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Brent was beginning to realize that the old adage, “If you aren’t wearing class two nuclear shielding, stay out of the active supercollider” was more than just a cliche. The doctor’s voice droned on above him, the words streaming softly over him with the same ineffectuality as the science fiction techno-babble Brent couldn’t discern them from. Something about experimental particles, exposure to some extreme sort of energy field the name of which he doubted he could even spell, and no way of knowing how long he had to live since no one had ever blah blahblah… Brent had been tuning out most of it since arriving, and once he’d figured out they were releasing him today, their jargon seemed doubly dismissible.
Brent was beginning to realize that the old adage, “If you aren’t wearing class two nuclear shielding, stay out of the active supercollider” was more than just a cliche. The doctor’s voice droned on above him, the words streaming softly over him with the same ineffectuality as the science fiction techno-babble Brent couldn’t discern them from. Something about experimental particles, exposure to some extreme sort of energy field the name of which he doubted he could even spell, and no way of knowing how long he had to live since no one had ever blah blahblah… Brent had been tuning out most of it since arriving, and once he’d figured out they were releasing him today, their jargon seemed doubly dismissible.2
“Six weeks in one room is too long,” Brent thought to himself as the doctor continued on about risk factors and bodily fluids, “especially a hospital. Especially when there’s nothing wrong with you.”
“Six weeks in one room is too long,” Brent thought to himself as the doctor continued on about risk factors and bodily fluids, “especially a hospital. Especially when there’s nothing wrong with you.”3
Brent was right that the doctors, the specialists, the scientists and every other stranger that had poked, prodded, taken samples from, and otherwise examined him in the month and a half since the incident occurred had been unable to find anything going wrong with him, even down to a micro-cellular level. The small tears in his skin where his piercings had been ripped out by the electromagnets had long since healed, and the damage to the supercollider by their supersonic impacts in its housing had likewise been repaired. The police hadn’t been involved since Brent had signed a mutual release of liability; the research facility wouldn’t charge Brent with trespass or any other such crimes, and he wouldn’t ever bring suit with them for future medical problems. As long as they were paying for the last six weeks of tests, not to mention not ending up in jail, Brent figured he’d come out ahead without having to lift more than the pen to sign away his right to litigation. Soon he would be back on the road.
Brent was right that the doctors, the specialists, the scientists and every other stranger that had poked, prodded, taken samples from, and otherwise examined him in the month and a half since the incident occurred had been unable to find anything going wrong with him, even down to a micro-cellular level. The small tears in his skin where his piercings had been ripped out by the electromagnets had long since healed, and the damage to the supercollider by their supersonic impacts in its housing had likewise been repaired. The police hadn’t been involved since Brent had signed a mutual release of liability; the research facility wouldn’t charge Brent with trespass or any other such crimes, and he wouldn’t ever bring suit with them for future medical problems. As long as they were paying for the last six weeks of tests, not to mention not ending up in jail, Brent figured he’d come out ahead without having to lift more than the pen to sign away his right to litigation. Soon he would be back on the road.4
“Do you understand what I’m saying, Mr. Horschadt?” The doctor, whose name Brent had managed not to learn on any of the last hundred times they’d interacted, seemed as disinterested as always.
“Do you understand what I’m saying, Mr. Horschadt?” The doctor, whose name Brent had managed not to learn on any of the last hundred times they’d interacted, seemed as disinterested as always.5
“Sure, sure. Don’t donate blood, don’t share needles, don’t get another MRI, and notify you if I notice anything out of the ordinary… We’ve been over this. And over this. And over this.” Brent was exasperated. “When can I put some pants on?”
“Sure, sure. Don’t donate blood, don’t share needles, don’t get another MRI, and notify you if I notice anything out of the ordinary… We’ve been over this. And over this. And over this.” Brent was exasperated. “When can I put some pants on?”6
“Your new clothes are in the cupboard. It looks like all your paperwork is in order.” The doctor made a show of flipping through the stack of pages on the clipboard he held, but Brent knew the important papers, the legal forms and non-disclosure agreements he’d signed, had never crossed under this man’s nose. “You’re free to leave at any time.”
“Your new clothes are in the cupboard. It looks like all your paperwork is in order.” The doctor made a show of flipping through the stack of pages on the clipboard he held, but Brent knew the important papers, the legal forms and non-disclosure agreements he’d signed, had never crossed under this man’s nose. “You’re free to leave at any time.”7
Brent literally leapt out of the hospital bed, the open flaps of his hospital gown blowing open behind him as he hurried to the cupboard. Having been so naked before so many strangers for so long had made getting himself covered more important than the cultural standard instilled in him to dress in privacy, and Brent pulled on the clean, new underpants and pants before the doctor could turn away. “Is there anything else, or can I just go?” Brent tore off the paper-like hospital gown and discarded it to the floor with all the disdain he could muster, then continued dressing.
Brent literally leapt out of the hospital bed, the open flaps of his hospital gown blowing open behind him as he hurried to the cupboard. Having been so naked before so many strangers for so long had made getting himself covered more important than the cultural standard instilled in him to dress in privacy, and Brent pulled on the clean, new underpants and pants before the doctor could turn away. “Is there anything else, or can I just go?” Brent tore off the paper-like hospital gown and discarded it to the floor with all the disdain he could muster, then continued dressing.9
Brent didn’t wait for him to finish. He pulled his shoes on as he hopped to the window, jacket under his arm and wallet in his teeth, and made a half-dismissive wave and a wink to the doctor as he climbed out. If he never returned to a hospital bed, it would be too soon for Brent. He crossed the back lot of the hospital and had donned his jacket and pocketed his wallet before he climbed over the wall at its perimeter and disappeared. The doctor hadn’t moved so much as to close his mouth as he watched his patient beat this hasty and unorthodox retreat.
Brent didn’t wait for him to finish. He pulled his shoes on as he hopped to the window, jacket under his arm and wallet in his teeth, and made a half-dismissive wave and a wink to the doctor as he climbed out. If he never returned to a hospital bed, it would be too soon for Brent. He crossed the back lot of the hospital and had donned his jacket and pocketed his wallet before he climbed over the wall at its perimeter and disappeared. The doctor hadn’t moved so much as to close his mouth as he watched his patient beat this hasty and unorthodox retreat.10
Brent had used his time in isolation to plan his next move, but without any new information coming in, and while under such constant observation, he couldn’t be sure things would work out the way he hoped they would. He hoped Charlie would let him crash after everything that had happened; he didn’t want to have to try this out in the open. The trek across town took the better part of the day, and as Charlie’s place finally came into view Brent knew his new shoes had given him some new blisters along the way. The sun was kissing the horizon as Brent stepped up to the door and didn’t knock.
Brent had used his time in isolation to plan his next move, but without any new information coming in, and while under such constant observation, he couldn’t be sure things would work out the way he hoped they would. He hoped Charlie would let him crash after everything that had happened; he didn’t want to have to try this out in the open. The trek across town took the better part of the day, and as Charlie’s place finally came into view Brent knew his new shoes had given him some new blisters along the way. The sun was kissing the horizon as Brent stepped up to the door and didn’t knock.11
He turned away. “This was a bad idea,” he muttered under his breath. He turned back to the door, then around again, taking half a step away. Brent was cursing himself for coming to Charlie, and he stared into the fat brilliance of orange light that was descending behind silhouettes of suburbia with his fists thrust hard into jacket pockets, his head shaking slowly left to right and back again. The purple light of twilight cast everything into cool hues, and a hand landed firmly on Brent’s shoulder from behind, taking him unawares.
He turned away. “This was a bad idea,” he muttered under his breath. He turned back to the door, then around again, taking half a step away. Brent was cursing himself for coming to Charlie, and he stared into the fat brilliance of orange light that was descending behind silhouettes of suburbia with his fists thrust hard into jacket pockets, his head shaking slowly left to right and back again. The purple light of twilight cast everything into cool hues, and a hand landed firmly on Brent’s shoulder from behind, taking him unawares.12
“I wasn’t sure I’d be seeing you again after what you said at mom’s funeral.” Brent turned around to face his brother, and they hugged. “We all thought you really meant it this time. No one could find you, none of your friends knew where you were.”
“I wasn’t sure I’d be seeing you again after what you said at mom’s funeral.” Brent turned around to face his brother, and they hugged. “We all thought you really meant it this time. No one could find you, none of your friends knew where you were.”13
“I’m sorry,” was all Brent could muster as he collapsed into Charlie’s warm embrace, “I’m sorry…”
“I’m sorry,” was all Brent could muster as he collapsed into Charlie’s warm embrace, “I’m sorry…”14
“It’s okay, you’re here now. Are you alright?” Charlie pushed Brent back to hold him at arm’s length and take a good look at him, “you look thin, have you been eating enough? Come inside!” Charlie didn’t release contact with his younger brother, pulling him through the door and into the warm interior of the house by the hand. “You’re just in time for dinner,” and Brent wasn’t worried any more. He was home.
“It’s okay, you’re here now. Are you alright?” Charlie pushed Brent back to hold him at arm’s length and take a good look at him, “you look thin, have you been eating enough? Come inside!” Charlie didn’t release contact with his younger brother, pulling him through the door and into the warm interior of the house by the hand. “You’re just in time for dinner,” and Brent wasn’t worried any more. He was home.15
Charlie lived alone, since the divorce. It had been years, but missing pieces of furniture still hadn’t been replaced, bare nails stood out from the wall where pictures had been taken down in haste, and other tiny visual reminders of the life he had once had were hiding around every corner. Like a submarine pinging out the contours of an underwater landscape, each thing left behind or thing taken and not replaced echoed out against the hollow, heart-shaped cavity in Charlie’s chest. Brent knew not to mention a thing.
Charlie lived alone, since the divorce. It had been years, but missing pieces of furniture still hadn’t been replaced, bare nails stood out from the wall where pictures had been taken down in haste, and other tiny visual reminders of the life he had once had were hiding around every corner. Like a submarine pinging out the contours of an underwater landscape, each thing left behind or thing taken and not replaced echoed out against the hollow, heart-shaped cavity in Charlie’s chest. Brent knew not to mention a thing.16
When dinner turned out to be of the frozen variety, Brent was just happy to see something fried in front of him, half a step better than anything at the hospital if only for the MSG and salt so generously flavoring the microwaved processed foods. Both brothers tore into their meals without a word until the plastic trays were discarded and they went to the living room to collapse into overstuffed furniture.
When dinner turned out to be of the frozen variety, Brent was just happy to see something fried in front of him, half a step better than anything at the hospital if only for the MSG and salt so generously flavoring the microwaved processed foods. Both brothers tore into their meals without a word until the plastic trays were discarded and they went to the living room to collapse into overstuffed furniture.20
“I took a wrong turn or two and got in the way of someone’s research project. Everyone kept expecting me to get sick and die, but it never happened.”
“I took a wrong turn or two and got in the way of someone’s research project. Everyone kept expecting me to get sick and die, but it never happened.”26
“Nevermind that, Charlie. There’s one other little thing, but I didn’t want to let the doctors know. Can I trust you not to freak out?”
“Nevermind that, Charlie. There’s one other little thing, but I didn’t want to let the doctors know. Can I trust you not to freak out?”27
“I’m your brother, Brent. You know me better than anyone but Angela…” Charlie’s voice and face dropped a bit as he mentioned her, remembered her face. “What do you think?”
“I’m your brother, Brent. You know me better than anyone but Angela…” Charlie’s voice and face dropped a bit as he mentioned her, remembered her face. “What do you think?”31
And then a strange thing happened. Brent closed his eyes to concentrate – he had only done it a couple of times by accident before, and wasn’t sure he could do it on cue – and when he opened them he was sitting beside himself on the couch.
And then a strange thing happened. Brent closed his eyes to concentrate – he had only done it a couple of times by accident before, and wasn’t sure he could do it on cue – and when he opened them he was sitting beside himself on the couch.32
He tried turning to look at himself, or at his brother, and became immediately disoriented, closing his eyes as the world turned the wrong way all around him. “Relax, you can do this,” he thought to himself, and he turned his head away from his double and opened his eyes just in time to see his own eyes open and hear himself suck in the odd sound of “.hctaW”
He tried turning to look at himself, or at his brother, and became immediately disoriented, closing his eyes as the world turned the wrong way all around him. “Relax, you can do this,” he thought to himself, and he turned his head away from his double and opened his eyes just in time to see his own eyes open and hear himself suck in the odd sound of “.hctaW”33
The fact that he seemed to be seeing a mirror image out the back of his head began to approach normalcy, and the strange glow and contradictory dimness of everything began to fascinate him in between bouts of dizziness every time he turned his head.
The fact that he seemed to be seeing a mirror image out the back of his head began to approach normalcy, and the strange glow and contradictory dimness of everything began to fascinate him in between bouts of dizziness every time he turned his head.34
“?ti si tahW” The sound preceded the movement of Charlie’s lips by the slightest fraction of a second, but it was enough that the backwards-speech took on the feeling of a badly-dubbed kung fu flick.
“?ti si tahW” The sound preceded the movement of Charlie’s lips by the slightest fraction of a second, but it was enough that the backwards-speech took on the feeling of a badly-dubbed kung fu flick.35
“.ot og ot esle ohw wonk t’nod I tub ,tuo kaerf ot gniog er’uoy kniht I” His double seemed to be in full-on gibberish mode, speaking fast enough that Brent couldn’t even remember what he’d been saying anymore. It didn’t really matter, though, because he wanted to do more than just sit there and watch himself utter nonsense. Brent stood up, keeping his eyes open despite the intense disorientation; he needed to get used to seeing out the back of his head.
“.ot og ot esle ohw wonk t’nod I tub ,tuo kaerf ot gniog er’uoy kniht I” His double seemed to be in full-on gibberish mode, speaking fast enough that Brent couldn’t even remember what he’d been saying anymore. It didn’t really matter, though, because he wanted to do more than just sit there and watch himself utter nonsense. Brent stood up, keeping his eyes open despite the intense disorientation; he needed to get used to seeing out the back of his head.37
Brent turned his body around and walked backwards across the room. This was less awkward than standing up, since he was seeing in the direction he was headed by facing away from it, but the muscles of his legs and the sensations generated by his inner ear were not designed to do it. Halfway across the room, Brent reached into his pocket and threw his wallet back to his double, still sitting on the couch.
