In a courtroom …

A judge spoke at the bench.

"Dr. Josephine Nelson, despite your immense contribution to temporal mechanics, which led to your discovery that has revolutionized our approach to criminal justice, I'm about to pronounce sentencing. Is there anything you'd like to say on your own behalf?"

Josephine shook her head.

"Very well, according to the Temporal Penance Directive, I must sentence you back to precisely three years and 15 days. I'll give you 24 hours of our present time to do your penance."

A doctor injected Josephine with multiphasic-quantum-shifting nanites.

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The judge continued … "We'll be monitoring you, Dr. Nelson. Any attempt to disrupt the current timeline beyond a conviction resolution will result in your immediate termination. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

Josephine materialized in front of herself, who was preparing to commit an act of sabotage.

"Wait! Stop!" said past-Josephine. "You'll create a paradoxical time loop and reset everything for us."

"Nonsense!" replied future-Josephine. "There have been zero convictions since our invention."

"That's because they now exist in infinitely repeating bubbles spawned within alt-universes. It's how time heals itself to protect the rest of the primary universe."

"Sure, but that's only one of our branching multiverse theories, amongst many others." Josephine restrained her past self to prevent the sabotage …

In a courtroom …