll see.”
Kendall was completely unimpressed. “Yeah, yeah, I’m listening, but it also occurs to me that I’m gonna need a new truck in the morning.”
Josh gave him a dirty look and then resumed his reading. “Almost all of my colleagues have an opinion about it, but none of them have ever read the original document about it. The first draft of Hugh Everett III’s Ph.D. thesis, which celebrates its 50th birthday this year, is buried in the out-of-print book,
The Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
.”
Kendall finished his milk and waited until he was sure Josh was done. “And? Is this Hugh guy somebody who matters?”
“He does now. He didn’t used to be important but, as far as I can tell, today’s science big wigs are in love with his ideas.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Just what I said. I don’t know what changed. Hugh Everett III was 27 when he wrote his paper. Nobody took him or his theory seriously then, so he walked away, took his PhD with him, said the hell with them, and did somethin’ else.”
“So what? Maybe mathematicians don’t like people with numbers in their names. Where’s that leave us?”
“Well, here we are, all these years later, and suddenly old Hugh’s lousy theory is the hottest girl at the dance. How about that?” Josh watched his Dad carefully, hoping for a spark of real interest.
Kendall fixed him with a vacant look. “Good for him. How does that help us?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Josh was uncomfortable. “But maybe – and I’m being serious now – maybe we oughta
talk
to him.”
“What?” Kendall shot up out of his chair. “Are you kiddin’ me? Things aren’t strange enough already, now we’re supposed to go talk to a dead guy?”
“He might not be dead,” Josh shot back, defensively. “You don’t know everything.”
“That’s crazy! He must be what, in his 80’s? And even if we find him alive, what the hell do we ask him? What’s he supposed to know anyhow?”
Josh looked up at Kendall with a cold, sober expression. “All I can say is, I’ve been sitting here readin’ and re-readin’ his paper, and while there’s lots of stuff I don’t get at all, the parts I do understand, scare the hell out of me.”
CHAPTER 6:
The carved wood and glass doors of the Marabou Conference room opened wide as attendees flowed out of the adjourned meeting and into a sun-filled foyer. Running the length of the conference room, a large balcony overlooked a foliage-filled atrium where pairs of whimsical birdcages were suspended above reflecting pools. The open space echoed with the cheerful songs of mockingbirds, finches and wood thrushes.
Neville Vandermark pushed through the talkative crowd. He had his eyes fixed ahead as he rapidly moved toward the executive offices at the other end of the building. Hahn and Nsamba had to rush to keep up with him. Behind them, archive managers and their staffs were gathering into ad-hoc clumps of agitated discussions.
Vandermark glanced darkly in Nsamba’s direction as they kept walking. “Taylor, I want to know everything there is to know about these jumpers – the ones in the presentation and the ones in our own line.”
“Yes, of course. I can get the teams assigned to search the archives and work out the protocols with Echo – but the ones in our timeline? What do you want with them?”
“You don’t get it, do you? If what we saw is actually true, the only way it could possibly work is if Quyron’s jumpers were jumping into themselves in other lines – lines that lagged their own. Are you following me?”
“I am starting to, but…why are you so concerned about our line?”
“Well, we
Kendall leaned back in his chair, newly uninterested. “Oh great, what are we now, Dr. Who?”
“Just listen to me, will ya? I’m tryin’ to explain how I found this stuff. Gimme a minute and I’m tellin’ you, it’s gonna sound like what happened to us. You’ll see.”
Kendall was completely unimpressed. “Yeah, yeah, I’m listening, but it also occurs to me that I’m gonna need a new truck in the morning.”
Josh gave him a dirty look and then resumed his reading. “Almost all of my colleagues have an opinion about it, but none of them have ever read the original document about it. The first draft of Hugh Everett III’s Ph.D. thesis, which celebrates its 50th birthday this year, is buried in the out-of-print book,
The Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
.”
Kendall finished his milk and waited until he was sure Josh was done. “And? Is this Hugh guy somebody who matters?”
“He does now. He didn’t used to be important but, as far as I can tell, today’s science big wigs are in love with his ideas.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Just what I said. I don’t know what changed. Hugh Everett III was 27 when he wrote his paper. Nobody took him or his theory seriously then, so he walked away, took his PhD with him, said the hell with them, and did somethin’ else.”
“So what? Maybe mathematicians don’t like people with numbers in their names. Where’s that leave us?”
“Well, here we are, all these years later, and suddenly old Hugh’s lousy theory is the hottest girl at the dance. How about that?” Josh watched his Dad carefully, hoping for a spark of real interest.
Kendall fixed him with a vacant look. “Good for him. How does that help us?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Josh was uncomfortable. “But maybe – and I’m being serious now – maybe we oughta
talk
to him.”
“What?” Kendall shot up out of his chair. “Are you kiddin’ me? Things aren’t strange enough already, now we’re supposed to go talk to a dead guy?”
“He might not be dead,” Josh shot back, defensively. “You don’t know everything.”
“That’s crazy! He must be what, in his 80’s? And even if we find him alive, what the hell do we ask him? What’s he supposed to know anyhow?”
Josh looked up at Kendall with a cold, sober expression. “All I can say is, I’ve been sitting here readin’ and re-readin’ his paper, and while there’s lots of stuff I don’t get at all, the parts I do understand, scare the hell out of me.”
CHAPTER 6:
The carved wood and glass doors of the Marabou Conference room opened wide as attendees flowed out of the adjourned meeting and into a sun-filled foyer. Running the length of the conference room, a large balcony overlooked a foliage-filled atrium where pairs of whimsical birdcages were suspended above reflecting pools. The open space echoed with the cheerful songs of mockingbirds, finches and wood thrushes.
Neville Vandermark pushed through the talkative crowd. He had his eyes fixed ahead as he rapidly moved toward the executive offices at the other end of the building. Hahn and Nsamba had to rush to keep up with him. Behind them, archive managers and their staffs were gathering into ad-hoc clumps of agitated discussions.
Vandermark glanced darkly in Nsamba’s direction as they kept walking. “Taylor, I want to know everything there is to know about these jumpers – the ones in the presentation and the ones in our own line.”
“Yes, of course. I can get the teams assigned to search the archives and work out the protocols with Echo – but the ones in our timeline? What do you want with them?”
“You don’t get it, do you? If what we saw is actually true, the only way it could possibly work is if Quyron’s jumpers were jumping into themselves in other lines – lines that lagged their own. Are you following me?”
“I am starting to, but…why are you so concerned about our line?”
“Well, we
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