Brent turned his body around and walked backwards across the room. This was less awkward than standing up, since he was seeing in the direction he was headed by facing away from it, but the muscles of his legs and the sensations generated by his inner ear were not designed to do it. Halfway across the room, Brent reached into his pocket and threw his wallet back to his double, still sitting on the couch.38
Charlie’s voice still expressed his sadness as it continued, “…alegnA tub enoyna naht retteb em wonk uoY .tnerB ,rehtorb rouy m’I” The wallet landed in Brent’s lap, unnoticed. Brent continued walking backwards out of the room and down the hall as his double spoke.
Charlie’s voice still expressed his sadness as it continued, “…alegnA tub enoyna naht retteb em wonk uoY .tnerB ,rehtorb rouy m’I” The wallet landed in Brent’s lap, unnoticed. Brent continued walking backwards out of the room and down the hall as his double spoke.39
“?tuo kaerf ot ton uoy tsurt I naC .wonk srotcod eht tel ot tnaw t’ndid I tub ,gniht elttil rehto eno s’erehT .eilrahC ,taht dnimreveN”
“?tuo kaerf ot ton uoy tsurt I naC .wonk srotcod eht tel ot tnaw t’ndid I tub ,gniht elttil rehto eno s’erehT .eilrahC ,taht dnimreveN”40
Charlie tried to concentrate on the shift with his eyes open this time, but in the instant it happened everything went momentarily black. “So…” came from the next room and he was standing by a very odd-looking version of himself. He didn’t have time to marvel at his appearance again, but it was like looking at a shadowed version of himself, like the light wasn’t quite hitting him right.
Charlie tried to concentrate on the shift with his eyes open this time, but in the instant it happened everything went momentarily black. “So…” came from the next room and he was standing by a very odd-looking version of himself. He didn’t have time to marvel at his appearance again, but it was like looking at a shadowed version of himself, like the light wasn’t quite hitting him right.41
“Nevermind that, Charlie.” Brent walked ahead of himself back to the living room, and noticed the seated version of himself make eye contact, but continue speaking. “There’s one other little thing, but I didn’t want to let the doctors know.” The wallet was sitting in Brent’s lap, and he knew what was coming, so didn’t touch it. “Can I trust you not to freak out?” Brent continued into the room, ahead of himself, made sure he had Charlie’s attention, then turned back to the seated Brent so he wouldn’t miss his cue.
“Nevermind that, Charlie.” Brent walked ahead of himself back to the living room, and noticed the seated version of himself make eye contact, but continue speaking. “There’s one other little thing, but I didn’t want to let the doctors know.” The wallet was sitting in Brent’s lap, and he knew what was coming, so didn’t touch it. “Can I trust you not to freak out?” Brent continued into the room, ahead of himself, made sure he had Charlie’s attention, then turned back to the seated Brent so he wouldn’t miss his cue.42
Suddenly, the wallet flew out of Brent’s lap towards the dim version of Brent walking awkwardly forward into the room. The normal-looking Brent caught it in mid-air, and strangely-shadowed Brent seemed to un-throw it, and place it in his pocket. Charlie sat silently staring, and the seated Brent did not speak the words he had said the first time. As the dim Brent took wary steps toward the couch, his slightly-glowing eyes moving unnaturally, the other standing Brent reached into his pocket and pulled out the wallet that had just been placed there. The dark-shrouded Brent turned and sat with an uncanny slowness, looked around as though confused, closed his eyes, and then the two copies of Brent sitting on the couch disappeared entirely. The remaining Brent sat down where the first one had been, reached out, and handed the two wallets to Charlie.
Suddenly, the wallet flew out of Brent’s lap towards the dim version of Brent walking awkwardly forward into the room. The normal-looking Brent caught it in mid-air, and strangely-shadowed Brent seemed to un-throw it, and place it in his pocket. Charlie sat silently staring, and the seated Brent did not speak the words he had said the first time. As the dim Brent took wary steps toward the couch, his slightly-glowing eyes moving unnaturally, the other standing Brent reached into his pocket and pulled out the wallet that had just been placed there. The dark-shrouded Brent turned and sat with an uncanny slowness, looked around as though confused, closed his eyes, and then the two copies of Brent sitting on the couch disappeared entirely. The remaining Brent sat down where the first one had been, reached out, and handed the two wallets to Charlie.46
“You, uhhh… You were sitting right there.” Charlie looked back, over to the hallway the two additional copies of his brother had emerged from, back to Brent, then back and forth again. “You were sitting there, and then two more of you came out of the hallway, except something was wrong with one of you.”
“You, uhhh… You were sitting right there.” Charlie looked back, over to the hallway the two additional copies of his brother had emerged from, back to Brent, then back and forth again. “You were sitting there, and then two more of you came out of the hallway, except something was wrong with one of you.”48
“I don’t know, Brent! Like something out of a horror movie! The light didn’t hit you right somehow, like you were in the dark, and you moved … Ugh,” a look of disgust came over Charlie’s face, as though thinking about what he had seen literally left a bad taste in his mouth, “You moved wrong, okay? The darker one moved unnaturally, like… I don’t know what it was like. Maybe like the ghosts in a Japanese horror movie. It was sick.”
“I don’t know, Brent! Like something out of a horror movie! The light didn’t hit you right somehow, like you were in the dark, and you moved … Ugh,” a look of disgust came over Charlie’s face, as though thinking about what he had seen literally left a bad taste in his mouth, “You moved wrong, okay? The darker one moved unnaturally, like… I don’t know what it was like. Maybe like the ghosts in a Japanese horror movie. It was sick.”50
“And then your wallet,” Charlie suddenly realised he had the wallets in his hands, and looked down at them with that look of disgust on his face. He looked like he wanted to drop them, but wasn’t sure what would happen if he did. “Your wallet leapt out of the lap of the one of you that was sitting there, and then both of the standing copies of you caught it, somehow. The ghost one catching it was weird, though, like it didn’t see that you’d already caught it, and… I know it sounds weird, but it was like watching a video in reverse somehow. The physics were all wrong. But he caught it somehow, and put it in his pocket, and then you took it out of his pocket without him noticing it.
“And then your wallet,” Charlie suddenly realised he had the wallets in his hands, and looked down at them with that look of disgust on his face. He looked like he wanted to drop them, but wasn’t sure what would happen if he did. “Your wallet leapt out of the lap of the one of you that was sitting there, and then both of the standing copies of you caught it, somehow. The ghost one catching it was weird, though, like it didn’t see that you’d already caught it, and… I know it sounds weird, but it was like watching a video in reverse somehow. The physics were all wrong. But he caught it somehow, and put it in his pocket, and then you took it out of his pocket without him noticing it.51
“And then the weird one sat down like his joints were all on backwards, looked around like he was going crazy, and the two copies of you that were sitting on the couch disappeared.” Charlie looked back up at Brent, a pleading look on his face. “I thought that if I answered you… I thought that if I said it out loud, it would make sense somehow, or you’d tell me it hadn’t happened.” Charlie looked deep into his little brother’s eyes, “but it did happen, didn’t it?”
“And then the weird one sat down like his joints were all on backwards, looked around like he was going crazy, and the two copies of you that were sitting on the couch disappeared.” Charlie looked back up at Brent, a pleading look on his face. “I thought that if I answered you… I thought that if I said it out loud, it would make sense somehow, or you’d tell me it hadn’t happened.” Charlie looked deep into his little brother’s eyes, “but it did happen, didn’t it?”53
Charlie opened one of the wallets and looked through it. Everything in it looked weird. Dark. Like the unsettling copy of Brent that had disappeared. Like somehow it wasn’t catching the light correctly. He took out a twenty dollar bill and turned it over and over in his hands. The colors were right, just a shade darker than normal. He held the bill up to the light, and Charlie saw something even stranger. When he held it up to the light, instead of light passing through it like a normal bill so he could see the watermark and the security strip, it suddenly looked normal. Like somehow the light from the other side of the bill was hitting it from the side he was looking at.
Charlie opened one of the wallets and looked through it. Everything in it looked weird. Dark. Like the unsettling copy of Brent that had disappeared. Like somehow it wasn’t catching the light correctly. He took out a twenty dollar bill and turned it over and over in his hands. The colors were right, just a shade darker than normal. He held the bill up to the light, and Charlie saw something even stranger. When he held it up to the light, instead of light passing through it like a normal bill so he could see the watermark and the security strip, it suddenly looked normal. Like somehow the light from the other side of the bill was hitting it from the side he was looking at.57
Charlie picked up the other wallet, and it was the same. Not only same in the way it looked, which was like nothing Charlie had ever seen before that day, but also identical to the other wallet. The driver’s license, the money inside, the photos, everything was identical between the two wallets. Charlie looked to his brother for an explanation, “They’re the same?”
Charlie picked up the other wallet, and it was the same. Not only same in the way it looked, which was like nothing Charlie had ever seen before that day, but also identical to the other wallet. The driver’s license, the money inside, the photos, everything was identical between the two wallets. Charlie looked to his brother for an explanation, “They’re the same?”58
“They’re actually the same wallet, yes.” Brent took the two wallets from his brother, closing them as he spoke. “But you couldn’t let someone else see them like this. You couldn’t spend the money. They don’t look right. But give me a minute…”
“They’re actually the same wallet, yes.” Brent took the two wallets from his brother, closing them as he spoke. “But you couldn’t let someone else see them like this. You couldn’t spend the money. They don’t look right. But give me a minute…”59
To Charlie’s perception, suddenly two versions of Brent – one normal and one dim – appeared, standing beside the coffee table, and two normal-looking copies of the wallet appeared resting on the table. The normal-looking standing Brent was holding two more copies of the wallet, which appeared normal, and the dim-looking standing Brent was holding yet another two copies of the wallet that appeared to be dim. The normal-looking standing Brent quickly handed his wallets to Charlie and took the two normal wallets from the table. Then the dim Brent leaned over and handed the two copies of the wallet he held to the seated Brent who had already been holding them. Then the dim Brent reached down to where the wallets had just been on the table and picked up the normal-looking wallets that weren’t there. He did that strange, horror-movie-esque walk to the couch with the two normal-looking wallets in his hands, sat down disturbingly, and the two seated copies of Brent again disappeared. The standing Brent sat down and opened the two wallets he now had, and Charlie opened his.
To Charlie’s perception, suddenly two versions of Brent – one normal and one dim – appeared, standing beside the coffee table, and two normal-looking copies of the wallet appeared resting on the table. The normal-looking standing Brent was holding two more copies of the wallet, which appeared normal, and the dim-looking standing Brent was holding yet another two copies of the wallet that appeared to be dim. The normal-looking standing Brent quickly handed his wallets to Charlie and took the two normal wallets from the table. Then the dim Brent leaned over and handed the two copies of the wallet he held to the seated Brent who had already been holding them. Then the dim Brent reached down to where the wallets had just been on the table and picked up the normal-looking wallets that weren’t there. He did that strange, horror-movie-esque walk to the couch with the two normal-looking wallets in his hands, sat down disturbingly, and the two seated copies of Brent again disappeared. The standing Brent sat down and opened the two wallets he now had, and Charlie opened his.60
They were all identical, but now everything in them looked normal, including the money. “When I started out, I had twenty-eight dollars. A twenty, a five, and three ones. If we put together all the money from the four wallets, it would be one hundred and twelve dollars.”
They were all identical, but now everything in them looked normal, including the money. “When I started out, I had twenty-eight dollars. A twenty, a five, and three ones. If we put together all the money from the four wallets, it would be one hundred and twelve dollars.”61
“A hundred and twelve. From twenty-eight. That can’t be possible. Where did the other eighty-four dollars come from?” Charlie asked this as he proceeded to pull the fifty-six dollars out of the two wallets in his possession and lay it out on the table.
“A hundred and twelve. From twenty-eight. That can’t be possible. Where did the other eighty-four dollars come from?” Charlie asked this as he proceeded to pull the fifty-six dollars out of the two wallets in his possession and lay it out on the table.62
“I don’t have a good explanation for that, except that it seems like the universe thinks it’s easier to duplicate things than to deal with what would happen if effects happened without causes. But it doesn’t really matter what forces created the money as much as it matters how we handle it. There’s a problem with the extra money.”
“I don’t have a good explanation for that, except that it seems like the universe thinks it’s easier to duplicate things than to deal with what would happen if effects happened without causes. But it doesn’t really matter what forces created the money as much as it matters how we handle it. There’s a problem with the extra money.”64
“No, nothing like that.” Brent paused, “at least, I haven’t noticed anything disappearing yet…” Brent had only had a couple of opportunities to test his newfound abilities out at the hospital, and they had been in the bathroom in the middle of the night. He wasn’t really sure what the long-term effects of duplication might be, but he hadn’t had any problems so far. “But let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, ignoring possible weird side effects like disappearance, there’s a big problem with this money.”
“No, nothing like that.” Brent paused, “at least, I haven’t noticed anything disappearing yet…” Brent had only had a couple of opportunities to test his newfound abilities out at the hospital, and they had been in the bathroom in the middle of the night. He wasn’t really sure what the long-term effects of duplication might be, but he hadn’t had any problems so far. “But let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, ignoring possible weird side effects like disappearance, there’s a big problem with this money.”66
“Look closer.” He handed Charlie the four twenties. “All four bills have the same serial number, and the same corner torn off.” Brent reached into his pocket as his brother verified what he was saying, then held up a small piece of torn paper. “I tore it off on the walk here, and left it in my pocket so it wouldn’t be copied.” He handed the corner of the twenty to Charlie, who matched it to all four bills. “It fits all four, because they’re copies of the original, and that’s the original corner.”
“Look closer.” He handed Charlie the four twenties. “All four bills have the same serial number, and the same corner torn off.” Brent reached into his pocket as his brother verified what he was saying, then held up a small piece of torn paper. “I tore it off on the walk here, and left it in my pocket so it wouldn’t be copied.” He handed the corner of the twenty to Charlie, who matched it to all four bills. “It fits all four, because they’re copies of the original, and that’s the original corner.”68
“I don’t know. As far as I can tell, they’re all the same bill, all identical. Which means that you can’t spend them all in the same place, or take them all together to the same bank. Someone might notice they were identical.”
