At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements. 😉
What if time travel was possible and you could go back and change the timeline? But, once you finished, you could only return to the present time you left. What if it was impossible for you to access the new timeline you created?
Interesting question. So it would change everyone else's future but not yours as you would be going back to the present time you left. This is too much to grasp this Tuesday morning, LOL. I think I would not want to do this type of time travel. I think it would create more headache for me than be worth it :)
ReplyDeletebetty
I wouldn't want to change what happened because I may not have had the parents I had or have my present husband. Plus, by doing something to the past, I could create a more sinister future even if I thought I was doing it for the good.
ReplyDeleteBut keep in mind no matter what you did, you'd still return to your current present.
DeleteWe'd have to be happy knowing that *maybe* we made things better for ourselves in another timeline.
ReplyDeleteYou should be careful about going and changing another timeline. Something might kill you and take your time machine to create their own version of events.
ReplyDeleteThe other comments are exactly what I was thinking. Would I get rid of Hitler? Would I prevent Lincoln's assassination? All changes have repercussions.
ReplyDeleteThey do. But you wouldn't experience them.
DeleteOh I can feel a movie coming on! Actually seeing as my husbands favourite expression is "it is what it is' I don't think I should travel back in time and change anything, it has all made us who we are. However more important than to change the past, is to influence the future, now that I'm there with bells on!
ReplyDeleteBut, but, but, whatever you do won't influence this timeline...
DeleteI guess that would depend on how risk-averse I were feeling that day. It would be weird to come back to a life that was sort of 'less than' what it was before the timeline shift.
ReplyDeleteBut the timeline isn't going to shift. No matter what you do, you'd still return to the home you left. Exactly as it was before.
DeleteThis time traveler would have to assume that everything in the timeline he/she visits is identical to his/her own. So she kills a person beyond evil in our timeline and goes back home. But what she didn't know is, that's not quite what that person was in the other timeline. And then leaves the mess for the other timeline to clean up. What if that is happening now to us, with some well meaning person from another timeline "helping us". With no way of seeing the harm being done. Yuck.
ReplyDeleteGood point.
DeleteI would not do it since I have experienced this exact scenario before. Except, in my case, I was in the timeline that got altered. The alterations this "well-meaning" person made led to the crappy 8th season of Game of Thrones. And because the person who did it got to return to his own timeline, he never saw (or is even aware of) the damage he caused.
ReplyDeleteWhat did he do? He must have tinkered with George RR Martin's writing somehow to make the series come out faster than the books? That's the only thing I can think of.
DeleteOkay, Brett's comment cracked me up. I never watched the show but have heard a lot of complaints here and there. As for this ability, one could achieve a lot of altruistic accomplishments, I imagine. Interesting idea. And best wishes on the new designs! You're so talented.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteOh my...would I want to change time? There are probably a lot I would consider to change but would it be the best? I know recently I would love to be able to change the last six months. Other times in my life might not be doable since I am who I am from the things that have happened in my life.
ReplyDeleteYou could definitely go and see your mom. But you wouldn't be able to save her. I don't know if that would be helpful or not.
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