THE VOYAGES OF DOCTOR SAMUEL JENNINGS

In a small, seldom used basement room, which was only one small piece off to the corner of CIT's massive subterranean research facilities, abstract physicist, Doctor Samuel Jennings, sat with the patience learned through many long years of research for his last experiment to succeed or fail.

In the small subterranean laboratory, lit only by flashlights and small portable lamps run off battery power, to conceal the room's use from those government agencies whose sole existence was to spy on and restrict the research of institutes such as CIT's, Doctor Jennings and his two compatriots labored into the long night with their forbidden research of time travel.

Doctor Jennings sat strapped into the control chair of the time machine he had designed and built himself over the past two years in secrecy. His thoughts ran continuously over the subject of his possible travel backwards in time to before the rise of the new military dictatorship and preventing it. For two long isolated years now, Doctor Jennings had struggled with the ramifications to his own world should he succeed in his attempt to change history.

Success would mean the destruction of the world he had known and lived in for the past two years. Everything. All the wars, disease, death, and suffering of the past two years will vanish. The world he had once loved, would have a second chance to live.

Sadly, regretfully though, he realized that all the world's children born and conceived within the last two years would not be. They would have no existence, and most probably would never be in the new world that he was hoping to create for mankind.

It was this last thought that had delayed his hand from making the call to Doctor Will Richards and Professor Elizabeth Wright, whom he had previously worked with, and who shared his secret views on the possibilities for time travel, saying that tonight would be the night.

"Everything is prepared, Sam." Doctor Richards said in a calm tone of voice that expressed nothing of the vast importance of the moment.

"Everything?"

"Everything." Professor Wright replied as she stepped forward with her clip board.

"Well, this is the moment, I guess? We must do this for the world." Doctor Jennings reluctantly spoke.

Doctor Richards and Professor Wright nodded in unison to his statement.

"It's for the best."

"History will understand our intentions when they look back at this day." The two younger scientists tried to strengthen the resolve of their mentor.

"If I succeed Will, history will know nothing of this moment, or of what led us to it. We, ourselves will not remember anything of these events, or what we learned to make them possible." Doctor Jennings shook his head at the thought of this last point. It was a small price to pay for a chance at peace, given the knowledge of what others would have to sacrifice for it.

"Then a celebration is in order now, I think, seeing how our work and effort is to be forgotten by everyone, including ourselves." Doctor Richards declared.

Doctor Richards poured out into three small paper cups the last remains of a half emptied, warm bottle of cola that remained from their simple lunch.

"To the future!" Doctor Richards declared.

"To the future." Doctor Jennings and Professor Wright replied with less enthusiasm.

Doctor Jennings finished his cup in one quick swallow, than crumbled it in his hand as he thought again of the children who would lose everything for a chance at world peace.

Professor Wright noticed the tension in Jennings face and tried again to reassure him of the correctness of their action.

"I can't help but feel that we are sacrificing more than we can possibly imagine for something that we may never have. What guarantee is there that my returning and trying to prevent the events of two years ago will change anything?"

"You'd rather have our children, your very own grandchildren growing up in a world like this?! Constant war, plagues, famine, bigotry, and greed. Is this what you want for them?!" Richards exploded.

"Unlike some people Will, Sam's considering the ramifica- tions of his actions." Professor Wright rebutted.

"No. Will's right. I can't let my fears for the future that might be effect my judgments and actions. I must act according to what the future will be if I don't act."

In those words Doctor Jennings tried to steel his resolve, then in an authoritative voice ordered his two compatriots away from his time machine.

After the two had moved to a safe distance away from his chair, Doctor Jennings pressed the accelerator button on his control panel. As he waited for the power needed to thrust him out of times' flow to build up, he relaxed himself back into the padding of his chair and readjusted the safety straps that held him in. He Felt the pull of the chair beginning, and very quickly increasing, until its force was pressing his body further back into the cushion of the chair. Doctor Jennings turned to try to glimpse his two friends for one last time. Before he could manage the full turn of his head, they were lost in a blur of bright light that quickly faded into darkness.

In a small, seldom used basement room, which was only one small piece off to the corner of CIT's massive subterranean research facilities, abstract physicist, Doctor Samuel Jennings, sat with the patience learned through many long years of research for his last experiment to succeed or fail.

THE END