“I don’t know. As far as I can tell, they’re all the same bill, all identical. Which means that you can’t spend them all in the same place, or take them all together to the same bank. Someone might notice they were identical.”70
“Well, we can spend it, we just have to be careful. We also have to be careful what we do with the rest. We can’t leave four copies of my driver’s license just sitting around, and we can’t just throw them away. Too many people go through the trash these days to be so careless.”
“Well, we can spend it, we just have to be careful. We also have to be careful what we do with the rest. We can’t leave four copies of my driver’s license just sitting around, and we can’t just throw them away. Too many people go through the trash these days to be so careless.”74
“Watch.” Brent made sure all the money from the wallets was out on the table, and held three of the wallets out in front of himself, his hands cupped a little too widely. He waited a moment, then concentrated on that twisting feeling of shifting. Blackness, then he was sitting next to himself again, holding three dark copies of the wallet. He didn’t hesitate, quickly turning his head away and awkwardly placing the three wallets he held into the outstretched, cupped hands of the other copy of himself, on top of the three already there. Only being able to see what was behind him made things a little more difficult, but Brent was beginning to get the hang of it. He set back in his seat, and before the other version of him could say “.hctaW” he shifted again.
“Watch.” Brent made sure all the money from the wallets was out on the table, and held three of the wallets out in front of himself, his hands cupped a little too widely. He waited a moment, then concentrated on that twisting feeling of shifting. Blackness, then he was sitting next to himself again, holding three dark copies of the wallet. He didn’t hesitate, quickly turning his head away and awkwardly placing the three wallets he held into the outstretched, cupped hands of the other copy of himself, on top of the three already there. Only being able to see what was behind him made things a little more difficult, but Brent was beginning to get the hang of it. He set back in his seat, and before the other version of him could say “.hctaW” he shifted again.75
And it was suddenly very crowded on the couch for a moment, as he was suddenly squeezed between two other copies of himself. He leaned back to stay out of his own way as the dim version of himself reached across to take three of six wallets from the normal-looking version of himself’s cupped, outstretched hands. Then, with each of the two duplicates holding three copies of the wallet, both disappeared at once. One copy of the wallet remained, on the table, and one copy of Brent, on the couch, and all $112 was laid out before them.
And it was suddenly very crowded on the couch for a moment, as he was suddenly squeezed between two other copies of himself. He leaned back to stay out of his own way as the dim version of himself reached across to take three of six wallets from the normal-looking version of himself’s cupped, outstretched hands. Then, with each of the two duplicates holding three copies of the wallet, both disappeared at once. One copy of the wallet remained, on the table, and one copy of Brent, on the couch, and all $112 was laid out before them.77
“HeckifIknow.” Brent just smiled, not worried about how this was all working, just glad that it did. Most of what he was showing his brother had been things he’d thought of but been unable to attempt in the hospital. Long hours, day after day without a television or a book to distract him had given Brent ample time to consider the basic problems of his new ability. His brother seemed to be taking it in stride, somehow, and Brent asked him about it, “How are you okay with this?”
“HeckifIknow.” Brent just smiled, not worried about how this was all working, just glad that it did. Most of what he was showing his brother had been things he’d thought of but been unable to attempt in the hospital. Long hours, day after day without a television or a book to distract him had given Brent ample time to consider the basic problems of his new ability. His brother seemed to be taking it in stride, somehow, and Brent asked him about it, “How are you okay with this?”78
“What else am I supposed to be doing? Calling the police to report a counterfeiting operation? I’m sure you wouldn’t demonstrate … whatever it is you’re doing, so the only evidence is the $112 in front of me. Maybe try to weasel out of you what hospital you came from so I can call them up to turn you over to the nice young men in the clean white coats?” Charlie looked his brother hard in the eye, “I trust you, Brent, and I don’t want to lose you again. This – whatever this is – is more reason to go on living than anything else in my life has been since …” Charlie’s gaze didn’t falter, but his eyes changed, went wide and sad, “… well, you know.”
“What else am I supposed to be doing? Calling the police to report a counterfeiting operation? I’m sure you wouldn’t demonstrate … whatever it is you’re doing, so the only evidence is the $112 in front of me. Maybe try to weasel out of you what hospital you came from so I can call them up to turn you over to the nice young men in the clean white coats?” Charlie looked his brother hard in the eye, “I trust you, Brent, and I don’t want to lose you again. This – whatever this is – is more reason to go on living than anything else in my life has been since …” Charlie’s gaze didn’t falter, but his eyes changed, went wide and sad, “… well, you know.”79
“I know, Charlie. And I’m glad you’re taking it so well. There’s just one more thing I want to try. Are you sure you trust me?”
“I know, Charlie. And I’m glad you’re taking it so well. There’s just one more thing I want to try. Are you sure you trust me?”81
“Stand up.” Charlie didn’t hesitate, and Brent stood up and they both walked to the open part of the room. When Brent reached out to embrace his brother in a deep bear hug, Charlie reciprocated with all the heartfelt compassion he felt for his little brother, returned as from the dead. Charlie thought Brent had just wanted a hug, and so didn’t expect what happened next. Suddenly everything went black.
“Stand up.” Charlie didn’t hesitate, and Brent stood up and they both walked to the open part of the room. When Brent reached out to embrace his brother in a deep bear hug, Charlie reciprocated with all the heartfelt compassion he felt for his little brother, returned as from the dead. Charlie thought Brent had just wanted a hug, and so didn’t expect what happened next. Suddenly everything went black.82
And then Charlie was seeing the world in a whole new way. At first he felt like the ghost his brother had appeared to be, because while Charlie still felt like himself, he could see himself hugging Brent a few feet away. This was no out of body experience, though. Charlie could still feel his brother in his arms, his clothes on his back, the air on his skin. But everything looked strange. Like the entire world had taken on the dim quality his duplicated brother and the multiplied wallets had displayed, but also a sort of blooming inner light. A glow. Like everything he was seeing was on overexposed film, pushed a step too far into darkness to compensate. Which wasn’t quite right, either.
And then Charlie was seeing the world in a whole new way. At first he felt like the ghost his brother had appeared to be, because while Charlie still felt like himself, he could see himself hugging Brent a few feet away. This was no out of body experience, though. Charlie could still feel his brother in his arms, his clothes on his back, the air on his skin. But everything looked strange. Like the entire world had taken on the dim quality his duplicated brother and the multiplied wallets had displayed, but also a sort of blooming inner light. A glow. Like everything he was seeing was on overexposed film, pushed a step too far into darkness to compensate. Which wasn’t quite right, either.83
Especially after Brent let him go, and he moved, and was overwhelmed with disorientation. Instead of seeing what was in front of him, Charlie was seeing what was behind him, and that as though in a fun-house mirror; his eyes were having trouble focusing on anything, on communicating depth, and every time his head moved he lost his bearings again.
Especially after Brent let him go, and he moved, and was overwhelmed with disorientation. Instead of seeing what was in front of him, Charlie was seeing what was behind him, and that as though in a fun-house mirror; his eyes were having trouble focusing on anything, on communicating depth, and every time his head moved he lost his bearings again.84
“.pu dnatS” Charlie tried to turn in the direction of his brother’s strange utterance, but ended up looking away from where the duplicate he knew must be the original version of Brent was sitting, and almost fell down before the other Brent reached an increasingly accustomed arm backwards to steady him. “Whoa, whoa, are you okay Charlie?”
“.pu dnatS” Charlie tried to turn in the direction of his brother’s strange utterance, but ended up looking away from where the duplicate he knew must be the original version of Brent was sitting, and almost fell down before the other Brent reached an increasingly accustomed arm backwards to steady him. “Whoa, whoa, are you okay Charlie?”85
“?ti si tahW .tnerB ,esruoc fO” Charlie’s former self continued as though not seeing what was going on. The standing, nearly nauseous Charlie leaned against his brother and his wall and tried to get his bearings. “I’ll be okay.”
“?ti si tahW .tnerB ,esruoc fO” Charlie’s former self continued as though not seeing what was going on. The standing, nearly nauseous Charlie leaned against his brother and his wall and tried to get his bearings. “I’ll be okay.”86
“?em tsurt uoy erus uoy erA” Brent spoke over himself, “It takes a little getting used to…” “…tsuj s’erehT .llew os ti gnikat er’uoy dalg…” “…going backwards in time, I mean.”
“?em tsurt uoy erus uoy erA” Brent spoke over himself, “It takes a little getting used to…” “…tsuj s’erehT .llew os ti gnikat er’uoy dalg…” “…going backwards in time, I mean.”88
“What did you think? Here, before we go back too far and it gets too crowded,” and Brent tried shifting both of them with the mere contact of his steadying hand on his brother’s arm. “,dedworc oot steg ti dna raf oot kcab og ew erofeb ,ereH ?kniht uoy did tahW”
“What did you think? Here, before we go back too far and it gets too crowded,” and Brent tried shifting both of them with the mere contact of his steadying hand on his brother’s arm. “,dedworc oot steg ti dna raf oot kcab og ew erofeb ,ereH ?kniht uoy did tahW” 89
“…what’s going on now?” The seated Charlie never finished his sentence, reacting to the appearance of four more people in his living room, two of them himself. “It’s okay,” the standing, normal-looking Charlie answered himself as the other version of himself asked “?emit ni sdrawkcab gniog er’eW” “…or is it?” Charlie turned to the standing, normal-looking copy of Brent and ignored the dim-looking Brent’s backwards, stilted explanation, “what if those two of us don’t get up and reverse time, now that we’ve interrupted them?”
“…what’s going on now?” The seated Charlie never finished his sentence, reacting to the appearance of four more people in his living room, two of them himself. “It’s okay,” the standing, normal-looking Charlie answered himself as the other version of himself asked “?emit ni sdrawkcab gniog er’eW” “…or is it?” Charlie turned to the standing, normal-looking copy of Brent and ignored the dim-looking Brent’s backwards, stilted explanation, “what if those two of us don’t get up and reverse time, now that we’ve interrupted them?”90
“Then there’ll be two of each of us, just like the wallets and the money when their course was interrupted.”
“Then there’ll be two of each of us, just like the wallets and the money when their course was interrupted.”91
“.yako eb ll’I” “Is it even possible for them to reverse time at the right instant now that they’ve seen us? What if they try, but hit the wrong instant?”
“.yako eb ll’I” “Is it even possible for them to reverse time at the right instant now that they’ve seen us? What if they try, but hit the wrong instant?”92
“We’re just going to have to try,” said the seated Brent just before the dim, backwards Brent asked his dim, backwards brother, “?eilrahC yako uoy era ,aohw ,aohW” “But there seems to be a sort of …pull on things. I can feel myself working against it every time I take something out of its normal course,” said the standing, normal-looking Brent. “I’m willing to bet that the other me will instinctively be able to shift the two of us at the right time. Watch.”
“We’re just going to have to try,” said the seated Brent just before the dim, backwards Brent asked his dim, backwards brother, “?eilrahC yako uoy era ,aohw ,aohW” “But there seems to be a sort of …pull on things. I can feel myself working against it every time I take something out of its normal course,” said the standing, normal-looking Brent. “I’m willing to bet that the other me will instinctively be able to shift the two of us at the right time. Watch.”93
And the seated Charlie just went along as his seated brother drew him up to stand next to the dim-and-disoriented pair of them, and into a hug. And at what appeared to be the same instant, the four hugging brothers disappeared.
And the seated Charlie just went along as his seated brother drew him up to stand next to the dim-and-disoriented pair of them, and into a hug. And at what appeared to be the same instant, the four hugging brothers disappeared. 96
“And do you remember how you felt while you sat there, watching yourself question what would happen?”
“And do you remember how you felt while you sat there, watching yourself question what would happen?”97
“I felt…” Charlie’s eyes glazed over a little as he thought back, “I felt like the other me was making a big deal out of nothing. I knew somehow that I was going to stand up and hug you and that everything would be okay. But I definitely didn’t remember what had happened on the first pass at the time. Not consciously.”
“I felt…” Charlie’s eyes glazed over a little as he thought back, “I felt like the other me was making a big deal out of nothing. I knew somehow that I was going to stand up and hug you and that everything would be okay. But I definitely didn’t remember what had happened on the first pass at the time. Not consciously.”101
“No. When I think about one of the two versions of events – and there isn’t much there, it was only an moment or two – the other one seems like a dream, like something I imagined. And then when I think about the other one and it seems real, and the first memory seems like it was the dream.”
“No. When I think about one of the two versions of events – and there isn’t much there, it was only an moment or two – the other one seems like a dream, like something I imagined. And then when I think about the other one and it seems real, and the first memory seems like it was the dream.”102
Brent just nodded in response as he crossed the room to his original position on the couch. Charlie followed his lead, returning to his own seat.
Brent just nodded in response as he crossed the room to his original position on the couch. Charlie followed his lead, returning to his own seat.104
“You mean, what do I do, now that I can travel backwards and forwards in time and perfectly duplicate physical items simply by plucking them from the past? That what now?”
“You mean, what do I do, now that I can travel backwards and forwards in time and perfectly duplicate physical items simply by plucking them from the past? That what now?”108
“Well, for starters, what about this money? Assuming one is not foolish enough as to get caught spending multiple bills with the same serial number in the same place, is it ethical to spend the same money twice? Or four times?”
“Well, for starters, what about this money? Assuming one is not foolish enough as to get caught spending multiple bills with the same serial number in the same place, is it ethical to spend the same money twice? Or four times?”112
“Is it unethical to contribute to inflation, to deflate the value of your own currency? If it is, what about purchasing things that are not at the lowest price available? What if you know you can get a lower price for the same product at Wal*Mart, but you buy it at a higher priced store? Doesn’t that reduce the buying power of your dollar?”
“Is it unethical to contribute to inflation, to deflate the value of your own currency? If it is, what about purchasing things that are not at the lowest price available? What if you know you can get a lower price for the same product at Wal*Mart, but you buy it at a higher priced store? Doesn’t that reduce the buying power of your dollar?”113
“Literally. But is it the same thing, ethically, to shop with money that hasn’t been earned as it is to shop without concern for value?”
“Literally. But is it the same thing, ethically, to shop with money that hasn’t been earned as it is to shop without concern for value?”114
“What about people who shop with money they get from social security, from welfare or other government programs that give money to people that they haven’t directly or personally earned? Is that ethical?
