And Everard was off. The Minister tuned
out as they strode deeper into the complex,
automatic doors sliding open at their approach
every few yards. Eventually, they
reached the lifts that were to take them down
into the underground heart of the centre.
After the third mention of the phrase
‘Schrodingerian Convergence,’ the Minister
began to cotton on to what they were suggesting.
“You mean we’re actually dealing with
multiple pasts, here?”
“Exactly. Just as many possible pasts as
there are futures.”
“How on earth is that possible?”
“Well, we’ve understood about possible
futures for a while. Every difference of possible
outcome creates a different alternative,
a new universe, in fact.”
“Even a slice of bread falling butter side
up or down?”
“It’s a subtle difference, I know, but
enough to create a whole new universe.
What we never really considered was that,
just as often, universes converge.”
“You mean, we might have no end of different
histories?”
“Remarkable to think it, but it’s true. It’s
just that we never expected to have it proved
in so... er surprising a way.”
They emerged from the lift, deep in the
underground heart of the centre. It was welllit,
ultra-modern and staffed by a variety of
young ladies in tight-fitting one-piece costumes,
kinky leather thigh boots and with
big — seriously big — hairdos.
“Perhaps you’d better explain to me what
happened.”
“Well, we’d already gone back to the Jurassic
four or five times, in order to check up
Photography by Sophia Mills
From the ‘Adornment’ series
2008
on the sex life of the stegosaurus…”
“We just couldn’t work out how they did
it”, Perkins chipped in.
“Exactly, but this time, we’d barely got
started when the thing just ground to a halt.
Try as we might, we just could not get it to go
back any further than…?”
Everard dried up in embarrassment.
“4004 BC,” Perkins chipped in, for him.
“I see, and what exactly did you find
then?” the Minister rumbled.
“Well, nothing, basically. Nothing at all,”
Perkins admitted.
“Without form and void,” Everard added.
“Except…” Perkins sighed, “for this fellow.”
They had arrived at another automatic
door, which hissed aside to reveal a comfortable
sitting room. In front of a warm gas
fire, sat what looked like an elderly, white
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