The Time Free Zone. Gregory J. McKenzie

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      The Investigator could not see what all the fuss was about. If the research was conducted on an official mission then of course it was the property of Galaxy Central. This was the law for all galaxy funded scientific missions. The Professor could complain that something was being misused if he was its originator. But he could not pretend that Galaxy Central did not had every legal right to use their own property any way that served the whole galaxy. Meeting up with the Captain of the galaxy ship that had protected the Professor's science ships, the Investigator shared his point of view in a clear concise tone of voice,

       "The Professor just made a spectacle of himself. That research is not his private property. "

       Nodding the Captain said in an even more censorious tone of voice,

       "Yeah that's right. He has to accept that galaxy funding means galaxy ownership."

       As the Investigator began to nod in his turn, he saw the Professor enter their recreation area. So he said under his breath,

       "Oh no, don't look now but trouble has just walked back into our lives."

       This proved prophetic when the Professor stormed up to where the two of them were standing. Before they could even give a greeting the Professor said in an angry tone of voice.

       "Well I hope you two are happy with yourselves. You obviously did a good job of betrayal. The Captain here I expected nothing from anyway. But you Investigator? I thought you had some semblance of intelligence. Obviously I was wrong. Those military secret types at Galaxy Central have now locked me out of all the most valuable mission files. My own discovery is being kept hidden away from me. Do any of you realize what you are doing? The future existence of the whole galaxy could be at risk. Without access to those files I cannot make this discovery safe enough even to study."

       Of course the Captain was not interested. Military to the core the Captain was one hundred percent solid with the government. But the Investigator saw real concern in the eyes of the Professor. He made a habit of reading expressions. When you are dealing with multiple species every mission this was a vital skill.

       The Investigator was certain that this was no ego tripping by the Professor. Reading concern and deep fear in the Professor's expression, the Investigator said in a serious tone of voice,

       "Look if they ask me I will put in a good word for your continued involvement in this discovery. If you can take some advice though, dial back on the aggression. Try to be more diplomatic."

       The Professor stood there with an expression of surprise before finally replying to this unexpected offer of assistance. In a grateful tone the Professor said,

       "You sounded just like my mother then when you said that bit about going gently. Look if you can get me back in to see what they are doing with that research I will be grateful."

       Nodding his head the Investigator said in a final tone of voice,

       "No promises but I will do what I can to help you."

       The Captain was about to interject but he received the 'NOT NOW' look from the Investigator. Surprisingly enough this made the Captain stay silent.

       When the Professor left the area, the Captain asked with thinly veiled sarcasm,

       "Just what attention do you think they will give to your advice?"

       The Investigator said in a proud tone of voice,

       "Well considering that I have been appointed the Investigator-General's personal observer for this new government research project, I expect they will give my ideas very close attention. Don't you"

      Chapter 4

       True to his word, the Investigator got the Professor onto the government project team as an expert adviser. There were so many appointed already that one more was not going to be noticed by anyone. Or so the Investigator imagined. He had not reflected enough on those volatile meetings he had attended on the Captain's galaxy class cruiser. Within days of the project getting under way the Professor began to make waves.

       There was, for example, the indoctrination session. All the project team participants had been gathered together digitally via the galaxy vid. Now was the time for the space geeks to show off their knowledge. They began a debate on the whole issue of the meaning of time.

       The Professor got the stream exclusivity dominance. He posted his images of the "time free zone". They were dark and mysterious to the untrained scientific eye. So the Professor explained them at a very basic level. He posted the following:

       "What you are looking at is the absence of light. This is not an image of dark matter. It is a totally unique image. The reason it is so unique is because time does not exist in this zone! Now this is made possible by extraordinary circumstances. The near presence of two competing black holes helps to exterminate time itself."

       Of course the derisive comments from the technocrats followed that post. The Professor for once let that inventiveness pass without comment. He countered with some basic quantum physics. This is what he posted when back in control of the vid stream,

       "I am sure you all remember your basic astrophysics lessons. Simple quantum physics theory tells us that time is a measurement of distance traveled. It does not exist outside this usage. You will also remember that basic astrophysics postulate that we all remember past time but cannot see future time. This is because time does not exist in the future. It only exists in the present and the past. This is all simple basic astrophysics. I am sure we can all agree on that at least."

       The silence on the digital stream from certain technicians spoke volumes about their mastery of pure astrophysics theory at any level. Of course the Professor had rivals on that project team that had mastered astrophysics. These critics now interjected with comments about relevancy. The Professor closed out his mini lecture by posting,

       "Well at the quantum level time has no present, no past and no structure. This zone we discovered exists at that quantum level. That is why I say it is a time free zone. Travel in this zone is impossible. Thus time does not exist."

       That post started a heated debate among the astrophysics. It got to a high theoretical level quickly. Eventually it had to be wound up by the vid stream moderator. He was sensing that the vid was getting into controversial territory.

       Unfortunately for the Professor, other species in the galaxy had some highly intelligent individuals. One of these now came into the digital vid stream. It interjected with acidity,

       "If what the Professor said was accurate, then that area of space is unique in the galaxy. If matter is not travelling in this zone then the two black holes have created a hiatus to prevent any travelling. Matter is effectively trapped in that state. As this is not СКАЧАТЬ