“What about people who shop with money they get from social security, from welfare or other government programs that give money to people that they haven’t directly or personally earned? Is that ethical?115
“Some would say it was unethical for the government to give the money to them in the first place.”
“Some would say it was unethical for the government to give the money to them in the first place.”116
“But that isn’t the question. The question is about whether it is ethical for the recipients of social welfare programs to spend money they haven’t earned. Because the real question is whether it’s ethical for the two of us to spend this money that we haven’t earned in any normal way.”
“But that isn’t the question. The question is about whether it is ethical for the recipients of social welfare programs to spend money they haven’t earned. Because the real question is whether it’s ethical for the two of us to spend this money that we haven’t earned in any normal way.”118
“I’m not sure I’m breaking the laws of physics. On the contrary, I’m pretty sure the scientists don’t have a good grasp on the real laws of physics. They certainly couldn’t tell I’d been altered in any way.”
“I’m not sure I’m breaking the laws of physics. On the contrary, I’m pretty sure the scientists don’t have a good grasp on the real laws of physics. They certainly couldn’t tell I’d been altered in any way.”124
“Okay? Now,” and Brent was suddenly light and jovial again, like nothing had happened, “the ethics question.”
“Okay? Now,” and Brent was suddenly light and jovial again, like nothing had happened, “the ethics question.”127
“Is it ethical to disappear something, like you did with what looked to me like six copies of your wallet at once? To remove something from existence like that? And what if it was money, and what if it was real, earned money? And what if it was a person?”
“Is it ethical to disappear something, like you did with what looked to me like six copies of your wallet at once? To remove something from existence like that? And what if it was money, and what if it was real, earned money? And what if it was a person?”128
“A person presents a significantly different ethical proposition than an inanimate object or a piece of paper that merely represents potential exchange value for goods and services. But it’s another good question.” Brent paused a long moment in thought, and Charlie didn’t seem to have an answer either. “I don’t know, really.”
“A person presents a significantly different ethical proposition than an inanimate object or a piece of paper that merely represents potential exchange value for goods and services. But it’s another good question.” Brent paused a long moment in thought, and Charlie didn’t seem to have an answer either. “I don’t know, really.”129
“Of course, none of these questions is as cut and dry as we’re making them sound. What about the people who shop at places other than Wal*Mart in the hope that the extra money they’re spending on the equivalent product is going to pay for better working conditions? Isn’t there a bigger picture than their individual purchase, where they’re assigning part of the value of each dollar to something beyond the capitol and labor that went into producing whatever it is they’re consuming?”
“Of course, none of these questions is as cut and dry as we’re making them sound. What about the people who shop at places other than Wal*Mart in the hope that the extra money they’re spending on the equivalent product is going to pay for better working conditions? Isn’t there a bigger picture than their individual purchase, where they’re assigning part of the value of each dollar to something beyond the capitol and labor that went into producing whatever it is they’re consuming?”130
“If it does, the same thing goes for people who spend more money trying to protect the environment. Better working conditions for employees is one thing, but an investment in renewing and recycling the resources used to create consumer products is a much larger one, financially, at every step of the market.” Brent liked being able to talk to his brother like this, but didn’t want to start getting off track. He tried to steer the conversation a little, “but is the transaction of the dollar spent at the lowest-cost for greatest tangible value ethically superior or inferior to a transaction of lower cost to value ratio, on the basis of its contribution to inflation as a whole? Because what we really want to know is whether we can go spend the $112 on the table, right?”
“If it does, the same thing goes for people who spend more money trying to protect the environment. Better working conditions for employees is one thing, but an investment in renewing and recycling the resources used to create consumer products is a much larger one, financially, at every step of the market.” Brent liked being able to talk to his brother like this, but didn’t want to start getting off track. He tried to steer the conversation a little, “but is the transaction of the dollar spent at the lowest-cost for greatest tangible value ethically superior or inferior to a transaction of lower cost to value ratio, on the basis of its contribution to inflation as a whole? Because what we really want to know is whether we can go spend the $112 on the table, right?”131
“Does it really matter to you whether it’s ethical? Knowing that unlimited resources are available to you, could you resist taking advantage of them just because you believed it was unethical?”
“Does it really matter to you whether it’s ethical? Knowing that unlimited resources are available to you, could you resist taking advantage of them just because you believed it was unethical?”133
“Okay, so let’s say that shopping at Wal*Mart isn’t morally superior; most people do. And let’s say that people on welfare aren’t immoral by spending what has been given to them. And let’s say that day traders on the commodities market aren’t unethical when they buy their groceries and their sports cars.”
“Okay, so let’s say that shopping at Wal*Mart isn’t morally superior; most people do. And let’s say that people on welfare aren’t immoral by spending what has been given to them. And let’s say that day traders on the commodities market aren’t unethical when they buy their groceries and their sports cars.”134
“I’m not about to agree that day traders on the commodities market earn their living ethically.”
“I’m not about to agree that day traders on the commodities market earn their living ethically.”135
“That isn’t the question. Not how they got their money, but whether spending it is ethical, remember? We don’t think taking from the past without diminishing the present is unethical, do we?”
“That isn’t the question. Not how they got their money, but whether spending it is ethical, remember? We don’t think taking from the past without diminishing the present is unethical, do we?”137
“We were just wondering whether adding cash to the market without adding value is ethical, right?”
“We were just wondering whether adding cash to the market without adding value is ethical, right?”147
Brent slept better that night than he’d slept in months. He slept, and he rested. Rest like he hadn’t been able to find in the sterile environment of the hospital, rest like he hadn’t been able to find on public benches or under bridges or even underground where he had usually gone undisturbed for days at a time. He dreamt, and his dreams weren’t interesting or troubling enough to stick with him, dispersing from his mind like a whiff of perfume into the crisp dawn air before he even began to rouse from sleep.
Brent slept better that night than he’d slept in months. He slept, and he rested. Rest like he hadn’t been able to find in the sterile environment of the hospital, rest like he hadn’t been able to find on public benches or under bridges or even underground where he had usually gone undisturbed for days at a time. He dreamt, and his dreams weren’t interesting or troubling enough to stick with him, dispersing from his mind like a whiff of perfume into the crisp dawn air before he even began to rouse from sleep.148
When he stumbled out of the guest bedroom in the morning, Brent saw that his wallet and the $112 were undisturbed on the coffee table. He also saw a note left next to them from Charlie: “Went to work. Eat whatever. I’ll see you tonight. -Charlie”
When he stumbled out of the guest bedroom in the morning, Brent saw that his wallet and the $112 were undisturbed on the coffee table. He also saw a note left next to them from Charlie: “Went to work. Eat whatever. I’ll see you tonight. -Charlie”149
The day buzzed by as Brent allowed processed foods and daytime television to permeate his being after so long in isolation. The programming was inane and almost incomprehensibly bad, but it was like a light rain on desert sands and Brent was too thirsty for input to look away. Eventually he found one of the twenty-four-hour news networks and got sucked into the propaganda machine’s grinding wheels until the sound of Charlie’s key turning in the lock on the front door jarred his mind back to life. He switched the TV off before his brother surprised him with unexpected pro-activity.
The day buzzed by as Brent allowed processed foods and daytime television to permeate his being after so long in isolation. The programming was inane and almost incomprehensibly bad, but it was like a light rain on desert sands and Brent was too thirsty for input to look away. Eventually he found one of the twenty-four-hour news networks and got sucked into the propaganda machine’s grinding wheels until the sound of Charlie’s key turning in the lock on the front door jarred his mind back to life. He switched the TV off before his brother surprised him with unexpected pro-activity.150
“I had an idea, and I brought you something.” Charlie handed over a small, deceptively heavy package, and Brent looked inside. “It’s gold bullion. Unmarked. Unregistered. I could only afford one ounce of it, because of the daily cash limit on my debit card. But it’s a start.”
“I had an idea, and I brought you something.” Charlie handed over a small, deceptively heavy package, and Brent looked inside. “It’s gold bullion. Unmarked. Unregistered. I could only afford one ounce of it, because of the daily cash limit on my debit card. But it’s a start.”151
“Do you have a plan for selling it without raising suspicion? You can’t exactly take it back to where you bought it, identical copies in hand.”
“Do you have a plan for selling it without raising suspicion? You can’t exactly take it back to where you bought it, identical copies in hand.”152
“There are plenty of places to take it. There are two major exchangers in town, not to mention banks, jewelers, pawn shops… We don’t have to hold out for fair market prices to come out ahead every time.”
“There are plenty of places to take it. There are two major exchangers in town, not to mention banks, jewelers, pawn shops… We don’t have to hold out for fair market prices to come out ahead every time.”154
“It’s better than cash. Not even the alchemists figured out how to counterfeit gold. No matter how much we come up with, it will always be real gold, right? And no tricky serial numbers to work around.”
“It’s better than cash. Not even the alchemists figured out how to counterfeit gold. No matter how much we come up with, it will always be real gold, right? And no tricky serial numbers to work around.”158
“Right, and platinum wasn’t in my budget today. But maybe next week we can move up to something pricier.”
“Right, and platinum wasn’t in my budget today. But maybe next week we can move up to something pricier.”159
“Sure, and next month we can start selling weapons-grade uranium or plutonium. I’m sure it’s worth a thousand times more than platinum on the black market.”
“Sure, and next month we can start selling weapons-grade uranium or plutonium. I’m sure it’s worth a thousand times more than platinum on the black market.”160
“A little harder to handle, a little more dangerous clientele, a little stickier ethical question, but certainly something to discuss.”
“A little harder to handle, a little more dangerous clientele, a little stickier ethical question, but certainly something to discuss.”162
“If I went nuts, it was well before you came home, Brent. You just woke me up. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like a puppet or a zombie. I had something to think about, something to look forward to. A dream.”
“If I went nuts, it was well before you came home, Brent. You just woke me up. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like a puppet or a zombie. I had something to think about, something to look forward to. A dream.”164
“Not as far as selling nukes to terrorists, Brent. Not as far as imagining myself driving a Hummer or covering myself in useless jewelry.” Charlie’s voice was raised, not quite angry, but definitely eruptive. “But how about getting out of this goddamned house? How about getting out of a job where I have to see people glaring at me every day because they took Angela’s side in the divorce? How about getting out of a city where every street, every restaurant, every fun thing to do just reminds me I wasn’t good enough for her?” Brent could see tears streaming from his brother’s eyes, and Charlie’s voice trembled as he spoke now, “I’ve been trapped here, Brent, and I know it’s my own fault. I know I could have walked away at any time, but it was like I was frozen in a time long gone, stuck to keep re-living this loss again and again. I don’t know if I could ever have escaped if you hadn’t come along and literally un-stuck me in time, Brent.” Charlie paused, his voice barely above a whisper, sniffling despite himself. “I don’t know if I can go back to that life again. I don’t think I could survive it, Brent.”
“Not as far as selling nukes to terrorists, Brent. Not as far as imagining myself driving a Hummer or covering myself in useless jewelry.” Charlie’s voice was raised, not quite angry, but definitely eruptive. “But how about getting out of this goddamned house? How about getting out of a job where I have to see people glaring at me every day because they took Angela’s side in the divorce? How about getting out of a city where every street, every restaurant, every fun thing to do just reminds me I wasn’t good enough for her?” Brent could see tears streaming from his brother’s eyes, and Charlie’s voice trembled as he spoke now, “I’ve been trapped here, Brent, and I know it’s my own fault. I know I could have walked away at any time, but it was like I was frozen in a time long gone, stuck to keep re-living this loss again and again. I don’t know if I could ever have escaped if you hadn’t come along and literally un-stuck me in time, Brent.” Charlie paused, his voice barely above a whisper, sniffling despite himself. “I don’t know if I can go back to that life again. I don’t think I could survive it, Brent.”165
Brent didn’t know what to say, but without thinking about it he took Charlie finally into the genuine embrace of brotherly love he had only pantomimed the previous night. Charlie shuddered and sniffled and hugged right back. He hadn’t had anyone to turn to, anyone to talk to in so long. It had seemed as though the entire world had turned on him at Angela’s decision to leave. She had cheated. He had forgiven her. She refused counseling, refused to accept his forgiveness, refused to admit she had ever loved him. Somehow he ended up the bad guy in people’s minds, perhaps for wanting to try to reconcile, for wanting to try to work things out. He had been alone in his empty shell of a home, empty shell of a life, ever since. He had been waiting for his dried-out husk to crumble to dust and blow away on a passing wind until Brent had shown up with a way to break free. Charlie fed all this, everything that had been building up, everything that had been wearing him down, into this moment, these tears, this embrace, trying to let go of this burden so he could move forward. Brent just knew he needed to hold on, give in, until his brother let go, gave up.
Brent didn’t know what to say, but without thinking about it he took Charlie finally into the genuine embrace of brotherly love he had only pantomimed the previous night. Charlie shuddered and sniffled and hugged right back. He hadn’t had anyone to turn to, anyone to talk to in so long. It had seemed as though the entire world had turned on him at Angela’s decision to leave. She had cheated. He had forgiven her. She refused counseling, refused to accept his forgiveness, refused to admit she had ever loved him. Somehow he ended up the bad guy in people’s minds, perhaps for wanting to try to reconcile, for wanting to try to work things out. He had been alone in his empty shell of a home, empty shell of a life, ever since. He had been waiting for his dried-out husk to crumble to dust and blow away on a passing wind until Brent had shown up with a way to break free. Charlie fed all this, everything that had been building up, everything that had been wearing him down, into this moment, these tears, this embrace, trying to let go of this burden so he could move forward. Brent just knew he needed to hold on, give in, until his brother let go, gave up.166
They stood there for as long as it took for Charlie’s breathing to begin to even out, his nose to stop sniffling, his entire body to stop quaking, and the tension and pain to melt away from all the muscles in his body. Brent, who had been avoiding having to develop relationships with people largely because most of them seemed almost never to be able to share moments of such openness and honesty with each other, felt more at home in Charlie’s arms than he had felt in a very long time.
