??? POV:

It was just an ordinary day.

I am a Observer.

A fourth dimensional being.

I observe the fabric of spacetime for ALL TIME.

It's all I've known.

It's all I've ever done.

But something quite weird happened.

A hole appeared in the universe.

This has happened in the past before.

But this one seemed special.

It was extremely deep.

It also seemed to contain information?

So much information!

I saw the wonder of the cosmos... it was almost like this entity was also a fourth dimensional being.

It closed unfortunately.

But I've found it's location.

Maybe I should pay this entity a visit?

The question is when and where...

Wait... this isn't right.

I can't travel upstream anymore.

Time has been cut off!

How dare 'it' mess with the data stream of time!?

I may just be an observer... but I can't let such a dangerous entity mess with the laws of the universe! I must find a way to stop 'it'.

----------------------------------------

Zero had been receiving a lot of his employees in his office lately.

Word spread around that he gave two bonuses to the workers that had presented a model to him, even if they disagreed with his original one.

So now, every few hours a new employee would come in and tell him how they thought the universe worked.

To be honest.

He quite liked the talks.

But then something weird happened.

He was invited to go out for drinks with a group of people.

He told them that no matter how much he drinks... his thinking will never slow down.

So it would be pointless.

"Are you challenging us to a drink off?"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"..."

"You're human just like the rest of us... you can still get drunk!"

"I really can't..."

The group insisted that he go.

They had never seen him leave the building.

Truthfully... he really has never stepped outside of his building.

It had everything he needed.

If he needed to test something on the island... he could just do it by manipulating data.

Now that he could send information back in time... he had various test he needed to do.

But he figured he could take a 'break'.

So he left to go have drinks with his workers.

They talked about all sorts of things.

Zero was mostly interested in potential methods of teleportation.

"Hey! This is supposed to be a break! Stop trying to find puzzle pieces everywhe-"

[ECHO]: {User: "Zero #119", Message: "Move your head to the right!"}

Zero instantly without thinking moved his head to the right.

He did it right as a bullet went flying past his head.

Everyone immediately started to freak out.

They became sober quite quickly.

Zero was using this occasion to test out his time machine.

He needed to know what exactly happened when it was successful.

What exactly happened to the timeline he destroyed by altering the past.

He found his answer.

It was like collapsing a wave into a particle upon observation.

Once he reads the information from the future.

His existence is altered.

You could say he is super imposed over all outcomes.

And that he switches timelines when he alters the past.

This is just testing a message from the future.

He already tested out sending a message from the present.

It doesn't matter how many times he 'switches' timelines.

Because of his independent consciousness.

He'll simply have both memories of each timeline.

Then he'll need to sort through his memories to know which is the correct one.

Right now, there is no longer any future of him sending the warning message to himself.

He isn't experiencing that timeline.

That timeline will 'never exist'.

Regarding sending that message.

He could if he wanted too... but it is unnecessary.

The only thing he hasn't tested is sending a message to the future.

But that is simple.

Imagine writing a paper note for your future self and locking it in a box.

Then opening that box five years later.

That could be sending a message to your future.

It doesn't require any quantum entanglement or time machine.

Still... he made sure to test it out using the machine.

He then received a reply from himself.

A detailed schematic for his time isolator that would add the function of teleportation.

"Oh shit... it is a bit different talking with your future self!"

This had a downside to it though.

He would have less of an understanding regarding his technology.

When he sent a message from the present to the past.

His memories would change.

When he sent a message from the present to the future.

His memories did not... he would never experience that future.

That timeline had been wiped from existence.

So, you're probably thinking that he is erased if he receives a message from the past, right?

Since he would be in the 'future'... something he would not experience.

But the past and present were just concepts.

Constructs.

He would only experience the present.

The present could not be erased or destroyed.

Unlike in the book 'Paradox'... this wasn't a hivemind.

Being able to send information to the past and future makes it feel like you have more versions of yourself helping you out. But they aren't independent of you. It is only YOU.

He was thinking all of this in the moments after the shot.

His employees just assumed he was in shock from almost getting sniped.

Little did they know, that this was just an experiment.

He didn't know somebody was out to kill him.

But his future self definitely did!

Now he had a few abilities in this body.

The ability to manipulate his body based on intent.

The ability to receive, send, and manipulate data.

As well as his new ability.

Precognition.

Sure, it was based off his time machine.

But it functioned basically like precognition.

You might think that he no longer has to develop his technology anymore.

Since his future self will just do it.

But that is a bit of a fallacy.

If he doesn't put in the work... he'll never make it there in the first place.

Hoping that he sends back his technology is possible.

But he'd rather learn everything himself.

But if he is pressed for time...

So he saved the schematic for teleportation in his memory and decided to try to come up with it on his own.

After talking with the cops and answering some basic questions.

They let him leave.

He even offered to pay for the damage to the window.

The owner accepted it.