They stood there for as long as it took for Charlie’s breathing to begin to even out, his nose to stop sniffling, his entire body to stop quaking, and the tension and pain to melt away from all the muscles in his body. Brent, who had been avoiding having to develop relationships with people largely because most of them seemed almost never to be able to share moments of such openness and honesty with each other, felt more at home in Charlie’s arms than he had felt in a very long time.167
Finally, after an incalculable period of emotional down-winding, they separated. “Let’s go to my room and get started.” Brent led Charlie to the bedroom, and closed the door behind them. “Take out the gold and hold it in your open hand.” Charlie did as he was asked. “Now, that’s one Troy Ounce, right?” Charlie nodded. “So it’s light. Do you think you could toss it straight up in the air and catch it a hundred and fifty times in a row?”
Finally, after an incalculable period of emotional down-winding, they separated. “Let’s go to my room and get started.” Brent led Charlie to the bedroom, and closed the door behind them. “Take out the gold and hold it in your open hand.” Charlie did as he was asked. “Now, that’s one Troy Ounce, right?” Charlie nodded. “So it’s light. Do you think you could toss it straight up in the air and catch it a hundred and fifty times in a row?”168
“Sure,” and Charlie began tossing the small piece of unmarked gold up into the air and catching it back into the same hand.
“Sure,” and Charlie began tossing the small piece of unmarked gold up into the air and catching it back into the same hand.169
“A little higher?” Brent stayed on the opposite side of the bed from his brother and watched, counting in his head at first, then aloud. “…seven, eight, nine, ten…” and on and on and on. In a period of time that seemed shorter than he’d thought a hundred and fifty tosses would take, they reached the end, “…one forty-three, one forty-four, one forty-five, one forty-six, one forty-seven, one forty-eight, that’s fine Charlie.” Charlie tossed it the last couple of times, and then just let it set there in his hand.
“A little higher?” Brent stayed on the opposite side of the bed from his brother and watched, counting in his head at first, then aloud. “…seven, eight, nine, ten…” and on and on and on. In a period of time that seemed shorter than he’d thought a hundred and fifty tosses would take, they reached the end, “…one forty-three, one forty-four, one forty-five, one forty-six, one forty-seven, one forty-eight, that’s fine Charlie.” Charlie tossed it the last couple of times, and then just let it set there in his hand.171
“Now you wait,” and Brent closed his eyes and shifted, reversing his direction of travel through time. He hurried over across the room to stand next to Charlie before the piece of gold began leaping out of his hand into the air. Brent watched the timing on the first few tosses, practicing swinging his arm behind him, finding that he couldn’t reach high quite enough, then twisting his head one way so he could reach beside him in the other, and as his voice came out from across the room, “…thgie-ytrof eno ,neves-ytrof eno ,xis-ytrof eno…” Brent began knocking the gold bar out of the air and onto the bed.
“Now you wait,” and Brent closed his eyes and shifted, reversing his direction of travel through time. He hurried over across the room to stand next to Charlie before the piece of gold began leaping out of his hand into the air. Brent watched the timing on the first few tosses, practicing swinging his arm behind him, finding that he couldn’t reach high quite enough, then twisting his head one way so he could reach beside him in the other, and as his voice came out from across the room, “…thgie-ytrof eno ,neves-ytrof eno ,xis-ytrof eno…” Brent began knocking the gold bar out of the air and onto the bed.172
Swipe, swipe, swipe, he knocked the gold out of the air, and just as with the wallet before, it didn’t prevent it from also falling back down into Charlie’s hand. Clink, clink, clink, the gold was beginning to pile up on the bed. “…eerht-ytxis ,owt-ytxis ,eno-ytxis…” Up, down, up, down, the gold kept leaping out of Charlie’s hand, into the air where Brent knocked it aside, then down again until Charlie’s hand strangely grasped up into the air and pulled it down into his open hand. “…net ,enin ,thgie ,neves…” and a few more, and then Charlie simply held the gold piece out, still.
Swipe, swipe, swipe, he knocked the gold out of the air, and just as with the wallet before, it didn’t prevent it from also falling back down into Charlie’s hand. Clink, clink, clink, the gold was beginning to pile up on the bed. “…eerht-ytxis ,owt-ytxis ,eno-ytxis…” Up, down, up, down, the gold kept leaping out of Charlie’s hand, into the air where Brent knocked it aside, then down again until Charlie’s hand strangely grasped up into the air and pulled it down into his open hand. “…net ,enin ,thgie ,neves…” and a few more, and then Charlie simply held the gold piece out, still.173
Brent walked over, opened the door, and went out to the kitchen. He found an empty plastic garbage bag and took it with him back to the room, closing the door behind him. Charlie still held his hand out, staring at the gold. Brent gathered the other pieces of gold from the bed into the garbage bag as quickly as he could, and the other version of him asked in reverse-sounding speech if Charlie thought he could toss it up and catch it over and over again. Once Brent had all the gold in the bag, he faced away from the bed, holding the bag at arm’s length.
Brent walked over, opened the door, and went out to the kitchen. He found an empty plastic garbage bag and took it with him back to the room, closing the door behind him. Charlie still held his hand out, staring at the gold. Brent gathered the other pieces of gold from the bed into the garbage bag as quickly as he could, and the other version of him asked in reverse-sounding speech if Charlie thought he could toss it up and catch it over and over again. Once Brent had all the gold in the bag, he faced away from the bed, holding the bag at arm’s length.174
Brent had grasped the bag near the bulge of weight that was gathered at the bottom, with most of the length of the tall kitchen bag blooming out above his hand like a limp, monochrome flower. It weighed about twelve pounds, and the gold strained and stretched the plastic. As he held it there, Brent very slightly relaxed his grip on the bag, allowing it to oh-so-slowly slip down and down towards the floor. Charlie and the other Brent walked backwards towards the door, opening it and walking through. “This is taking too long,” Brent said quietly to himself, but he just kept letting the bag slowly slip, slip, slip. And then it slipped a little too far and fell to the floor with a loud, hard thud. Brent stood still, waiting, trying to get the timing right so he wouldn’t get in his own way, and when he felt enough time had passed, shifted again in time. Brent walked out through the door and over to where he and his brother were hugging. “It’s time, come quickly.” He went back into the room, and the two others followed.
Brent had grasped the bag near the bulge of weight that was gathered at the bottom, with most of the length of the tall kitchen bag blooming out above his hand like a limp, monochrome flower. It weighed about twelve pounds, and the gold strained and stretched the plastic. As he held it there, Brent very slightly relaxed his grip on the bag, allowing it to oh-so-slowly slip down and down towards the floor. Charlie and the other Brent walked backwards towards the door, opening it and walking through. “This is taking too long,” Brent said quietly to himself, but he just kept letting the bag slowly slip, slip, slip. And then it slipped a little too far and fell to the floor with a loud, hard thud. Brent stood still, waiting, trying to get the timing right so he wouldn’t get in his own way, and when he felt enough time had passed, shifted again in time. Brent walked out through the door and over to where he and his brother were hugging. “It’s time, come quickly.” He went back into the room, and the two others followed.176
“Gather around me here,” and the three of them did, as Brent explained, “I had an idea. That bag is about to leap up off the floor into my hand. Once it does, the three of us need to start pulling it out of my hands as fast as we can and tossing the copies aside. I’m not going to be holding it very tightly, so a sharp tug should be sufficient to pull it away, and if it works the same as everything else, it should also still be in my hand.” The dark colored copy of Brent lifted his arm up, as though to catch the bag. Brent continued quickly, “Just toss the bags anywhere, we want to get as many as possible, okay?”
“Gather around me here,” and the three of them did, as Brent explained, “I had an idea. That bag is about to leap up off the floor into my hand. Once it does, the three of us need to start pulling it out of my hands as fast as we can and tossing the copies aside. I’m not going to be holding it very tightly, so a sharp tug should be sufficient to pull it away, and if it works the same as everything else, it should also still be in my hand.” The dark colored copy of Brent lifted his arm up, as though to catch the bag. Brent continued quickly, “Just toss the bags anywhere, we want to get as many as possible, okay?”177
The bag rustled and with an unusual “duht” sound, leapt up into the dark-looking Brent’s hand. The other Brent leapt into action, yanking down hard on the bag and in a quick flowing motion swinging it hard backward. It hit the floor hard and slid and rolled away, but the first Brent, who had no real idea of what was going on but trusted himself, was already pulling another copy of the bag out of his own hand. Charlie hesitated a moment, and the Brent who had brought him into the room reached in, “just go for it, as fast as you can,” throwing another bag behind him.
The bag rustled and with an unusual “duht” sound, leapt up into the dark-looking Brent’s hand. The other Brent leapt into action, yanking down hard on the bag and in a quick flowing motion swinging it hard backward. It hit the floor hard and slid and rolled away, but the first Brent, who had no real idea of what was going on but trusted himself, was already pulling another copy of the bag out of his own hand. Charlie hesitated a moment, and the Brent who had brought him into the room reached in, “just go for it, as fast as you can,” throwing another bag behind him.178
Then hands were in and out quickly, and caught a rhythm of pulling down and swinging back and away with bag after bag of gold. Brent, then Charlie, then the other Brent, then Brent again and around and around. At one point, the only one of them that was standing still muttered too softly to be heard over the noise of the others’ motion, “,gnol oot gnikat si sihT” The bag in the time-reversed-Brent’s hands was slipping slowly up and up, rising against gravity, the unfilled top of the bag flowing slowly out to re-take on the appearance of a strange, wilted dark/white flower. The bags on the floor were piling up, smacking and ringing and clinking and clanging against each other, and thudding and rolling when they missed each other.
Then hands were in and out quickly, and caught a rhythm of pulling down and swinging back and away with bag after bag of gold. Brent, then Charlie, then the other Brent, then Brent again and around and around. At one point, the only one of them that was standing still muttered too softly to be heard over the noise of the others’ motion, “,gnol oot gnikat si sihT” The bag in the time-reversed-Brent’s hands was slipping slowly up and up, rising against gravity, the unfilled top of the bag flowing slowly out to re-take on the appearance of a strange, wilted dark/white flower. The bags on the floor were piling up, smacking and ringing and clinking and clanging against each other, and thudding and rolling when they missed each other.179
Just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Brent was stuck, pulling against his own strength. As soon as he realized he was stopped, he let go and turned around. “Okay, now we need to get these bags out of the way so no one trips on them.” Brent was already tossing bags into the open closet, and was far enough ahead of the others that he had the gold from his side of the room out of the way in time to form a sort of bag brigade, feeding bags from the other two into the closet. The weight of each bag wasn’t a lot, but it was enough that each bag’s progress across the room required a twist of the entire body. The three of them worked to clear the floor while the dim, reversed Brent was bent over, feeding the gold out of the bag and onto the bed. They just managed to toss the final bag across the room before the one that couldn’t see them walked to the door and out to put the empty garbage bag away.
Just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Brent was stuck, pulling against his own strength. As soon as he realized he was stopped, he let go and turned around. “Okay, now we need to get these bags out of the way so no one trips on them.” Brent was already tossing bags into the open closet, and was far enough ahead of the others that he had the gold from his side of the room out of the way in time to form a sort of bag brigade, feeding bags from the other two into the closet. The weight of each bag wasn’t a lot, but it was enough that each bag’s progress across the room required a twist of the entire body. The three of them worked to clear the floor while the dim, reversed Brent was bent over, feeding the gold out of the bag and onto the bed. They just managed to toss the final bag across the room before the one that couldn’t see them walked to the door and out to put the empty garbage bag away.180
“Now just stay out of the way, I guess. Brent, in a few minutes you’ll need to come over to this side of the bed and shift backwards.”
“Now just stay out of the way, I guess. Brent, in a few minutes you’ll need to come over to this side of the bed and shift backwards.”182
Then they all just watched in silence as the pieces of gold flew up off the bed, intersected with the horror-movie-like motion of Brent’s arm, and disappeared at the moment it hit the back of his hand, over and over. The way Brent was holding his body, his head twisted away from the action, his arm swinging away from each piece of gold as it flew up, only to be struck over and over in the back of the hand, was unnerving. Each of them wanted to look away from that monstrous spectacle of that dimly-lit horror, but found their eyes drawn to the flash of light as each ounce of gold unsettled and lifted itself from the soft surface of the blanket and glided as if under its own power, gently through the air until it vanished.
Then they all just watched in silence as the pieces of gold flew up off the bed, intersected with the horror-movie-like motion of Brent’s arm, and disappeared at the moment it hit the back of his hand, over and over. The way Brent was holding his body, his head twisted away from the action, his arm swinging away from each piece of gold as it flew up, only to be struck over and over in the back of the hand, was unnerving. Each of them wanted to look away from that monstrous spectacle of that dimly-lit horror, but found their eyes drawn to the flash of light as each ounce of gold unsettled and lifted itself from the soft surface of the blanket and glided as if under its own power, gently through the air until it vanished.183
The gold on the bed diminished, dwindled, and the last few glimmers of it disappeared into an alternate past before the creepy Brent began moving even more disgustingly – the reversed versions of his first attempts at hitting the gold. Then both copies of Brent on that side of the bed walked around it together, turned, stopped, and disappeared. It was just one copy of Brent and a Charlie who only remembered the stranger, abbreviated and altered version of events. Brent grabbed a sack from the overflowing mass leaking out of the closet and brought it over to the bed, where he dumped it out.
The gold on the bed diminished, dwindled, and the last few glimmers of it disappeared into an alternate past before the creepy Brent began moving even more disgustingly – the reversed versions of his first attempts at hitting the gold. Then both copies of Brent on that side of the bed walked around it together, turned, stopped, and disappeared. It was just one copy of Brent and a Charlie who only remembered the stranger, abbreviated and altered version of events. Brent grabbed a sack from the overflowing mass leaking out of the closet and brought it over to the bed, where he dumped it out.184
“It’s all … dark.” Charlie sounded more interested than worried, still experiencing a semi-euphoric state in the aftermath of his earlier emotional release.
“It’s all … dark.” Charlie sounded more interested than worried, still experiencing a semi-euphoric state in the aftermath of his earlier emotional release.185
“Yeah, but I think if we get it all together in a neat pile on the floor, I might be able to reverse it all at once.” Brent was already putting the gold back in the bag as he spoke, “You remember I had you toss it in the air a hundred and fifty times?”
“Yeah, but I think if we get it all together in a neat pile on the floor, I might be able to reverse it all at once.” Brent was already putting the gold back in the bag as he spoke, “You remember I had you toss it in the air a hundred and fifty times?”187
“Oh, right. You didn’t go back with me, so you don’t remember it. Well, you remember the gold on the bed that flew up and disappeared against my hand?”
“Oh, right. You didn’t go back with me, so you don’t remember it. Well, you remember the gold on the bed that flew up and disappeared against my hand?”189
“There were about a hundred and fifty of them,” Brent tried to explain what had happened and not happened and Charlie tried to follow. “So, twelve Troy ounces in a pound, about twelve pounds of gold per bag, and how many bags?”
“There were about a hundred and fifty of them,” Brent tried to explain what had happened and not happened and Charlie tried to follow. “So, twelve Troy ounces in a pound, about twelve pounds of gold per bag, and how many bags?”192
“A gross… oh!” Charlie figured out each bag held about a gross of gold pieces and smiled, “so if you’re right that’s … that’s over twenty thousand ounces… that’s…” Charlie tried to work out the value of the gold from what he’d paid for one ounce that afternoon, but Brent beat him to it.
“A gross… oh!” Charlie figured out each bag held about a gross of gold pieces and smiled, “so if you’re right that’s … that’s over twenty thousand ounces… that’s…” Charlie tried to work out the value of the gold from what he’d paid for one ounce that afternoon, but Brent beat him to it.194
“That’s … wow.” Charlie was flabbergasted, and Brent just kept loading gold back into the bag in silence, appreciating the clinking of the wealth tumbling through his fingers. “Won’t that be a lot, though? Thirteen million dollars inflation…”
“That’s … wow.” Charlie was flabbergasted, and Brent just kept loading gold back into the bag in silence, appreciating the clinking of the wealth tumbling through his fingers. “Won’t that be a lot, though? Thirteen million dollars inflation…”195
“Twenty thousand ounces of gold is less than a third of a percent of the total market, if I read the ticker information running along the bottom of the news correctly today.” Brent had all the gold together from the first sack, and carried it out to the living room. He set the bag down and moved to one end of the coffee table, indicating to Charlie to grab the other end, and they moved the table out of the way as he spoke. “Assuming we can find a way to sell all the gold at once, and pretending that there were a predictable linear relationship between the value of gold and the amount actually available, our haul here would shift the market less than it’s moved almost any day in the last few years.”
“Twenty thousand ounces of gold is less than a third of a percent of the total market, if I read the ticker information running along the bottom of the news correctly today.” Brent had all the gold together from the first sack, and carried it out to the living room. He set the bag down and moved to one end of the coffee table, indicating to Charlie to grab the other end, and they moved the table out of the way as he spoke. “Assuming we can find a way to sell all the gold at once, and pretending that there were a predictable linear relationship between the value of gold and the amount actually available, our haul here would shift the market less than it’s moved almost any day in the last few years.”196
They began filing back and forth from the bedroom closet to the living room with a bag in each hand on each trip out, trying to get the heavy plastic bags to pile up instead of spilling or spreading out all over the room. “This is a lot of gold. Twelve pounds times a hundred and fifty bags is about … eighteen hundred pounds. How are we going to transport almost a ton of loose gold?”
They began filing back and forth from the bedroom closet to the living room with a bag in each hand on each trip out, trying to get the heavy plastic bags to pile up instead of spilling or spreading out all over the room. “This is a lot of gold. Twelve pounds times a hundred and fifty bags is about … eighteen hundred pounds. How are we going to transport almost a ton of loose gold?”197
“It’s probably closer to fifteen hundred pounds, as far as figuring out how to move it goes. Gold is weighed in Troy Ounces, right?”
“It’s probably closer to fifteen hundred pounds, as far as figuring out how to move it goes. Gold is weighed in Troy Ounces, right?”198
The pile of bags was becoming increasingly difficult to handle, the plastic bags slipping and sliding around against each other. “Right, yeah, they said that little piece we started with was one Troy Ounce. Is that different from a regular ounce?”
The pile of bags was becoming increasingly difficult to handle, the plastic bags slipping and sliding around against each other. “Right, yeah, they said that little piece we started with was one Troy Ounce. Is that different from a regular ounce?”199
“Definitely. There are only twelve ounces of gold to a pound, and there are sixteen ounces in a regular pound.”
“Definitely. There are only twelve ounces of gold to a pound, and there are sixteen ounces in a regular pound.”201
“Only about 10% bigger, so the pounds are lighter overall. About… 17% smaller, I’d guess, by actual weight.”
“Only about 10% bigger, so the pounds are lighter overall. About… 17% smaller, I’d guess, by actual weight.”203
“Well, sort of, but because there’s two kinds of ounces and two kinds of pounds, going to something like grams and kilograms makes more sense and causes less confusion.”
“Well, sort of, but because there’s two kinds of ounces and two kinds of pounds, going to something like grams and kilograms makes more sense and causes less confusion.”208
“This is the last one,” Charlie handed Brent the final bag, and he added it to the unstable mound.
“This is the last one,” Charlie handed Brent the final bag, and he added it to the unstable mound.209
“Alright, let’s see if this works.” Brent stood back for a moment, waiting silently, counting out the seconds in his mind, then shifted.
“Alright, let’s see if this works.” Brent stood back for a moment, waiting silently, counting out the seconds in his mind, then shifted.210
Standing again beside himself, Brent stepped towards the mound of gold and climbed upon it. As though trying to mount it or hug it, Brent spread himself out over the pile, stretching his arms and his legs out and down around as much of the gold as he could wrap himself around. He shifted again, and immediately realized his mistake as the second pile underneath him, overlapping the first in places and not quite as huge, spilled all over the floor.
Standing again beside himself, Brent stepped towards the mound of gold and climbed upon it. As though trying to mount it or hug it, Brent spread himself out over the pile, stretching his arms and his legs out and down around as much of the gold as he could wrap himself around. He shifted again, and immediately realized his mistake as the second pile underneath him, overlapping the first in places and not quite as huge, spilled all over the floor.211
Brent was barely able to extract himself from the mess before the time-reversed version of himself stood with apparent ease and weightlessness, moved across the room to stand beside the third Brent, and disappeared. “Okay, that didn’t work out so well.”
Brent was barely able to extract himself from the mess before the time-reversed version of himself stood with apparent ease and weightlessness, moved across the room to stand beside the third Brent, and disappeared. “Okay, that didn’t work out so well.”212
“I think you … maybe, should you have been holding the gold when you reversed the first time, and then switched?” Charlie didn’t really know, and still wasn’t one hundred percent clear what the logic of the dark and light items was.
“I think you … maybe, should you have been holding the gold when you reversed the first time, and then switched?” Charlie didn’t really know, and still wasn’t one hundred percent clear what the logic of the dark and light items was.215
“One or two at a time.” Brent rubbed his hands hard against his temples, squinting as though with a headache from hard thought. “Alright, well, uhhh… Let’s get these separated first, and I’ll figure something out while we move. We’ll put the ones that are normal in the bedroom, and the ones that need to be shifted …”
“One or two at a time.” Brent rubbed his hands hard against his temples, squinting as though with a headache from hard thought. “Alright, well, uhhh… Let’s get these separated first, and I’ll figure something out while we move. We’ll put the ones that are normal in the bedroom, and the ones that need to be shifted …”218
The two of them set to work. They tried not to spill any more gold than had already been spilled. They tried to keep the loose pieces that appeared normal from getting mixed up with pieces that needed to be made normal again. They carried a ton and a half of precious metals from room to room, a dozen or two dozen pounds at a time, light, shiny gold to the bedroom and dark, weird and waxy-looking gold to the dining room. Together it took them about half an hour, and neither of them made more than a few grunts and groans of noise the entire time. Finally, with the last of the gold cleaned up and sorted out, they collapsed into chairs at Charlie’s dining room table, out of breath.
The two of them set to work. They tried not to spill any more gold than had already been spilled. They tried to keep the loose pieces that appeared normal from getting mixed up with pieces that needed to be made normal again. They carried a ton and a half of precious metals from room to room, a dozen or two dozen pounds at a time, light, shiny gold to the bedroom and dark, weird and waxy-looking gold to the dining room. Together it took them about half an hour, and neither of them made more than a few grunts and groans of noise the entire time. Finally, with the last of the gold cleaned up and sorted out, they collapsed into chairs at Charlie’s dining room table, out of breath.223
“We’re going to have to stop for dinner, take a break. I figured out I’ve probably lifted well over a ton of gold tonight already. I have a desk job, you know? No heavy lifting or sustained exertion.” Charlie was still gasping a bit between sentences. “The heaviest thing I carry is the six copies of my TPS report every week, one per boss.”
“We’re going to have to stop for dinner, take a break. I figured out I’ve probably lifted well over a ton of gold tonight already. I have a desk job, you know? No heavy lifting or sustained exertion.” Charlie was still gasping a bit between sentences. “The heaviest thing I carry is the six copies of my TPS report every week, one per boss.”225
“It was down to four until the re-org last month. Now I spend more time in meetings about my work than I actually spend doing my work. One of them got assigned to a department that was never funded, and now his entire job is to manage me.” Charlie was exasperated in a different sort of way now, thinking about the insanity thriving in his workplace, “Yet he has no real authority, so he spends half his time meeting with my other superiors to get permission to give me instructions that make it harder to get anything done.”
“It was down to four until the re-org last month. Now I spend more time in meetings about my work than I actually spend doing my work. One of them got assigned to a department that was never funded, and now his entire job is to manage me.” Charlie was exasperated in a different sort of way now, thinking about the insanity thriving in his workplace, “Yet he has no real authority, so he spends half his time meeting with my other superiors to get permission to give me instructions that make it harder to get anything done.”227
“You’d better believe I’m out of there after all this,” and Charlie didn’t even move to indicate the twenty-five million dollars’ worth of precious metals they’d just exhausted themselves moving around the house, they both knew their lives were never going to be the same.
“You’d better believe I’m out of there after all this,” and Charlie didn’t even move to indicate the twenty-five million dollars’ worth of precious metals they’d just exhausted themselves moving around the house, they both knew their lives were never going to be the same.230
“If we go out, we can take a longer break before I make you lift another three thousand pounds.”
“If we go out, we can take a longer break before I make you lift another three thousand pounds.”232
“Well, this half,” and this time Brent did nod his head toward the heap of apparently-shadowed bags huddled like an elephant in the corner. “but twice per bag. And I’ll be lifting each bag once, plus reversing direction in time a couple thousand times.”
“Well, this half,” and this time Brent did nod his head toward the heap of apparently-shadowed bags huddled like an elephant in the corner. “but twice per bag. And I’ll be lifting each bag once, plus reversing direction in time a couple thousand times.”234
“No, but it takes a certain amount of effort. And I’m just guessing that my plan will work – if I can’t aim my reversed self as well as I hope, it’s going to take a lot longer to get this done. And if it gets to be too much for me, we may have to quit before we get through all the gold.”
“No, but it takes a certain amount of effort. And I’m just guessing that my plan will work – if I can’t aim my reversed self as well as I hope, it’s going to take a lot longer to get this done. And if it gets to be too much for me, we may have to quit before we get through all the gold.”236
“We’ll have to wait and see. But even if we have to settle for the millions in gold in the bedroom, I have a feeling we’ll find a way to get by.”
“We’ll have to wait and see. But even if we have to settle for the millions in gold in the bedroom, I have a feeling we’ll find a way to get by.”238
“That our first experiment with this new ability could use it up? Not really. If anything, the more I use it, the easier it seems to get. But I thought I’d warn you that it does take some effort, and I may want to stop before we’re through.”
“That our first experiment with this new ability could use it up? Not really. If anything, the more I use it, the easier it seems to get. But I thought I’d warn you that it does take some effort, and I may want to stop before we’re through.”240
“So do you want to go get something to eat, or do you want to get back to lifting before your body notices you’ve stopped?”
“So do you want to go get something to eat, or do you want to get back to lifting before your body notices you’ve stopped?”242
“Not really. I figure I’ll have plenty of time to be picky about what I eat once we’re both obscenely rich. Frozen dinners again?”
“Not really. I figure I’ll have plenty of time to be picky about what I eat once we’re both obscenely rich. Frozen dinners again?”243
“Sure thing,” and Charlie grabbed a couple more blue boxes from his freezer and in minutes had two plastic-wrapped servings of too-hot-to-eat, too-processed-to-call-food dinner on the table in front of them. In the midst of the hunger from the previous hours’ exertions, neither brother seemed to care about nutrition facts or gourmet flavorings that may or may not have survived being processed, frozen, shipped, almost inevitably thawed and re-frozen, bought, set in Charlie’s freezer for an indeterminate span, and then blasted with a thousand watts of microwave energy with little regard to suggested heating directions. It was hot, it filled them, and that was enough.
“Sure thing,” and Charlie grabbed a couple more blue boxes from his freezer and in minutes had two plastic-wrapped servings of too-hot-to-eat, too-processed-to-call-food dinner on the table in front of them. In the midst of the hunger from the previous hours’ exertions, neither brother seemed to care about nutrition facts or gourmet flavorings that may or may not have survived being processed, frozen, shipped, almost inevitably thawed and re-frozen, bought, set in Charlie’s freezer for an indeterminate span, and then blasted with a thousand watts of microwave energy with little regard to suggested heating directions. It was hot, it filled them, and that was enough.244
Cleanup was nearly instantaneous, no dishes to wash, plastic forks thrown away with the packaging that served as plates and they were ready to begin again. “Okay, what I’m going to try is to control where I physically shift to when I change direction in time. If I can do that, this should go pretty quickly.” Brent grabbed a couple of the odd-looking bags from the corner and set them in front of an empty seat at the dining room table, and pulled the chair out far enough to sit in it. “Help me pull all the chairs out like this.” There were six chairs around the round table; the top could be pulled off to reveal a hexagonal poker table that Charlie hadn’t used in a long time, and the two of them quickly had the chairs spaced out from the table instead of tucked in under it. “Good, now I’m going to set this up so there’s three sets of bags on the table,” Brent spaced the bags out evenly around the table, in front of every other chair. “And I need you to stand here,” Brent indicated for Charlie to stand between two chairs, “and be ready to pick up two bags of corrected gold from the table in front of that seat,” and Brent indicated a chair without anything on the table in front of it, “which you’ll put on the other side of the room.”
Cleanup was nearly instantaneous, no dishes to wash, plastic forks thrown away with the packaging that served as plates and they were ready to begin again. “Okay, what I’m going to try is to control where I physically shift to when I change direction in time. If I can do that, this should go pretty quickly.” Brent grabbed a couple of the odd-looking bags from the corner and set them in front of an empty seat at the dining room table, and pulled the chair out far enough to sit in it. “Help me pull all the chairs out like this.” There were six chairs around the round table; the top could be pulled off to reveal a hexagonal poker table that Charlie hadn’t used in a long time, and the two of them quickly had the chairs spaced out from the table instead of tucked in under it. “Good, now I’m going to set this up so there’s three sets of bags on the table,” Brent spaced the bags out evenly around the table, in front of every other chair. “And I need you to stand here,” Brent indicated for Charlie to stand between two chairs, “and be ready to pick up two bags of corrected gold from the table in front of that seat,” and Brent indicated a chair without anything on the table in front of it, “which you’ll put on the other side of the room.”246
“Right, starting a new pile.” Brent set down one seat clockwise from the chair he’d indicated he’d be in. “And then you’ll do the same thing again, but I’ll be there,” and Brent indicated the seat two seats clockwise from where he was currently seated, and Charlie nodded as though he knew what was going on. “But then you need to get two new bags from the old pile and stand right here,” Brent was very clear to indicate the space directly beside him, between the chair he was seated in and the vacant chair to his right, “because you’ll have to set the bags on the table where these are now, and then turn and take two corrected bags from the table where I’m sitting now. Got it?”
“Right, starting a new pile.” Brent set down one seat clockwise from the chair he’d indicated he’d be in. “And then you’ll do the same thing again, but I’ll be there,” and Brent indicated the seat two seats clockwise from where he was currently seated, and Charlie nodded as though he knew what was going on. “But then you need to get two new bags from the old pile and stand right here,” Brent was very clear to indicate the space directly beside him, between the chair he was seated in and the vacant chair to his right, “because you’ll have to set the bags on the table where these are now, and then turn and take two corrected bags from the table where I’m sitting now. Got it?”248
“And once you set the two new corrected bags in the new pile, you’ll come back to where you are now with two bags that need to be fixed and repeat that motion, setting them down to your right before taking new bags from me at your left.”
“And once you set the two new corrected bags in the new pile, you’ll come back to where you are now with two bags that need to be fixed and repeat that motion, setting them down to your right before taking new bags from me at your left.”250
“Getting dizzy, probably. Assuming this will work at all. So I’ll keep popping around and around to my right, correcting bags, and you’ll keep placing them on the table and taking the fixed ones.”
“Getting dizzy, probably. Assuming this will work at all. So I’ll keep popping around and around to my right, correcting bags, and you’ll keep placing them on the table and taking the fixed ones.”252
“I’m going to be doing this two to three times longer than you are, so no complaining. If it takes you half an hour to carry bags back and forth around the table, it means I’ll be bouncing back and forth in time and around and around the table for at least an hour, maybe an hour and a half.”
“I’m going to be doing this two to three times longer than you are, so no complaining. If it takes you half an hour to carry bags back and forth around the table, it means I’ll be bouncing back and forth in time and around and around the table for at least an hour, maybe an hour and a half.”256
Brent picked up the bags in front of him and started counting quietly, “One, two, three, four, five,” then shifted his direction in time, concentrating on the chair to his right. Happily, he found himself seated exactly where he had hoped to be, with two normal bags of gold in his hands, and a copy of him at his left saying “,evif ,ruof” and Brent quickly set the bags down in front of him and concentrated on the chair to his right and shifted in time again before he heard himself say “,enO”. “Quick, take those,” and Brent indicated to his now-close-at-hand brother the visually un-disturbing bags on the table to his left and began counting again at one just as the other version of himself got to five and the two others disappeared. “One, two, three, four, five,” and with two new bags in his hands, he was gone again to his right.
Brent picked up the bags in front of him and started counting quietly, “One, two, three, four, five,” then shifted his direction in time, concentrating on the chair to his right. Happily, he found himself seated exactly where he had hoped to be, with two normal bags of gold in his hands, and a copy of him at his left saying “,evif ,ruof” and Brent quickly set the bags down in front of him and concentrated on the chair to his right and shifted in time again before he heard himself say “,enO”. “Quick, take those,” and Brent indicated to his now-close-at-hand brother the visually un-disturbing bags on the table to his left and began counting again at one just as the other version of himself got to five and the two others disappeared. “One, two, three, four, five,” and with two new bags in his hands, he was gone again to his right.257
Brent set the corrected bags in front of him, and before two more copies of himself could appear across the table from him, he concentrated on the seat to his right and shifted again. He looked over to Charlie and saw that he had only just turned away with the first two bags. Brent waited for his brother to set down the bags and return, which took just a little longer than it took the other copies of him to do their thing and disappear again. Then it all started over, and before long they settled into a rhythm. It was a lot harder work than the initial duplication had been, and by the end of it both Brent and Charlie were exhausted and sore and wanted nothing else than to collapse into their beds for a long night’s sleep.
Brent set the corrected bags in front of him, and before two more copies of himself could appear across the table from him, he concentrated on the seat to his right and shifted again. He looked over to Charlie and saw that he had only just turned away with the first two bags. Brent waited for his brother to set down the bags and return, which took just a little longer than it took the other copies of him to do their thing and disappear again. Then it all started over, and before long they settled into a rhythm. It was a lot harder work than the initial duplication had been, and by the end of it both Brent and Charlie were exhausted and sore and wanted nothing else than to collapse into their beds for a long night’s sleep.258
When they woke in the morning, the tens – maybe hundreds – of millions of dollars’ worth of gold in heaps all around the house were given nary a second look by either of them. It was a combination of resentment for their continued soreness and of apathy because it had all somehow become so normal to them in so short a time to have it around. They ate breakfast in silence for a while, then Charlie spoke the first complete sentences either of them had uttered since before the bizarre round-and-round of the former evening.
When they woke in the morning, the tens – maybe hundreds – of millions of dollars’ worth of gold in heaps all around the house were given nary a second look by either of them. It was a combination of resentment for their continued soreness and of apathy because it had all somehow become so normal to them in so short a time to have it around. They ate breakfast in silence for a while, then Charlie spoke the first complete sentences either of them had uttered since before the bizarre round-and-round of the former evening.264
“But that’s not really any more to do with my ability than the last couple of days have been. Be creative.”
“But that’s not really any more to do with my ability than the last couple of days have been. Be creative.”265
“Well, if you really want to get directly involved in saving people, you could…” Charlie paused, trying to think of a way to put his suggestion that wouldn’t sound totally crazy, or dangerous. “Well, you could listen to a police scanner, go to crime scenes, watch what happened while going backwards through time, and if possible prevent the crime from occurring or anyone from getting hurt. Or if that was too much, you could just call in an anonymous tip to the police before anything happened, and let them take care of it for you.”
“Well, if you really want to get directly involved in saving people, you could…” Charlie paused, trying to think of a way to put his suggestion that wouldn’t sound totally crazy, or dangerous. “Well, you could listen to a police scanner, go to crime scenes, watch what happened while going backwards through time, and if possible prevent the crime from occurring or anyone from getting hurt. Or if that was too much, you could just call in an anonymous tip to the police before anything happened, and let them take care of it for you.”266
“Sure, or buy up a stack of newspapers and read them as I went back in time to the previous day to warn people of catastrophes, like that guy on that show.”
“Sure, or buy up a stack of newspapers and read them as I went back in time to the previous day to warn people of catastrophes, like that guy on that show.”270
“Well, the news of the future isn’t such a bad idea, but not for every day. But once we figure out how to turn all this metal into money and get it invested, it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye out for stocks and futures with big growth periods to invest in. If you know exactly when to get out of an investment, it takes a lot of the risk out.”
“Well, the news of the future isn’t such a bad idea, but not for every day. But once we figure out how to turn all this metal into money and get it invested, it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye out for stocks and futures with big growth periods to invest in. If you know exactly when to get out of an investment, it takes a lot of the risk out.”271
“That’s still just money. We need to think bigger. What are we going to do with the money? What good can we do with this power besides just manipulating the economy for our own benefit?”
“That’s still just money. We need to think bigger. What are we going to do with the money? What good can we do with this power besides just manipulating the economy for our own benefit?”272
“I don’t know. We can try that police scanner thing, but I don’t exactly want to get shot at. What if I die going backwards in time? The effects would be … totally unpredictable.”
“I don’t know. We can try that police scanner thing, but I don’t exactly want to get shot at. What if I die going backwards in time? The effects would be … totally unpredictable.”273
“So think bigger. Maybe we could … I don’t know, maybe we could stop the outbreak of some disease in a third world country. Find out where a population has recently been devastated, go back in time to before the trouble started, and use our monetary resources to get the population vaccinated or the water supply cleaned or whatever. Save hundreds or thousands of lives at a time by giving up a few months watching time tick backward.”
“So think bigger. Maybe we could … I don’t know, maybe we could stop the outbreak of some disease in a third world country. Find out where a population has recently been devastated, go back in time to before the trouble started, and use our monetary resources to get the population vaccinated or the water supply cleaned or whatever. Save hundreds or thousands of lives at a time by giving up a few months watching time tick backward.”275
“But wouldn’t the people’s lives saved be worth it? And we could catch up on our reading. maybe learn something useful on the way, like the local language.”
“But wouldn’t the people’s lives saved be worth it? And we could catch up on our reading. maybe learn something useful on the way, like the local language.”276
“Sure, and become experts on everything that happened in the world in the period we were traveling through. Learn months’ worth of financial data, world news, terrorist attacks, and hope our actions and changes don’t ripple out too large an effect that everything we learn becomes meaningless. Heck, maybe we could prevent a war from breaking out somehow while we’re at it.”
“Sure, and become experts on everything that happened in the world in the period we were traveling through. Learn months’ worth of financial data, world news, terrorist attacks, and hope our actions and changes don’t ripple out too large an effect that everything we learn becomes meaningless. Heck, maybe we could prevent a war from breaking out somehow while we’re at it.”278
“Why not? Because we’d get noticed if we started getting involved in international politics. By people who could disappear us, and then it wouldn’t be up to us what we did with my ability, it would be up to them.”
“Why not? Because we’d get noticed if we started getting involved in international politics. By people who could disappear us, and then it wouldn’t be up to us what we did with my ability, it would be up to them.”281
“Yes, I see. So getting kidnapped by the government is bad, and getting assassinated by the government is worse. No plans that result in those, then.”
“Yes, I see. So getting kidnapped by the government is bad, and getting assassinated by the government is worse. No plans that result in those, then.”282
“Right. Vaccinating a few impoverished villages is a good idea, and unless some shadow government had been the one planning on infecting them in the first place, no one will know we prevented an outbreak. Interfering with whole wars in any visible way is a bad idea. Calling the local police from a pay phone to anonymously prevent a robbery is a good idea. The two of us watching a robbery unfold in reverse and then trying personally to prevent it is mostly a bad idea, and dangerous.”
“Right. Vaccinating a few impoverished villages is a good idea, and unless some shadow government had been the one planning on infecting them in the first place, no one will know we prevented an outbreak. Interfering with whole wars in any visible way is a bad idea. Calling the local police from a pay phone to anonymously prevent a robbery is a good idea. The two of us watching a robbery unfold in reverse and then trying personally to prevent it is mostly a bad idea, and dangerous.”286
“This isn’t some comic book or TV show where the main characters are protected from any real harm, and everything has a happy ending.”
“This isn’t some comic book or TV show where the main characters are protected from any real harm, and everything has a happy ending.”288
“But you were thinking it, Charlie. But I’m not invulnerable, I can’t fly or teleport or disappear. In fact, when I use my only supernormal ability I’m twice as visible, and have to rely on my memory to react to things, which puts me at somewhat of a disadvantage in any dangerous situation.”
“But you were thinking it, Charlie. But I’m not invulnerable, I can’t fly or teleport or disappear. In fact, when I use my only supernormal ability I’m twice as visible, and have to rely on my memory to react to things, which puts me at somewhat of a disadvantage in any dangerous situation.”290
“Why can’t there ever be a middle ground for you? Why can’t we try to find something that has a chance of doing real good without having to put my life in danger?”
“Why can’t there ever be a middle ground for you? Why can’t we try to find something that has a chance of doing real good without having to put my life in danger?”292
“Me? Look at how you’ve been treating Angela! You’re so focused on yourself, on your own self-pity, that you can’t see what you’re doing! And don’t get me started about mom’s wa–”
“Me? Look at how you’ve been treating Angela! You’re so focused on yourself, on your own self-pity, that you can’t see what you’re doing! And don’t get me started about mom’s wa–”293
“Yeah, don’t start about that,” Charlie interrupted his brother with a tone of finality. Silence followed, filling the space in a way their hard glaring eyes couldn’t, and as the sound of their breathing softened the edges of the silence, that softening also began to wear down the intensity of tension in the room. Time ticked steadily forward, as they were both aware it didn’t really have to do, and eventually Charlie spoke again, softly, “this is stupid. Why are we fighting?”
“Yeah, don’t start about that,” Charlie interrupted his brother with a tone of finality. Silence followed, filling the space in a way their hard glaring eyes couldn’t, and as the sound of their breathing softened the edges of the silence, that softening also began to wear down the intensity of tension in the room. Time ticked steadily forward, as they were both aware it didn’t really have to do, and eventually Charlie spoke again, softly, “this is stupid. Why are we fighting?”294
“I don’t know.” And then, without even having to close his eyes, Brent exerted slightly and the world was different for him in a very familiar way. He stepped somewhat away and turned his back to watch himself fighting with his brother, “.wonk t’nod I”
“I don’t know.” And then, without even having to close his eyes, Brent exerted slightly and the world was different for him in a very familiar way. He stepped somewhat away and turned his back to watch himself fighting with his brother, “.wonk t’nod I”295
“?gnithgif ew era yhW .diputs si siht,” his brother’s face was calm as he spoke the now-strange-sounding words. As the reversed Brent watched, both his brother and himself became visibly tense. Brent noticed his hands slowly tightening into fists, and watched his tendons gradually raising to taut bars stretching from shoulder to neck like the cables of a suspension bridge under the awesome weight of its own construction. Brent became so engulfed in the progression which each of their bodies had been taking between relaxation and anger that his brother’s outburst – which came like some sort of dog un-barking, accompanied by tiny but visible flecks of spit which flew up from out of sight and into Charlie’s mouth, “taht tuoba trats t’nod, haeY”
“?gnithgif ew era yhW .diputs si siht,” his brother’s face was calm as he spoke the now-strange-sounding words. As the reversed Brent watched, both his brother and himself became visibly tense. Brent noticed his hands slowly tightening into fists, and watched his tendons gradually raising to taut bars stretching from shoulder to neck like the cables of a suspension bridge under the awesome weight of its own construction. Brent became so engulfed in the progression which each of their bodies had been taking between relaxation and anger that his brother’s outburst – which came like some sort of dog un-barking, accompanied by tiny but visible flecks of spit which flew up from out of sight and into Charlie’s mouth, “taht tuoba trats t’nod, haeY”296
Brent’s voice flowed somewhat over Charlie’s abrupt cessation, and the reversed version of himself did not take his eyes off his brother, paying more attention to him now than he had been when he’d begun his rant. This time Charlie’s face ran from anger, through frustration, across disappointment, pausing briefly in shock before stepping lightly in confusion and returning to the disappointment which was on his face when he spoke again.
Brent’s voice flowed somewhat over Charlie’s abrupt cessation, and the reversed version of himself did not take his eyes off his brother, paying more attention to him now than he had been when he’d begun his rant. This time Charlie’s face ran from anger, through frustration, across disappointment, pausing briefly in shock before stepping lightly in confusion and returning to the disappointment which was on his face when he spoke again.298
The Brent observing the argument wasn’t sure how long to let it go before he tried to interrupt, or what the outcome might end up being. Only Brent would remember the argument, since he was the only one experiencing both versions of events; Charlie would only ever know the final version. From whatever point in time Brent turned around again, it would be as though not a word that came afterward had ever been said; the interruption would be enough of a disturbance to see to that. Brent’s mind wandered over the potential ethical problems of erasing arguments and re-working conversations as he watched the argument coming to an opening through the back of his head.
The Brent observing the argument wasn’t sure how long to let it go before he tried to interrupt, or what the outcome might end up being. Only Brent would remember the argument, since he was the only one experiencing both versions of events; Charlie would only ever know the final version. From whatever point in time Brent turned around again, it would be as though not a word that came afterward had ever been said; the interruption would be enough of a disturbance to see to that. Brent’s mind wandered over the potential ethical problems of erasing arguments and re-working conversations as he watched the argument coming to an opening through the back of his head.299
“.taht erongi ot gniyrt saw I,” un-said Charlie, and Brent exerted himself to appear facing himself and his brother. “Charlie, come with me. Brent, you stay here with him,” and Brent indicated the third, dim, unresponsive copy of himself before leading his brother out into the yard.
“.taht erongi ot gniyrt saw I,” un-said Charlie, and Brent exerted himself to appear facing himself and his brother. “Charlie, come with me. Brent, you stay here with him,” and Brent indicated the third, dim, unresponsive copy of himself before leading his brother out into the yard.304
“But I can’t judge that for myself now, can I? We never discussed this, Brent.” There was an undertone of resentment in Charlie’s voice, but none of the anger that would otherwise have been coming out of both of them. “We never discussed the ethical implications of altering a person’s memories, taking away their experiences.”
“But I can’t judge that for myself now, can I? We never discussed this, Brent.” There was an undertone of resentment in Charlie’s voice, but none of the anger that would otherwise have been coming out of both of them. “We never discussed the ethical implications of altering a person’s memories, taking away their experiences.”306
Charlie looked over his shoulder toward the house where he knew two additional versions of his brother were standing, waiting for the moment they would both disappear, thought about it, and shrugged. “So, you have the ability to change little things, too. To change the direction of a conversation, to stop mundane things from ever happening.”
Charlie looked over his shoulder toward the house where he knew two additional versions of his brother were standing, waiting for the moment they would both disappear, thought about it, and shrugged. “So, you have the ability to change little things, too. To change the direction of a conversation, to stop mundane things from ever happening.”307
“Sure, and I could probably make whole people disappear with that little disappearing trick of mine, or use social engineering to defraud people or pretend to be a magician. There are countless opportunities, endless ideas, and we shouldn’t have to argue over them. We don’t have to fight. Things can be good, things can stay good from now on.”
“Sure, and I could probably make whole people disappear with that little disappearing trick of mine, or use social engineering to defraud people or pretend to be a magician. There are countless opportunities, endless ideas, and we shouldn’t have to argue over them. We don’t have to fight. Things can be good, things can stay good from now on.”309
“I know it isn’t realistic, that I’d probably end up driving myself crazy if I tried to change everything that wasn’t one hundred percent good. Whatever good even means. But when I make a mistake, when I change my mind, now I have the chance to actually go back and undo it in real life, like it was a typo on a computer.”
“I know it isn’t realistic, that I’d probably end up driving myself crazy if I tried to change everything that wasn’t one hundred percent good. Whatever good even means. But when I make a mistake, when I change my mind, now I have the chance to actually go back and undo it in real life, like it was a typo on a computer.”310
The door of the house opened unexpectedly, and a bedraggled, unshaven and unhappy-looking Brent gestured them back inside. This new copy of Brent, whose clothes were not yet a part of Brent’s wardrobe but which looked as though they’d already been worn near to threadbare somehow, walked with a pronounced limp and winced in visible pain as he did so. With the front door closed again behind them, he led them into Brent’s bedroom where they saw a dim duplicate of the same, sad version of Brent which had interrupted. The duplicate was standing still in an open part of the floor, as though waiting for something. He looked tired, worn down, used up and just about ready to give up.
The door of the house opened unexpectedly, and a bedraggled, unshaven and unhappy-looking Brent gestured them back inside. This new copy of Brent, whose clothes were not yet a part of Brent’s wardrobe but which looked as though they’d already been worn near to threadbare somehow, walked with a pronounced limp and winced in visible pain as he did so. With the front door closed again behind them, he led them into Brent’s bedroom where they saw a dim duplicate of the same, sad version of Brent which had interrupted. The duplicate was standing still in an open part of the floor, as though waiting for something. He looked tired, worn down, used up and just about ready to give up.311
“Alright, first things first. Charlie, this,” and the scraggly Brent who had led them in handed Charlie a business card, “is the name of a man who will buy the gold from you, in cash, no questions asked. Go to him tomorrow morning. Take all the gold with you, do not leave a single piece behind. Not one. Tell him you’ll sell it to him for exactly twenty-one point one percent of market value. If he asks where you got that figure, it’s none of his business. If he asks where you got the gold, it’s none of his business. If he tries to negotiate on the price or offers to pay in anything but cash, tell him you know about what happened in Uruguay. He won’t give you any trouble after that, and he’ll be out of the country within 12 hours, you’ll never see him again.”
“Alright, first things first. Charlie, this,” and the scraggly Brent who had led them in handed Charlie a business card, “is the name of a man who will buy the gold from you, in cash, no questions asked. Go to him tomorrow morning. Take all the gold with you, do not leave a single piece behind. Not one. Tell him you’ll sell it to him for exactly twenty-one point one percent of market value. If he asks where you got that figure, it’s none of his business. If he asks where you got the gold, it’s none of his business. If he tries to negotiate on the price or offers to pay in anything but cash, tell him you know about what happened in Uruguay. He won’t give you any trouble after that, and he’ll be out of the country within 12 hours, you’ll never see him again.”315
“Shut up, Charlie.” The younger, livelier Brent countered, “isn’t it obvious that this is a last-ditch effort? He’s tried everything else. He… I mean, I. I had to come back. All the way to the beginning.”
“Shut up, Charlie.” The younger, livelier Brent countered, “isn’t it obvious that this is a last-ditch effort? He’s tried everything else. He… I mean, I. I had to come back. All the way to the beginning.”316
The grim figure merely nodded to his earlier self as Charlie tried to grasp this strange development.
The grim figure merely nodded to his earlier self as Charlie tried to grasp this strange development.318
“He probably won’t tell us. Safer that way. No loose ends to worry about. I’ve come all the way back to before we used my abilities at all. Before we even finished discussing what we wanted to do with them. I’ve come back to stop us, right?”
“He probably won’t tell us. Safer that way. No loose ends to worry about. I’ve come all the way back to before we used my abilities at all. Before we even finished discussing what we wanted to do with them. I’ve come back to stop us, right?”319
“Right. I’m glad I understand. That saves a lot of time. We haven’t got long, though. I only stood there another few minutes.” The time-worn twin of Brent addressed Charlie again, in an even more grave tone than he’d started with, saying “I’m sorry, Charlie, but this is goodbye. Again. This time for good. Take care of the gold tomorrow morning, and by afternoon you’ll have more cash than you know what to do with. Do not delay.” Before Charlie could ask how he was supposed to get all the gold across town by the following morning, Brent told him “there’s an unmarked panel truck up the block. The keys are in a magnetic holder inside the front bumper. Load the truck tonight. The truck is a free gift to the man who gets the gold.” He handed Charlie another card, this one featured a symmetrical white cross on a solid red background next to the contact information. “This is the information you need to access a numbered Swiss account I’ve set up for you. Deposit the money in the account, Sharen-” he indicated a name and extension scrawled on the back of the card, “will walk you through everything.”
“Right. I’m glad I understand. That saves a lot of time. We haven’t got long, though. I only stood there another few minutes.” The time-worn twin of Brent addressed Charlie again, in an even more grave tone than he’d started with, saying “I’m sorry, Charlie, but this is goodbye. Again. This time for good. Take care of the gold tomorrow morning, and by afternoon you’ll have more cash than you know what to do with. Do not delay.” Before Charlie could ask how he was supposed to get all the gold across town by the following morning, Brent told him “there’s an unmarked panel truck up the block. The keys are in a magnetic holder inside the front bumper. Load the truck tonight. The truck is a free gift to the man who gets the gold.” He handed Charlie another card, this one featured a symmetrical white cross on a solid red background next to the contact information. “This is the information you need to access a numbered Swiss account I’ve set up for you. Deposit the money in the account, Sharen-” he indicated a name and extension scrawled on the back of the card, “will walk you through everything.”321
“No time for questions, Charlie. There’s a safe deposit box associated with the account. I have disappeared the key from time and existence as well as I know how, but I need you to stop me from ever getting into it.”
“No time for questions, Charlie. There’s a safe deposit box associated with the account. I have disappeared the key from time and existence as well as I know how, but I need you to stop me from ever getting into it.”323
“Look, in a few minutes, Brent and Brent,” he indicated the other two versions of himself which stood by calmly, in complete and inexplicable acceptance of what they knew was coming, “and I are going to trap ourselves in an eddy in timespace from which we should never be able to be freed. Not by our own power and, hopefully, not by any other in the universe.” His eyes darted fearfully upward, as though peering through the top of the house and out, deep into the unfathomable darkness of space. “But Charlie, if you ever see me again, I need you to do one thing. I need to to do whatever it takes. Drop everything. Spend every dollar. Forget all other concerns. Whatever else happens, if you ever see me again, I need you to keep me from getting to the contents of that safe deposit box.”
“Look, in a few minutes, Brent and Brent,” he indicated the other two versions of himself which stood by calmly, in complete and inexplicable acceptance of what they knew was coming, “and I are going to trap ourselves in an eddy in timespace from which we should never be able to be freed. Not by our own power and, hopefully, not by any other in the universe.” His eyes darted fearfully upward, as though peering through the top of the house and out, deep into the unfathomable darkness of space. “But Charlie, if you ever see me again, I need you to do one thing. I need to to do whatever it takes. Drop everything. Spend every dollar. Forget all other concerns. Whatever else happens, if you ever see me again, I need you to keep me from getting to the contents of that safe deposit box.”324
“What’s in the –?” Charlie began, but both Brents simply shook their heads at him disapprovingly, and he didn’t finish the question.
“What’s in the –?” Charlie began, but both Brents simply shook their heads at him disapprovingly, and he didn’t finish the question.325
“Alright, Charlie? Can you do that for me?” Charlie nodded silently. “Good. The rest of your life is up to you. You’ll have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your days, or extravagantly for a few years. Try not to tell anyone about all this. They won’t believe you. Just try to remember that I love you. This is the only way.” And without pausing for breath, he glanced at his watch fleetingly, turned to face himself, and continued. “Brent. You have some idea of what we’re about to do?” The other Brent nodded. “Good. As soon as we’re done speaking, which should be under a minute, if we want this to go smoothly, I’m going to go over there and stand next to myself, with my arms around me, and I’m going to turn the two of us around to go backward through time. While that is going on, you need to stay back here, out of the way. After the two of us have disappeared, wait at least several seconds before you reverse yourself to go back in time to the event.”
“Alright, Charlie? Can you do that for me?” Charlie nodded silently. “Good. The rest of your life is up to you. You’ll have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your days, or extravagantly for a few years. Try not to tell anyone about all this. They won’t believe you. Just try to remember that I love you. This is the only way.” And without pausing for breath, he glanced at his watch fleetingly, turned to face himself, and continued. “Brent. You have some idea of what we’re about to do?” The other Brent nodded. “Good. As soon as we’re done speaking, which should be under a minute, if we want this to go smoothly, I’m going to go over there and stand next to myself, with my arms around me, and I’m going to turn the two of us around to go backward through time. While that is going on, you need to stay back here, out of the way. After the two of us have disappeared, wait at least several seconds before you reverse yourself to go back in time to the event.”327
“You’ll feel it coming. You reach out as though to wrap your arms around both of us, and at the very instant you reach the time I’m reversing the other me, you reverse all three of us.”
“You’ll feel it coming. You reach out as though to wrap your arms around both of us, and at the very instant you reach the time I’m reversing the other me, you reverse all three of us.”334
The relatively innocent Brent took his brother into his arms for one last, lachrymose hug. The hard-worn Brent hobbled over to the dim one, wrapped his arms around himself in a physically similar gesture, and to Charlie’s perception, all three versions of his brother ceased to exist simultaneously.
The relatively innocent Brent took his brother into his arms for one last, lachrymose hug. The hard-worn Brent hobbled over to the dim one, wrapped his arms around himself in a physically similar gesture, and to Charlie’s perception, all three versions of his brother ceased to exist simultaneously.